PIP

[1steve]

Hi all

I have been looking at pip and after doing the PIP test , on my worst day i would recieve the higher daily living component,But what happens if your assesed on a good day, do they take into consideration the flucuation of FM

[Hartleyhare2]

Yes they do. That's why you must fill it in as your worst day or you won't stand a hope with them. These forms have been designed to catch people out. It's all on a points scoring system.

If you are assessed on a particularly good day just say so that it lucky they have found you on a rare good day.

Best wishes

Patrick

[Fibrofoggiest]

Hi Steve,

I'm sorry to say it, but I don't think they take any fluctuation into account and you must present absolutely everything as it is on your very worst day.

Could I suggest firstly that you seek advice from the CAB about filling in your PIP form, they are really up to speed with how to get you the best result and help with the wording. I also suggest that you ask for a home assessment and that you have an advocate (a friend or a professional if you can) with you and don't move at all from your seat unless asked to do so, and make sure you move very slowly, and be as you would be on a really bad flare day.

You may already have seen this site benefitsandwork.co.uk, if not it is really well worth looking at.

Wishing you the very best 😊

Foggy x

[1steve in reply to Fibrofoggiest]

Than you for the reply

[Fibrofoggiest in reply to 1steve]

You are welcome Steve and I really hope things go well for you 😊

Foggy x

[despairingmark in reply to Fibrofoggiest]

hi all,the minute you say you have "good days" or "bad days" gives the assesment people opportunity to state you need less help.....as you have said things are less severe on good days.the forms do ask if you have good or bad days so as to reduce the amount of assistance you need if good days mean you can do things that on a bad day you were incapable of doing without help from others.

[Fibrofoggiest in reply to despairingmark]

Hi desparingmark 😊

I wasn't actually advocating the usage of the words "bad days" to be used within the actual assessment, just as a way of saying fill the form in based on how you would be at your worst. Yes we know we all fluctuate, but for the filling in of such forms if you give them the impression that on some days you can say "walk 100 metres without too much trouble" and then they will based their points system on that rather than if you say "I find it hard to walk 100 metres without incurring a lot of pain" or even "I find it hard to walk 100 metres at all"

I think what I am saying is, accentuate the negative rather than the positive, does that sort of make sense ?

Foggy x

Also the advice Chris gives below is invaluable !! 👍🏻

[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 ppointment 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 how I managed 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

Additional notes

When applying for PIP It's best to sent evidence that packs the best punch as they start start to ignore much of it if too much is sent, and only so much is scanned onto the system. For instance if you have specialist reports then send them. But if you have appt letters that relate to the date of the reports, then there's no point in doubling up as they knew you had the appointment. One appt letter to illustrate how far back you went with treatment, followed by a later one is good. Any OT reports or delivery notes from them for equipment you have bought or OT have given you at home. Photos if not, will suffice. Remember photos will be scanned in black and white and posted in bundles not colour for tribunals too. Statements from people who help you, preferably professional ones, so if you have cleaning lady, private massages or a private carer, this helps. Reasonable adjustments statements for work or college showing what aids you have, or your sickness/absence record if poor. The list goes on. I would avoid sending any print outs on relatively well know illnesses such as ME or Fibro, they will not be read as the argument is that it's not about the illnesses, it's how they affect you. These just clog up your file and hide your good evidence.

PIP/child DLA/ESA Mobility question tip: I think it's a good idea to use houses to gauge the distance you can walk without severe discomfort rather than try and guess. A terraced house, for instance is on average around 5 metres across the front, a semi 7 metres. Therefore if you know you can get to a neighbour's door 3 doors down, but can't get back without a good rest then the distance you can walk is 15m if terraced street or around 21 if a semi.
I see so many people getting confused in assessments and court with this question. Using an average house as a gauge is far easier for everyone to understand.
You may also get asked how many minutes you can walk for when you go to court. The panel gauge your walking speed during the few steps you take going into the tribunal room at the beginning. So if you answer 5 minutes, they will assume it's at the pace you have already shown. This is often not a true reflection of your walking ability, as it's often just a few steps from the door to the chair in the hearing. Using the 5 metre per terrace house theory gives them a far better picture.
Remember also to mention if you sit or lean on a wall on the way anywhere. Also your ability to walk reliably, safely and repeatedly must be taken into account along with time. If it's more than double that of an average person your age, then you cannot do it within the definition of the descriptor.

Hi all the above have been kept by me to help others applying for pip , or ESA

I have other bits and pieces but I think this is what helps with the addition assessment

I wish I had had this insight with my first application, I thought they would just see and trust they don't ,

I discovered the other day by saying I went to market to buy fruit and veg at local car park at park , this meant I was living about not cooking and I went to local park for recreational perposes,

I drove to local park and bought bananas apples and grapes and celery and tomatoes and cucumber and baking potatoes, where is the cooking veg there ,it meant I parked by stall stood up told them what I wanted and they put it in car . Easier than trying tow am to shop , by playing patients on iPad for 10 mins means I play computer games rubbish I couldn't cope with those hi tech games I'd keel over ,by talking on face time with children means I use social media. , be care full what you say and how you say it as it will be misinterpreted to there benifit not yours . Keep statements simple so nothing can be used against you .

Again good luck

Chris.

[dawn21dawn21]

hi just tell them how it is i think its sometimes who you get on the day i failed my first assessment then got helpwith daily living on my second assessment and i wrote down and said exactly the same so really say what its like on your worst day good luck x

[Shadows-walker]

Found a bit more to help.

Hope this helps Home assessment tip:

If you struggle on your own as a rule then have someone you know, who preferably helps with your condition, sit in the home assessment and prompt you were needed. Even if it's just to answer the door when the assessor arrives, and to help with handling paperwork or medication if your memory is poor.

I have appeal papers in front of me that cite the main reason a client failed to gain any points in medication, and any of the descriptors relating to mental health, is because she was alone during the home assessment and did not appear nervous when answering the door to a stranger when she arrived. She also communicated with the assessor and had a good insight into her medication and conditions. She has lots of evidence from her psychiatrist and spent a week last month in the mental health unit after taking an overdose, however the physiotherapist assessor from Capita knew better, and decided if she could manage on her own at the assessment when her partner was at work, she could manage her medication fine and everything else for that matter. Being able to handle her medication to show her went against her also and it was established she could dress without an aid and prepare food, with her splints on, all because she picked up a couple of boxes of pills.

It's far better, if this is an issue, to get someone to do this bit for you, as although one off, isolated incidents should not count as showing you can do something for the majority of the time safely and repeatedly, they certainly are giving the wrong impression to assessors at the moment.

Michelle (Fightback Advocate and assessment buddy)

[TheAuthor]

I can see that you have been given some wonderful advice and information so I will just genuinely wish you all the best of luck.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken