Family member awarded enhanced pip - AIBU?

[Orangecrocs]

My family member has just been awarded enhanced pip in both living and mobility components.
Shes told me that she’s twisted the truth during the assessment and told the assessor that she has lots of pain and can’t really walk at all, but she walks all the time as I see her out and about - we live in a hilly area. I know people who are in a wheelchair and struggle to get enhanced rate - so I really don’t understand how she’s managed this.
I know people will say mind your own business but she’s told me she’s actually lied to them.

@Kitkat1523 Source?

It is a ridiculous assessment process. Very subjective from both the applicant and assessors point of view.
For exampl, stroke victims find it really difficult to obtain because the assessors don’t really know how to assess a stroke victim. I think many see it as a temporary condition.
when DS had a stroke we waited for 12mnths before applying to see just how much recovery he had. His problems are cognitive and, due to a severely arthritic knee that predated the stroke, physical. He also has COPD and chronic fatigue, he could give Rip Van Winkle a run for his money. He sleeps for 70% of the day, which we are told can be normal. His knee renders him almost housebound because it dislocates continuously but he is reluctant to have a knee replacement due to the high risk of surgery and the potential for it to end up worse than it is now.
The assessor scored him zero point, blatantly lied about the answers he gave, when asked if he could prepare a meal he said he could help himself to crisps and use a microwave to heat a prepared meal but the loss of fine motor skills in his right hand meant he couldn’t butter toast or peel veg. She recorded that he could prepare a meal. He also needs prompting to eat, take a shower, in fact left to his own devices he probably wouldn’t last long.
Prior to the stroke he was a SAHP who did all the housework and cooking. He was also super fastidious about his appearance and cleanliness. Now he could easily go a week without a shower. The damage to his brain has wiped out his ability to assess what needs doing.
But because he can wipe his own arse and lift his arms above his head he doesn’t qualify. And yes the assessor asked him to raise his hands above his head. This was despite all the references to his non functioning knee.
I get lists of comments about motivating him to do more but his brain is just missing that part. I do think he is depressed, it would help if he had a blue badge because he would be more enthusiastic about going out if he knew he didn’t have to walk long distances. He refuses to use a scooter because as an ex athlete he sees that as defeat.
He can’t work and is entitled to nothing because he worked for 40yrs and made sure he built up a small pension. Also my income excludes him from benefits.
We are lucky to be financially comfortable but what was the point of paying NI if there is no benefit. It would have been better for us to pay it into a pension to have some benefit.

Excuse me?! PIP is cash to help with the added costs of being disabled. One of those for me is paying a cleaner to clean what I can’t reach, someone to mow the lawn, fuel in my Motability car, etc.
re: UC - I still have bills to pay! I have a child who needs supporting ffs! Why should genuinely disabled people be treated like second class citizens and be handed little vouchers?!?

Thankfully Starmer has already ruled out moving to a voucher/non-cash system anyway but fuck me! Some of you benefit badgers love to class all us disabled people as scammers, don't you?!? I can’t help being a widowed parent who was later diagnosed with Parkinson's and therefore now FORCED to be reliant on the state

@20yearrenovation A benefit bank account?!?! WTF? I have a normal bank account with a visa debit card like every other normal adult! Why the flippity FUCK should I have to have a special bank account because I'm disabled?!?!?!?!?! That's BEYOND discrimination and beyond the most shockingly Tory thing I've ever read on the internet. Wow

@Didshejustsaythatoutloud

I have Fibromyalgia its diagnosed by a Rheumatologist. I also have Parkinson's. So I'm work shy am I?

Fibromyalgia has recently been PROVEN to be a neurological disorder.

You disgust me.
Reported

The PIP system is completely broken, and people know it. It's amusing that non-disabled people will argue that it isn't

Agree.

I have a family member whose enhanced PIP award is due to her severe depression and agoraphobia. Being unable to function normally, no memory, confusion, difficulty understanding written things due to mental fog, needing prompting to do absolute basics, no support at home at all. The mobility component points were based entirely on her being almost totally unable to leave home unaccompanied, due to overwhelming mental distress etc.

She received enhanced PIP, popped down to her local garage that partakes in the scheme and exchanged her mobility component for a brand new motability car. Which she is the sole insured party on.

Apparently it's totally normal and accepted for someone to simultaneously have such poor MH they can't read basic street signs or leave home alone AND to have a motability car that only they are allowed to drive that is currently racking up about 8000 miles a year.

No one (or system) has thought to question this. It's mind boggling. A total farce.

Far better controls are needed and IMO the system that is the motability car scheme needs totally scrapping and replacing with a limited scheme which provides specially adapted cars ONLY (for wheelchair users/amputees etc).

They do ask about driving and often seem to turn people down due to it.

Not every physically disabled person who needs a car is a wheelchair user or needs an adapted car. They just can’t walk far, and having a car gives them more life and independence, myself being one example. You want people who don’t use wheelchairs and aren’t amputees to have no independence because of the actions of a few who may pull the wool? Who put you in charge of deciding who’s worthy and who isn’t? There are countless physical impairments out there that would benefit from a car, not all of them would meet your criteria.

You want people who don’t use wheelchairs and aren’t amputees to have no independence because of the actions of a few who may pull the wool?

Where did I say that?

Except when a specially adapted car is needed, physically disabled people don't need a special, brand new, motability car. They can go spend their PIP on a 'normal' car, either new or second hand, like anyone can.

