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.

OK, so apparently you can just ring them up and have an assessment where you chat absolute shit to a doctor/assessor with no actual proof whatsoever and you not only get awarded PIP, but you get awarded the enhanced level?

And the person is out walking up hills daily.

Sure, sure. That is DEFINITELY how it all works. You definitely don't need to provide any proof of your medical conditions so the assessor can determine how you're affected. Uh-huh.

4/10. Poor effort. Must try harder.

Never read such absolute horseshit in my life. Well, I have actually - on the numerous posts just like this which are posted to try and whip people up into a frenzy.

Really not funny for those of us personally affected by the public perception of those with a disability.

I did a job a few years ago where I saw the medical evidence and the statement from the patient.

Over-egging it was incredibly common.

I am on pip and I didn’t lie but if she is lieing and you r not just putting this on here then bloody report her then. I honestly think just come on mumsnet whine for what for feeling good or gloating. Just do the right thing and report fraud and anyone else if they see people dancing etc and you think they have said they have a physical ailment bloody report, I am not sure what moaning on here will do. I know that I can’t walk furtger then a car parked at road outside my flat I need carers etc. now I use my pip towards paying for carers and towards mobility scooter I do think those that have disabilities that don’t actually need to pay for any extras really not sue why they have extra money apart from maybe it’s to cover if they cannot work

She will appear in your local press in a few years, when they photograph her

@HappyChicky23 if that’s the case then you should be reporting her or you are part of the problem people can report to dwp any fraud and maybe more folks should

It's hilarious how much mumsnetters 'know' about these awful common fraudsters who claim pip and uc and esa and everything else their 6 figure earning husbands tax goes on, isn't it?
They must have a side job filling in forms and attending assessments like I do pretty much 70% of my working week.

I mean, people barely have to say their name, and they get full points. I mean, everyone fiddles it. It's So Simple...

Look at the pass rate…

In the quarter ending January 2024 there were:

• 210,000 registrations and 210,000 clearances for new claims
• 30,000 changes of circumstance reported and 32,000 cleared
• 21,000 registrations and 21,000 clearances for DLA reassessments
• 130,000 planned award reviews registered and 120,000 cleared
• 71,000 mandatory reconsiderations (MRs) registered and 63,000 cleared

Women at work was laughing at her fathers answers to some disability claim he had made, can’t tie shoe laces, walk, stand, be alone etc, that she was copying on the company photocopier !

In reality, he was on holiday all the time, drove, picked up her kids and wasn’t the slightest bit frail.

My mum has genuine mobility issues but is on lower rate PIP. I asked them about the possibility of assessing her for higher rate mobility but they said any further problems will be put down to her age (she’s 72) rather than a disability.

It’s galling if your friend has lied.

Where did you get that info from because previously there has been a lot of mandatory considerations that after quite a long time waiting and court they got passed so it’s not easy for everyone

Gov.uk

This quite upsetting;we're 14 months in from applying for PIP for my 17 year DD with a neurological disorder;on her worse days she can't physically move unaided yet not even to go to the toilet;she's been awarded 0 on everything.

We're still waiting for a tribunal date;it's been a demoralising and stressful process.

If so many people successfully over egg it, why do so many cases end up going to appeal (and winning).

If PIP was that easy to get most people would be awarded it first time with no need to appeal. There wouldn't be tens of thousand of cases going to appeal. 70% of those cases are succesful.

''@Orangecrocs

She hasn’t been asked for any clinical evidence from her doctor.''

What a lot of bullcrap...

PIP is extremely hard to get.

When they complete their form, applicants need to provide medical evidence and names of health professionals who are then contacted to confirm what is said by the individual in the form, then the person applying needs to have an independent DWP assessment, usually face to face.

So the likelihood of someone magically being awarded the highest level of support simply based on what they wrote in their application or at the interview without the backup of medical evidence is non-existent.

The DWP's own research on what level of PIP claims were fraudulent showed that it was close to zero.

I have no idea what the agenda is for starting this thread but I don't believe a single word of what you have written.

The assessors routinely ask about things like driving though.

I agree with the person who says they might be lying to you or themselves, a relative of mine got approved for upgrades to the house, she laughed it off that it was incredible and when we spoke to the nurse she said her mobility was a lot worse than she was acknowledging

Some people know everything about the lives of others don’t they?

From my previous professional life, people with health conditions often put on a ‘brave face’ in front of others, especially socially. Many boast to friends and family about ‘beating the system’. Ie benefit fraud that they have purposely committed, although they usually don’t couch it this way. I don’t fully understand the psychology of it

It is more likely that she is lying to you.

The problem with pain is it cannot be proven or disproven. That’s why the old bad back thing comes into play. A doctor cannot possibly prove you don’t feel a scale 7 pain even if they say most people would feel it at say grade 4. Because everyone feels pain differently.

So all the medical file would possibly say is that the person complains on pain in X area making of difficult to do Y.

Of course people can cheat the PIP system just like they can with DLA. I don’t know why people are always shocked and act like it’s impossible - it’s not. So many people need PIP and absolutely should get it but sadly some people cheat the system- they always will. Not everyone is honest. If I were you though OP, I would mind my own business. It’s not right but it’s not your issue to solve.

Wow. My dad's been turned down for any pip payments and he can only walk to the bathroom and back! She should be ashamed of herself!

but it’s all about to change….wait til the Autumn statement

He needs to appeal and make sure all answers are based on his worst worst days.

This

My sisters next doors neighbours cousins childminders second cousins hair dressers daughter faked her way into getting a full PIP award, she said she'd had both legs amputated in Iraq, I've seem her walking around and she even runs marathons, then got a free car and it's a Porsche, they also get £485843628527 a week benefits and they get a mansion for a council house with 30 acres and they have 58473 flat screen tvs and smart phones, and it's all Starmers fault and that's why the country is in the state it's in

🙄 fucking melts

You have misunderstood. The clearance rate is not the award rate. Two totally different things.

A "clearance" is defined as the resolution of an initial registration, and includes all possible outcomes – awards, disallowances and withdrawals. Where an assessment takes place, a decision is made on whether to award PIP or to disallow the claim, though disallowances and withdrawals can occur prior to assessment.

I don't think some people realise how hard it is to claim PIP. It is certainly not granted easily and you are asked to provide evidence of your illness/disability. If someone has been granted "enhanced" PIP, they have obviously been able to prove their disability negatively effects their ability to carry out day to day activities. People can have both good and bad days and still be eligible to claim PIP. If someone told me that they'd been awarded enhanced PIP, or any PIP, I'd believe they were entitled to it as they must have passed a rigorous assessment.