Been awarded PIP - can't believe it

[Springwillsaveme]

I have severe anxiety and panic disorder and moderate depression. I got the phone call yesterday to say I was being awarded higher rate daily and standard mobility.

I cried with gratitude.

All I kept reading was how most people get a no first application and how other people with seemingly "worse" physical disabilities than me had been rejected.

It felt so wonderful to have my condition acknowledged and validated after people tend to roll their eyes a bit at anxiety currently but this has effected my life so much for 13 years.

Just wanted to share. And ask a question. She said I would be getting a back payment from October and that it would be a large sum, was I OK to have it in one go. What does large mean? It's relative surely, calculated online as just over 3000 - does that sound right to anyone?

Been life changing for my DD. She was able to do an access course at a local college and is now at university. Needs to live alone there as communal living was really difficult as people didn’t ‘get her’ and there were conflicts, so the extra money has made that possible - or she wouldn’t have made it through her first year. We definitely see it as money to scaffold her into independent living and are hoping that one day she will have a degree and be working and not need to claim it, but the money (private assessments, prescriptions, therapy etc) before university made going possible for her.

It’s an investment in her as much as a safety net, one that should see her becoming economically active and paying it back via taxes one day.

It really must depend on the assessor. I work with someone who has told me herself she gets full level pip for care and mobility. She works full time and lives by herself so must be able to feed herself 🤷🏻‍♀️

She didn’t refer to her disability as “wonderful”. She said it was wonderful to be seen and heard.

As this is the MNers with Disabilities board, I think your snarky tone is a little uncalled for.

Every one else on here is intelligent enough to know what you meant, but there always has to be one!

I’m so glad you were awarded. I was turned down twice with chronic pain and deemed fit to work. I’ve since been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis but I’m not going to apply again as I found it too stressful. Luckily I have some work pensions kicking in that I can take.

I tried my best to be completely honest. I don't need help reading things, understanding things or feeding myself so I didn't say that I did.

I focused on my very real limitations like not being able to leave the house regularly etc

I do think the assesors may be on high alert for certain buzzwords and challenges that don't align with the gp notes or impact someone daily rather than now and then. I'm just guessing though.

Yep, it can be thousands, I had 2 years worth back paid when I won my tribunal.

I absolutely understand the validation @Springwillsaveme, I had to appeal 3 times to get my award, to finally ‘win’ after being gaslighted for so long was such a relief.

Keep all your paperwork, the evidence, a copy of the form you filled in etc, because they will reassess after a few years and you’ll need to resubmit everything.

I’m confused as to why assessors are basing it on people’s ability to work. PIP is an in-work allowance to help with the extra costs of being disabled, so why on earth are they refusing it on that basis?

Honestly, I wish there was some consistency across the board. How disabled you are doesn’t depend on the person who you talk to on that particular day.

Yes I agree, you can work full time and still be entitled to PIP so I think there is some confusion here. People who have been rejected because they work need to challenge that surely!

I was rejected as deemed fit to work (fine if you don’t mind working in agony). It doesn’t make any sense.

May AI could take over and be more objective and consistent?

That could be a good use of AI for a change. Leaving it to pretty much one person’s personality or mood seems insane to me.

To those rejected- did you appeal?

It isn’t but every single descriptor said the same thing, that I work and drive a car so I can’t have a problem with XYZ. The eating one was particularly jarring as she said I work and drive a car so should be able to feed myself. Well yes I should but that’s kind of the whole point. She also recorded my weight as 64kg when I told her it’s 49kg and it’s recorded in my medical evidence so she couldn’t even get a simple number right 😡😡😡. There were so many other lies and distortions in the report, I literally read it with an open mouth.

Bloody hell. Am so sorry. Surely you must be first priority to get help of some sort.

Also, I did challenge it but I was rejected again at mandatory reconsideration so have applied for a tribunal. I wouldn’t mind if they rejected me based on reality, but to be turned down on the basis of lies, distortions and massive assumptions is not ok.

Oh, and thank you to the assessor for the massive anorexia trigger!

Yes i got high rate for both at MR

Yes you can work and claim pip but they will use everything you can do against you working, driving, pets, children. If you have a job they will take that as you can communicate effectively, leave the house, dress yourself, toileting, read, feed yourself etc.

That must be a relief for you OP. Other people’s decisions being wrong doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be entitled when you meet the criteria and have been judged to eligible. Ignore the ignorant comments. Even if the back payment did take you over £6k, it would be disregarded for at least 12 months.

@Unitedthebest I am sorry your DD died. Do you have someone who could help you challenge the decision or reapply depending on timings.

@CautiousLurker2 have you investigated funding for accommodation. Where individual accommodation is required for disability reasons, the difference can be funded. How it is funded depends on the type of accommodation. If it is private rental, it can be funded via DSA. If it is university halls or private halls managed on behalf of the university, the higher education provider is expected to meet the additional cost.

@ChasingMoreSleep thanks for the heads up - was unaware that there was scope to approach the DSA about a top up for rent in these circumstances.

She is in private accommodation now as the halls/shared facilities were a nightmare (all-night clubbing flatmates partying/smoking/making out with drunken strangers in the communal kitchen, one of whom referred to her as ‘the retard’… yes, we are in the process of ensuring we don’t have to pay the final terms rent on these grounds). We were just relieved to move her out over the recent reading week and to see how much happier she is now. Will drop our key worker a note to see whether she can help with any of this.

Really appreciate you reaching out. :)

I had one like that a few years back on a reassessment. I was already on lower rate care and higher mobility, and I lost all of it due to the assessor’s bare face lies.

I read through his report like 😮 as I couldn’t believe the shit he’d written about me. I asked for a mandatory reconsideration and got it all back, but I doubt he was sanctioned in any way, so I imagine anyone less used to negotiating it than me or on their first assessment would have got nothing and sadly accepted it.

My biggest tip for pip is dont tell anyone you get it claim it or been awarded it.

It's between you and the DWP.

I'm happy for you, and it's nice to see a positive post about PIP. My daughter recently had a lovely assessor who understood her disability and awarded her what we thought she would get, but that was her renewal claim.
The first time we had to go to tribunal, which turned out to be worth it as the judge and doctor could see that the DWP were wrong.
Don't worry about the lump sum, it doesn't count towards savings for around a year, as it's money you should have had from the beginning.
Pip has turned my daughters life around.

I get PIP standard rate on top of working full time and I use a microwave to heat up most meals.

Mine was quite strange as they gave me points for things that I said I didn’t have a problem with, like dealing with finances. They said that based on the medical evidence I would have difficulties with those tasks. 🤷‍♀️

I feel a bit ashamed that I get it so I don’t tell anyone. I told the truth in my assessment but it does seem that people in a worse situation than me often get denied it.