I was diagnosed with fibro 2 years ago as well as arthritis in my hip, knee and spine which is also disintegrating. Now also having tests for rheumatoid arthritis. I also have gastroenterologist testing me too!
I work full time as a health visitor, my boss has been great making sure they support me fully to stay in my role. I don't know how much longer I can keep it up though. I applied for Pip last year but was not successful. I really should have appealed as most of the feedback was not what I said but I genuinely did not have the fight in me.
If I keep working full time, will that go against me if I apply again?
Looking forward to your thoughts.
Written by
Crochetmakes
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Hi, you have nothing to lose but a few hours filling in the form. Worth bearing in mind that it's not how many conditions you have but how it affects your day to day living and mobility. There's lots of help out there to assist in filling in your answers to the questions, it's often not what you say but how you say it. Be honest and get all your supporting documents together in good time.
It doesn't matter whether you work or not, as long as you are not a commando out on deployment and running the odd marathon in your spare time😉. There are many in permanent employment who are awarded PIP.
Hi, you can contact FMA UK's benefit helpine on 0300 999 0055 (Mon, Wed, Fri 10.00-12.00) or email benefits.advice@fmauk.org
They can provide guidelines on how to apply for pip, and completing the form
Pip can be awarded even if you are working full time, but you need to explain thoroughly any help, support, reasonable adjustments etc that allow you to work.
As an example, I work but I still need assistance from my hubby to get up out of bed and get dressed, often I need him to drive me to work because I'm not well enough to drive, I have reasonable adjustments in place on work etc
I’m the same☹️ Takes at least 1.5 hrs to get ready for work - I swear my muscles and bones forget how to work overnight. Work are pretty good at meeting me in carpark if I need help getting out of the car. They also help dressing and undressing me if I get too hot/cold.
Thank you. I do feel my quality of life is the most effected. With work I do muddle through with the adjustments, but then I'm too knackered to see friends of family, or do the things I enjoy.
I'm the same I go to work for two hrs in the morning and come home to sleep just exhausted all the time fed up of the exhaustion and pains which seem to have got worse with the heat😣
I was told that if you have fibromyalgia, it is now guaranteed that you’ll get benefits, even if you’re working. I don’t know how true it is because I haven’t applied yet.
PIP is not based on the diagnosis or how many medications people are on it's based on how your daily living and mobility are affected. Many folk on here have been awarded PIP and some are working. True it can depend on who you actually get taking your assessment but the result is always able to be challenged by a MR or appeal.
Hello and welcome, remember PIP is not awarded on a disability, diagnosis or the amount of prescription medications you are taking. PIP is awarded on your inability to preform, manage and cope doing the PIP descriptors in a repeatable, safe and timely manner for 50% of your daily life. I would recommend you take a self test of PIP using the online version on the Benefits and works site. When doing the self test be honest with your self as the answers you submit in your PIP application form will have to be justified at your PIP assessment.
I’m a Nurse Specialist and have just been through my first over the phone PIP assessment. I work 30 hours a week and I felt as if the independent assessor held that against me. I’ve no idea how it went but I will need to cut my hours regardless as I’m not coping with my hours. I’d go for it if I were you but don’t focus on the conditions you have and more how you are affected by them on a daily basis. Good luck x
Hi sorry to hear your initial claim wasn’t successful. I applied last year and scored no points following the assessment. As you mentioned, a lot of what they had written wasn’t what I had said so I wrote to them to appeal against the decision and was awarded standard rate care. I have continued to work but not full time. Work were great and agreed to put my job out as a job share so I now do 18 hours per week. They have been very flexible and I have been working from home up until now but should be fine once things are back to normal. I have fibromyalgia, pernicious anemia and an under-active thyroid. The latter two I continued to work full time but after developing fibromyalgia I struggled. I explained that work was important to me and that I wanted to try and continue on part time hours with the flexibility of being able to alter my work pattern to fit around bad days. This didn’t seem to be a problem. I too found that I didn’t have a social life, by the time I had finished work, essential household stuff and looking after my daughter I was completely exhausted. I hope this is helpful
It is, thank you! I'm lucky in the sense I have my mum, whose having to come to my home to help with chores etc. My husband works away, kids are older, but it's a struggle every day. I'm glad work is being good with you.
You should definitely apply for PIP again. Lots of people who are working receive it. Take a look at my previous post for guides on how to make the best claim possible for your circumstances healthunlocked.com/fibromya...
Its entirely up to you I work full time as a SW and in some respects FIBRO suits my work commitments as if im having a bad day i can rearrange my dairy etc and COVID has also help as reduced travel time etc. My body may not be at its best but brain can still function and work takes my mind off the pain once the painkillers take effectGood luck
Yes definitely reapply. I work part time but increasingly struggle to do my job, look after my children, home and myself. I applied for PIP for the first time in March and have just been notified that I have been awarded Standard rate for Care. I scored higher than I thought I would, being just one point off higher rate! I didn’t get Mobility rate but didn’t expect to.
A huge thank you to #releasethemagic. Your pointers to the Benefits & Works site were invaluable. It’s a lot of reading and preparation but without it I don’t think I would have got the award. Those guides definitely help you put across how your conditions affect you in the way the assessors mark you.
Other things I did - made a subject access request to my GP which provided a summarised print out of all my visits, diagnoses and medications so I sent this in;; sent copies of rheumatologist reports confirming my diagnoses; asked my Occupational Therapist to write a report outlining how my conditions affect me; my husband wrote a letter explaining the difficulties I encounter and how that impacts daily life; sent a copy of my work Occupational Health assessment which explained the reasonable adjustments that have been made to help keep me in work.
Whilst it’s correct what others say that it’s how your condition affects you not what your diagnosis is, you should have evidence of the diagnosis and medications to back up how you are affected. Sometimes the side effects of my meds are worse than the actual condition, so I also explained this in the application and assessment.
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