PIP: I have fm for 4 yrs but since... - Fibromyalgia Acti...

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PIP

1steve profile image
10 Replies

I have fm for 4 yrs but since having a car accident 2 years ago i have got worse and my meds haave doubled ,anyway the question i have i work as a support worker 37 hours a week but am absolutly finnished once i finnish my shift to get up in morning my wife has to help me until im warmed up and meds have kicked in about 90 mins really but i manage well and as long as i have what i call rest periods through the day i am ok on days off im resting totally to be able to work and might have to reduce hours I dont want to finnish work butam struggling to maintain it. would i be able to claim pip

sorry if it sounds like i blurped it all out never posted before and dont know what to do

steve

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1steve profile image
1steve
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10 Replies
Fibrofoggiest profile image
Fibrofoggiest

Hi again Steve,

I'm sorry I replied to your other post first. Now I hope we can be of help. it sounds from what you have written that you most certainly would be able to apply for PIP, sadly whether or not you are granted it is another question all together. I have been on DLA which is now turning into PIP and was given it without any end date. Now I know very soon I will be called on to fill in the form and go through the rigmarole of converting (hopefully, but by no means certainly) on to PIP.

You can ask for the PIP form either from your jobcentre, but I also think that the CAB hold them and I would advise you to get help with filling in the form from the CAB as they know exactly how to fill them in to your best advantage and have dealt with so many of them, it makes it all seem far less daunting. If you can get letters from your GP and from your support worker to help back up your claim then that too will be of great help.

Here is a link to a benefits site which I hope will be very useful to you

benefitsandwork.co.uk

Wishing you the very best for putting forward your claim, and do let us know how you get on 😊

Foggy x

1steve profile image
1steve in reply to Fibrofoggiest

will do and thank you

I_z_232_3 profile image
I_z_232_3

Honestly, I can only say it's worth trying. It takes a while to get pip but if you are struggling and rely on you wife you should apply. What I would suggest too is keep a diary, it really helps with answering the questions also if you have an assessment you can show them Good luck

1steve profile image
1steve

thank you

Shadows-walker profile image
Shadows-walker

Hi I can't say you would get it but I can tell you about my experience and let you decided for yourself , but you do have the right to apply ,but don't do the forms yourself and don't go to any assements without additional support from an advocate or CAB , be honest and open about how everything effects your condition on a really bad day , don't think about what you can do on a iffy day only really bad .

I am going to copy and paste a post I made after applying twice , the first time I got two points ,then I appealed and got 4 and 5 point , at appeal then I got 15 point and I forget to be honest but I got enhanced rate on both ,

I will be back in a bit with my post for you xx

Shadows-walker profile image
Shadows-walker

* I have just had my pip , the first assment was I thought ok seemed a nice chap , a wolf in sheeps clothing , if you go back through my posts to November last you will be able to read about it , I got awarded 2 point only for the whole thing , I was living alone and nearly surviving if I honest looking back , I appealed and it finally got to court this summer 14 months after the original claim , I then got awarded 5 I think for careand 4 for mobility, I nearly had a breakdown after that .

* So after taking advice from Janet are advisor on here , I got a new disability advocate ,got my friends Judy and Rachel and we re did my form , I got assessed about a month later this time not 7 months later like before , the assessor arrived and my daughter let her in , she walked into a room to 3 people not one , for support ,I been up one hour as they need to see you first thing . My dogs were at a friends , my daughter left the room , and continued with jobs in the kitchen as she runs the house not me , on a bad day I can't get down the stairs , anyway she was an OT , she was lovely , she asked about my bathing needs etc , do you know by leaving the bathroom door open when you have a bath or shower you get a point because I have trouble getting out or feeling faint in shower sometimes that's worth points , if there was anything I can do on a good day that I can't on a bad like making a drink ,I just said Charlotte does it , it's the truth , you have to remember your worst days , not your passable ones and not let pride ruine it for you . Do you see how this is going . Next shopping , if you can walk round a shop even with a trolley or stick on a passable day you will be able to walk ,and get no points , if your really poorly someone else goes to the shops , so your reply is that you can't and that X does the shopping , ! That then means you can't walk more than 20 feet or meters ok , points again and so it goes on , can you drive , well I live in a very hilly place , I can't go out at all if am bad concentration hills if I got out foot I have been brought home before now , so I have a manual car that I rarely use , thinking of getting rid , but have other people's as named drivers on it , also if I don't have a car I can't get to bus stop or get back for that mater , so I would be house bound . Points again . Have I got any hobbies I do well I have hobbies but I can't concentrate or hold a fine needle I have a few tears ,I have a bike I can't ride , I have kites I can't fly , I tried aqua aerobics but it left me badly fatigued , the assessor was supposed to do a gentle medical bending squeezing etc ,she decided against it as she could see I physically couldn't do it that day .

