Record Numbers Not Working Due To Ill Health

My youngest daughter inlaw worked full time before she got covid she was in hospital for 11 weeks she got it really badly and nearly died since then she hasn’t never gone back to work she is a different person she went from a bubble go go busy person to can barely walk and struggling day to day. Ppl were ripping the system long before covid came along and covid hit a lot of ppl badly so it doesn’t surprise me that it’s high

GSM- and mine.

Ive done the PIP forms for 2 relatives. I am good at filling in forms. One got the top rate and one the lower rate. The latter has just been upgraded on the form I helped him with a few months ago. There are "techniques" to filling in these forms so as to gain the maximum number of points. People who have illnesses and disabilities are not always best able to express how it affects them in the kinds of "technical" language expected by the form.

I got PIPs after a telephone assessment by a nurse. However she had never heard of the medical condition I have that affects my mobility and causes pain in my legs. So I had to explain to her what it was and she said she would have to look it up!

Pammiel

100% Also ask for he original transcript too - and always appeal - once the mandatory recon has been done by DWP (rarely a different result !!) Up to 50% if tribunal appeals overturn the original decision - the other massive “flaw” is around lifelong conditions & disabilities and the fact that awards often have to be re-assessed within a very short period of time - both ESA (or UC) and PIP are simply not fit for purpose

Btw after working for 10 years in a face to face role within jobcentres, including the whole of lockdown/Covid - a very small percentage of people knowingly commit benefit fraud and again a very few are living a life which we would consider “stable” or “comfortable” - u had the privilege of doing outreach work for four of these years where I worked with very vulnerable people, those unwell and care leavers - I worked with some in their own homes, families who in some cases had no carpets, slept on mattresses on the floor, sometimes had no electric and not enough money to make decent meals - it was a massive wake up call for me !

Benefit fraud rose dramatically during Covid as claims were processed over the phone and people’s situations not evidenced in person so documents proving existence of children and private rent were no verified until months after.

Ditto HMRC where organisations suddenly acquired staff for whom the illegally claimed payments for - even now DWP & HMRC have specifically set up departments investigating and clawing payments.

I would suggest 90% of benefit claimants are genuine and struggling physically, mentally and financially.

Unless you’re working in the black economy or self employed DWP receive a monthly feed for ALL claimants directly from HMRC

Noreen3

I know that some people genuinely can't work. But then again I know people who say they can't work because they have a bad back,when they could do some sort of work.I knew a man who called himself disabled because he was overweight,he got help with a car and other benefits ,he made extra money selling on car boot sales every week.

Sorry, but PIP is the benefit that helps with a car via motability, and it’s one of the hardest benefits to claim. You don’t get it just for being overweight or having a bad back. No-one can ever know what medical problems people have, and it’s really not helpful to judge like this. And FYI PIP isn’t means tested so he isn’t doing anything wrong by going to car boot sales as long as he’s not claiming anything income related.

Cossy

Back to an earlier thread, f that posters an is working on behalf of DWP as an assessor - then the assessors neither make the decision about benefit nor give the result/outcome to claimants ! They undertake the assessment either face to face or by phone and then send a written report, with recommendations and evidence, to the Decision Making Department a DWP. I worked for the DWP until last October and can tell ou the system is completely flawed ! All assessors are medical professionals however claimants are not sifted/sorted into groups so you could a physio assessment a schizophrenic or a general nurse assessing someone with MS - it’s a travesty

That’s always been the problem with PIP/ESA. Most people think the assessor makes the decision - they don’t. They send the report to the DWP assessor, who is an office worker with no medical experience, and reliant on the report to award the correct level of benefit. The DWP tell everyone they employ medical professionals who are well trained to do these assessments, but in reality, they don’t employ doctors, but nurses, physios, paramedics, who may have general experience, but most won’t have experience of specific and complicated disability. People with neurological conditions are supposed to be entitled to an assessor who has specific experience in that area - in practice, they don’t get it. It’s an absolute farce. It’s worth noting here, that anyone who has claimed any of these benefits, and has had an assessment, is entitled to request a copy of the assessors’ report once the decision has been notified to them. DWP don’t publicise that, but I advise everyone to request a copy as soon as possible, along with all other evidence DWP used to make the decision so that if they need to challenge the decision, they know exactly what has been documented.

