For assessors- my questions about pip

[OneLemonOrca]

I know you don’t have to be getting your needs met to qualify. I don’t have anyone to make my food for me and I wouldn’t expect that but I do things like leave the hob ring on as I have problems paying attention, I have issues with my memory and forget I’m in the process of cooking food. The cooking sounds don’t register until things start burning. I have caused food to smoke and burn regularly but have sometimes had occasional incidents where I’ll come back to the kitchen full of smoke. In the past I have caused fires that were put out before they got big so fire brigade not needed. I have dealt with cuts and burns at home, I have had some big burns from clumsiness but thankfully not needed to be hospitalised. But are they going to question this and disregard these issues because I have never had the fire brigade out or been hospitalised and therefore don’t really have proof? Often I can’t read because the words won’t register but I do have times in between that I can. I can pay attention sometimes and I can get focused on hobbies like sewing, where I can actually see it. Although I will forget about everything else and I often dont have a concept of time.
I have pain and stomach issues causing regular diarrhoea and I have dizziness and pain that comes on suddenly and I need to lie down I don’t really know why. I already have a condition that effects my joints that could also be effecting my stomach, but I don’t know if it is something else. It is worse at some times than others, and sometimes I am on the verge of collapse and can’t get out of bed at all. But the pain is a daily occurrence. I still walk daily, a lot, in between the episodes. So again, will this be questioned in my ability to walk without pain? I am in a council bungalow and I am getting looks off my neighbours who don’t see my struggles. I have already sent off my application, but are pip assessors going to be difficult because I do still cook and walk if that makes sense?

It's about what you cannot do safely and reliably. If you need supervision to prepare a simple meal becuase of the risk of burned food and hob fires then you might score 4 points. Alternatively, if this means that in practice you cannot use a hob but can prepare a simple meal in a microwave then you score 2points.

You're obviously expected to be truthful but equally you need to capture how you are on bad days. Keeping a diary might help. You're not 'put to proof' in the way you would as a witness in court. The Assessor will look for consistency between the form and the assessment and between your answers.

Is there a relative or somebody who knows you who can confirm your king alfred tendencies with food?

Do your cognitive lapses affect your ability to manage any treatments or medications. Do you need a device like a phone app or a pill box/alarm to take things at the right time?

Washing, dressing and using the toilet are mostly functional. Can you get in out of un unadapted bath or shower? Can you wash all of your body?. Toileting is about the physical act of getting on/off the pan - do you need handles or adaptations - can you clean yourself afterwards? Frequent/regular 'accidents' would score too.

CAB have a useful guide:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/fill-in-form-pip/

If you can wade through it the guide the assessors use is on line too:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria

Never focus on how you are on your "worst day" you need to demonstrate how you are "the majority of the time". For example if you cannot do a certain activity for 3 out of 7 days then you would not get points for that activity. Lots of misinformation on certain websites telling claimants to only describe how they are at their worst which is Fraud, and it is unacceptable how disability web sites are telling people to do this.

What you say is correct if it's done knowingly/deliberately and 'with malice aforethought'.

The flip side is that many people don't think about their bad days and describe what they cannot do in generalities. Keep a diary and think in terms of bad days and worse is advice on many sites. Once the bad day baseline is established then focus on how many days in a week/fortnight or whatever are bad is the way I was taught to think of it.

People on Chemo for example can be wiped out for days after a session but then regain some capacity before the next treatment.