* know my friend Rachel and I devised a sneaky plan to assess me mid flare so ,my assessment was on the Monday so Saturday before Rachel came round early afternoon and we tided my kitchen and cleaned it ,I didn't do much to be honest I played foreman mostly , but all cupboards were cleaned inside and out , and everything was reorganised , and then we tided the patio and she moved flower pots and washed down my yard , I was exhausted watching her , ,

* Sunday I couldn't get out of bed . Monday well you can imagine the state I was in and to be honest it was worth it .

* I have enhanced rate care and enhanced rate mobility ,

* So what have I learned

* 1. Ask for a female assessor

* 2. Book a oT appointment the week before your visit from DWP

* 3. Speak little , if they ask something that you think we'll I can but I can't ,say your partner daughter ,son, friend does it ,

* 4. It's always your worst day your talking about .

* 5. Get letters of support from gp , family members ,friends anything they have done to help you , by the way my friend dyes mt hair for me , she also washed it after so a friend washed my hair ,if asked hoe mangled and you go to hairdresser they wash it ok ,

* 6. If you had a fall and someone has looked after you get them to write it ,

* 7 , if you have toilet issues get it confirmed by Dr it's embarrassing but necessary,

* 8 , have someone with you for support and don't get off your bottom and don't smile ,

* .

* If I have forgot anything and anybody else has anything valuable to add please share it's important to us all ,

* But don't give up if you fail , this benefit is a right we need it to have a decent quality of life .

* Good luck.

*

* Shadows walker

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1steve profile image
1steve in reply to Shadows-walker

thank you for all your advice and after reading that i dontt think i stand a chance i am ok once become mobile after about 90 mins wife helps me up in morning and slowly i get to manage pain etc nd am ablee to go to work i actually work supporting adults with learning difficulties although i am struggling now and thinking of reducing hours I feel I am pushing body to limits to get to work and get through day but once i get home if I am a day shift i ussually crash and sleep once i get home and if im aftrnoons its straight to bed and it is murder if i have to do a day shift after afternoons

but if i dont work I wont get money I thought if i could get some help from the pip i could reduce my hours but seems they make it near impossible for people who suffer much more than me Actually i feel a bit of fraud now.

steve

Shadows-walker profile image
Shadows-walker in reply to 1steve

You can't do it though on a bad day ,and that's what you have to remember , I worked myself into the ground 2 years ago nearly ,couldn't walk across a room , nothing ventured nothing gained ,

Please don't feel a fraud because your not , the government is making it this way so we won't apply , it's not easy but if you work all the hour you do and have no quality of life that's why you should apply.

Keep your chin up have a go what have you got to lose , just remembered you worse day ,that's the mistake we have been making . Chris x

TheAuthor profile image
TheAuthor

Hi 1steve

Welcome to the forum and it is wonderful to make your acquaintance. I can see that you have been given some wonderful advice, so I will just add that PIP is open to anyone to claim whether they are working or not as long as they qualify through their disabilities. I want to genuinely and sincerely wish you all the best of luck with your claim.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken

shazzap12 profile image
shazzap12

Hi Steve

Please do not feel a fraud. Pip is a benefit that can be claimed whether you are working or not. If you need assistance because your disability has an adverse effect on your day to day living then you should apply.

I have various disabilities and run my own company from my home. I also claimed DLA and was refused initially then awarded lower rate care via tribunal. When I developed another condition and my situation worsened, I applied for a reassessment and was awarded nothing, the care element was taken away. Again I went to tribunal and then was awarded nothing for care but got higher rate mobility. As I also had a claim for PIP I did not appeal this award, but waited for the outcome of my PIP claim, where I was awarded the enhanced rate for both care and mobility, so yes it can be a bit of a minefield but if because of your condition you need assistance, then you should apply.

Below is a link to the CAB with the PIP questions and points awarded. It is worthwhile going through and based on your worse days see what points you score. This will then give you an idea.

citizensadvice.org.uk/Globa...

I hope this helps.

Sharon

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