daughterofbonniebelle

It seems to me the country is having a nervous breakdown post-Brexit and post-lockdowns: Nothing works, eg the underfunded NHS, Royal Mail, the criminal justice system, water companies, I could go on, so it doesn't surprise me that people are sick and suffering at an individual level.

not a nervous breakdown just a Tory Govt.

Where I (still) work we have had 5% of our workforce off on long term sickness in the past six months. At least one was hanging out for redundancy, which we caved in and gave her (£30k down the spout). I saw her a week later in high spirits at the local rugby game. She didn't look too unwell to me.

Unfortunately staff with contracts from pre-2020 get 6 months sick leave on full pay in a year. And some do play the system...

I know that some people genuinely can't work. But then again I know people who say they can't work because they have a bad back,when they could do some sort of work.I knew a man who called himself disabled because he was overweight,he got help with a car and other benefits ,he made extra money selling on car boot sales every week.

Underspending on the NHS and DWP services leads to long term sickness and poor assessments. It's a government problem. As an ageing population we need more immigrants to staff services.

Nannan2

Ktsmum- have another go at claiming PIP- Get someone to help with the form from somewhere used to this- like a shelter hub or a proper financial support worker at citizens advice or similar- and be sure you CAN actually walk over 200yards?- in welfare benefits booklet it states that 50 yards is 5double decker buses end to end- so when you think of reality of that then 200 yards is FOUR TIMES that length- so are you really sure you could manage that- with or without a stick, crutches,or rollator?? Ive osteoarthritis and i could not! Have a rethink- then get help to reapply.The guides and help on disability welfare& benefits website is very good too.

The problem is that assessors have to assess whether you can walk certain distances ‘repeatedly, safely and in a timely manner’ and as often as necessary throughout the day. So they don’t necessarily look at how far you can walk in one go, but whether you can repeat it according to those criteria. So as an example, someone who can walk, say 50 metres, and then would have to stop for a short rest in order to carry on, would be judged on the maximum they could walk, taking rest breaks into account. Once you reach 200 metres you no longer qualify. Reading through the thread I’m amazed at the number of people who think claiming sickness or disability benefits is a cake walk, when in fact they are the hardest benefits to claim and involve repeated assessments at various intervals. The rate of fraud for these benefits is less than 1%.

Mouse and Krsmum

You have my undying empathy - no way to have to “live” your lives - my view is anyone who can work should work & full time wherever possible and anyone who cannot should be well looked after

Back to an earlier thread, f that posters an is working on behalf of DWP as an assessor - then the assessors neither make the decision about benefit nor give the result/outcome to claimants ! They undertake the assessment either face to face or by phone and then send a written report, with recommendations and evidence, to the Decision Making Department a DWP. I worked for the DWP until last October and can tell ou the system is completely flawed ! All assessors are medical professionals however claimants are not sifted/sorted into groups so you could a physio assessment a schizophrenic or a general nurse assessing someone with MS - it’s a travesty

Ktsmum

I retired at 59 due to health problems, I have heart disease,type 2 diabetes, low thyroid and osteoarthritis. I was turned down for PIP benefits because I can walk more than 200 yards and manage my own affairs, I'd like to know how some malingerers get away with it, there must be many genuine people out there like me I suspect

If you would like to PM me, I have extensive experience of assisting with PIP claims and I can perhaps help you with re-applying. 200 metres is the cut off point for mobility help and there are various ways in which the assessors calculate this - it’s not necessarily linked to how far you can walk in one go, but throughout the day ‘as often as needed in a safer reliable and timely manner’. If you have other medical problems, the daily living (care) component is a very difficult assessment as it doesn’t take account of the condition or disability itself, but rather the effect on your daily life. It’s a point scoring exercise, and many people fail, because they don’t understand what the assessors are looking for, so possibly don’t give enough relevant information. Only certain activities are assessed, so the chance to score points is limited. If you feel you would like to have another go please do let me know if I can help.

