pIP assessment scared

[Ineedhelpplease1234]

Hello,

Have my pip assessment Thursday and I'm freaked out tbh. Have been turned down for a blue badge as only scored 6 points.

I was diagnosed in feb with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, I have severe mean health issues, resulting in self harming, this has lead back to relationship issues, I also believe the current relationship I am trying to leave (we live seperate) is quite a narcasstic relationship: I work in a kitchen and have now had two sick notes back to back and been off work for 12 weeks.
Mentally I am struggling; work wise I struggle and pay for it if I work, my youngest is on the ASD spectrum and that's constant in itself, I applied for LCWRA after my pip form and feel I left alot out: as I wrote a whole Piece on my mental health.

Any good tips or anything please?

Its a telephone assessment:
I have a car and have to drive because I can't deal with public transport; and have to get kids to school.
I had to give the dog away because I can't walk her anymore:
I do housework and spend days in bed.
I order more takeaways in a week/family cook for the kids than I can cook:
I have family come round and fill in my pill pots etc so I remember to take them; and they message me reminding me; they remind me to shower; to do my hair. I have to pay for a cleaner as I physically cannot do it:

In my experience though, since covid pretty much all assessments are done by phone. in our office we've only had one client who was called for a face to face assessment - he was awarded nil points ! All the applications I have helped with over the past 2-3 years have been telephone assessments.

Op if you’re struggling to cook for your DC and you can’t get out of bed and you have DC 9 and younger then maybe social need to be involved? Or do you have others to look after your DC when your in bed?

35K shit money? Doubt many would think that!

@Overthebow me and my partner stay between houses.
So the kids go to their dads Every other weekend.

Our routine is as followed.
Monday- I cook something easy in the air fryer as usually is a good day (the day following they get back from their dads so I have done nothing all weekend) partner stays at mine when finished at 11pm... if it was my weekend to have them then we get takeaway.
Tueaday- after school club and they are fed there. Partner stays at mine when finishes work at 11pm.
Wednesday- takeaway, partner stays at mine when he finishes work at 11pm.
Thursday- partner will normally cook as he's off, stay at mine.
Friday- takeaway if kids with me, I'd on my own don't cook or eat, we stay at my partners house.
Daturday- partner has his kids so we all stay at his; he cooks all day for us all:
Sunday- kids eat at their dads before coming home/ my mum cooks for us. We stay at my partners.

We don't live together as frankly we couldn't afford to: his wages make it rjet we wouldn't get universal credit or anything, and also my youngest needs his own room which we couldn't do at my partners as his house is 4 bed and his two kids have Their own room. His mother owns the house to help him out and he pays her the rent, so he can't exactly get her to sell it. He wages wouldn't cover all the money I would lose though and financially we would be screwed tbh. I also couldn't rely on living with a man after my previous partners and the issues it has mentally affected me and I need to know I have my own space:

For someone who’s a trained nurse with a degree then a further specialist masters degree it’s shit money ……..I have the same qualifications and even as an nhs registered nurse I was on 50k ….anyway it was a stepping stone to medical sales and she earns around 100k now …..which is not shit

That was just so wrong.

The bad days/worse days thing is heavily emphasised as part of adviser training. It's not intended to get people to 'over egg the pudding, but rather to get them to focus on everyday issues.

Experience is that people cope with stuff and don't cover it fully when doing the PIP2 form.

Could you prepare a simple meal starting with meat/fish a potato and a can of veg is a good starting point when questioning a potential claimant.

Inability to use a knife to peel/chop or a can opener suggests they need aids - pre chopped veg are an aid - and would score points for that.

Have a look at Citizens Advice Bureau help at
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/fill-in-form-pip/

Be sure to click on the link for each section- it gives good advice for each topic covered by the assessment.

I also found this helpful:
www.turn2us.org.uk/get-support/information-for-your-situation/personal-independence-payment-pip-assessment/what-is-the-pip-test

His mother owns the house to help him out and he pays her the rent, so he can't exactly get her to sell it.
Does she own the house or not? Is it just in her name to make it easier for him to claim benefits? This explanatory post of yours has made me less sympathetic of the general situation tbh.

This is irrelevant, the OP cannot live with him anyway. It does not detract from the difficulties that she is facing, due to her health.

