I wondered if anyone has applied for pip. My auto immune thyroiditis caused me to leave my career in nursing . As my intermittent brain fogs caused me to worry I would make a mistake . Thank fully I left before I did. I now find I can only work part time and I work from home 15 hours minimum wage . I am thinking is my symptoms. Which are brain fogs if I over exert . And some days aching all over and no energy. Also very low mood at times which I fight with natural remedies . So no antidepressants but I have a history depression since my teens.
My question is it worth applying for pip . As my illness has affected my chance of earning . Can I get help completing the form ?
And does auto immune thyroiditis stop you driving ? I hope not I love driving
Thank you so much for replies .
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poppppy
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PIP is based on how your condition affects you, not by condition itself. So in theory two people with hypo, one could be very much more badly affected than the other. But be warned its very tough to get and the application process is lengthy and takes a lot of time. Its always a big advantage to have copies of letters from doctor, consultants confirming your diagnosis and any problems you have.
Realistically the fact you drive could be used against you, bonkers I know but the assessor will assume you have good reflexes, concentration, focus, co ordination etc. I'm not sure claiming it for hypo alone will score you enough points.
But there's a good website, Benefits and Work which has a free self assessment test for PIP. If you answer the questions honestly it can give you an indicator of the number of points you could score. At least then you'd have an idea of whether its worth trying.
Ditto re Benefits & Work website. It's a gruelling and unjust process and very stressful. If you do apply, follow the B&W guidance carefully. It can mean the difference between getting it first time or battling further with the DWP for a mandatory reconsideration, or failing that, going to appeal. It can also depend entirely on the assessor you get on the day. It's done over the phone now - it took 2 hours! I'd record the conversation too as they can't make anything up, as they did with me. An oversight on my part!
Get all the medical evidence you can muster - from your GP, other health professionals. Get written statements from your ex employer, friends, family, anyone who supports you that can describe how your condition affects your daily living.
Despite being housebound and barely able to walk, I was refused 1st time. They came up with unbelievable statements like 'is able to move 200 metres either aided or unaided. Too triggering to mention the other outrageous comments they made 🤬
Mental health & turn to us charities also have helpful hints and you can find videos on YouTube.
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While you look into claiming might be worth checking your thyroid is optimally treated.
What are your latest thyroid results? Eg TSH, FT4, FT3, have you had antibodies tested (TPO & TG ) & nutrients such as folate ferritin vitamin D & B12. (and always include the lab ranges as they vary between labs)
In range or “normal” results is acceptable to doctors. You need optimal levels.
What other medications or supplements do you take?
Hi yes I am still on t3 only and I split it to twice a day and thankyou for your advice and support much appreciated . Do you think I should take supplements generally. What would you recommend please . I was taking selenium and vitamin k with d3 form pure encapsulations
I split my daily dose of T3 into 5 doses, spread 4 hours apart. I find it evens out the peaks and troughs and gets the maximum out of the dose I'm taking.
Yes! I applied for PIP in November and had to go through all the stages to appeal but got it in the end. (a month wgo).
Thyroid doesn't neatly and clearly tick their boxes which they don't like. It's well worth research into how to answer questions to get it across without room for interpretation.
I will give you an example of claiming PIP (or AA for retired people) My mother had macular degeneration which affected her daily life. She was turned down for AA when she applied. The local blind society sent out a volunteer to help her re apply. The form asked if my mother could dress herself. She had answered "yes" to that question before. She could, physically, put clothes on her body. The volunteer informed her that she might make a mistake and put on dirty or mis matching clothes and that it was against her human rights to go out dressed like that. As per that example there is a certain way to answer the questions and someone from Citizens Advice, or similar, will have experience. Even if something only happens occasionally, like your ability to drive, it is relevant. Good luck.
I would try and 'fix' the problem. I'd urge you to post all your blood results for the guys on here to help you to hopefully improve your health.Cognitive impairment, which is what you're describing if you can't work, is notifiable to the DVLA. You could be voiding your insurance.
Another vote for benefits and work. They produce a fortnightly free email, which is very useful. They also produce guides on understanding and answering the questions that PIP asks. You have to be a member to access these guides. I can't remember how much membership is but there is a 20% off code in each of their fortnightly emails that has to be used within about five days. Ballpark figure is about £20-£25 pounds a year.
I get PIP because of thyroid illness alone, but I am pretty disabled from it.
As others have mentilned, PIP is not judged on a specific illness, it is judged on your ability to take care of yourself and do certain tasks. Fatigue and hypothyroid type impairment is not very well represented in the list of tasks, so for example having to sleep or be in bed much of the day is not taken into account at all.
It is possible to work while receiving PIP, and that is kind of the idea of it, as it isn't means tested. But I think it would be almost impossible to have enough fatigue to receive PIP, and also to work. It is only specific kinds of disabilities that would fit into doing both.
In order to receive PIP, you would probably need to prove that you have difficulty /need help with a range of elements of self care. With PIP a lot of it is based on the help you need, either from a carer, or by using special equipment.
For example, preparing food, eating food, washing yourself, getting dressed, managing your medication, using the toilet.