Yes, I think the motability scheme needs scrapping. Personally I suspect it will be the first thing to go as part of a wider PIP review and not a second too soon.

You said adapted cars only for people like amputees etc. Not everyone with a disability that affects their mobility needs an adapted car, they simply need a car that is either driven by themselves or someone else.

Motability is a charity, all repairs are paid for by them. If a disabled person had to purchase their own second hand car they would be responsible for all the upkeep of said car which can cost a fortune.

And it is a degrading process my dw has many difficulties and she wants to work but she just doesn't have 35 hrs in her due to real physical pain and 16 hrs is the maximum she can do.during the assessment she had to bare her soul to answer questions and we had to go in-depth with answers and we had to explain that when my wife was at school there was no provision for children with needs they were packed off to special schools and written off and left without basic literacy,numeracy skills which coupled with physical disabilities makes life doubley hard.so in a nutshell it's not a breeze to get through.

Oh and my dw does work in a physically demanding job and at times is in agony.

Plus another point I forgot to make, you only get the car if you get the higher mobility component of PIP. If you get a car, that money goes to pay for the cars lease and repairs.

You still get the same amount of money on high rate motability component whether you choose to get a car or not, so the taxpayer isn’t paying any extra for someone to have a car. If they took away that higher mobility component, most disabled people wouldn’t be able to afford a car even second hand + repairs.

Nobody really gains anything for scrapping the motability scheme, the only thing it achieves is spitefully taking away a lifeline for a vast majority of genuine disabled people. The dealership sell it on second hand after it has been leased for three years.

People who don’t know how it works are bound to have that opinion though aren’t they

What's rubbish about the Motability scheme is that it's one or the other. You can have a WAV, or you can have a wheelchair. Not both. If I chose a wheelchair, I can't go anywhere. If I chose a WAV, I can't get to it.

On top of that, you have to pay a deposit for the vehicle too, which can be thousands for a WAV and you also have to pay for any adaptations. Ramp, hoist etc. I had to save for seven years for a deposit on my WAV. While having to buy a powerchair on a credit card which is still not paid off.

Perhaps if there wasn't so much PIP fraud, there'd be more money for the things that disabled people actually need.

(And yes, there is PIP fraud. I mentioned my colleague earlier, who is proud of fraudulently claiming PIP. I know at least seven people have reported her to the DWP, over the last five years at least. Nothing has been done, despite SO much evidence that she is fraudulent being available. The fraud levels are so low because they're not actually bothering to investigate.)

Much as I don't think lying to get extra benefits is a very moral thing to do, this really REALLY isn't why the "country is on its knees" 🙄

Not that I’m saying it’s right as it’s not, but for every fraudulent claim, there are far more people being wrongly denied it. Something like 80% of denied claims which go to tribunal are overturned, and not everyone will bother going that far because they find it too overwhelming or don’t have an advocate. Unfortunately, as with any benefit, some will slip through, it’s just something that happens. If it helps the vast majority though, it’s worth keeping instead of taking things away from those in need when there is no personal or wider societal benefit of doing so.

That's not true. My friend and colleague receives PIP, she's a nurse, she has MS. Relapsing remitting specifically. There are times that she is fine. Or more accurately, she can function to a good level. Then there are times that she has flare ups and is either off sick or is working but gets altered duties. But the majority of the time, she's working as normally, alongside the rest of the team.

This thread reads like horrible anti-disability shit-stirring to me. You don’t know what’s going on day to day with other people. PIP is notoriously hard to get.

That friend could have a fluctuating condition and be completely incapacitated during regular flares up of it. Get on with your own life.

Report her. They'll watch her from afar and revoke her benefits.

Just a small fact to all those who think it is easy for disabled people to work, only 27% do.
Because they're lazy, workshy scroungers? No, because employers don't want to make reasonable adjustments.
As I said up thread £700 is the maximum you will receive on PIP and anything else is means tested. No housing or related benefits are awarded for disability, perhaps a loo seat etc if you are prepared to wait months.
I suspect this is a data gathering thread for the powers that be. Labour governments will tax anything they can and those less intelligent will find someone to blame. Do not wish for the megre allowance because you will go through a very humiliating process to get it with all dignity and respect stripped away. When you are abused for using a blue badge or having to use a buggy at a rail station you understand people aren't very nice. I've had more help abroad than in the UK. That is extremely sad. If any able bodied person feels they would like my £700 in exchange for my pain and suffering step on up. You'll soon change your mind. You never know when disability strikes, mine was in my late thirties. Did I bring it in myself? I did not. Unless you have a miracle cure for the many disabling conditions people suffer from (go that nurse with MS, you're a hero) wind your jealous, spiteful neck in.

I know these people well, never said she wasn’t allowed to join in activities but don’t lie to the state about your condition just to rip off the services provided for vunerable people. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this woman,I don’t judge people just don’t like people taking the piss!!!!

The mobility component isnt solely based on personal mobility.Yes you are assessed on this but it also includes whether you can use public transport safely, use roads safely and if you are mentally aware of your personal safety and if you need supervision to remain mobile hence why people with mental health disabilities can also be awarded this. Motability elements are awarded to offset extra costs associated with travelling with a disability not to buy a car because you cant walk far.

I see the disability hate is still spewing from this thread. Sadly, some of you bigots will one day find out what it is like to be disabled. I am sure you won't apply for benefits, though.

I am disgusted MN has let this thread stand.

💐 to everyone who has tried to challenge the hate.

Edited as I really should not rise to the bait.