Dwp release results of pip claims study

I know how difficult it is to claim PIP, having helped my husband to do so and fighting for disabled clients who had undertaken their claims alone. I know that doctors’ supporting letters were ignored and clients were getting confused by the process and saying the wrong thing in interviews (were the assessors deliberately trying to trick them?). Having professional support with their applications was essential in having their claims judged fairly.

I would not judge anyone on PIP - mental illness for example can’t be seen but they are still disabled. I have a relative who appears healthy superficially, but struggles with her heart condition..

a very useful video to watch if going for pip assessment.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC0Rlt7_sJk

I’m certainly not jealous, what a suggestion. I’m thankful that I have my own car and can drive it myself. I don’t even need a Blue Badge because the health problems I have are to do with my cervical spine, which causes a lot of daily pain in my hand and arm. I need spinal surgery but we all know how long that takes. Anyway I can still drive although I wear a special glove to support my hand, and I wouldn’t contemplate driving a long distance at the moment.

Of course and it’s nothing to be jealous of 😂

And, if you have a car, it is on loan, and is taken out of your benefits.

PIP and DLA is divided into two parts
Daily living component and Mobility component
You have to qualify for the enhanced rate to qualify for mobility and then in turn motability cars, which would mean your mobility or cognitive ability would be extremely poor/severe/profound

Yes., if you qualify. Arranged through Motability, or you can have the money instead.

Does PIP provide cars then?

My daughter claims PIP because of her disability and has just had it removed for the second time at assessment because the assessor has no idea of how she is badly affected by her mental health problems and her congenital, genetic problems. She will no doubt get it back at Tribunal Stage like last time but it makes life so difficult for her when her car is suddenly whipped away. It really is disgraceful.

I understand miy bought her non-standard construction ex-council house on the open market, for cash. Not mortgeable. Caveat emptor.

Thank you for all your answers everyone. I’m lucky, I don’t claim any benefits except state pension, which the government insist is a benefit. No doubt so they can one day means test it.
MadeInYorkshire my mother only claimed what is apparently now called Attendance Allowance after she was retired and became gradually more disabled, although she was never fully disabled until her last year, spent in a care home. She was a sad old lady then, and I wish that she hadn’t had to endure that last year, or at least the last few months. But the allowance allowed her to pay for a cleaner and to get her hair done each week, as she could no longer wash her own hair due to her arthritic shoulder. And a gardener as she was unable to do her own garden when she lived in a house.

Germanshepherdsmum

I think the reason you can’t get equity release is not because you have an ex-council house but because, like many, it is of non-standard construction. You were I believe a cash buyer and a survey would have revealed that it is not mortgageable. I suspect you are now paying the price for not having a proper survey. May I suggest a commode as an alternative to the garden?

lots of council houses were of non standard construction - pre fabs - they were sold to the people who lived in them under the right to buy scheme in the past (I am not sure about now)

Germanshepherdsmum

If it’s a job you could do, you should apply for it.

Please tell me that you don’t use your garden as a lavatory.

Problem is that I'm only functional for a limited time in the afternoon, BUT I can't be relied upon to be able enough every afternoon is the issue. I have so much wrong with me that any one of my 25 medical conditions could be affecting me on any given day. Sometimes I'm ok, but many times I really am not. I would absolutely love to be back doing something around what I trained for and loved, but I cannot be relied upon, which is why I've not volunteered. I do help people online with disability benefit claims, I'm a bit of a disabled activist, and do help a lot on forums of people who have the same conditions as I have which are many and varied!

I think the reason you can’t get equity release is not because you have an ex-council house but because, like many, it is of non-standard construction. You were I believe a cash buyer and a survey would have revealed that it is not mortgageable. I suspect you are now paying the price for not having a proper survey. May I suggest a commode as an alternative to the garden?

Personal independence payment is what PIP stands for.
I get it, because I am under pension age.

JaneJudge

don't we all? sorting out my daughter's benefits puts so much stress on me as it is so difficult to navigate.

