Financial help

[Jlml]

Good morning,

Has anyone been successful in obtaining pip in the uk on the grounds of PMR?

This is for help with housework and dog walking?

[SheffieldJane]

It’s worth a try but it is more around personal care so watch your wording. If you are turned down, it is worth an appeal - they have a higher success rate. People have been successful, not sure if they had co-morbidities. Perhaps they will see your post and help.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Might be worth looking at this link, from original FAQ's -

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[piglette]

It is not easy to get any more, but really make a fuss and you might get there.

[Paininthenck]

I managed to get PIP, enhanced rate for both care and mobility. This was awarded in July this year. I was very surprised to get it without a fight but I do have some experience in claiming benefits due to previous work roles and have always been quite successful. It appears to be such an arbitrary process, many who are clearly eligible have to really fight for it, somehow I got lucky.

Happy to share more info on the detail I provided on my form by private message.

[Jlml]

Hi Paininthenck,

Yes please, that would be great and thank you very much.

[Paininthenck in reply to Jlml]

I have private messages you so if you get back to me on the email provided I can send you some more info 👍

[Pixix]

My experience…I had PIP for other disabilities before I was diagnosed with PMR. They say you should ring them if anything changes. I did, & I asked if PMR would make a difference. The lady I spoke to said they do consider all cases individually, but PMR doesn’t usually mean you cant walk 100 metres (I think that’s the crIteria), feed yourself, cook a simple meal, dress yourself etc etc so it’s not considered a disability. But I guess if you are going to copy what somebody else wrote when they were successful you should get it!! But you will have an interview, mine lasted two hours & included walking test & thorough discussion! I now have 8 diagnosed diseases & I do not get the enhanced rate for mobility..l did once, but now I’m worse, but don’t get it! My blue badge was taken away, & my bus pass, fortunately I hadn’t bought a car through the scheme!! We only shop online & im old enough now for a bus pass & we have our own car, so I’m not complaining…happy to leave the blue badge for those who are in wheelchairs, etc!

[Paininthenck in reply to Pixix]

Sorry, I didn’t mean that JLml should copy my form as that would not be reflective or appropriate and likely to fail. Just offered to share as reference for the level of detail that is essential to be successful in making a claim. Additionally happy to give tips and advice if required, but as we know it’s so arbitrary there are never any guarantees, but always worth a try 🤞

[Pixix in reply to Paininthenck]

No criticism intended, & you can do whatever you like in the way of sharing your form & personal info!! Sorry if it looked that way…but I know that it would be tempting to anybody desperate to get the money, to use the same answers…as what you wrote was successful!!

[Bramble2000 in reply to Pixix]

My PMR affects me in these ways. I cannot get out of bed without help, cannot roll over in bed, cannot get to bathroom without holding onto things en route, cannot get dressed, can’t drive, can’t get up from sitting without help. Can’t put seatbelt on without help. Can’t use a knife to cut food. Walking more that 5M is out of the question.

[Pixix in reply to Bramble2000]

I missed your other posts but read them now, & see you don’t necessarily have PMR. I don’t think your comments here are typical of anyone here with P.mR, but I see you’re not on pred, so I can’t make any further comments, really, you need to see a doctor, & fast! FYI I’ve had diagnosed PmR for 3 years, & now my doctor thinks it may be a wrong diagnosis, or that I have sone thing instead. I already have fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, vertigo, essential tremor in bit hand, hypermobility, so many I can’t remember the list & urgently waiting (one years wait for an urgent referral) to see a rheumy. My doctor thinks 8 may also have Rheumatoid arthritis and/or spondylosis. It’s hard with multiple diseases, but if you are sure you have PMR you need pred, you need to see a doctor! I can’t do some of those things, but NOT due to PMR & I don’t see other posts with people in your position after they take pred! This is a post regarding disability allowance but I replied in terms of the majority of PMR sufferers. Why don’t you contact your doctor..now! Those sentences above…read them to him/her…or the receptionists or 111!!!!! If you are lucky enough to have contact with a hospital rheumy dept phone them, & repeat what you have written above. Good luck!

