PIP isn't fit for purpose

[Ljcrow]

I made this comment on another thread and thought I'd start a separate thread purely on this topic. This is all from my own personal experience rather than from reading/hearing anything, I'm only going off what I see day to day.
The people I know who claim PIP do not need it financially. One works full time and earns more than me (and I'm not at imminent risk of homelessness or starvation) and the young people I know literally tell me things like their PIP's come in so they're off to get a new tattoo, which they then do. They appear to have much more disposable income than me.
These are all people who can function in society by the way and as far as I can see, all PIP does is give them extra spending money, which I'm sure we'd all like.

I'm aware this won't be the case for everyone who recieves PIP but it is for the people I come into regular contact with. Which is why it needs reloooking at so it only goes to those who actually need the money for a specific purpose related to their disability.

We're not in a position as a society where we can afford to give people money who do not actually need it.
Things like this should be means tested, both in terms of whether people have enough income to live a decent life without additional benefits and in terms of what the money is actually going to be used for.
PIP is not fit for purpose and needs scrapping or totally changing.

I had evidence from multiple consultants, a physio, my GP, my psychiatrist.

Sorry but it really isn’t. The activity is assessed within the context of the disability you have and how it affects cognition and mental capacity - you need evidence showing severe cognitive, mental health, or sensory impairments that prevent you from working out how to get from one place to another. The assessors aren’t stupid or gullible and how you perform on some activities is a consideration for others. And severe cognitive impairment will show up across the whole assessment, not just in one activity.

As good a reason as any !!

I’m not sure any one gets PIP “for” high functioning autism. The form is set out on the basis of every day tasks etc and how well you’re able to carry them out, not diagnosis.

Well in the case of my daughter we have therapy reports, psych reports,her NHS autism report, her NHS ADHD report, the focus of her NHS CMHT therapy and support including a support worker doing a piece of work with her to navigate public transport, multiple hospitalisations and Crisis reports ….

They are still just going on what you tell them though. I am sure you were telling the truth but I've realised that it would be easy for a dishonest person to lie about the effect their mental health condition has on their ability to do things. Much easier than it is for those with physical or cognitive disabilities.

Yes, it may be entirely appropriate for them to get it.

I said mental impairment, that doesn't mean a learning disability necessarily. Poor executive functioning (like some people who have ADHD have) counts.

If you haven't experienced bad anxiety you probably can't imagine how someone would struggle to plan a journey. My anxiety didn't affect me that way, but it did prevents me from doing some pretty normal seeming stuff. It's not rational, it's a mental health condition. People get detained in psychiatric hospitals for it!

Nope multiple high level professional reports, pieces of NHS work,hospitalisations, crisis episodes…

They will want evidence from a specialist for a start, not a GP.

OK, so anyone on benefits for MH must be lying. It sounds like that is what you are getting it.

My DW has osteoarthritis
Birth defect on her left
Degerative neck condition
Cocodamol 30mg x8
Nefopam 30mg x 3
Lidocaine 700mg patch
Serious literacy issues
No digital skills
A special needs education 50 yrs ago.
42yrs a cleaner.
She's broken.
Yes she gets ADP
But she cannot work again.
Hopefully this time DWP give her a break.

No they’re not, they’re going on high level pieces of work, presentation, severe crisis episodes… only somebody incredibly dumb will
doubt my daughter struggles massively with public transport.

I have been receiving PIP for 4 months as I have been diagnosed with incurable secondary breast cancer.
Rest assured I am not spending it on the following

• hairdressers - no hair to dress
• pedicure - my toe nails are falling off
• eyebrows and lashes - not got any of those
• botox - never did that but between chemo, blood tests, canculas for scans and 3 weekly injections into my leg, etc I'm not up for more needles being stuck in me.

Manicures - now chemo has turned my nails black. I fully intend to have my nails done for Christmas.

How is MRIs and CT scans and x rays and ultrasounds just going on what I tell the consultants? Do you think they give out new hips and knees for fun?

In which case, it’s a bit odd that you’re bothered about it.

Also, seeing as they’re dead, they probably weren’t in the best of health leading up to their deaths, unless they died suddenly.

It doesn't make any difference unless the specialist has been able to actually assess whether they can plan journeys and not just go on what the person has told them.

It’s obvious for some!

There will always be an assessors report, regardless of whether you submit your own evidence. DWP decision makers are not medically qualified so they need the assessors report to guide them. It’s actually the assessors who allocate the points awarded in each category, although they don’t make the final benefit decision, and decision makers can challenge assessors if they feel something’s not right.

As an outreach worker l always advised claimants to get medical evidence wherever possible because otherwise they’re at the mercy of an assessor who has nothing to go on other than what the claimant tells them. Assessors are not experts in every condition, so with no medical evidence to challenge them, the claim is more likely to fail if they don’t have a good understanding of the effects of the condition.

My son’s disability costs the state far more in lost tax from my earnings than his DLA costs them. I was paying £4k a month in tax, I now pay nothing because I had to leave my job to care for him. I get £330 a month carers allowance though 😏

They put a cage on my leg with external fixators coz I just said I needed it.

nothing to do with the multiple fractures.

nope. I just rocked up to an orthopaedic surgeon and said “G’wan just stick some metal in ma leg. I fancy that.”

This. Only very close family are aware of what I may, or may not be receiving.

No you don't need it from a specialist. That is not true

Why isn't the PIP paid to the child?

In my experience*, as soon as a child switches from DLA to PIP, the PIP is paid directly to them, unless they are unable to manage their affairs and the parent is their appointee. And if the parent is using the child's PIP for their own purposes, that is financial abuse and should be reported as a safeguarding issue.

*25 years in welfare rights work.

They did die suddenly. I am not bothered that they lied . It is no surprise. I am bothered that they were able to get away with it. Fraudulent claims increase the benefit bill and calls to reduce it and ultimately genuinely disabled people will suffer because of it.

A GP is going to be of zero use. I’ve never sent in anything from her GP aside from a recent Xray result. The more you send the better. We have masses of tier 3 evidence, NHS diagnosis reports, treatment, EHCP…