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?

There are actually some really positive ideas in this (as well as some awful ones). Such as people with lifelong incurable conditions not needing to keep re applying, fast tracking some applications, and basing them on medical information rather than interviews.

I had a PIP assessment and found it so bizarre - I could have said anything and she would have used that to decide my eligibility. felt like how much I got was really down to how much I was able to make her feel sorry for me. I can see how many peoples claims get rejected as they struggle to answer the questions in the way the assessor wants. Having previously helped families complete DLA forms as a health professional, I knew what words they were looking for on the form and what they wanted to hear in the interview. Thats not say I lied - I didn't- but I knew how to succeed in the interview. Many people won't, and then won't get what the correct outcome in their application.
I also found the interview traumatic, as still coming to terms with my disability. I requested the form 3 times before I actually completed it as I just found it too hard emotionally.

Not for you or me to decide is it.

Presumably the assessors will.determine that she could WFH as a call centre advisor or whatever.

They will probably say that if you're "disabled" but can manage to attend multiple medical appointments, juggle the related admin and tasks, then you could also work in some capacity.

The changes will happen, even if the OP disagrees.

But that would mean every person having a tailored set of vouchers each month. Where is the money going to come from to administer that? It would be so much more expensive than the current system.

I wish my DP would apply for PIP. He has ASD and struggles massively with so many things.
Just because it is not a "financial need" does not mean it is not a need. PIP is not based on financial needs. Maybe if your ex had actually looked into it, he would have found that out.

But what’s all that got to do with anything? PIP has nothing to do with whether you work.

Exactly! This makes no sense!

It does if the assessors determine that the recipient should be working instead, and no longer qualifies for the benefit.

I have MS and receive PIP. Received this whilst I was still working and stayed in work aslong as I could before having to leave. Took a demotion so I wasn’t travelling up and down the country then went part time and it became unsustainable for me to carry on. If they introduce vouchers then its something I will just have to deal with on top of already a hectic life. I will need taxi vouchers, cleaning vouchers, food vouchers, therapy vouchers, vouchers for the new admin I’ll need to hire to take care of all these receipts etc to claim money back.

I’m horrified at the government trying to penalise people for being disabled. If they want to get people with disabilities in the workplace, why not incentivise companies throught lower taxation to offer flexible working and fund workplace adaptations etc?

😂😂😂😂😂That is just ludicrous and scaremongering. She will be doing all the medical appointments on top of a job which is the whole point of pip ie you have a disability that needs support others don’t have.

My dd couldn’t work as a call centre advisor she’d be way too anxious because of her autism. Maybe the op couldn’t .With anorexia you are cognitively massively compromised as well
as physically. My dd wasn’t allowed to attend school no way would she be able to work. The PPE will probably be the same.

The only assessors qualified to assess my dd are the psychiatrists in her various teams. They are cautious enough re recommending her treatment no way would somebody in a job centre that she has never met be qualified.

PIP assessors do not assess someone's ability to work so no, they won't be doing that.

Not that it made any sense anyway. The person could be able to manage all their appointments and admin and therapy etc. but no more. They could not be managing those things already and need a lot of support.

PIP IS NOT AN OUT OF WORK BENEFIT.

How many times does this need to be said?

Many disabled people work because they receive PIP.

You still qualify for PIP if you work!! 🙄

You can work full time and get PIP. PIP is not an out-of-work benefit. You could live in a mansion, be a high earner and still get PIP. PIP is for a disability or health condition that affects you seriously in daily life. That’s it.

You would still need medical evidence to back up whatever you said though. It is not just about using particular "buzzwords".

I doubt very much the changes will happen as when they realise that they’ll have to provide the treatment they’ve withheld from so many, the lack of trained staff and professionals, the huge cost it will bring and the unworkable nature of vouchers and non expertise assessors alongside safe guarding risks they’ll run for the hills. My dd has attempted to take her own life several times this year warranting hospitalisation. Good luck with forcing her safely into work. Trying to do voluntary work caused a massive crisis costing ££££ of tax payers money.

I really really wouldn't bank on Labour, or any Political Party, being able to do anything other than a severe check on all benefits in the future.

It's just basic triage. In an emergency You use resources on those you can save.

But the Government is changing the current system. So the decision on who is entitled to claim PIP will not be assessed by medical professionals anymore.

The assessors will have a remit to deny claims as the default position. It will be up to the claimant to prove they are entitled to it. I'm guessing not many will pass the test. So it would be work or starve. The government is hoping that poverty will inspire people to work instead of claiming benefits.

How many times? Ad infinitum, because it doesn't suit the agenda of particular people.

I mean that they won't care about a person's disability, as the criteria will.mean that almost nobody will qualify for PIP anymore. They will have to work if they want extra money. They won't get anything to assist them anymore.

Denying claims is pretty much the default position now. So people go through the appeal process - long and cumbersome- where the majority of those denied claims are then approved.

If you are a high earner and get pip you probably aren't immediately panicking that you might no longer receive it, because you have other sources of money.

The people who are going to be most worried about no longer receiving it, are people who are not working for whom its a core part of their income

Disability is disability. Autism and MH are protected disabilities so it will be interesting to see how legally somebody can be denied even if they can prove they have need exactly as they did before.

This government isn’t going to be in power for much longer anyway.

The point is that there won't be any appeals process. The computer will say NO and that's it. No more PIP.

The diagnostic criteria for many things have changed before and can change again.