[Bramble2000 in reply to Pixix]

it is PMR, he just told me! I had three weeks on 20mg of Pred and all my symptoms disappeared within 12 hours. I have proved PMR on so many levels including on the pet/Ct scan. Everything else, and I mean everything has been ruled out.

[Bramble2000 in reply to Pixix]

to be clear, when I took the Pred that was prescribed by my GP, ALL my symptoms disappeared within 12 hours. Then the rheumatologist took the Pred away because he thought I was too young to have it, hence being back to being bedbound, I clearly have a severe case of PMR.

[Pixix in reply to Bramble2000]

Then surely your only way forward is back to the GP who does think you have it, & ask for pred. GPS can handle cases of PMR, it doesn’t need a rheumatologist at all. I was GP diagnosed & didn’t go to a rheumy at all until I went for osteoarthritis. That was 18 months after getting PMR. Get somebody to drive you there, you clearly have help, thank goodness, & show the receptionists if they are what is blocking you from seeing your GP again!

[Bramble2000 in reply to Pixix]

I’m under a Rheumy anyway, have been for a decade so officially he has to deal with this.

[Pixix in reply to Bramble2000]

Your choice! I’d choose the GP who gave you pred, not the Rheumy who took it away!! Hope it goes well for you. If you’ve been under a rheumy for ten years you will know the staff, & the system.

[Jlml]

Thank you pixie,

I doubt that I am in a position to be successful but thought I would find out.

I have a lot of discomfort in my feet along with other symptoms and could really do with some help with some household tasks and dog walking primarily.

[Pixix in reply to Jlml]

I understand, believe me, I do! I have very bad arthritis in all my toes, as well as wrists, hands & other places, plus another 6 diseases! I still do all the housework & walk my neighbours dog…but it all hurts to do it!! I guess you’ve already searched on this forum…the question of PIP has come up before & you may find some more tips there!

[Bramble2000 in reply to Jlml]

PIP is all about how sobering affects your ability to do certain tasks. A diagnosis is irrelevant. You need to look up the descriptors online and see if they are relevant to you and fill out the form accordingly. They will look at the form and any evidence you send. They will then decide if your case warrants further investigation and will invite you for a face to face assessment, a phone assessment, a video call assessment or occasionally they will assess you by paper alone. The wait for the assessment varies greatly by area but expect to wait several months. Once you’ve had the assessment, your assessor sends the report to the decision maker recommending how many points you should have per descriptor. Then the decision maker makes the final award, or not. You are then told that you have one months to challenge the decision, this is a “mandatory reconsideration “ or MR. In fact you legally have 13 months to challenge it. At this point you’d need to write saying why you disagree with their decision. They then look at again. Usually they don’t change their decision at this point. You would then have to go to court. This can take a long time. At court you stand a good chance of getting PIP. Ridiculous I know. It’s stressful and time consuming. I applied mainly on physical health grounds but they were completely ignored despite my having significant issues. However, I was awarded on mental health grounds. Good luck. X

[Sharitone]

You will get some points for being able to walk less than 200m. If you can walk further, but you have to stop to rest, or it hurts or exhausts you, that does not count as being able to walk that far. I'm afraid you won't get points for not being able to walk the dog specifically.

Strangely, you don't get points for not being able to do housework either, This is odd because that is the very thing you need to be able to pay someone else for. You do, however, get a lot of points for not being able to cook a simple meal. If you are physically able to peel and chop, etc, but cannot do it because you are too tired, then that counts as not being able to do it.

If you have an assessment, you should make sure you have someone who knows you well present, whether it's a F2F, or a phone appointment. This is because it is easy to forget things under pressure, and importantly, because you will then have a witness. You would not believe the porkies those assessors will tell!

If your GP or consultant would write a letter in support of your application, particularly one that refers to PIP criteria, then that would be very helpful, but unfortunately they usually charge for this.

Good luck!

[Bramble2000]

you need to look at the “descriptors “ which you’ll find online. Anything else is completely irrelevant. It’s all about how your situation affects you. It doesn’t even really matter if you have no diagnosis because it’s about how it affects you. Look up Fightback 4 Justice, they are superb at explaining it all and giving advice on form filling etc.