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.

Yes. There are. I'm not stupid, thanks. If you haven't seen them, fine. That doesn't mean that they have suddenly ceased to exist, because you say so. They are private groups, so can't be seen by people unless they join.

Well said@Rosscameasdoody .

Yes, I have supported many to apply. In 2022/23 (the most recent statistics), 67,233 people were supported through the various grants the Motability Foundation offer. See here

We’ve had a few suggestions over the course of this thread, all very demeaning.

1. Swap cash for vouchers
2. Force disabled people to have disability benefits bank accounts that are monitored to account for absolutely every penny of taxpayer money they spend.
3. Force them to do their own accounts and send it to be scrutinised.
4. Stop the motability scheme (even though this option saves the taxpayer no money at all)
5. Only award it for certain conditions.

Quite unbelievable really that some people think these are acceptable stances!

I’ve only announced my own level of disability in the last few pages because I didn’t think it was relative to the discussion. But I’m buggered if I’m going to sit here and be accused of not being disabled and not listening to the concerns of disabled people when I have worked so hard and for so long to support others, despite a level of disability that would floor most people. Sorry if that sounds self serving but this thread has become an absolute stagnant pond of vitriol because of some posters.

OK then. Really can’t be arsed arguing any more.

Turned down for care component too- too independent 🙄

Most of it is down to peoples’ lack of critical thinking and an unwillingness to do a bit of research before they open their mouths and make total arses of themselves !! As Mark Twain once said ‘It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt’.

The level that this thread is sinking to because of a few posters is quite sad to see. I normally frequent threads of this nature, being disabled myself, they are of interest to me, and there are some posters who are sincere, and offer solid advice, and really are very knowledgeable. Thank you to those people.

There is a big difference between learning difficulties and learning disabilities. My elder daughter has a learning disability. She has an IQ of 56, which puts her in the moderate learning disability camp. . She needs me to do everything. Her sister has average IQ but has dyslexia. She needs some help with some things but it isn't the same.

The term, "Wheelchair bound" has been an offensive, ableist term for decades.

I'm surprised you'd want to upset and offend disabled people, then call them, "woke", considering you know sooo many of them.

I'm really not.

I am not sure why you have quoted me to explain this? If you read my posts you will see I have said learning difficulties and learning disabilities are not the same thing.

I haven’t offended anyone. I was referring to myself as wheelchair bound - no-one else. And it might interest you to know that as soon as I posted I knew you’d pick up on it. I’m mid sixties, used the term day in and day out, never offended anyone. Know why ? Because that’s how they referred to themselves. Plus I was dealing with people whose problems were so monumental that their last concern was whether they were offended by being described as such. I do realise that this term has been consigned to the bin - probably rightly so and ‘permanent wheelchair user’ is probably a better term. I’ll try to remember that when referring to other people, but if it’s OK with you I’ll refer to myself in the vernacular with which I”m most familiar. Old habits die hard.

It was me who posted about no medical ev finance. I did not send them any medical evidence. Only the contact details of relevant medical professionals.

Thanks for posting again. For some reason other posters on here seem to be in total disbelief that you were awarded PIP with no evidence.

You do realise benefit claimants are just people the same as the rest of us ? With the same choice to use their card for payments, DDs for bills, contactless or withdraw cash from ATMs ? You will probably find many younger claimants use Apple Pay etc & rarely handle cash! Just the same as most of the younger generation!

You talk as if they are all handed a wad of cash! This audit sustem you want would be a huge invasion of privacy and would cost a lot to administer! I get what you are saying about those with criminal intent prefer cash as no paper trail to incriminate them but treating benefit claimants like criminals is not the way to deal with that! You seem to think benefit claimants are worth less than tax payers which is just a horrible attitude.

@Hoardasauruskaren You seem to think benefit claimants are worth less than tax payers which is just a horrible attitude.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Thank you!

Becoming disabled wasn't a choice and is not a choice for any disabled person. The sooner these red-hot-Tory posters understood this.

Benefit fraud is very rare. Benefits not claimed or illegally denied are much, much more common.

It’s weird that most of the threads are “I know someone who is committing benefit fraud” from brand new posters who don’t seem to know how benefits work.

As someone whose daughter was confined to bed who didn’t get the top rate straight off, I know what I’m talking about.

@SurpriseTwinPregnancy ”In reality, plenty of people are exaggerating symptoms, just like your family member.” do you have any evidence other than vibes or anecdotes? Your vibes versus actual research?

@Orangecrocs , the OP, posted four times on this thread yesterday afternoon and then scarpered. No other posts under that name on MN.

Something to ponder on.

I am sorry about your daughter. I hope she was awarded the right rate in the end

Those who object to the Motability Scheme, do you also object to Family Fund?

@Rosscameasdoody a fantastic response 👏🏻 bravo.

Thank you - she did I the end. I really struggled with the benefits system - people on the ground were lovely and helpful, anyone in a call center, not so much. I am speaking as someone who can look up statutory guidance and acts of parliament.

She was blind and was automatically entitled to the top mobility rate, and yet she still had to fill in a 38 page form when “is she blind?” could have skipped every other question. In many cases this system is actively cruel and designed to discourage people from claiming.

Except the poster says they gave the contact details of relevant medical professionals

I suppose now someone's going to say the medical professionals aren't contacted. One of DH's cousins receives a disability benefit. I don't know if it's PIP or something else, because it's his private health and financial information. I do know though (and only because he once discussed a possible house move and was worried about losing his current doctors who understood his condition) that his doctors were contacted when he made a claim.