Headway

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Happy Christmas & Super New Year

Hope everybody has had a lovely Christmas & looking forward to the New Year.

Had my PIP assessment 6th Dec & received the letter on the 13th December, my claim has been looked at and they can't award me any PIP, out of the 10 daily activities maximum score 118, I got 6 as I can manage myself daily living wise. Out of the Mobility when I needed to score 24 I got 4 so guess what I am fairly mobile. I'm not under care of any health professionals. Do you know why this is ? after spending 8 months in hospital 5 weeks of which were in a Coma I worked hard to recover, once my skull was fractured and my bones were broken, I learnt to walk which wasn't much fun at 40. If however I'd sat on my backside and done nothing, put on 5 stone and felt sorry for myself then possibly I'd be deemed worthy of help from the DWP. Oh I have the support of my husband and I have adequate memory and cognitive function and I was fully alert and oriented. So I am not classed as worthy of governmental help. I am not entitled to any benefits as I am a married woman and being a married woman means unless I divorce my husband I am his responsibility. Thing is prior to being hit by a car I was a very independent lady and worked, studied and raised 2 children so even though married I made my own way in the world and by suddenly telling me with a head injury, right get back to sorting yourself out as the government will do nothing for you is just what I expected and I would much rather have not been made to re-live all the pain and hurt that the accident caused. I cannot believe how low dealing with all this had made me. I guess could have faked my wellness and played a lot more poor me cards, but that's not me and I refuse to not be proud of myself for how far I have come from the woman that had 1/100 chance of survival. --- Scr*w you DWP, I DO NOT NEED SOME JUDGMENTAL D*CK LOOKING DOWN THERE NOSES AT ME, I AM 1 IN 100 FOR A REASON !!

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Accidents at home

10 Replies

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what did you put for using buses?

I drive Steve & have my own manual car so that scored against me straight away, the fact that l took driving lessons again after my accident so l could get back behind the wheel. You’re not allowed to have improved yourself. I’m sure if l wasn’t so independent & capable l would have fitted in the boxes, unfortunately l’m to independent so they’re right l don’t need that kind of help, l don’t need to be encouraged to warrant a Personal Independent Payment l’m independent enough 😊

My daughter gets nowhere with them either . They don’t see the pain she is in when her M.E flares up . They really are the pits!!!!!!!!

Sorry about the PIP outcome. I have a son-in-law very much in the same boat. thing is the PIP assessment is not designed for non-physical problems. (its not really designed for physical problems either but that's another story). so they consider that if you can get yourself up and washed and dressed in the morning and you can walk 100 yds without getting out of breath then you are perfectly well and able to work. and the assessment company get a nice tidy fee for coming to that conclusion. wishing you all the best.

The thing is PIP is for people who cant do what you can, you can do more than me, i can no longer drive but i dont expect PIP. Im just glad i have been able to revover so well.

I was expected to be in a permanent vegetative state if i ever came out of the cona but i am here and 6+ years of hard work means i can live independently if i need to

I am 66 now and a pensioner, my husband helps with my support , its how siciety works. I am not the responsibility of the state, not yet anywa.

Dont be bitter people get sick and recover, thats life.

You have to play the hand you are dealt, well done with your recovery.

Janet x

I do not WANT to be helped by the state, I am annoyed that I have paid into a system all my working life yet I got grilled by some person that knew nothing of me and have had to re-live a very traumatic event just to be told what I pretty much already knew. I took it as a compliment when I first had my DLA taken away I had got back the independent person I was before this. I was advised to re-apply after I'd had work issues and it had affected my job. Thing is though I have not got back me before I was hit by the car, I will always have a bad nerve condition, I will always struggle with my Brain Injury, I will never be able to progress in any job. I was also not expected to actually survive. I was 39 when hit by a drunk driver, I had a lot of my life still to live so I didn't get Sick. I'm quite far from Retirement age and working full time is not good with my Brain Injury. I am far from Bitter that I've recovered and moved on I am bitter I have had to re-live something that caused me so much pain in front of someone who knows nothing of me. And to be questioned as if I'm being looked down on by. The hand I was played was pretty nasty, being in hospital for 8 months, having to learn to speak, eat & walk again, I am a strong person & I've dealt with it as well as i could. However if I'd dossed about, sat on my backside and not got myself well, didn't bother going back to work then I'd be entitled to help from the state. This is actually my gripe. I'm not just a sick person that recovered. I was a healthy young woman with 2 teenage children prior to this accident, I'm a person that actually had any future progress in my working life taken away by someone who got behind the wheel of a car that had no insurance, then got a £200 fine for nearly talking my life. I will always be Disabled because of someone else's actions, so I didn't get sick and recover it's not as simple as you seem to see it.

