PIP

[1949liz]

Hi, I have just had the lady from Age UK who has filled in the forms for PIP. She was amazing and so very kind, she has told me that everyone who she has helped fill the forms in for have all had to go for a medical, (that is a UGH) why for goodness sake is it necessary. I am 68, and retired, and the annoying thing is if I was 6 months younger it would not be necessary. The costing to the NHS must be enormous as it’s private doctors who we all see, no wonder the NHS is in such a mess.

Thank you all so much for all your encouragement Many Many Thanks Liz

[cat3]

So glad to see you have support with your application Liz. I agree that if this elimination process is designed to weed out ineligible claimants it's also costing a fortune in testing those who ARE eligible, not to mention vulnerable !

Remember to emphasise your issues as they affect you on your worst days. We're at the mercy of a cruel regime (as the UN stated recently 'Britain's health service is a human catastrophe'.)

Take care m'dear & stay warm........ xx

[1949liz in reply to cat3]

Thanks Cat, strange as your the second person to tell me to stay warm. Liz xx

[cat3 in reply to 1949liz]

Not that strange Liz ; it's absolutely fre-e-eeezing right now ! I've got my heating full on but had to get under the quilt to keep warm, xx

[Hidden]

I'll bet 99% of UN's members wish they had the NHS Cat.

There's nothing wrong with the NHS apart from those who abuse it. When they stop the drunks, the healthcare idiots ['Please look at my broken fingernail'], cosmetic surgery and foreign health tourists there'll be plenty to go round.

Apart from dentistry and optician visits I've used the NHS twice in 67 years, once for neurosurgery following my mototrcycle accident and once this year for major surgery to my leg following an accident in Cambodia [and I was sober too].

My wife has had our three children on NHS and opted for sterilisation with them too. We have no complaints about our care.

I find it strange that foreign and remote viewers, who have probably never used it, can be so damning of a system that's basically ruined by the health feckless and which is wrongly used as a political tool by those who are 'in it' for themselves, never had a proper job and certainly only sweat when the ballot box comes out every five years.

[cat3 in reply to Hidden]

I've never criticized the NHS, and never would. They've literally saved my life twice, with breast cancer treatment then after the brain haemorrhage, and many other health issues over the years.

I have absolute respect for NHS staff of all ranks and have been supportive of their industrial action on the few occasions they've been driven to it.

My vexation is against Mrs May & co who refuse to acknowledge the plight of overworked nurses in an understaffed, underfunded system where chaotic overcrowding in A&E depts is now the norm, together with lack of beds, consultations and ambulances etc., etc......... Patients are routinely suffering & dying whist dedicated medical staff are utterly exhausted.

And I know of many, many decent, hardworking folk (some on this forum) who continue to suffer for lack of care. And these same people would be happy to pay extra taxes to remedy the crisis.

[iforget]

There are no medicals associated with PIP. I am quite a bit younger than you and I had to have a face to face assessment, it has nothing to do with age.... and very few people do not have undergo this part of the process.

The face to face assessment is done in a centre and involves a series of questions relating to what you put down on your forms. They are "health professionals" who carry out the assessments and not all of them are doctors or nurses but they have all "worked in the health field "and "have been trained to carry out assessments". As well as asking questions about how your condition affects you on a daily basis, they may also ask you to stand and sit and walk a few paces if you have stated any mobility issues, but the assessment for that really starts the minute you walk into the building.

You can of course have someone with you for the assessment and you do have the right to record the assessment although they have strict requirements for how you do this ...I have anterograde amnesia and opted to do this because otherwise I would be clueless as to what happened. You need two tape recorders (which you must bring with you, they do not provide this) and two new tapes so that you can produce two copies of the recording and one is given to them and the other you take away. and you must inform them ahead of time.

Good luck with your application...

[1949liz in reply to iforget]

Thank you so much for all the information which you have given to me, I am so grateful apparently it takes 7 weeks to hear anything back. It will be late January 2018 before I hear. The lady who came out said I should not have any problems. I will certainly contact you all with whatever happens. Again Many Thanks Liz x