Oh well, here goes. I was on high care rate DLA for 10 yrs, now they have awarded me just 7 points. Doesn't matter that I have R.A, PBC, Raynauds, Osteoarthritis,Osteoporosis. The fact I can make an attempt to put makeup on, understand a conversation, count, pay my bills, and do not have a diagnosis of "any anxiety related disorder or sensory impairment".
Having illnesses as above does not make me feel happy at all, I ache, I get depressed, my fingers go purple, I get so knackered after trying to dry my hair, i need another shower.....
The guy doing my assessment was totally judgemental, and put "his own take on things" .
I went through similar thoughts & feelings to you. Persevere, you are a valued person at least on this amazing site where, we see each other's ups & downs. Sometimes just voicing how you feel on here can help, knowing that many of us have been at "our" rock bottoms! Keep on going! X
Not impressed with the way you were treated. Can you make a complaint to your elected officail from your town? I don't live in the UK, but the person that interviewed you is an idiot and needs to be reported. You need to be respected and treated appropriately.
I have just been successful at a Tribunal. You need to follow all the steps and always tell them what it is like on your worst days. I agree with you about the points awarded because of what your mind can do, it is unfair and needs altering. I get the Mtx "brain fog" and they seemed to take that into account.
Yes, I have just filled in my pip form. I have had moterbility high rate & middle for over 20 years! Now I find out being born after April 8th 1948"Xmas Baby" I have to change is affecting me so much especially after seeing some peoples results! I have had a Motorbility car since 1998 just changed for a new one last November & don't know what I'm going to do now. Went onto Citezens Adivce website & got information about how to fill in the questions &uproot of my disability, my doctors aren't going to give me X-Ray's & such like. So with OR, RA, bad hips Fibro & loads of others I'm going to loose it all because I'm just 67 & not deaf blind legless & armless as it seems to me that you have to be!!
Hi LaLa, I am in exactly the same position as you. Born in the December of 1948 currently receiving lifelong DLA higher rate mobility and middle rate care.
i will be reassessed in the near future for PIP. But having read the posts on here and the cavalier way people are being treated with lies and inconsistencies I despair it is a money saving exercise. Stats apparently indicated that 5% of people claiming were doing so fraudulently yet Osborne in his statement said 20% would be saved!!. This was before the process of reassessing had even begun.
Yes exactly, the government gave the go-ahead for the French company to get most people off DWP over 67 & under off any benefits all together. I will be contacting Citezens Advice if turned down as according to the website most get pip after an appeal. Makes me so angry that this is happening to a lot of people & where we live we don't have a proper bus service to get anywhere, even if I could get on a bus!
I am sorry to hear this decision. Contact your MP and any local groups that can help you get an appeal done. I think you have 30 days to appeal so need to do it quickly.
Sorry that you were treated in such a dreadful way. Please do call the helpline to see if we can offer more information to help you should you decide to go for a reconsideration. You can call us on:
I completely understand your frustration. I too have not been awarded PIP despite having RA and crohns. Some days I am so stiff and in pain that I struggle to get out of bed never mind washing & blow drying my hair, getting dressed and doing the simplest of tasks which is really tiring. Can't walk far, peg out washing, ironing, carry shopping; probably much the same as you.
However, I do my best to work a 21 hr week as a secretary and not on any other benefits; I am completely whacked after work and only 55 years old. I appealed and went to tribunal in Bradford last week only to be turned down.
I am still reeling about the decision and I can honestly say I have never been made to feel so humiliated with all their trick questions. I was kept waiting nearly an hour getting more and more stressed out.
Like you say if you can put all your medications together yourself every day and have no anxiety problems they are not interested. If you look well kept, wear some make up and clean clothes they think you do not suffer any pain!
I can honestly say it was one of the worst experiences I have ever had to endure and made to feel like something they had trodden in.
I wish you well and do not wish to put you off trying to appeal but be prepared as they were most unpleasant and hostile and so uncaring. I would like to see them manage with what most of us here on this forum have to endure on a daily basis. They have absolutely no idea whatsoever.
I can assure you I am not looking forward to this tribunal. I am now going through all the paperwork , writing my objections to some "eejit" making judgements.
I spoke to a lady on NRAS today, she informed me that my complaints were not uncommon regarding assessments. Surely something needs to change here.
Well you might be lucky and get 3 people on the panel who are not hostile or keep you waiting 50 minutes. Plus I have had to wait 8 months for the tribunal date!
It's certainly not an experience I wish to repeat and as a result of hearing that I did not qualify for even the lowest rate both my hands and feet have flared up and I have been unable to get dressed by myself or drive to work yet they don't see any of that.
The system is a complete joke and something needs to change but I am quite sure it won't.
Thanks Caz, I have decided to contact my local MP, I think her name is Jo Swinson, for East Dunbartonshire / Bearsden. I want her to see the rubbish that was written about me from someone who has no knowledge of what I am and others like me experience on a day to day basis. Tonight I am spending my evening printing out all the paperwork that I kept.
Is it too late for me to post off a letter from my consultant that I received in June regarding my meds not working and the pains in my joints etc?
You do right writing to your MP any help and support is beneficial.
I would send off any letters you have as evidence as they should take it all into account. I thought I had everything I needed including a letter from the gp outlining the difficulties I experience!
so sorry to hear about the terrible way in which you were treated. It is disgraceful and we are hearing it frequently on the helpline. You can apply again for PIP. If you would like to talk about this please do call the helpline
Thank you Beverley I may apply again in the future but for the time being I don't think I want to put myself through that again. I should have contacted the NRAS helpline before but really don't like bothering other people with my problems and thought I would be ok but how wrong I was.
My friend was diagnosed terminal with Kidney cancer and her back is so bad she can hardly walk. Applied for a blue parking badge and her doctor refused because it wasn't a permanent condition ! derrr I wonder why I have such a low opinion of doctors.
Hi Jennymora, I gave up, I'm afraid. Took it to the reconsideration stage, but lost out. Just couldn't cope with the stress on top of all the illnesses too.....then someone told Welfare Rights team about me, and they at first (over the phone) held out a bit of hope, and said I SHOULD take it to the tribunal stage, but I never even got the chance to talk it all thru with them until 3 weeks before tribunal date, then one of their team actually DID come and visit me, but she just said she didn't think I did have any grounds for appeal, I really was left feeling that SHE just didn't want the effort!! Especially as I had made it clear that I had absolutely no way of getting to the city where tribunal was (50 miles), no-one to go with me, nothing. The first girl from Welfare Rights who I spoke to and told her that, said not to worry, they would sort out transport. But the one who came to my home and was to be my "case worker", said "Oh no we don't take you there, you have to make your own way.!!" So I called it off, but it IS very unfair, and if I was well enough, or had any family to support me, I might still complain to my MP.
Don't be put off by my story - you sound like you have much more need, more serious conditions, than me. Persevere, would be my advice. It's just sickening that we have to fight so hard, this PIP system is absolute rubbish. Makes me so ANGRY!
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