This part of the PIP assessment is a bit like an exam - each thing you need help with, you score points for. If you are very impaired, for example needing a hoist to use the toilet, you can score a higher number of points, whereas if you have a commode by your bed and some mild incontinence, you can score a lower number of points. At the end of the paper they add up the score, and you need to reach a certain threshold to be eligible for the benefit.
My experience has been that fatigue alone can only score the minimum in each category, so I have needed to score in many of the categories to meet the threshold. If you have one specific area that you need loads of support with (for example if you were partially sighted, as mentioned above, as there are some specific questions about ability to read and see), you might be able to reach the threshold without needing help with almost everything.
There is a separate section of PIP for mobility and ability to make a journey. I think it is possible to receive one without the other, but I have always had both. This part only really cares about how far you can walk, and your ability to understand and follow a route. I think the most you can walk and still receive benefit on that part of the assessment alone is about 50 metres.
Driving isn't included in the assessment, with the possible exception of the part about being able to follow a planned route. Personally I have never scored any points in that section anyway, and I think it is intended for people with learning difficulties. In fact, receiving PIP can entitle you to a motability vehicle, so it is actually encouraged to drive while receiving PIP.
Personally, I feel I am no longer capable of driving, for tons of reasons. I can't reliably sit up in a chair, I don't trust my perception of the speed and movement of cars, I don't have the fine motor skills, etc. But I have not had my driving license taken away. No doctor or anyone has ever mentioned it. I only thought about it a year or so ago when I wondered if it should be renewed. I noticed in the letter I am probably supposed to surrender it voluntarily, but haven't got round to it. I have met many many disabled people who in my judgement shouldn't be driving but still are... so the impression I get is that it is possible to continue driving for a long time with only your own judgement about whether it is right for you.
Another little point is that ESA, Employment and Support Allowance, is the other major benefit for disabled people. That one is intended to be equivalent to Job Seekers Allowance, intended to be instead of working and pay your basic bills.
It uses a similar system to PIP, of assessing what tasks you're able to do, but the detail is a little different. So if you look at the PIP set of criteria, and you feel it doesn't quite fit you, the ESA criteria may just happen to work better for you. You can't work while receiving ESA, and it is means tested (unless you have made enough contribution in a previous year).
I am not as familiar with the ESA criteria, but for example there is a section about ability to use your hands and dexterity, which asks about your ability to hold a pint of milk over your head, or pick up something small like a pound coin. These more elemental tasks aren't included in PIP, so even if you have quite reduced use of your hands, you wouldn't score anything for that in PIP, as long as you can still manage to do some food preparation and feed yourself.
I believe when I used to receive ESA, most of the points I received were for not being able to stand and sit for as long as 45 minutes.
Unfortunately, neither set of criteria are really anything close to what you would need to do to be able to go to work. It is very possible to be unable to work due to illness or disability, but still not be eligible for either disability benefit, and I think that is even more true for those of us who suffer mainly from fatigue or pain, because those things are just not really included in the criteria.
I 'liked' your comment because of its content - I am really sorry to hear you are suffering like this. With regard to fatigue, have you seen the ME factsheets on applying for PIP? They might help you considerably.
The main thing about PIP is you have to be able to perform a task Safely, Reliably, and in a Reasonable time. These words have particularly definitions attached to them by PIP.
Thank you BB001, I haven't seen that fact sheet and I think it could help me a lot! (for OP's benefit, I have used the Benefit and Work website others mention, and it is very good. I paid to have their very long pdf printed out [by a third party] and bound as a book so I could refer to it).
I actually thought about coming back and commenting on this thread. I can't leave the house much, but recently was out at an art class, and several people there casually mentioned they receive PIP. I was quite shocked, as I know a bit about those people's lifestyles, and had no idea what criteria they would be able to claim, as they live much more of a 'normal life' than I do. I think they will be claiming based on things like ADHD, which I don't know much about what you can argue, but I've always thought more cognitive and mental illnesses would be harder to make a case for.
It made me think that it may be much easier to get PIP than I have really experienced. I have a couple of friends who are hypothyroid who we have always thought would not be eligible, but maybe they actually are. They are probably too ill to work, and can hardly leave the house, but are still well enough to do things like go to the toilet and move from room to room without any difficulty.
This also got me thinking that my art friends may have very good advice from relevant charities, but I've actually struggled to ever get any good and specific advice about applying with fatigue. A lot of social workers, benefits advisors, etc, are very clueless about fatigue, and I've had disbelief even from people like citizens advice volunteers, that it would prevent me from walking around the house!
Don't be surprised if your next PIP application continues to be difficult. A friend who had extensive high quality evidence to back up her responses to the questions on the application form, got 0 points, then 3 points on the mandatory consideration. This was despite already receiving PIP at the enhanced rate for both. (Be aware that you only have 28 days from the DATE of the decision letter to appeal, not the date you received the decision letter). Then on appeal they got over 12 points on Daily Living and over 12 points on mobility, thus qualifying for the higher rates of PIP for both daily living and mobility.
