Do the PIP people recognize Hypothyroid as an illness?

[cc120]

Just wondering?

[Clutter]

CC120, I'm not sure that a specific illness matters when considering for PIP. I believe it is the level of disability caused by any illness or accident which qualifies one for PIP.

[cc120 in reply to Clutter]

Thank you Clutter, so basically a GP or specialist would have to confirm you have 'that much' disability?

[Clutter in reply to cc120]

CC120, I honestly don't know enough about it to say how it works other than there are points awarded for levels of disability and inability to perform tasks. GPs and specialists are likely to be approached by the DWP's appointed assessors for your medical information. You may find useful information on benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/...

[cc120 in reply to Clutter]

Hi Clutter, yes I see, a bit more involved than what I suggested, thank you.

[Clutter]

CC120, information about claiming PIP in this link citizensadvice.org.uk/benef...

[cc120 in reply to Clutter]

Thank you.

[marram]

With the old DLA, it was the illness or the disability which was the determining factor. With PIP, it is how you are AFFECTED by your condition on a day-to-day basis. It would be very helpful of you could get a written statement from someone who has daily contact with you or at least regular contact, such as a carer or a nurse, or a relative, with an account of a typical day for you when you are at your worst, this is important if the illness, disease or condition is variable.

Also, you may be able to carry out a particular activity - but will it make you so tired that you are unable to function for the rest of the day, or likely to need a long period of rest? For example, you may be able to dress your self, but be so tired afterwards that any possibility of going out is out of the question, making you unable to do your own shopping. You may prepare a meal but feel so ill afterwards you can't eat it. You might walk down the garden to hang the washing out but the walk takes so much out of you that you can't actually hang the washing out!

I once was in the supermarket and dropped my debit card, got down to pick it up but it took 2 security guards to help me stand up again! In the house, if I got down I had to crawl across the room on my hands and knees and pull myself up like a toddler on the sofa.

I hope that these ideas will help you to express the kind of things which will explain how you are affected by your condition.

Marie xxx

[cc120 in reply to marram]

Hi Marie, thank you very much, very helpful. Unfortunately, I'm not in contact with anyone day to day, so I guess will have to rely on statements of people I am in contact with. Though, I usually have rested, slept for days to have a good day, and that is when anyone sees me. They don't see how I'm usually effected the following 3 days, when I'm over anxious, weak and fatigued till I get another few days rest, as long as I have little or no stress. : )

[marram in reply to cc120]

I know it can be very difficult if you are fairly isolated. too.

I helped to win PIP for a lady I used to visit regularly in the course of my ministry as a JW, by helping her to express what her day-to-day life was like in these kinds of terms. She had never thought to do it that way, but this is what is suggested on the 'Benefits and Work' website.

Marie xx

[cc120 in reply to marram]

If I kept a diary would at least be of help for me to see patterns even if know one else believed me, trouble is anything I feel I HAVE to do causes me a lot of stress, but nevertheless I will try. It was very good of you to help that lady, I doubt if anyone else would have if you had not.

[marram in reply to cc120]

If you could manage some sort of diary it would be very useful, maybe you could just note down on your computer if you have a very bad day, how you feel, what you were doing - and more importantly what you wanted to do but couldn't. then you could get that printed out or copied out when you need it.

When you complete a form, write as much as you need even if that means adding extra pages - and always number any extra pages which you add. e.g. (1 of 3), (2 of 3) and so on. Also write on the actual form how many extra pages there are for a particular question - then they cannot 'lose' them, e.g. (3 pages follow on). You would be amazed how that can focus their mind. Also, if anyone can help you, get them to endorse it by signing it.

You can see I've done this before can't you!

Marie xxxx

[cc120 in reply to marram]

Thank you Marie, that is all very good advice, and I will force myself to make the effort. xxx

[marram in reply to cc120]

xx

[Hidden in reply to marram]

Hi Marram, you are incorrect (soz) both DLA and PIP are awarded as to how your illness(s) affect you on an every day basis. I was awarded full rate DLA, and I've just been successful in achieving full rate PIP. If you're familiar with both applications this is how they are geared up.

I have several health problems and I have to say hashimotos was taken seriously. I would point out that I have incontinence problems from interstitial cystitis, severe pain and mobility problems too. But the assessor who came out to me in January was a qualified nurse and understood how low temperatures affect you, like slurred speech, sleepiness, memory problems etc etc.

The key to getting PIP is not filling out the 42 page application yourself, go to the CAB, they have professional form fillers. Make sure you list medications, and all aids. Even a pil box can be an aid, so can urine dip sticks, specimin containers etc etc. You have to give it a lot of thought before you go, and take in your list of consultants too. It's really important to get letters from your consultants which definitely helps enormously, because the DWP rarely contact your consultants on your behalf. A big one is to write to your GP, list every health problem you have and under each heading list how it affects you with daily tasks, or even socialising, mood etc. GP's do not know this, I can't stress this enough. They have a form to fill in about you, make sure they know! My previous GP just wrote "has insight" idiot! He thought because he gave me drugs everything was fine and dandy, well it isn't is it!

