Further to my challenging my gp practice, and asking for a referral to a proper Lupus specialtist, a PIP letter has landed on the mat.
If I get this referral, and I can ring for an appointment, IF I get an appt soon and the Prof supports my Lupus et al diagnosis and IF I can get him to write a report (time), how long do I have to, a) respond to letter b) get Proff evidence together c) send in application?
It makes me weep that I worked all my life in two caring professions and feel I have to beg and jump through tortuous hoops to get my entitlement.
Like others, I was given indefinate status a few years ago. It turned out to be a dirty trick so THEY could publicly declare there were too many of US on this status and launch their present swathing cuts.
My hubby said that he heard on a National breakfast programme this morning the newsreader actually referred to a second round of cuts next year aimed specifically at people with chronic long term illness to save £B1 which could be seen to fund tax cuts for the rich.
My hubby says I need not apply if the stress will be too much, but we struggle now and I will loose my residential parking bay, we live by a station and have mad parkers every day, and my blue badge. If I have to beg now, what will another shift in how we are assessed next year bring?
I am so weary.
So, gurus should I bother confirming my application, or will it all be too late to support my case, given my lack of support at the moment from the gp and Rheumy and having to wait for new Consultant to assess and diagnose me? . Lousy timing.
What do you know of time limits?
My fault. I should have tried to find a supportive GP when mine retired. I soldiered on alone to land myself in this current mess.
Take heed. Get a gp who knows you, if you can.
Thanks in advance
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Footygirl
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I tried for pip 2014 March got assement Nov 2014 got 2 points , appealed and got 4 and 5 points , then reapplied the following Monday got assement 6 weeks later and got 14 and 16 points got pip for 5 years , you work it out , my new GP who new me for 20 years and new what a wirl wind I was , who wasn't my GP at time of first application wrote telling them I would never get better ! only worse ! And I got a disability advocate! Made a world of difference ,
I'm sure Paul would have said this so apologies if a repeat. Do get the help of DIAL or the Citizens Advice Bureau for filling in PIP form. They know how best to word it and you could avoid an Appeal. GOOD LUCK X
The PIP form doesn't look at an illness to award the points you need in order for the claim to be successful. It's how an individual is effected by an illness on a day to day basis. The best guidelines I have found come from a site called Benefits and Work, also heard a lot about a site called Fightback but never looked at it.
If you have just gotten the form, does the letter have a date by which it must be returned, if not just ring and ask. Keep a log of all phone contacts with DWP just incase. Hopefully you will have a week or two, keep a diary of how you are day to day. Then average your life out as you complete the form. You can get the points descriptors online from the DWP website err towards the worst points ( the decision makers have access to how each illness effects the average person) so you need to be worse than average for your claim to be successful
Take your time, get your partner to help, even write the answers for you mention it
As tired18 says go to benefitsandworks website and they ask for a payment of subscription but it will be the best £20 you'll ever spend out.
They have guides on there on how to fill out the forms for all the benefits and they tell you what sort of answers they will look out for. They also help with any appeals that you may need to go through and they also help with the face to face interviews too.
This site has valuable information for getting thorough the processing if you can't get to citizens advice bureau. They just answer any questions you may have and there's a forum too with information on everything you need to know about.
Oh also I forgot to add, photocopy all hospital letters and appointment letters you have and send off with your form. Proof of any illnesses you say you have will be helpful to your claim.
Have noted all your advice. Hubby has found disability rights group in town. Ringing Monday. Will explore all the recommended sites too.
You have to laff, not. Our hospital has stopped sending in advance letters of up-coming appointments. They only send them two weeks before apt so GI, Rheumy, diabetic, menieres apts months away so no letters to copy.
Sigh. It is so uphill
Thanks so much. Hugs and love always gratefully received
Hi, your letter sounds like one I would write. My GP retired a few years ago. He helped me get a consultation (took me while to make him realise there was something wrong with me) and I was told I had CMT. Raynaudes and arthritis and awarded Disability allowence for life as well. I'm getting worried about being assessed again. I had a lady who came to help me full in the forms last time and she was very helpful. Told me to think how I'd be in someone else's home. How would I get about and what difficulties would I have. Since then I have realised that a lot of my symptems are not like the ones other people with CMT have. I have more fatigue and I'm really weak .cant pick the tea pot up or lift things into the cupboard I have really poor balance and lots of things that are nothing to do with CMT. So now I'm thinking, after realising my symptoms are the same as other suffer's that I have Lupus and have had it since my teens. My (new) doctor is not a very supportive person and seems to want you out of the surgery as soon as possible. I want to ask for a referral to see if I do have lupus but I'm scared stiff of going to see her. She's very abrupt and off hand. I have struggled on without any help from her for a while. I buy asprins because she would only give me paracetamol. She said she would not give me anything else. I used to take diclofenac until the doctors were told not to give it in 100mg. I was on 200mg. I've tried a smaller dose but that but it didn't work at all. I suppose I ought to change doctors but it's hard to take the plunge after over 30 years with the same practice. The nurse is a nightmare as well. Got really angry because she couldn't get a proper result when taking my blood pressure. Did it over and over until I was in agony with the pain. I've got a bent arm and stiff shoulder. She told me I would die if I didn't take the BP tablets she gave me. I told her I had white coat syndrome and my BP went up because Ifind it so difficult to walk but she wouldn't listen . A lot of the BP tablets make me so weakI can't walk or hardly get out of the chair. It's good to be able to talk to people who understand.
We do try don't we Strawberryshortcake? We get no thanks for not pestering. Mind, if I use that word, they will too. Not hopeful for referral but will try. I see so many comments around and about, about our civil rights being more eroded by these cuts why is there not a concerted effort to ask for help from Europe? Is this why they want out?
Eventually they will cancel all these benefits, which is what they really want. Fine for the fat cats in private schemes and private hospitals. What then, well we will crawl away and die. Result they will say.
More changes next year despite ngative response from consultation groups. Less and less for fewer and fewer. Welfare? Ha nice dream. Those who have contributed most now getting least support.
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