Deliberately so in the hope that you give in and walk away!

maddyone

What is PIP anyway? They keep changing the names of the benefits and it confuses me. My mother claimed a benefit, I think it was originally called Personal Independence Allowance, but the name changed. She got it even though she was on a pension because she needed help to live independently. When she went into a care home, it went up because she then needed care at night. I can’t remember the new name. It wasn’t means tested, I remember that.

In theory if she was claiming PIP before she was pension age it should still be PIP, but if you claim after pension age it is Attendance Allowance which doesn't include a mobility component as the elderly are expected not to be able to walk anyway! It's slightly more more than PIP if I remember right from my mum's claim?

DLA is still around as I am on it; been on it many years now and am hoping that they won't transfer me to PIP and UC before I reach pension age, but they might, it's a complete hassle when they do and they don't just swap it and give you the money, you have to wait until the claim goes through, in the meantime going into debt to pay your bills - you do get it back, but that isn't the point! I get the same money as PIP, it's not any more. They are called 'legacy benefits'.

Germanshepherdsmum

If it’s a job you could do, you should apply for it.

Please tell me that you don’t use your garden as a lavatory.

Yes I have had to when it is flooding and blocked!

*JaneJudge - yes I am eligible for a fully funded DFG for an adapted wet room and a stairlift. However, because of my medical conditions, I just cannot wait for a stairlift to chug me up to the bathroom, particularly in the night time, as that is when it is worse - after my 29 tablets, I am rather discombobulated and just cannot get there quickly enough sometimes anyway. The thought of piddling on a stairlift mechanism isn't filling me with pleasure, and who is going to clean it every day, I can't? It'd be stinking! My real NEED is for a fully functioning downstairs loo. I bought this house because it did have one, but it is a macerator and it needs a completely new unit at almost £700, that is Monopoly money to me! My daughter, 2, husband and 2 small DGD's moved in with me and we were going to borrow some money to make this pretty spacious 3 bed semi work for us all. I live in the conservatory, we wanted to put a proper roof on it, solar panels, & create a downstairs bathroom for me (we needed 2 anyway) from the utility room, have a new kitchen, with a door out to the garden so that everyone didn't need to disturb me to get outside and give me some privacy., Then my other daughter had to move back in as her MH took a massive downturn - so then there were 6! Unfortunately NOBODY would lend on the house because it is an ex-council house, not even equity release! Ridiculous as there's nothing really wrong with it other than it needs some updating etc. So daughter 2 and family move out, leaving me & daughter 1 who then committed suicide in November 2022 leaving me rattling around in a house too big, unable to repair it. Can't sell it as it wouldn't give me enough money to buy again, so I am stuck!

So the LA came and I asked them instead of a stairlift etc could I have my utility room converted and a proper downstairs loo, I'm certain that once you've added £5k for the stairlift, it'd be cheaper). The answer was NO because 'you already have a downstairs loo and it's yours to maintain'. I know that, but I don't have the money! I've tried charities and all sorts so far to no avail.

So, I have enlisted the help of my local town councillor who I believe has taken it to the Director of Adult Social Care, and someone was supposed to come and do a new Care Act Assessment (on time remarkably as the last one was 18 months overdue). That meeting has so far been cancelled 3 times, but she is apparently coming out on Monday, so we'll see, as using plastic bags and the garden really is not ideal, especially in the depths of winter!! Fortunately nobody can see me ...

Good luck with that.
I’m glad I don’t have to navigate the system, but who knows in the future.

don't we all? sorting out my daughter's benefits puts so much stress on me as it is so difficult to navigate.

Thank you JJ.
I do find it all confusing.

PIP is DLA for adults neither is means tested
attendance allowance is for people over 70 iirc and might be like personal independence allowance but also isn't means tested

She had a Blue Badge too.

What is PIP anyway? They keep changing the names of the benefits and it confuses me. My mother claimed a benefit, I think it was originally called Personal Independence Allowance, but the name changed. She got it even though she was on a pension because she needed help to live independently. When she went into a care home, it went up because she then needed care at night. I can’t remember the new name. It wasn’t means tested, I remember that.

MadeInYorkshire, would you not be eligible for a disabled facilities grant to adapt some of your home? Are you in touch with social services occupational health?