@Lifestooshort71

She owns the house to help him, he works and claims no benefits. He isn't entitled to anything.

Unfortunately he and his wife split a few years ago and their divorce isn't finalised; so when he looked to buy a house as a mortgage is cheaper than rent he was advised she could take half.
The house is in his mums name; and he pays her the equivalent of the mortgage in rent.
As a single adult, paying maintenance etc for two children his rent on his old property increased to £950. He was struggling massively with bills because everyrbinf went up, then he was off signed off awaiting an operation and he couldn't claim a penny, but needed a stable roof.

He physically claims nothing benefit wise: yes I do as a single mother, but I have always always worked. I use to work 70 hour weeks before the kids dad left; this period of being signed of sick now is the first time in my whole 32 years of my life that I have ever been signed off sick; I have never had a sick day before nothing.

Your 9 year old is a 'young carer', is his school aware?

Using a bag of frozen vegetables is not an aid. Using instant mash is not an aid. 🤷They are alternatives.

The mother would need to be paying tax on the rent she receives and complete self assessment.

This.

I didn't say anything about frozen veg. The phrase I used was pre-chopped as in a bag of chopped onions or having someone else chop them for you. I was wrong about them being an aid. If you caanot peel chop then you need help tp prepre a simple meal - 4 points'

Quoting directly from the DWP's guidance:

Preparation of a simple meal includes the ability to peel and chop fresh ingredients. If someone can’t do this without supervision or assistance then 1E will apply.

If the person uses pre-chopped vegetables because they couldn’t peel and chop even with an aid, they need assistance to prepare a simple meal.

Whoever said it's fraud to put your bad days which more than outweigh good is wrong. Ideally take someone who knows you well with you, stress every bad thing that goes on, if it's your first interview don't be surprised to be turned down. Even our doctor said I made the mistake of not saying about bad days enough. I took someone who knows me well with me the second time and I now have most benefits secure for 10 years but tbh if I hadn't had help I would have given up because it felt like they were constantly trying to trap me and I had no idea really how to get thru it. It took me 3 years off work before I even got the courage to apply so don't be dis heartened good luck

He manages to live with the OP more than half the week though unless I've misunderstood it. The OP has said that the house is in her boyfriend's mother's name only to stop the mother of his children from having access to its value but you're quite correct that it is not relevant to the OP's PIP application.

@Lifestooshort71

It's nothing to do with the mother of his children; he and her split up 11 years ago, he has been married since and didn't have a child with her. The woman left him with £20,000 worth of debt, we worked together so I was there through everything she did the affair etc.

He doesn't live with me: he stays at my house from 11pm-8am 3 or 4 nights a week: and we stay at his 3 or 4 nights a week.

His mother does declare the rent; as she sold her property in her home town that she rented out to buy this house.

This is the sort of evidence the assessors are looking for.
People have the best chance of a successful PIP claim when they provide reports and evidence from HCPs and voluntary/other organisations involved in their care.

So it's not about doctors reports stating a diagnosis, it's about HOW that diagnosis affects you as an individual.
Having a child registered as a Young Carer and school, carers associations, GP etc all being aware of this is concrete evidence.
It's also likely the local carers association would have visited you at home, referred you for any aids you need, have you on mailing list etc.

So you may be asked about this, if you can say the school and Carers association are involved in supporting your son and give their details this is evidence and will help significantly.
If you were referred for an assessment for aids in your house then give them the persons details, this is the sort of evidence they're looking for.

@Fraggamama as I'm signed of 12weeks work have sent me to marigold health to the occupational therapist. Wpuld this be good evidence

Whether you are together at his house together 3-4 nights a week or he is sleeping at your house 3-4 nights a week you are living together as a couple as both together everyday/night. It doesn't matter If you both move between 2 houses. If you claim UC you should do so as a couple. A single claim would be fraudulent.

It will be good evidence if the HCP has done an assessment on how you function and how much support you need with ordinary daily activities. It won't really help if it's all just work related.

Have you had anyone come to the house to see what aids and help you need?
Any MH workers who have recommended the level of support you need?
When your disability it's at a level where you're claiming PIP they would expect claimants to have had various services involved, and people who can provide this level of evidence have better chance of success.