PIP and help???

[EandA]

Hi to all my friends.

Firstly, I am sorry I haven't been on here for ages.

as many of you know I have some very serious money worries and I am sorry to say that they are only getting worse. A big finger point towards the council!!! Thanks for being a bunch of (I'll leave the rest of that sentence to your imagination! !!!)

Anyway, today I have just heard that I have my PIP assessment on the 31st of this month! HELP!!

Is anyone able to tell me what it will entail and the things I should say, be ready for, or do to help my application??

I really need this more than any of you will know or more than I could possibly describe.

It would be the one thing that could make things easier for us before we end up loosing our home.

I know I amh sound dramatic to you but please believe me when I say I must get this right. I must get through this assessment with them saying yes.

There are so so many horror stories about the PIP assessment and I am terrified I will mess it up. I seriously can not afford for them to say no and have to wait months or even weeks for appeals etc.

So if anyone has any info or experiences in this, your advice would be very gratefully received.

Thank you guys.

Em xx

[Sara62]

Hi Em

I am absolutely brand new to this forum and have actually never joined in on any conversations on any forums, but here goes! Have you got a questionnaire to fill in ? There is an amazing website called benefitsandwork.co.uk which will go through each question with you telling how the assessors rate your answers and how you should answer - truthfully! You have to remember that these people are assessing you on your ability to work so that they can get you into work in any shape or form. For example if one question states something like "can you lift an object weighing 1kg?" You may put yes because although it is painful on most days to lift , you can do so if necessary. Wrong answer!! The answer is no and then give details in the 'more information' box about how it can vary, that it is always painful to do so on any day and sometimes impossible due to the pain. If you put yes, they will give you full marks on this question and can consider you may be fit for some types of light lifting work which obviously with fibro is ridiculous as repetitive lifting of even light objects would mean you probably couldn't move your arms the next day. This question is on the ESA form not PIP but this website advises on both. Its £19.95 to subscribe for the year (ouch) but they do sample pages of the whole package and really you can get a good feel from their sample answers as to how you can answer all the other questions.

Sorry, a bit long-winded but I hope its helpful !

Sara

[EandA in reply to Sara62]

Hi.

thank you gor your reply.

I filled in the form months ago. This is now my assessment.

I am worried about messing it up.

its all so wrong how this is done. I have waited nearly 6 months and am now in so much money troubles its beyond a joke.

This is why I can't afford financially or mentally to mess up this assessment meeting with them.

Thanks again.

Em x

[angelm54 in reply to EandA]

I lost my home through money worries, but a year on i am ok, i had my pip assessment at the end of Oct and have my decision , i was awarded advanced mobility, the man who came was lovely, he could see i was in pain, he sat at the table with a laptop, i couldnt see it but he was so helpful, when he asked certain questions, about raising my hands above my head etc, he pretty much answered them for me as he could see how things were, i have problems getting in and out of the bath, and conducting personal hygene in the mornings untill the stiffness in my limbs reduces throughout the day, these things did concern him , so i think that it all went in the report, as i say he was very nice, so i suppose it depends on who you get, dont say you can do something when you cant, be honest, good luck x

[Mdaisy]

Hello EandA,

Please can provide the following information from a previous post I wrote called 'Do you need an advocate?'

healthunlocked.com/fibroact...

Your local Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB) may be useful too and/or the voluntary service mentioned in the post above to help complete your forms.

I would like to mention that it may be beneficial to you to email us for the information guides we can provide using [e-mail]

I am unsure if I mentioned before about an Advance Payment of Benefit that you may or may not be eligible for but might be worth looking into if your struggling financially at the moment. Here's a link to CAB website with information about this;

adviceguide.org.uk/england/...

I wish you all the best with your PIP claim

Emma

FibroAction Administrator

[EandA in reply to Mdaisy]

Hi

sorry. Prob being a wally but I dont understand your reply.

had a look at the link and it said about MIND who I am actually with.

have prob mis understood. Sorry.

Em x

[Mdaisy in reply to EandA]

Hello EandA,

Some MIND branches have an Advocacy service where volunteers help people to complete their benefit forms. Maybe ask MIND if they do this or know of a local volunteer Advocacy Service.

Hope that helps

Emma

[EandA in reply to Mdaisy]

Hi.

I have filled in the form. Did that nearly 6 months ago. This is now my assessment I need advice on.

I have to go and 'be interviewed' by a Gov dogs body with no medical experience what so ever and who, judging by all the other stories, also does not believe in Fibromyalgia.

Em xx

[Mdaisy in reply to EandA]

Apologies, I misread the post. The guides should have information about assessments, have you emailed us for the guides as yet? If not please do so.

[EandA in reply to Mdaisy]

?? Emailed you for guides?

[Mdaisy in reply to EandA]

If you email me using [e-mail] we, FibroAction can supply step by step benefit guides that may help

[TheAuthor]

Hi E&A

I have pasted you a link to the ATOS website whereby you can read all about what happens:

atoshealthcare.com/pip/

I want to wish you all the best of luck with your assessment.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken x