PIP does anybody know if this is true

[catherine19611]

I have just read on Benefits and work site that the Government are cutting the support group and that pharmasists are now going to be carrying out PIP assessments, has anybody heard anything about this and does anybody know just how that will affect us. pharmasists dont have any more knowledge of how fibro and chronic fatigue affect people than the current idiots who do the assessments

[Midori]

True, but they Do have great knowledge of the Medications we take, far more even than GPs, and are therefore, in my opinion anyway, more qualified than many of the people currently doing the assessments.

Might work out better in the end, but we'll have to wait and see.

Cheers, Midori

[catherine19611 in reply to Midori]

lets just hope that they dont do what bojoke did and stop all pip and everybody had to reapply, a number of people committed suicide when they did that last time, as they couldnt live without the pip that was taken off them

[22pagets22 in reply to catherine19611]

Hello have you read about all people in support groups will be forced to look for work possibly from home etc from 2025 or loose benefits if you read in news it's all against disabled people yesterday I read in paper it said the 2.5 million people on long term sick is damaging country its like going back to the time we were forced off incapacity benefit to esa and now esa to uc and by them changing the rules again alot of people will give up and commit suicide like you said gov and whoever sits down and thinks these things up clearly don't suffer from our problems

[Dizzytwo Moderator in reply to Midori]

I agree, I think they may be better placed than many to understand. They are trained in dealing with all types of medications for all types of illnesses.

The only reason I think more people don't see a pharmacist than a GP is because they dont have the authority to refer a person.

I always check out things with my pharmicist first before booking an appointment to see a GP.

[catherine19611 in reply to Dizzytwo]

i cant take most medications because i have a bad reaction to them, so the medication element is useless to me

[Dizzytwo Moderator in reply to catherine19611]

I can't take medications either. But that does not stop me from seeking advice. Either from my Gp or pharmacist.

Even though I don't take meds for fibro pain. There are many more fibro symptoms that I do need help with. And a chemist I believe is trained in knowing how the body works. So can offer help and advice in many other ways. Just like a GP would.

They can also offer advice on OTC meds which I find very helpful.

Please don't be quick to brush them aside they do a lot more than just fill prescriptions.

Plus an added bonus for me I can usually talk to them over the phone xx

[Smithy32 in reply to Dizzytwo]

I agree pharmacists are great professionals to get advice from however, our pharmacist looks after 6 villages and has hardly a moment to spare. They work so hard and although very helpful and polite I just don't know how they are supposed to fit assessments in onto of their present commitments.

[catherine19611 in reply to Smithy32]

it wont be all pharmacista, just a select few and probably the ones who agree that benefits should be cut

[Celticdancer in reply to catherine19611]

You`ve hit the nail on the head. The government want as many people off benefits as possible and like someone else said the pharmacists will have targets and bonuses to meet that is to get people off benefits as the government want people dead so they don`t have to pay out pensions and benefits. Your kind caring pharmacist will not be able to meet those targets. The doctors, pharmacists and other health professionals that will do well out of the end of the NHS are the evil, cruel ones who don`t care whether you live or die. They want to make as much money as possible and the more patients that are dead, the better it is for them as they don`t have to look after as many. The Mengeles, Shipmans etc of this world are not so far from us after all. What`s happening is alot more insidious and less obvious and people are being killed by stealth rather than overtly by death camps.

[catherine19611 in reply to Celticdancer]

that was obvious during covid when the idiot in charge said let the bodies pile high. i also agree with what you say, i have thought that for a long time. they also froze benefits for 8 years on two different periods of 4 years each, people dont seem to realise or remember this, when the idiot in charge stopped all pip payments and made everybody apply again, there were 95 (and that is only the official number) of suicides because people couldnt afford to live.

i was the main carer for my mother for 27 years, she had been diagnosed with MS, every so often she had to go into hospital for a blood transfusion for anemia, during the last one in mid 2000's the hospital said they would carry out a 'full mot' on her as she hadnt seen a consultant in over 20 years, they gave her a cat scan, an mri and other tests, i was there when the doctors came in to give her the results, he said 'we are a bit confused, there is absolutely no evidence to show that you have ever had MS. she had been diagnosed at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham, one of the largest teaching hospitals in the country, she had also been admitted there twice, once for 5 months and the second time for 9 months during which she also caught menigitis whilst in hospital, where they 'treated her for MS', stunned my mom asked the one doctor if it wasnt MS then what was it, one of the doctors responded with, 'you have had it for 42 years do you really need to know what it is called', 42 years of being treated for something she didnt have and nobody cared what she did have, doesnt say a great deal for your life in their hands does it

[Celticdancer in reply to catherine19611]

I'm really sorry for what your mother went through, that's absolutely disgusting. That doctor sounds like a psychopath. Not caring that your mother had been misdiagnosed for all those years. They didn't even care to regular monitor and change the diagnosis when more evidence came to light. It doesn't surprise me though. I've never liked doctors all my life and I've never trusted the medical profession. There are good doctors out there but I've not met many. I've been watching videos of an Australian lady called Barbara O'Neill and she is a naturopath, herbalist. She's been blacklisted by the mainstream and made out to be a quack simply because she promotes natural remedies and is not promoting pharmaceutical treatments. She knows her stuff and has alot of ancient useful information on natural remedies. Any doctors, professionals etc who don't follow the mainstream are quickly discredited as the pharmaceutical companies make more money from their treatments and want people ill for life so they're lifelong customers. Rest in peace to all those people who committed suicide. The government definitely don't care about those that are no longer with us. People need to wake up to what is going on.

[Bedlover in reply to Dizzytwo]

I completely agree, my doctors just sends off a prescription for new meds but the pharmacist will tell me best time to take and they call to see how you’re getting on! Pharmacists can’t do referral but they can refer back to your doctor if any concerns

[catherine19611 in reply to Bedlover]

my gp's are still doing telephone appointments and that is only if you can get past the gustapo on the reception desk for an appointment in the first place, and once you get the appointment, i had to wait for 5 weeks before the gp phoned me, he was on the phone to me for approximately 90 seconds and it was clear that he had the wrong file open and thought he was talking to somebody else

[Yassytina FMA UK Volunteer in reply to Dizzytwo]

Me too Dizzy , so many different doctors or locums , never see the same person twice, i am lucky our pharmacist @hubbie are a lovely couple and I take them treats every so often😀 Kev drove my car in lockdown for weeks and help get out prescriptions . They give out good advice , just sorry too read what people have too go threw too get genuine help these days xx

[catherine19611 in reply to Yassytina]

it doesnt say it will be all pharmacists, just a selected few, probably the ones that agree with the dwp

[Yassytina FMA UK Volunteer in reply to catherine19611]

Thankyou, always good too read any new information here , that’s why I find the forum helpful too read and chat with others, so something else on the agenda too watch out for then, take care.

[desquinn Partner Volunteer FMAUK Trustee in reply to catherine19611]

I have been able to speak to assessors and decision makers and they did not have horns. They tended to be normal people that were putting food on the table and keen to help others. They also were restricted by the rules of the organisation.

We have had some appear on here with fibro and looking for support and at least one was treated very badly for earning a living.

[Farmerboy in reply to catherine19611]

With the pharmacies in Sainsbury's no longer operating there will be many looking for new positions let’s hope they don’t loose their skills at dispensing medicines by doing DWP assessments. We don’t often give the staff credit for their knowledge and advice they do and can offer if asked especially on the correct way to take our medication if taking several 3 times a day can we take altogether or do we need to spread out the dosage over several hours to get the best benefits.

[Painny in reply to catherine19611]

🙋‍♀️ so true 😉

[MW07]

Hi, I haven't heard this, but like others, I am wondering if it might be better? I don't trust the people you speak to on the phone and I don't know how qualified they are. I have only had one experience of this, but it dismayed me. Am going to look into this news.

[SilverWhistle54]

I agree most don't know what fibro is, the government are cutting aspects of benifits and to be honest I keep waiting to hear my pip has been cancelled as if we don't have enough to worry about. I have had an interview with a pharmacist who had no clue what I suffer was just looking at the costs to my Dr's practice for my medication all she kept saying was what can I stop taking is this tablet essential, I lost my rag and told her to go look up what I have and then come back to me about medication. Have you had this crap or is it just me??? Stay strong and stick to your gun's and if they try appeal

[catherine19611 in reply to SilverWhistle54]

i had my application for change of circumstances refused, one of the things they said was that 'i was only on basic medication', so therefore my condition cant be that bad. i cant take a lot of medications as i have had reactions to them. i had a lignocaine infusion at the pain management clinic which left me only being able to do 10 minutes a day of normal daily activity, it took me 5 years to get that up to 2 1/2 hours a day, then the covid vaccine put me back to 20 minutes a day on a good day and not all at once, i can have nothing but bad days for weeks at a time with no good days at all. it is now 2 1/2 years since i had that vaccine and it hasnt got any better at all. so if they are going to base their assessment heavily on medication, i have had it

[Celticdancer in reply to SilverWhistle54]

I spoke to my pharmacist recently about how doctors are prescribing less painkillers especially opioids as the official excuse is that too many people are addicted to painkillers. He said they are doing that all around the world. Your pharmacist sounds like the type of pharmacist that doesn`t care about patients and is all about targets and getting that bonus. They want the NHS to end then it`s a free for all with privatisation. They don`t care if you`re in pain.