Do you have a Citizens Advice office in your area, the are life savers and have over the years helped me with several PIP assesments, in fact instrumental in getting me these benefits in the first place. I was hit headfirst by a Ford Corsair at 40mph, i had lost my shoe running across a (40mph) road and went back for it, car came round corner as i bent down, that was the last memory of my childhood. This was 1970 and i was 10 years old...came out of coma (not expected to survive) and life carried on (pre technology) was finally diagnosed with brain damage 1996 and put on various incapacity benefits (no DLA) including put on work schemes,I am told the system failed me...ho hum...After my last suicide attempt (sept 2012) and ending up in mental hospital for a month i was given anti depressants (for first time) which i still take. I was only put on PIP and ESA after benefits being cancelled and CAB (mindful mental health team ) taking on my complex case. DWP made my life more of a nightmare/daymare than it already is. My latest PIP assesment was Feb/March and (health professional nurse) deemed me fine (ironically was having one of my cyclical "good daze") Also made sure i was in town, ( Inverness, 80 mile round trip) in plenty of time and so had time for a coffee, was like 9.20am appointment so I needed it, was my second one though so was bit over chatty (not good) Don't know about yourself but i'me very groggy in't mornings due to meds and my "condition" so I really need a caffein boost for any pre midday engagements...Anyhoo...CAB put in immediate appeal, we also contacted DWP for a copy of "health professional's written report of my assesment. It was pure nonsense....I also now for the last year or so got a Neuro Psychologist and ohter Neuro health professionals (wished i'd had these people many, many years ago) My Neuro Psychologist wrote an amazing supportive letter to the DWP via the CAB. Whilst awaiting my appeal court hearing got a phone call from DWP Glasgow in August, chap said none of this should not have happened and that He was advising upstairs to change their decision... My PIP, as was would be re-instated with lost back monies repaid, He actually apologised to me and asked if i was ok with that, I just asked would that mean there would be no more mental torture from Government, he answered so i said ok and thanked him. I did ask him to note the several months of anguish and distress this has caused , not only to me but the many others being so targeted, and mentioned the Disability advert on TV which say's "see the person, not the disability" Well unfortunately that does'nt work for Me and others like Me, as in to look at ,nobody who does'nt know Me would ever imagine I've got Brain damage, I walk,I talk, I appear to function, therefor Me not disabled in most eyes, my scars hidden with (thinning, hehe) long hair....Good grief this has taken an age to type and sort mistakes, hehe...

I hope you do have a CAB or Welfare rights, You have been mistreated by a system You paid into, but more than that they are hoping you don't feel worthy and will just disapear of the radar...I hope you will get help and appeal the DWP assesment...Sorry if/for rabbiting on...Good luck and I hope next year brings goode things...Rod

I have an appointment with CAB for PIP for my husband who had TBI 10 years ago, have went through twice before both going to appeal got zilch then scored 2 points under needed for award. Terrible system sat with him for all assessments and couldn’t believe when twice he scored 0 before taking to appeal. Nurse that did assessment obviously wasn’t in same room as me and my husband as the fibs that she said he could do when he absolutely could not just beggars belief.

Hidden disability does not count if you can talk walk and dress yourself then hey everything is just great.

