To dob in family member - benefits

[Dragonsfoot]

I have a relative that does have health problems. They went to tribunal and were awarded higher rate PIP and have a motorbility car apparently supported by a Rottweiler of an advocate. I have no gripe that they deserve something - occasional falls, mild mental health problems, physical health problems that require monitoring and support and mild difficulties dressing themselves due to joint problems but don’t actually need to be helped. They do have a disability.

However, they are able to walk miles most of the time, decorate their home, complete domestic tasks and attend social activities on a very regular basis on foot. Morally torn. They probably will struggle without the money. Would DWP even do anything kind of thing. Either way I feel a bad person.

There are lots of conditions that there's no clear test to diagnose people - the diagnosis is made based on the individuals self reported symptoms. Eg IBS, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome. They are often a diagnosis of elimination where doctors can't find something else wrong and the symptoms fit.

So yes there absolutely are things that are very much based on self reporting

There's no test for things like anxiety? You can only go on what a person tells their doctor they are experiencing. Of course most will be honest but its massively naive to suggest nobody out there chooses to exaggerate in order to better their chances of securing a higher rate of disability benefits.

Good points, well made.

Right. No need to suggest it as if it's a brand new idea you've come up with is there?

Because they’re medical professionals and much of the time they have the claimants’ own medical evidence from other professionals who have been involved with their care for much longer, and know them much better. Even when this is not the case, their medical knowledge will inform them as to the expectations as to the limitations and effects of many disabilties as the norm.

And it’s massively naive to suggest that medical professionals acting as assessors will not be familiar with what would be the normal expectation of effects from someone self reporting. Not everyone will be in receipt of a diagnosis. And for Pip a diagnosis is not necessary because benefit is not awarded on the basis of having a certain condition, it’s awarded on the basis of how that condition affects the claimant taking into account the fact that no condition has the same effect on any two sufferers.

Oh do piss off, I didn’t for one second suggest it as a brand new idea.

My point is if things change then benefits should be stopped if they wouldn’t be awarded if they were a new claimant. Things change and so should the benefits paid as a result.

Yes, you kind of did. Reviews and self reporting of a change in circumstances have always been part of the system. It’s nothing new.

No I was stating what should be happening and that it isn’t always being done. But you read what you want.

Gosh you're cross!

I’m not reading anything. I’ve been a part of the PIP system since 2013 and the notion that reviews don’t take place to ensure there have been no changes in a claimants’ condition is just ridiculous. Only those with open ended awards with conditions unlikely to change for the better escape the review system. All other claims have a built in end date at which point a review takes place. It might take a while for that review decision to be delivered because there are backlogs but they are part of the system and to suggest otherwise indicates that you have little idea of how that system works.

And wrong !!

Just fed up of being told what I meant when I write something.

Well if it happens that often you should be used to it and able to keep your temper.

Well be clearer then. Because from what I’ve read you have no understanding of the system.

Having an immediate family member who is in receipt of PIP and has reviews etc I know exactly how it works and have been active in this with them for the last 10 years so you’re once again wrong.

Thanks for the top tip!

PIP awards are generally based on someone describing their worst day.
The fraud would be doubtful disability, but it’s quite hard to prove and requires a fair bit of surveillance. Usually we would look at people who are doing undeclared work, claiming they can’t work as they are too disabled. People who say they use equipment to get around, a wheel chair for example, but can be seen running or doing physical work.

MN likes to pretend benefit fraud doesn’t happen for some reason.

The worst thing about this post is that we could have people in our lives that think this about us secretly and then post like this online whilst being nice to our face

I’m a professional disabilty outreach worker - over 20 years experience. Where am I wrong ?

Absolutely this.

Just don’t do it

PIP is based on people describing how their disability affects them and backing it up with evidence. Not them describing their worst day. Claimants are obliged to say if their condition varies.

ETA and it's not an out of work benefit.

By saying I don’t know how it works. I do but I don’t have to justify anything so I’m going to leave this now as it’s not productive, you have your view and I have mine.

Exactly disturbing tbh no wonder stories like hamlet existed such evil jealous individuals and they the closest people to you

As a professional disability outreach worker I would never advise a claimant to base their claim on their worst day. It can amount to benefit fraud. The criteria for PIP is for the stated disability to be present 50% or more of the time, which is enough to secure an award. No claimant I’ve been involved with can claim that their worst day amounts to more than this.