help with PIP FORMS

[isaotero]

how do I explain my thyroid illness on my PIP form

[Ferritin]

Hi whats a pip form

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Ferritin]

I think it is:

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim

[Clutter]

Isaotero,

Which thyroid illness do you have?  Hyperthyroidism (over active) with or without Graves antibodies, or hypothyroidism (under active) with or without Hashimoto's antibodies?

It's worth getting advice from benefitsandwork.co.uk or a counsellor at your local council to help you complete the form so that you don't understate your day to day living and mobility problems.

[Gilly81]

We no longer have help at our local council here in Shropshire, cuts! There is only Citizens advice left for help filling in these damn awful forms and when you are unwell you just cannot do it. CAB are now completely overwhelmed and unable to help and for people who cannot get out of the house that is useless anyway. I believe the PIP form is over 50 pages!!!! 

[Wonderless in reply to Gilly81]

No it is much shorter than the DLA forms before. It relys heavily on face to face assessment.

[Dear_Prudence]

Try fightback4justice, you can join online but checkout the website for info, they are an organisation who helps people to claim for benefits...good luck x

[Schenks]

You could also try benefits and work. There you will find how to fill these damnable forms in. They are a paid site but the £19 for the year is worth it if nothing else to mitigate the horror and stress and resultant worsening of symptoms.

The way to fill in the form is to give an explanation of exactly how your illness affects you day to day, in each category. For example, if you are tired, what does that mean? Does it mean you yawn a bit at work or does it mean you get to a point where you cannot maintain an upright posture and have to lie down? Do you need to sleep? Does it make you uncoordinated, forgetful, weak? And if so, how do those things affect you? Give at least one example of what you are talking about and what you are having to cope with.

Don't try to confine your responses to the boxes provided but use extra sheets for your answers. The more information you provide and the better the picture you give of what is happening for you and how your illness affects you, the better understanding they will have. And keep a copy.

And relax. If you are genuine, you'll get there.

[isaotero in reply to Schenks]

thankyou

[jacquelis2]

Hi Isaorero - These forms are very long and complicated and your local Citizens Advice Bureau will be able to help.  CAB  are very busy but vary in different areas.  You can find their local address/phone no.  on citizensadvice.org  please contact them for assistance - you will probably have to make an appointment to see an adviser  so do this in plenty of time .  Hope this helps - Regards, Jax

[linlow]

Our local CAB no longer help with form filling.  If yours is the same, I don't know if this link might help disabilityrightsuk.org/pers....  You can also get help at the DWP (by telephone or, at least, could the last time I filled one in) but you have to be careful that they put the worst (relevant) case down each time. 

If you end up filling the form in yourself then be sure to make your mark for how you feel at your worst, not at best or happy medium.  So, if you have brain fog, you really struggle to understand the form and can't do it without help - that sort of thing.

[Warrior75]

I would contact fight back they are on Facebook ,they helped a friend of mine with her claim for fibromyalgia and ME/Cfs I think they helped her over the phone people do make donations but I don't think it's compulsory 

Good luck 🍀

[sulamaye]

You need to find the list of criteria descriptors the pip assessment is based on and describe your inability to do things in relation to these. But from experience they will treat your claim with more seriousness if a benefits right organisation has filled it in with you. So make sure you find cab or a dis rights organisation locally that you can go to.

[glo42]

My niece works in a DIAL benefits office and helps people to fill in PIP forms in their homes if mobility is a problem or in the office by appointment if clients prefer this.

She also accompanies clients to assessment appointments. Look and see if you have

a DIAL office near to you.  Good Luck.

[pippan]

PIP is not about what your condition is but how your condition affects you on a daily basis.  There are two components, daily living and mobility.  Do you need help dressing yourself, preparing a meal and such like.  As far as mobility is concerned you don't have to be able to walk that far before you don't get it.  To be honest I think you'd struggle to get it for hypothyroidism.  I get PIP because I have a movement disorder not for being hypo.  In fact the health professional that assessed me was also hypo and asked me how I managed to get to see an Endo (info. in my claim form).  I directed her to this site and told her to get her antibodies tested because that's what got me a referral.  Ironic really.