Oh, the thought of going through the appeal makes my blood run cold, as I have gone all the way to the tribunal with ESA in the past. Fortunately I have been very lucky with PIP, and have already had much nicer assessors, often who want to find ways to word what I'm saying to get me to fit into the higher level statements.
I read the handout, which is useful. But I did think I would come back and mention a few things for the original poster or anyone else who feels they are on the borderline of whether to apply or not.
1) Having a doctor's support is extremely important. If you are planning to apply sometime in the future, I think it is worth cultivating a relationship with a GP just for this purpose alone. For me, this is something I've only really had the energy to do in the past couple of years, after over ten years of disability and claiming benefits. And it has made me realise I have often been barking up the wrong tree in the past trying to get consultants and specialists to write letters for me. They just can't be bothered, but my current GP is young and keen, writes a lot of notes, and she sees writing these letters and admin is part of her job, so she is willing to do it all without faff, and clearly has her own templates already set up, etc. I wouldn't call her a good doctor particularly, and she has no understanding of thyroid, but through seeing her a lot of times, and complaining a lot about my various issues, working to try and get home visits, phlebotomy, etc, she knows about my symptoms and my practical difficulties, which is what is required. I think it is just a case of attending very regularly, getting someone who knows your name, etc. It is a nuisance and a waste of everyone's time, but unfortunately it is what the benefits require, as doctor's letters are trusted while other things are not.
2) The other major thing with PIP in particular is it is very based around what help you need and what specialist equipment you use. So it is very important to use every piece of equipment you might possibly benefit from. Or at least familiarise yourself with them and be ready to claim you use them. Again, this is often a waste of time, because in my experirence a lot of common pieces of equipment actually make things harder, or are particularly non relevant to fatigue as they tend to save one body part while putting extra stress on others, etc. But my experience (and its backed up in the notes for assessors), is that they are greatly prioritised in making judgements. Similarly, if you have a partner or loved one at home, lean into the habit of asking them for specific help around the areas that you will be judged on, such as helping with bathing, dressing or even things like filling in forms.
By this I mean things like walking sticks or other walking aids, grab rails around things like the bed, toilet, bath, sponges on sticks for washing, commodes, sticks and gadgets to help you dress, kitchen gadgets such as perching stools, electric tin openers and food processors, and with cooking things like microwaves or george foreman grills, etc, are seen as not being proper cooking, whereas if you're using the stove top or oven you are seen as more capable, and the list goes on.
This is a piece of advice I haven't seen much elsewhere, but in my experience it has been large. Equipment is always mentioned a lot in the report I get examining how I've been assessed, and it seemed to get me over the hump to getting more points when I started using more myself.
Another area I've also only realised in the past year, is how interconnected different bits of the GP and council support are.
Recently I've been having visits from the district nurses. And they come in expecting you to have council care workers helping you already. So I am now thinking I need to get my skates on and apply for a needs assessment from the council. And the fact I've been having those home visits I think will look good on that care application, which would then look good on future PIP or ESA forms. Then once you've got those things they are useful in negotiating with your GP for future home visits, or to get shopmobility, transport to hospital, etc, etc.
It's hard to break into this system, but I think once you get a few pieces in place, it makes it easier to get the next piece. And of course every bit of it is very labour intensive to achieve, with a lot of heartache. So ironically the more able you are the easier it is to do.
Lots of advice on applying for PIP, but I want to *emphasise strongly* that thyroid issues play holy havoc with our ability to absorb and utilise nutrients. You need your main vitamins & minerals optimising. It's made the world of difference to me. Get them tested and the very proficient people here will recommend a way forward.
Yep. As do many people on here I buy an Advanced Thyroid Function blood test (finger prick) from Medichecks - other companies are available - which gives ten biomarkers including all the thyroid panel except reverse (forgotten its name). This gives me a window on my main nutrient levels and I can adjust as needed. Over the last three months I've nearly doubled my B12 and am now on a maintenance B-complex. I'm now concentrating on raising my Ferritin.
When I was diagnosed with "possible" hypothyroidism six years ago (I have swollen nodules on both lobes) and questioned my ability to pull enough nutrients from food, the GP dismissed the idea: "eat a balanced diet and there is no need for costly supplements". Where thyroid problems are concerned, experience has shown this is rubbish. I am simply not pulling enough nutrients from my food.
As others have mentioned Benefits&Work are fantastic help. Well worth the £20 joining fee .. if you sign up for their newsletter they'll at some point send a discount (they take a summer break) bringing it closer to £15. Will help with ant benefits you want to try for.Expect to get turned down at tge first hurdle, then anything better is a bonus.
(I'm sure they send out "generic" you don't qualify letters to a % of claims knowing full well a % won't know about appealing, so drop out)
If you feel you qualify, then fight!
If you want support, different areas have different things in place, be it CAB , welfare rights etc. (Local FB page may be able to inform you) my area has something called active independence.
Thank you for letting me know I got the wrong name, I've corrected it. I agree with you about needing to fix the problem. However it's taken me 34 years to do so, despite being highly educated, with an analytical brain, and I don't think I'm completely there yet. People need an alternative income source when their hypothyroidism is so poorly treated that they are unable to work and whilst they research what is wrong, what they need, and find out how they can get it.
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