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.

Absolutely

PIP has absolutely nothing to do with being able to work. It’s an entirely different assessment. So if you don’t know which benefit is meant for what, then how are you so sure she doesn’t qualify ?

As I said if you don’t like people calling you out for saying they have posted something when they haven’t, don’t do it in the first place.

She face timed me to show me her black eyes!

Well it isn’t relevant in this case because the woman in the news has been convicted for fraud and has to pay all her PIP money back. She claimed for physical reasons and was doing pole dancing and yoga, there were no MH factors at all. End of.

👏👏👏

@Garlicandchilli given that you seem unable to understand that PIP is not an out of work benefit, I'm disinclined to believe a word you say.

The hate for disabled people here is chilling. There's so much complaining about means testing the WFA, but the moment it's about disabled people, everyone is totally cool with cuts and dehumanising things like unworkable voucher schemes. Some on here need to look in the mirror and realise they are seeing the face of hypocrisy.

Didn’t read the article, was just speaking generally.

Ok

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

This is what you said. The level of fraud in the disability benefits system is less than 1%, nowhere near paying for the level of support through motability that you seem to think is reasonable for the princely sum of £75 a week. And I absolutely did not say it’s a ‘free car’ I said the mobility allowance when used for Motability provided the claimant with virtually care free use of a car. And as has been said before, if you meet the thresholds, you can apply for funding for more complex adaptations.

My goodness! So it definitely sounds like she might be too unwell to work. I'm assuming mental health and/or alcohol addiction issues.

A good example of failing, underfunded and/or badly managed/ineffective mental health services, social services, and substance issues services.

Look on the bright side, just a cheery reminder to posters on here resenting disabled scroungers bleeding the country dry, that you and your loved ones are only an illness or accident away from acquiring a serious and life-altering disability of your very own. So, don't be too jealous, one day soon you too may get to enjoy the tax-payer funded, care-free life of riley all us disabled people apparently get to live. Life with a disability in a profoundly hostile and inaccessible world is so much fun that I hope some posters on here really do get the chance to experience it for themselves one day.

It’s a tricky one. Basically it was decided that no mobility component would be included with AA because mobility problems can arise from age related issues, and not just disability. Mobility component is intended for disability, not the effects of aging - apart from anything else it would be too expensive to support mobility needs due to age. Retirement age was used as the cut off point for new PIP claims for that reason. What that effectively means is that if you have an ongoing PIP claim taking you beyond age 66, and that claim that includes the mobility component, then it’s accepted that the claim is for disability and not an age related condition and you can continue to claim after age 66 for as long as you’re eligible.

You can also make a new claim for PIP after age 66 if a previous PIP claim has been stopped in the twelve months before reaching that age. However, if your original PIP claim before age 66 didn’t include an award for mobility, you cannot claim mobility after age 66. Similarly If your ongoing PiP claim doesn’t currently include a mobility component, you can’t claim for that component once you have reached age 66.

Very well said.

The mobility component of PIP continuing after state pension age needs reviewing too. How is it fair that someone who is awarded PIP mobility just before turning pension age can keep that component potentially until they die with light touch ten year reviews , yet someone suffering paralysis form a severe stroke a few days after turning state pension age can't get any mobility component on Attendance Allowance, can't get a mobility car etc yet could be just 66 years of age ?

PIP ain't the problem nor the benefit needing looked at here. AA is. Let's not take form disabled people because others can't have, let's fight for them all to have what they should

I disagree. It’s right that disabled people should have a contribution to the extra cost of disability - including their mobility difficulties. It becomes problematic after retirement age because of the onset of many age related mobility issues. The disability benefits bill is already huge and if we commit to also covering the costs of naturally age related mobility issues it’s going to become unsustainable, and then everyone loses. We can’t hope to support everyone, and those over retirement age already have access help with daily living via the care component of AA, which is paid at the same rate as PIP. If you haven’t secured a mobility award for disability before age 66 then I think it’s actually right that the opportunity is lost once you reach 66.

Question.

So the majority of claimants previously had zero capital reserves? Is that what you are implying? If so, I find that very difficult to believe.

You can’t ‘’guarantee’’ anything. For one thing, if she is/was overweight enough to require a gastric sleeve and drinks to excess in the amounts you claim, there is probably wider issues going on. To be honest, I would argue that it’s not normal behaviour to choose to fraudulently claim benefits over working because people, as I said earlier, need routines, meaning and purpose in their lives. The fact they would rather claim benefits and risk being caught (if what you say is correct) suggests they are desperate and wouldn’t cope with all that working entails (and no, I’m not excusing it, I’m trying to explain why things can be far more complicated than busy bodies can appreciate). She also won’t be stopping work because she gets PIP.

To be honest, you’re the one sounding odd in this scenario because you sound obsessed and with this woman’s activities. You know everything she does day in, day out. ‘’Drinks all day’’ 😂. Sounds like you need to get a life of your own to make you happy so you’ll start to pay less attention to others

PIP is not means tested and is not an income replacement benefit. If you qualify you qualify whether or not you have £0 or a million or two in your bank account, or you earn a six figure salary, or have a gold plated penguin*.

So, there is no way of knowing whether or not PIP recipients had "capital reserves" before they became disabled.

*Auto correct for pension! I thought I'd leave it as it amused me. 🐧 🐧 🐧

Did you intend to reply to me? It's just that I have no idea what relevance your comment has to mine. However, while I have no idea what specific point you're attempting to make, I can inform you that PIP is a non-means tested benefit and eligibility is entirely unrelated to savings or earnings, hope that helps.

Ah thanks - clear.

All good.

@DejaTu some might have zero savings others not. I had £100k when I took on the care of my late father. Three and a half years later I had nothing. We had to have a rental with a downstairs bathroom and bedroom so you are looking at a substantial family home with an au pair or suchlike accommodation. Not your average terrace. So who pays for this? Not the state. I had no benefits for 16 years because I was too proud to claim, what a fool I was. When my father died they took my carers allowance (currently £2 per hour) in a heartbeat.
I developed fibromaylgia last year. I wanted to die. The odd person claiming and fucking off to Benidorm is a rare fish. Have some compassion. My new drugs have worked and I will pay 45% tax next year. I am happy to do so. My contributions will fund the public purse and rightly so. We're not all scrounging Wankers.

Well I did, though. The wheelchair was kind of a clue 🙄

Hahahaha Hahaha