PIP and working full time

[Winvhesterone]

Hi

I’m working full time but thinking about applying for PIP I have a very bad back and am struggling more and more. I also have limited function in my left arm/hand. On top of this I suffer with quite extreme anxiety which can be quite debilitating.

does anyone else work full time and claim PIP?

It's nothing to do with working so lots of people do

It's supposed to be able to be claimed independently of working. BUT it's for people who need assistance with daily living. I think it's hard to evidence why you can't look after yourself (asks questions about making meals etc) if you can hold down a FT job.

It's clearly not impossible as some manage to do it, but I doubt it's easy.

Yes I do as it's not means tested. I did have to change jobs to continue working as I have a hip condition so have gone from term time only to a night shift job, I use my pip for taxis and things to make my life easier when I'm having a bad flare up , if you qualify apply it's there to be used to maintain your independence for as long as possible:)

It depends what your disability is and how it effects you as well as what your job is. I know 3 who work ft and rightly claim pip

Sorry that was replying to the 2nd post

I work full time and claim pip , the medical issues I have do not prevent me working

DWP here .. I would absolutely put in a claim but the form is tricky .. they are not interested in any domicillory care .. so the fact you can't carry shopping , do gardening , hoover any 'cleaning and tidying tasks and are affected by your disability... you have to focus on care needs .. so for example

Can you undo a can to feed yourself .. can you dress as you would wish without help .. ? A you wash your entire body without assistance ?

Most people answer that they can .. but in fact they make do.. example .. last I visited could not put on her tights or socks .. so unless her neighbour helped her she didn't have them .. it's about the NEED for care wether you get it or not .. the same
Applies to mental health.. if your MH is improved by someone encouraging and supporting you. - or would do if such a person existed and your MH now pre ends you living a 'normal' life ..then you have a need for care ..

My advice if turned down is to ask for a reconsideration.. then appeal and then go to tribunal and show them who you are and your difficulties..

I run 2 businesses, and I claim PIP. It's not a functional assessment, it's a disability assessment, and the payment is designed to pay for treatments aids and care that the nhs/social care won't cover to increase independence. However it is based around basic care needs, eg your ability to shower and dress on your own, so you should focus on that in the application rather than your diagnoses, considering STAR for every question:

Can you do it safely?
In a reasonable amount of time?
Without pain or fatigue?
Repeatedly?

I had a severe slipped disc which caused foot drop however was able to work full time from home with adjustments, sometimes that meant answering emails from my bed! I did consider applying for pip but I ended up in emergency surgery which fixed the issue. People can work full time with various health conditions. Good luck OP

I work 30 hours over 4 days and claim pip for autism. I used the money to drop a day a week and avoid burnout.

Apply, the worst they can say is no. But be prepared for them to use your job against you. They’ll say if you’re capable of working then you can look after yourself.

Surprised you got PIP. It’s not for daily living costs, or to enable you to work less. It’s to pay for care.

They say you can in theory. But the way the test is, it asks you, how often can you...
Feed yourself/cook
Bathe
Manage finances
Talk to people
Go places
Physically walk
Etc etc.

So daily living you get a score, and mobility to you get a score.
If you score little or none on most of these (as in you can do them) then you may be turned down. Or get a very low award.

It's worth applying though.

Supposed to be, you do wonder sometimes

Er no, it's to enable those with a disability to level the playing field. That poster IS using it for care by avoiding burnout. They can use it for whatever helps them

IT's not related to work/income.

It looks at your ability to do, or rather not do tasks associated with daily living or mobility. The daily living items are preparing foods, eating drinking, managing medication, bathing, using the loo, dressing etc. Mobility looks at planning and executing journeys and mobilising with or without aids.

It's perfectly possible to meet enough of those criteria to qualify and still hold down a a full time demanding job. I have worked with such people in the past with conditions like Spina Bifida, MS or back injuries after 'banging out' of a military aircraft.

If for example you cannot prepare a simple meal from fresh ingredients, need appliances to manage multiple pain and other medications, have a catheter, cannot get in and out of the bath shower without help and need, say, sock pullers to dress you're well on the way to getting it for Daily Living.

Mobility is more difficult to get at a meaningful rate but not impossible.

No that’s not what PIP is for. It’s to pay for care. The gov.uk website says PIP is to help with “extra living costs” ie care services that you have to pay for which other non-disabled people don’t have to pay for.

The application form asks solely about your care needs in terms of cooking and eating, taking medicine, washing and using the toilet, dressing, reading, managing money, socialising, talking and listening, and mobility. You’re supposed to use PIP to pay for help with those things. It’s not to support you so you can work less.

You seem to be deliberately missing the point that that pp IS 'using it to pay for care', so they can work but accommodate their disability and not get burnout. Which is a real thing, not just a bit tired. Just because you don't agree with that definition of care doesn't mean it's wrong. Not being able to work full time BECAUSE of their disability is the definition of 'extra living costs'.

If you like links or proof, feel free to be corrected by the government website instead:

'Personal Independence Payment ( PIP ) can help with extra living costs if you have both: a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability. difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition.' https://www.gov.uk/pip#:~:text=Personal%20Independence%20Payment%20(%20PIP%20)%20can,around%20because%20of%20your%20condition

I work part time and get higher rate mobility and lower rate care ADP (the Scottish equivalent of PIP.) I work in IT so nothing in my job conflicts in any way with my care needs and my employer is very accommodating anyway.

It doesn’t hurt to apply and you can get help from the CAB to fill in the (somewhat intimidating) form.

Edited for spelling.

Or this, if you prefer

I know loads of autistic people who can’t get PIP because they’re “too functional” and “don’t have care needs that PIP could be used to pay for”. All of them would like to work less. Some can’t work at all because of their autism - but they still don’t get PIP. Because it’s not for living costs or to enable you to work less. It’s to pay for care.

I myself am one of the autistic people who can’t get PIP because I don’t require paid care services. I am disabled, I have a lot of difficulties and I’d love to work less, but you don’t get PIP for that. I’ve been told point blank by the government that’s not what it’s for. Unless I can provide evidence of needing care I can’t get PIP.

Not being able to work full time BECAUSE of their disability is the definition of 'extra living costs'.
Nope. If you can’t work full time and your earnings are reduced because of that, you have to claim Universal Credit to top up your income. Not PIP. Because I’ve been told exactly that by the DWP when they declined to award me PIP.

Whoever told you that is wrong, especially work coaches and if you have needs that pip would support you with, you need help filling in the form. Like the op who uses it to work one day less

I'm not pulling my information out of thin air either, I've worked with clueless work coaches and currently work within pip.

If you need it, look into getting some support with the form

Again, they are wrong. Uc is work/income/savings related. You could work full time or not at all and be equally entitled to pip. The 2 aren't mutually exclusive

The DWP is wrong in not awarding me PIP, is it? 🙄

They’ve told me in writing that I’m not eligible unless I have care needs that PIP could pay for.