Pip

[rach2713]

Hi i was wanting some advice. I have been told i could maybe get pip for my mirgraines. I get quite a few month without any warning i can go to bed perfectly fine and get woken in the middle of the night with a thumbing headache or even so woke up and be perfectly fine and then all of a sudden my head is thumbing. They get so bad i cant even keep my eyes open i have to sleep i cant look after my kids when its that bad or even cook and i also get the fog for days after the attack aswell. So i was wondering if i have any chance of pip as it does stop me from working.

There was a phone in on Jeremy vine the other day. A poor woman on there who has so many and so severely that she can’t work, she was refused pip, so maybe not.
I’ve been refused. I have multiple debilitating health issues. I really don’t know how some people do actually manage to get it tbh

I think this is the right episode, worth a listen. It’s definitely worth applying but don’t get your hopes up.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001qcy3

PIP has nothing to do with being able to work.

Look up the descriptors and see what you think would apply to you. I think it would be very hard to claim PIP under those circumstances though.

It seems to be if you can't do things more often than you can.

As others have said, PIP has nothing to do with whether your condition affects you working. It is about how your disability affects you in relation to the PIP descriptors. You need to meet the criteria for at least 50% of the time and this is why it would be very difficult to get it for migraines. I ahve helped someone to apply recently that had a few migraines a month plus a degenerative neurological condition and they were turned down due to it not affecting them for more than 50% of the time. PIP looks at things like whether you can cook a simple meal from scratch, wash and dress yourself, communicate, manage your own budgeting and finances, mix with others , manage your medications etc as well as mobilising. I very much doubt you would qualify for such a fluctuating condition but do take a look at the descriptors as only you know how it affects you and for how many days.

Also if you do apply you need really good medical evidence preferably detailing how often they occur and the effects they have on your life, what medication you are on etc.

I recently applied for pip and I have been awarded the first time. I have 5 long term health conditions that I put on the form which impact me day to day , including severe daily chronic migraines. Pip is not based on disabilities or diagnoses alone, and is based on how that health condition affects you. I sent my neurology consultant letters and also my migraine treatment letters as evidence. I ensured my application form was very detailed to explain how each of my health conditions affect my day to day life, and I explained my worse days and what activities of daily living I struggle to do. I had to go to a face to face assessment, and they want to know if you have pets , children, if you went to mainstream school etc as they are checking how you have managed with things like that. I work part time, so if you work they will ask what you do in your job and what the job role tasks are. If you apply, I would advise you to send all of your medical evidence off with your application form. My husband also wrote me a supporting letter to advise how my conditions effect me and what support they need to help me with. I put off claiming for pip for many years due to the horror stories I've heard of how difficult the process is, but I am glad I have applied as I now have some support to help me with the extra additional cost of my disabilities and help me to manage my disabilities a little better.

These are the PIP descriptors https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf

there are 2 sections, daily living and mobility. For each section you would need to score at least 8 points to be awarded. You need to meet the descriptor at least 50% of the time and have evidence to back you up.