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In need of some advice.

Annie88
Annie88 Community member Posts: 3 Listener
I had an assessment around 6 months ago after applying for PIP, I received 0 points for everything. I have Crohns disease and primary biliary cholangitis. I am 29 years old, I have 4 children and I am really struggling. I was gutted when I got the letter telling me I wasn't entitled to anything, I have buried my head in the sand and not done anything about it although I know I should have appealed the decision.The assessors whole demeanor made me feel one inch tall and the thought of having to go through that again was enough to put me off appealing. If I were to apply for PIP again does anyone have some advice for me for a better outcome? Thanks very much x

Comments

  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi Annie and welcome

    It is important to understand the points system, descriptors and the criteria for an award. PIP is more about functionality rather than condition
    A good place to start is the B&W self test

    http://www.mybenefitsandwork.co.uk/pip/indexxx.php

    Have a look at it and the info on this site and come back with any questions

    CR

    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • Neil2017
    Neil2017 Community member Posts: 155 Courageous
    Hi @Annie88
    Welcome and good to hear from you.
    if you go for another assessment I would try to take someone along with you for support like a relative, close neighbour or care worker.

    Secondly, I understand the best way to fill in the claim form is to express your worst case times or days rather than your best or how you cope. It may sound like your lying or exaggerating and that your an ‘incapable person’ but that seems to be the way they work. Perhaps contacting someone in Scope for more advice and I believe there is a benefits calculator online here somewhere which help.

    i have this all to come as am on Disability Living Allowance at the moment (the old form of the benefit) and waiting to transfer or reapply to PIP.
  • Annie88
    Annie88 Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    Hi CR...Thanks for your reply. I am aware of what you have mentioned, I looked into a lot of stuff before I filled out my forms and also before I attended the assessment. I am baffled as to how I haven't been awarded anything. The assessor may as well have told me I was lying about everything I was saying
  • Annie88
    Annie88 Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    Hi Neil...thanks for your reply and advice. I have taken everything on board and will remember these things if I decide to reapply. Feels like I'm fighting a losing battle. Best of luck to you for what's to come :)
  • Matilda
    Matilda Community member Posts: 2,593 Disability Gamechanger
    @Annie88

    Should it come to it, which it might not, next time appeal because tribunals are impartial and only want to find out what you can and can't do - unlike assessors whose agenda is to fail as many people as they can.  Many assessors reports are full of inaccuracies, to put it no stronger.

    The following might be of help.

    This is just by way of info about why people are awarded PIP points, which might help those applying for PIP, asking for mandatory reconsideration and appealing to a tribunal.

    To qualify for points, your disabilities only have to affect you seriously enough for more than 50% of the time, i.e. at least four days a week.

    After assessment I was awarded 11 points for daily living - all of those because I had difficulty undertaking/completing tasks even using aids.  2 points each for bathing, dressing, using the toilet, preparing food, taking nutrition and 1 point for taking medication.  In other words, you should get points for having difficulty doing things even with the help of aids.

    Tribunal gave me 2 extra points for food prep because for more than 50% of the time I would need someone to help me.

    Disability Rights (DR) site has a good guide to all aspects of PIP, including the list of descriptors, and a draft diary which you can adapt.  I recommend submission of a 7-day diary with your PIP application.

    For getting around mobility the criteria are:

    Unable to walk before needing to stop and rest:

    Up to 20m aided or unaided  12 points

    20m-50m aided   10 points

    20m-50m unaided   8 points

    You are allowed to walk farther in each category and still qualify if you are struggling because of pain, stiffness, instability or fatigue.

    Some people have reported losing getting around points because they said, for example, they couldn't walk more than 50m without aids but aids allowed them to walk more than 50m.  Remember that you won't get qualifying points if you can walk more than 20m or 50m as the case may be, regardless of aids - unless the reliability criteria of pain, stiffness, instability or fatigue apply.

    Assessors and tribunals probably will ask for how long, not how far, you an walk.  Always say it takes you X time to walk Y meters.  Just stating for how long is open to very wide interpretation.



  • Matilda
    Matilda Community member Posts: 2,593 Disability Gamechanger
    The first of these links is about how assessors should conduct assessments, the second about how they do contact them in reality!   The Guide refers to the kinds of trick questions assessors ask!

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/519119/personal-independence-payment-handbook.pdf

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/519147/pip-assessment-guide.pdf

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