It is a hard slog, and is one of the most stressful and upsetting things to go through I have to be honest. It takes months to get anywhere. It took from May to January to get even an assessment. I was so nervous about the assessment, but to be honest I had a really nice nurse who was so much more understanding than the visiting doctors I had had before. I also displayed all my aids on the dining room table, and even had receipts for drugs and private doctors so she could see just how much this is costing me. You have to put in an awful lot of effort to be successful. I had to do some simple exercises so she could see how limited I am in movement because of 30 years of arthritis. The assessor was with me for 3 hours. I also gave her a copy of the report I wrote for my GP, I have a very complicated history so she said that would help her write her report. You do get asked a lot of questions and the assessor has a lap top and types in your responses.

I was awarded DLA indefinitely but still had to apply for PIPPIP. I have been awarded it for 10 years, they can't give an indefinite period any more.

[cc120 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Helcaster, that's very helpful.

[Hidden in reply to cc120]

I'm pleased it's helpful. It's not a walk in the park, and as I've been successful happy to pass on the knowledge I've gained.

I failed in my application first time around, I filled in the application myself and the idiot visiting doctor who came out was more interested in talking football with my ex! I did complain, and then applied again a year later. In Birmingham at that time they had neighbourhood offices and trained staff for applying for benefits. Not sure if this has changed now with all the cut backs. It was invaluable, I also had a female retired surgeon who knew interstitial cystitis is a severely debilitating disease and she wrote war and peace for me on the doctors form. Then the next time I had to apply the DWP tried to downgrade me using the first idiots doctor's report!! I wasn't having any of it, I appealed, they can be very underhand at the DWP believe me, it was so stressful. By this time I had tried to kill myself as I couldn't take the relentless pain anymore so had a community psychiatric nurse and a social worker. He really helped too with the appeal, but I still had to do an awful lot myself despite being severely depressed. Then I got indefinate award. I still have a fear of brown envelopes in the post, they still make me feel sick and shake

To be honest I was dreading going through all this again with PIP, but in the end because I am so familiar with how to manage the application it was OK.

Good luck!!

[cc120 in reply to Hidden]

Sorry it got so bad for you before it got better. Well done of sticking with it and conquering in the end. xx

[Hidden in reply to cc120]

Thanks cc120. Xx

[potnoodle]

Just going to second what marram suggested, the benefits and work website is brilliant and has detailed guides on how to fill in the claim forms and attend 'medicals' etc.

You really do need to be very well prepared and aware of the system unfortunately.

I was awarded PIP (after going to tribunal) for depression so they obviously think my fatigue and pain is all in my head.lol

Good luck with your claim. I have nobody helping me day to day wither so understand how tough it is.x

[cc120 in reply to potnoodle]

Thank you potnoodle. I didn't know you could get PIP for depression, but that's a very general term, which I suppose could indicate many conditions.

[potnoodle in reply to cc120]

Yes, I wasn't impressed with their decision but at least it meant I got an award so I didn't argue. I think they do make their decisions based on how your symptoms limit you rather than your diagnosis (or lack of).

[cc120 in reply to potnoodle]

Thank you.

[Mabes]

Another thing you could do (instead of diary) is to get some paper or a notebook and jot down the things you need to do in a day/week and then look at why/how you can't do them when you are at your worst. So personal care, household chores/food prep, plus leaving the house for food shopping, bank, doctors, prescriptions etc.

So for example, on my worst days I need help dressing and undressing as I am in too much pain & stiff to be able to get my clothes on/off. I also, in those moments, can't prepare food as I can't stand or even sit long enough to do so (on those days or those weeks I'm bed bound), and day to day if I do cook then it makes me worse so I wouldn't be able to repeat the activity day after day reliably without harming myself by making myself sicker. If I'm really bad I need someone to cut my food up for me as I'm too weak to do it.

[cc120 in reply to Mabes]

Thank you Mabes, a very helpful suggestion. x

[Chancery]

Hi CC. Yes, they would recognise it as an illness, but they are not interested in that, per se, but merely how the illness you have affects your daily life. If your hypothyroidism prevented you from taking care of yourself or leaving the house or bathing yourself, yes. Otherwise, no.

That said, they would also find it odd that you weren't being treated for something that was relatively 'simple', so I would think they would be hard to convince, given what a workaday and common condition it is. It would have to be incapacitating to be relevant to getting PIP.

[cc120 in reply to Chancery]

Thank you Chancery.