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?

PIP is intended to cover the extra costs of living with a long term health condition or disability.

You can spend it on physical care, for example employed help, on aids to daily living or whatever. It's based on scoring points for those activities you can, or rather cannot, do.

If that means topping up income when you cannot work that's perfectly reasonable. The fact that other benefits such as UC might do a similar job is neither here nor there.

Lots of people work full time, or have demanding 'portfolio' careers, while getting PIP. I worked with two in a government quango. One had Spina Bifida the other was a wheelchair user following a back injury.

My current charitable employer has, in the past, had people working full time and on PIP or legacy DLA.

It's purely about what you can and cannot do.

It’s a pity it wasn’t you dealing with my PIP form 🤔 Your words are very good here … some of your wider colleagues absolutely do not get it 😡 I’m currently waiting for tribunal .. dreading it to be honest as everyone has just made up their own shit basically, excuse the french. 😔

@Change2banon making up stuff and/or unsupported assertions, usually form the contracted Healthcare Professionals are so commonplace as to be unremarkable.

Same with the Work Capability Assessment in Universal Credit. I saw a lady a few years ago recovering from a heart/lung transplant. She just about manged to walk from the disabled bays right be the door of the Civic Centre and across a small atrium. Needed to get her breath back.

Assessment suggested she could give an Olympian sprinter a run for his money....

The DWP do get it wrong though, that is why plenty of people have to take their cases all the way to the tribunal.

Eyeroll me all you like. I've already told you that's what I do for work so crack on. If you need support, I hope you get it. If you don't, great. But don't tell other disabled people they are wrong simply as you don't agree

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.

Well yes, PIP is based on your care needs so go figure you would not receive it without them. That doesn't mean it is solely intended to be used on care needs. You can spend it on whatever you like.

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.

You have autism, and therefore social communication difficulties. You absolutely can get PIP for support with communication needs, or if you need prompting with ADLs.

My daughter has autism and receives high rate DLA.

That’s exactly my experience, it’s so wrong. One comment from my phone assessment was “she didn’t show any sounds of being in pain” I mean, wtaf, did they want me to ooh, aah, oww down the phone line the whole time??

Unfortunately some people with autism don't qualify for pip. As it is all about how your disabilities affect you. I think it is much more easier to get DLA for autism,then it is to get pip for autism as the pip descriptors are very particular ,and alot of people's struggles with their disabilities don't fit into the pip descriptors criteria.

I get pip for daily living but no mobility element of pip. I have autism, but I think I get my pip for my physical disabilities and not for the autism. When I applied for pip, I listed my five long term disabilities on the form and sent all of the relevant diagnosis letters, consultant letters and evidence. In the pip assessment, I didn't score any points for support with social communication but I scored points for needing communication due to having a separate diagnosed speech issue that means I struggle to communicate timely and would need support for this. Pip isn't based on whether you work or not, I work and get pip. However , I require a higher amount of funded support to be able to work and this was taken into account during my pip assessment.

Also, pip can be used for whatever helps your disabilities and makes your life easier. When I got my backdated payment, I used some of the money on new clothes that were more comfortable for me and more easier for me to wear and also some new comfortable footwear. I've also spent my pip money on some private therapy treatment for my disabilities that is not available on the NHS but would help me.

To the original poster- I would say definitely apply for pip and see how it goes. Make sure you have medical evidence of everything that you state on the form.

Unfortunately some people with autism don't qualify for pip. As it is all about how your disabilities affect you. I think it is much more easier to get DLA for autism,then it is to get pip for autism as the pip descriptors are very particular ,and alot of people's struggles with their disabilities don't fit into the pip descriptors criteria.

I've been volunteering as a third party representative at benefits tribunals since 2008. People can and do get pip just for autism, my sister being one of them.

Yes you are correct, that people do get pip just for autism but I imagine it is not as easy as to be awarded it. I've heard of people with autism being awarded 0 points. I'm not sure if it depends on the pip accessors knowledge and understanding and how they view a disability. I know my pip assessor said I was not under any services for my autism, despite me explaining that there are no commissioned NHS services in my area for adults with autism post diagnosis where I would receive ongoing support.

Hello I saw your message here that you asked someone
You are working full time and you want to claim pip
Did you claim pip?
Because I want to apply pip as well and I m working full time
Please let me know
I will be very thankfull to you