[Nuttyshirlz]

it’s all about cutting the benefits down. I also read it and mine was just done last via a video call esa told one time logged in sat waiting 15mins to have someone pop up to say getting phone call 4hrs later someone rang me on phone not even 10mins and was done. Then 2days later got a text saying sign in uc to agree wish it was that easy evrytime lol

[Sweetchild1988]

Not read anything about this I did however see a report that people with long term illness won’t have to go through the awful review interview but again just rumour at the moment, but pharmacists doing assessments is an absolute joke so I hope this is not true I guess we all just wait and see if or what might happen lol

[Purple7265 in reply to Sweetchild1988]

I too think that the pharmacist doing the assessment is a joke. Not so long ago mine told me to come off all medication I was on and gave me no alternative remedies or therapies. It's a joke. Wish they had what we have , for even half a day. Maybe then, they would realise what its like to live with the wonderful fibro.

[R-OD]

I have more faith in Pharmacists then other specialist professionals currently doing assessments. They have a much wider understanding of chronic conditions than most so maybe better placed. I hear hear many people saying they don’t get pip because they are taking pain medication but s pharmacist would better understand the effect pain has on daily living and why some patients have little or no pain relief.

[DodgeDhanda]

Hi C19611.

Having an assessment carried out by your pharmacist is a move toward the positive as after your GP your pharmacist knows you & why U take certain meds & it will be far less stressful than having an assessment with a person who doesn't know U, as is the current system is .

The stranger's opinion carries more weight than ur own GP. However a vast majority of denials for PiP get overturned at tribunal. Of course this government have realised that they're paying all this money out to companies who seem to have their assessors deny to award the required points & then having to pay even more money when a judge says of course this person is a genuine case , now give them what they're entitled to & back date too.

[RustyOBear]

Hi Catherine, I must check this out. If it’s true it will be the most cynical of motivations this government has had so far.

I imagine their reasoning is that they are qualified in a medical field, to stave off the argument that assessors are not qualified to make judgements.

Pharmacists have an understanding about the make up of drugs, uses, dosages and potential side effects. They will be familiar with a wide range of medical conditions. Some have been given training to administer vaccines. They can advise on simple ailments and remedies and will tell you if you need a GP to assess you.

Beyond that they cannot replace a Doctor.

Their role in the community has been significantly expanded to the point that many are overloaded.

I don’t know if Lloyds the Chemist have completely disappeared but they are gone from all Sainsbury’s supermarkets.

They are being used by the government to relieve the overload on GP’s.

It is inconceivable they will be asked to add to their load when they are decreasing.

Any application for PIP needs the support of someone versed in it, to help navigate and then appeal as needed.

That way at least a trouble shared is a trouble halved.

[22pagets22]

Haven't read that bit but the negative news and speech from gov towards disabled people think that we choose to have health issues I have a pure hatred of the dwp system and the assessment set up distrust the whole lot of them through the constant Treatment from them and the lies they put in assessments I've had to fight tooth and nail since 2014 change over from incapacity benefit and dla change over was indefinite awards now all I get are 2yr almost then get new forms to fill out year before award ends then wait year for review and then the merry-go-round starts again fed up with it to the point of wondering isit worth it ?

[Vontrap]

Here in Scotland they are fazing out PIP to ADP. Pharmacist are going to be playing a larger role in Prescribing medications but have not heard of them making final decisions They might know more about Fibro and understand it better than GP’s.

[Lisag12]

It was on the news last week , they are looking at ways to get people back into work that have a disability, that are on benefits maybe working from home

[catherine19611 in reply to Lisag12]

i can do approximately 20 minutes a day of normal daily activity, and not all in one go, that is spread out over the day, i am lucky if i get 1 good day a week and that is being able to do the 20 minutes. more often than not i get bad day after bad day after bad day and this can go on for weeks, and this is thanks to the covid vaccine which we were told by the same government was safe. so, i cant wait to see just what they expect me to do

[releasethemagic]

The proposals are that in at least 2 years time, the ESA and Universal Credit Work Capability Assessment will be scrapped and replaced with a requirement to have a PIP award in order to receive a supplement to basic benefit, equivalent to being in today's Support Group. In the meantime, the Government proposes to tighten up the Work Capability Assessment. It is consulting on either removing the mobility part altogether or changing the 50 metres to 20 metres so it is the same as PIP, and either removing continence altogether or changing it so it is daily rather than weekly to get points, and removing the social engagement part or reducing the points for it.

For people living with fibromyalgia it is becoming very clear that an award of PIP is going to be essential going forward if you cannot work.

You will find full details of the proposals here: gov.uk/government/consultat...?

[Hidden]

I’m sure there are so many people refused help but there are so many claiming pip who shouldn’t have it that could help people who really need it , it should be means tested it’s a joke how people get away with it

[Hidden]

it needs to be made stricter I don’t claim as I don’t need to I feel so sorry for people who really need it to survive