To be terrified about PIP?

[BobbyBiscuits]

I've tried to blank all this out for ages, but today it hit me when the government basically are saying I'm going to (they want me to) have my PIP cut off?
My main illnesses are severe depressive disorder, general anxiety disorder and severe anorexia. I've severe PTSD symptoms and also think I may have ADHD but have not been able to get diagnosed due to phobia of MH services since I got sectioned.
I now have physical symptoms also and severe osteperosis which I put on my last forms. But had no assessment for several years.
I'm praying this is BS from the Tories and they can't do it anyway as they'll be kicked out.
Or could labour still continue this assault against disabled people?
It would halve my already tiny income, other half is from ESA, and they could kick me off that too even though I can't do anything!?

What do people think?

But it's not. Sunak said yesterday also it may be extended to those with conditions like ADHD or learning disabilities.

my DD has severe LDs. she needs 24/7 care. I can only work very reduced hours due to this as social care is absent. How are vouchers going to help her? Can she get a support worker on a vouchers? I very much doubt it.

Amazing isn't it that they'd announce this just before an election. How anyone who needs support would vote for them I have no idea.

Again, people with mild ld or adhd can work. It is not for anyone in the severe camp. I’m starting to wonder if they need to start taking out billboards highlighting the word mild.

Because those that currently assess PIP will presumably be the same type of 'medical professionals' that will assess for this. They're not doctors or in most cases even trained in the specific illnesses of the claimant.

My assessor claimed to have met hundreds of people with my very rare autoimmune disease including two that week. There's currently 2 of us that have my condition in the UK and upon questioning, they had actually no idea about my condition and were confusing it with a not very similarly named illness.

The contracts will likely not be given to those that care and have respect for people, rather, a company that has government ties and takes the current government 'scrounger' view.

I wouldn't trust the current shower of shit to be able to recognise and define a common cold let alone any conditions that actually need help and support.

So go for a run in the park (if you're physically capable).

My park is too narrow and full of cyclists and dog walkers.

And not everyone can run

I remember you from the last thread on disability benefits. Are you still going on about writers cramp ? Why are you repeating this on another thread when you’ve already been advised so many times how eligibility for this particular condition works ?

The link you’ve posted is a list published by DWP showing the success rates for different conditions given as a percentage of total claims - as compiled from claimant information. But as has been pointed out numerous times to you, no meaningful information can be taken from it to support your position on the veracity of claims because it doesn’t state actual figures. 30% of claims for writers cramp being successful, for example, doesn’t mean anything unless you know the total number of people actually claiming for the condition.

It’s also a fact that PIP does not look specifically at any condition in itself, as automatically qualifying for benefit, and by the same token does not discount any condition, however insignificant it may seem to the untrained eye. It’s the symptoms of the condition and the effect on the claimants’ ability to carry out the activities assessed that counts. So the effects of writers cramp in this context wouldn’t be assessed any differently than the effects of say Spina Bifida or Rheumatoid Arthritis. No matter the condition, it’s the effect that counts and if the effect is severe enough to qualify for benefit, then the appropriate award is made.

This fact doesn’t seem to fit with your view despite numerous people explaining very comprehensively how PIP works and as a consequence you’re coming across as ableist because you’re dismissing very real conditions as not worthy of consideration.

Can we stop derailing the thread with this nonsense now ?

And by the way, that list is updated every three months and the one you’re using is out of date by nearly fifteen months.

No, I’m not arguing that the bills, for the country, are high. Health wise, I would guess that for anyone with health problems, from cradle to grave, the costs is also high though.

Most of the arguments about PIP, at the moment, is around children and working age adults getting it.

But, the point is that, from 16, I paid tax/NI, until I retired. My retirement date was put back 6 years, with the changes. Yes, I did fund the generation above me, and todays workers are doing the same.

Thats how it works.

I can’t claim any means tested top-ups, (private pensions), and pay full rent etc, but, yes, I do get the WFA and bus pass.

But, there does seem to be a misconception that we don’t pay taxes after pension age. Due to my state pension, and private pensions, I do. I think they call it fiscal drag.

The tax thresholds being frozen is impacting everyone.☹️

You clearly never had to deal with the DWP. if it was up to them, my DD is cured. took a year long fight and a tribunal. She has severe learning difficulties and autism. my experience is very common. Nothing mild. you have no idea.

Yep. Unless you have been through the system you don’t appreciate that it’s pretty much unfit for purpose.

Too narrow for running but wide enough for bikes ? Weird park.

Small point but important to distinguish - children can’t claim PIP. It’s for working age adults only, and you can’t establish a new claim for it after retirement age. When children reach 16 they are migrated onto PIP from child DLA.

That would be because of the amount of cyclists. Or did you not read that part? It's too narrow to run safely because of the amount of people there

Omg people want free gym.membership because they don't like their local park?
Have I got that right?

My dd has hypermobility, struggles with running, finds swimming therapeutic, has been advised it’s good for her and as an autistic, mentally very unwell person with pTSD could never just go for a run anyway. If she could she wouldn’t have PIP.

A) there isn’t that facility and B) many autistic young people struggle with public transport. At the end of the day if they are awarded PIP it’s up to them as to how they use it and find it the most beneficial.

Oh do give over. 🙄

I think this is a good idea actually.

I also think is really hard to get as it is. I have had anxiety throughout my life and a severe episode that led to me being sectioned. I was a carer for my Mum at the time and didn’t apply. I tried to a year ago . I answered the questions honestly didn’t have enough points. I could not face appealing it was incredibly stressful.

So a voucher for membership at the local council pool would be suitable?

I think we can't not. Enabling someone to be able to get exercise has such a significant effect on mental health it could be the difference between being able to work or not. I don't think we can afford to push people out of work where they then need to claim more benefits. Also if we don't remove barriers to exercise you have a knock on effect on the NHS having to deal with the ill health caused. So removing the PIP would cost us money.

All the reason's people can't go swimming equally apply to the disabled person, of course. But they have numerous additional complex barriers. Much more complex than 'there are times in the day when the pool is quiet.' (Which could well be when they are at work!)

Again, PIP is not an out of work benefit. By removing it you remove a lot of people's ability to work/ability to transition into work. If a higher percentage need to work we really need to not do this.

@Fresh1ndia this is exactly what the Green Paper is going to address. The Government is making it clear that it does not want PIP to continue in its current form as a cash benefit.

They have in it their sights now to change it and are willing to throw billions at changing it in order to stop the future trajectory continuing as it is.

Friday will set out their plan. It will be an interesting read and an insight into how they want PIP to change.

And make someone worse off because they have an expensive disability? You're then for those people, means testing things like carers tickets, a blue badge, bus pass, Railcard, etc

It depends on what that facility it and how it suits individual needs. She goes to the local pool, the nearest she can walk to so she doesn’t need to use public transport. It’s brand new and has empty times which she attends.Currently not well enough to use it but building back up to start again. It’s crucial for confidence, progress and mental/ physical health.She has to pay a membership for the pool but it doesn’t include gym and other things which she couldn’t access anyway. PIP helps with a host of things which enables her to pay it. If the pool didn’t suit her needs she wouldn’t be able to use it.