I’ve been on the sick long term. I have ‘a bad back’ - in my case two crushed discs and a fracture in my tail bone. I also have serious mental health issues. Claiming sickness benefits is a nightmare and whenever a review comes up my mental health takes a turn for the worse. It’s horrible knowing so many by people think that people who claim sickness benefits are scrounges and faking it. Especially as both my main conditions are things that people seem to think are easy to fake. Being on benefits is to be scared all the time that someone will decide you’re not really ill at all. It’s Feeling guilty when you have a good day, it’s having no sense of security. Because of my health I have not been able to build up a private pension or savings or own my own house. Everything is insecure. My landlord has decided to sell up so that’s my home if 15 years gone. I have two months to find somewhere else. Why would anyone choose this ‘lifestyle’? I feel guilty for being unwell. Guilty for claiming benefits. It’s not a life I would have chosen, believe me.

Nannan2

I have long covid problems and many other health problems i already had- but the covid cant be officially added to my medical 'list' as i had it before it was an official recognised virus! (Got after been in italy nov 2019) even though hospital gave me antivirals in sheer desperation as werent aware what it was! I was lucky. Dr's surgery nurse says it probably was it yes.

Nannan - long Covid is very similar to CFS/ME in its severe forms - which I have - so I just googled as to where you stand with PIP

"It is the main disability benefit and can help you to live a more comfortable life. ME/CFS is a recognised disability and long-term medical condition, so don't worry that you might be at a disadvantage because of this particular diagnosis."

so that is another way of approaching your difficulty, get a diagnosis that matches symptoms even if it not allowed to be Long Covid.

As I’ve recent retired I thought I’d add m two pence worth - prior to retiring I worked from home for two years, I was a civil servant - prior to being a CS I’ve worked from home before both freelance and PAYE.

During my work at home I did not take any time off sick (I have existing “back & neck issues & other conditions) my employer offered to purchase ANYTHING I required to work comfortably at home and managed very well and actually worked longer hours and was more productive.

My view on sickness is irrespective of the job role and base sadly there is a minority who effectively take the Micky (I’m being very polite!) Those people who “slack off” working at home also do so in the office ! I did all I could to manage any medical or physical issues

I have long covid problems and many other health problems i already had- but the covid cant be officially added to my medical 'list' as i had it before it was an official recognised virus! (Got after been in italy nov 2019) even though hospital gave me antivirals in sheer desperation as werent aware what it was! I was lucky. Dr's surgery nurse says it probably was it yes.

Ktsmum- have another go at claiming PIP- Get someone to help with the form from somewhere used to this- like a shelter hub or a proper financial support worker at citizens advice or similar- and be sure you CAN actually walk over 200yards?- in welfare benefits booklet it states that 50 yards is 5double decker buses end to end- so when you think of reality of that then 200 yards is FOUR TIMES that length- so are you really sure you could manage that- with or without a stick, crutches,or rollator?? Ive osteoarthritis and i could not! Have a rethink- then get help to reapply.The guides and help on disability welfare& benefits website is very good too.

It seems to me the country is having a nervous breakdown post-Brexit and post-lockdowns: Nothing works, eg the underfunded NHS, Royal Mail, the criminal justice system, water companies, I could go on, so it doesn't surprise me that people are sick and suffering at an individual level.

Could a lot of these be folk who would have been retired already in pre-Tory days???

I retired at 59 due to health problems, I have heart disease,type 2 diabetes, low thyroid and osteoarthritis. I was turned down for PIP benefits because I can walk more than 200 yards and manage my own affairs, I'd like to know how some malingerers get away with it, there must be many genuine people out there like me I suspect

Luckygirl3

Can you imagine how soul-destroying for someone with a genuine need for state support who gets lumped in with so-called scroungers in the eyes of society?

Yes.