The DWP has been given new advice about how to deal with PIP claimants who suffer chronic pain but aren’t on strong painkillers. The synopsis below is from the Benefits and Work website and may be useful for anyone considering a PIP claim
‘POSITIVE PIP GUIDANCE ON CHRONIC PAIN
This week the DWP updated their guidance to health professionals carrying out PIP assessments. It contains a positive change for claimants who have to live with chronic pain.
Up until now, health professionals have been free to make the lazy assumption that claimants who are not prescribed strong painkillers can’t be in much pain. So, any claims that pain limits their ability to carry out activities can be ignored.
However, the new guidance tells them that “the level of analgesia used does not necessarily correlate with the level of pain.”
The guidance points out that GPs are encouraged not to prescribe strong painkillers for long-term pain because of the harm they can do the patient. In addition, some patients may be intolerant to analgesics or they may be using other methods of controlling pain.
Health professionals are told that instead of relying solely on the amount of medication as evidence, they should expect the claimant to be able to describe:
the location,
type,
severity and
variability
of the pain they experience and the impact it has on their daily life. So, as always, it’s vital that you give as much detailed evidence as possible about how your condition affects you. But, provided you do so, the result should be a better chance of getting the correct award without having to go to an appeal tribunal.’
And after all, there is some pain that painkillers don't have much effect for - PMR for example. The trouble is - the perception amongst too many doctors has been that once you are on pred you have no pain!
I manage well enough - the PMR doesn't hurt but if I have any other pain I can't take anything safely. Been told that by the hospital ...
PMR is a classic example; painkillers and anti inflammatory meds have no effect at all on managing the pain. But mobility and ability to carry out essential daily care needs are severely compromised. To such an extent in many cases that I’m sure with proper understanding, many would be entitled to a State benefit. Pip is there to help people maintain their independence, but DWP have turned it into a minefield for most.
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Tell me about it. Just filled in the forms for my second award of pip. Had been on dla at various levels for years and latterly had 10years on indefinite for middle range care and top award for mobility. Now I will have to be assessed every 3 years. Given I keep adding health issues the likelihood of getting "better," are unlikely. It's soooooo stressful going through the process in the current environment.
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It seems to me that the system is weighted against honesty, but those using the benefit to their advantage know how to play it.
If you haven’t looked, I recommend the website in my OP. I used it some years back for help with a claim by my OH. Not PIP, but the site covers numerous state benefits. Their guidance is outstanding. In my view, better than CAB because it’s available online.
Good morning! Excellent useful info. The pain conversation is interesting - for many reasons the only painkillers I can take are paracetamol (not very useful) or morphine which is way over the top!! Leaves a big gap in the middle! Referring to the website in your OP - what is OP?
And they don't take into consideration the amount of time a Patient with symptoms that affect mobility severely are treated by means other than painkillers and drugs , like Physio, Alternative Therapies or CBT , at the beginning and at the end of a long term illness.
The NHS should help us with Self Care so that we can use the lowest dose or combination of medication we can if more natural therapies can help us , but that needs to be supported by the other types of non medical support that help with everyday living , like PIP , Parking Badges and Home Assistance.
Sometimes , when you can't get this assistance it makes a Chronic Condition worse and forces you to need medication or increases in the doses of what you use.
I wish you success with your PIP form. He site I mentioned has a specific guide to help with completing the PIP form. It walks the claimant through every question with the rationale behind it and advice on how to complete.
There’s a lot of advice available to view online, but you need to be a member to access all the guides and post on their forum. I think it’s around £15 or £18 per annum. I pay about £12.75 but get a discount as I’ve been a member for some years. If you sign up for a newsletter they may offer a discount code. I rarely push an online site, but that one is one to trust. The advice is genuine and truly worth every penny. It covers all sorts of work and health issues, like blue badges, other benefits, discrimination etc etc.
I’d urge you to take advice from somewhere before completing the Pip form. It’s lengthy and best done in small bites. Focus on bad days and limitations giving clear examples of impact on your ability. And don’t submit it after their return by date. DWP will write and ask why it was late! Good luck.
Thanks for the advice. I'm lucky in that I've got someone who will help me fill on my PIP form. She has a similar background to me in homelessness and is well used to completing benefit forms and account on welfare benefits, and I'm glad to say gets very favourable results.
I didn't know they did home assessments. Anyone I've ever supported had to attend an assessment centre. Often I thought they did this to tell the person if they could get to the centre then there was nothing wrong with them!
I didn't ask they automatically came and at the time I thought they did that for everyone. But if transport is iffy and cars can't be parked near the assessment centre then it's beyond my capacity. If you had to be there for 10.15 on your worst day do you think it would be easy to get there without causing pain and increased stress ?
You have to fill it in on that basis. Someone a couple of weeks ago was given no mobility points do to being immobile too few days a month. The problem, as someone else pointed out, is that it written in a way that can make some people feel dishonest. Even my gp told me I didn't know how to play the game as I was emphasising I had good days at one time. I can't trust my body to respond well any day but I have a number of mobility conditions and have been getting worse each year since my first award in the 2000s that kept me in work.