9 January appointment with CAB to help fill this form out. Third time lucky? Will keep you posted. 🤔

Hi Tia-01, My Brain damage was'nt even mentioned and the Nurse did'nt touch me for physical ( I have long term Arthritis, osteo arthritis and osteo porosis, Fibro myalgia and a two year old Hip replacement ) yet she stated I had good leg and hip movements...I'm glad I had close friend with me as by the time the Trauma of interview was over i could'nt remember what I'd said or what she Nurse said ( she spent nearly all of the interview typing on noisy keyboard and staring at screen ) I'm so glad my friend phoned DWP and requested a copy of Nurses written report and the Decision reasons. Another friend who had assesment a few weeks before and also lost her PIP did'nt know you could get DWP to sent copy of report and decision, turned out she had same Nurse and when we compared copies they were uncannily similar, almost identical ( she does'nt have a TBI or hip replacement ) My Neuro Psychologist wrote an excellent supportive letter (which i was told arrived two days too late to be used at the appeals court hearing in late August) But in my reply to Dennydjhaz i explained what then happened re:appeal hearing...Jeezo this is hard going and me not good with computers ( only got laptop for my photography, my friend helps me when it does things i can't understand...phew ) The whole process of having to explain ourselves (justify our existance) to strangers, DWP etc is extremely distressing after spending ones "existance" doing so ( me 26 years before diagnosis of Brain Damage and 47 years before getting any Neuro professional help ) I spent my teenage years asking/begging for help as I Knew I was'nt right in the head ( even after suicide attempts ) I got no help or and understanding ( I forgot to say in 1970 when I awoke from Coma and got home from hospital, my parents were given a piece of paper stating I had "No Neurological Defecit", they thought that meant my Brain was "Normal and undamaged".... That bit of paper was rammed into me whenever I had Mental problems or asked for help until 1996, so have learned to deal with my condition with No help or Understanding ) Sorry for long reply, I have to keep scrolling back to remember what I'm replying to, and correcting numerous spelling/correct use of language mistakes, also I hope this does come across as a poor me thing as I've never felt like that, as a child I was brought up as a miracle of life and to be forever grateful for it.... After diagosis ( Atrophy Right Frontal Lobe ) I was put on Incapacity benefit ( never high rate ) until the CAB got involved and got me on PIP and ESA ( can't remember how CAB got involved) I duly was awarded PIP and ESA 3 years ago. now 3 assesments later ( all won on appeal ) they telling me the been underpaying ESA since 2013 !?? More visits to the Lifesaving and Wonderful CAB team and now awaiting DWP response...One last thing, good grief, My many and various Doctors have all said that I am my own worst enemy as when I go to Doc's ( rarely as not much point ) I present myself as washed n relatively well dressed ( whole life jeans n T shirt long hair and always boots, hehe ) and also an obviously intelligent literate person and therefore am kinda now just an 59 year old ex Biker/Hippy type...strangely thats basically what the assesment Nurse said ( not the Biker/Hippy bit) My friends, Band and sense of humour is what sustains me now and of course awaiting another DWP assesment calling in the New year ( they keep telling me I'll be left alone for 2/3 years but i've been harrassed every year since getting PIP/ESA ) well they gotta keep you on yer toes, just in case Your not getting the correct (not enough ) financial help to which YOU ARE entitled to... Which part of TBI don't they get, it's irreversable and life is hard enough without the DWP political dogma pushing people over the precarious life cliff edge....Keep up the fight and don't let the Barstewards, (ahem) get you down....I wish you well with your situation and glad you have the CAB with you both...Blimey i'm sitting in the dark better get some lights on before the Sneaky Depression Creeps in and Envelopes me, hehe...PHEW...Rod

Im sorry you think i think it is simple.

I know its not simple, i was also a very active person before i contracted encephalitis, just a virus not even someone elses fault.

I too had to learn to eat, walk , care for myself. I also have worked all my life and paid into the national insurance scheme. I left hospital in a wheelchair, but i no longer need.

I have 4 children and worked full time all my life up until that point.

I lost my job, no small adjustments could be made, my sight is also affected. But i have fought to return to what i am today. I too will always be disabled but once you pass retirement age believe me the benefits system assumes that state pension is sufficient.

After my brush with ESA and the appeals system i decided that PIP was a step i would not put myself through.

I wish you the best life possible. Good luck.

Janet.