I've got a feeling that it may be a while before I am able to work again, hopefully I can. One short interview doesn't give a true indication of how it all impacts on your life on a daily basis.
That's why you have to describe it at its worst and be honest about fear and anxieties. The form takes you through all aspects but can, as you know with these things, be repetitive. When they visited they asked me to do some physical movement like touch my toes, as I have a history of chronic back pain I refused on the basis it causes pain. I still can't lift both arms about my head, but if I tilt my body and use gravity I can lift one a bit. Handy hint- I had my kitchen cupboards reorganised so nothing on top shelves of wall cupboards or bottom shelves of floor cupboards. I don't shop at large supermarket, as its exhausting, but at the smaller tesco/sainsbury convenience stores as must smaller and staff carry things to the car. I have got things like knives from mobility shop as a the handles are softer and and are like saw shaped handles. I have a chopping board with spikes in it to hold veg... Then I have the problem of getting veg off spikes! I have a kettle tilter and various bathroom helpers. I use grabbers and have several around the house.
If you have no family living nearby say so. I hope you get forms done OK. They gave me around 13days to complete this time which was very stressful. Was supposed to be 4 weeks but post at both ends meant 13 days. I always copy or take pictures of my competed form and I have actually videoed posting the envelope. I do this as when I was paying for income support I had to submit bank statements 7 times as they kept getting "lost".
Thanks for the advice. I've supported many people over the years with stuff like this, but sad to say it's hit home this time. Good idea about reorganising cupboards, as I have a lot of back pain in bending. I store the biscuits and chocolate low down. That'll have to change lol...
I'm so much better a dealing with other people. I hear myself speaking and think how sensible I sound when talking to other people lol. Need to take my own advice more often lol
It only works if you have the opportunity to have a new kitchen, but my designed-for-PMR kitchen only had drawer units below worksurface height. It is much easier to get something from a bottom drawer than the back of a bottom shelf! Now you get pull-down units for wall cupboards - brilliant! My hob was lowered, partly because I'm small and couldn't see in the pans easily, but when we sold the house the new owner was much taller than me but loved the low hob. I wanted the oven lower but the joiner claimed he couldn't - which I didn't understand because the previous guy had managed with a kitchen from the same supplier (that famous Swedish company).
It's great when you can design things to your own requirements like that. Sounds great. No kitchen for me in the offing but can reorganise things to make it easier to use that's for sure.
The idea of the drawers made such a difference. I also had pull-out shelves in a base cupboard in the previous one - that is something much easier to arrange.
If you do go to an assessment centre, you may be observed arriving and leaving...although that won’t be on the report. So bear that in mind. You’ll also be observed throughout for signs of discomfort like shifting position, wincing with pain etc. If you find sitting too long is uncomfortable, tell them and stand or move about. Also they watch how easily you stand or sit; do you need support etc. And if you can’t do something they ask you to do, explain that you can’t and why. If possible I’d recommend you take someone with you.
It's as if you stealing the money from their own pockets at times! I remember years ago supporting someone who had attended an assessment. They asked her all about her journey to get there. She answered not realising that it was all about how far she could walk and get on and off the bus, etc. She had serious mental health and physical health issues and they refused her application. We won it on appeal.
I have told this before but when I went for an assessment years ago for esa support group, I had to try and walk up a hill to the centre. Half way up doing 5 steps a time a man practically ran past me. When I got into the building... The same bloke was shuffling about. I was so wound up!
I wouldn't necessarily recommend a home visit. I had one for the DLA (which I got turned down for). The report said I could navigate around easily so I didn't qualify for mobility. If I'd have been in an unfamiliar place of coure I'd have shown more difficulty, I'm used to my own home and have ways of coping with some difficulties as I'm visually impaired. I did eventually get PIP 3 years ago, but now have to re-apply again. They do watch everything you do at the assessment centre, eg they hand you a form when you arrive which 'proves' you can grip things. Make sure you get a lift to right outside the door, ideally take someone with you, and also you are allowed to record the interview. It was amazing how many people there were at the centre with new crutches, wrist supports etc. It is a barbaric system that assumes everyone is a shirker, so they try and catch you out. I've heard horrendous stories on the RNIB forums.
Thanks for this! I've got my PIP form through now and ready to fill it in. I've got someone helping me fill it in. She fills them in as part of her job, so confident about completing it. I've got a health assessment next week for ESA, which I'm currently getting. So will be keeping note of all the above advice to help me with that too.
My doctor won’t give me stronger pain meds because he said my kidneys are failing. He knows that the paracetamol is a waste of time and the prednisone doesn’t help much either, but it’s like talking to the wall these days. It’s no wonder we’re all suffering with this dreadful illness.
Just wondered if you had noticed this thread is over 3 years old? And that the original poster has left the forum - that's why the name appears as "Hidden", Just so you don't expect a reply
Maybe - just wondered how you came across it? It happens every so often, there is a run of comments on very old threads. I notice because I have followed every thread for about 7 years! But how do most people come across them ...
To be honest I haven’t been on for a long while with one thing and another In out of hospitals, moving house, and the general problems in life. But things are getting quieter now, 🤞🏻
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Has this article on Steroid injections been shared?
New , and naive about PMR, :-( 
Parkers Vacation
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