PIP Assessment

[Nadine99]

Husband has a PIP assessment next week & I can see that there is a guide available on the Benefits & Work site. Forewarned is forearmed. Can I get it thro here, VuK or do I pay the membership?

Thanks

[Jann]

Hi Nadine,

You can get it through VUK. There are certain conditions of our membership which we ask to to agree to but they are very simple. I will send you more details privately.

[kokocarol1 in reply to Jann]

HI

I have not long be diagnosis with Churg–Strauss syndrome Vasculitis and have a medical assessment next month in London for PIP. Is there anyone that can possibly give me advice or attend with me? I know it is a bit strange to ask this, I just get very nervous and feel I may not answer the questions correctly.

[Nadine99 in reply to kokocarol1]

Maybe Jann can send you the Benefits & Works information as she did us. We had already completed the paperwork and were given an assessment. If you've got as far as an assessment, then I assume you have done all the paperwork. Try to take a friend or family member with you who can support what you say but otherwise, just tell the truth with lots of explanations about how the illness affects you even if it's not at all times. Any little bit of information you can give them will help with your claim - they are health professionals but it doesn't mean they know anything about your illness. Just take it as calmly as possible, they won't hurry you. When we went, we were telephoned to allow us to come earlier because they'd had a few cancellations - people had been frightened off apparently!!

Good luck, just explain your problems as best you can.

[Alanfern in reply to kokocarol1]

Hi. Do u still use this? Did u get your PIP?

[Nadine99 in reply to Alanfern]

My husband was awarded the standard living but no mobility when we applied the first time, but our circumstances changed and I informed them. I made a claim a 2nd time, another assessment at our home and he was awarded standard living and standard mobility. I also found out from someone on here that once we had standard mobility, we were entitled to claim half of our car tax back. If you have enhanced mobility, you pay no car tax.

[ldwilliams]

The forums up in benefitsandwork are also very useful for specific questions to do with PIP etc

[AndrewT]

Dear Nadine99,

Please do, by all means, look through as many 'guides/help/advice forms', and the like, that you can 'beg, borrow or steal-well maybe not steal- and 'gen up' as much as you can. Any and indeed ALL, of these actions, will be of great benefit- of this there is no doubt. There is however one other suggestion that I am going to make to you.

Have you any contact with any of the 'support groups', for your specific condition? Failing that do you attend any 'Day Centres or Rehabilitation Groups'? I only ask this because Headway Essex, that have supported both myself, and my mother, since my diagnosis-eighteen years ago-sent the Centre Manager to my assessment. The Manager, who has had some considerable experience of this sort of 'thing', put my case extremely well indeed. This, along with comments added by my mother and, of course, myself resulted in me being placed on the 'Support Group'. This was some time ago now, two/three years?, and, thus far anyway, 'they' haven't required a review, of this position. As I said just something to consider.

It only remains for me to send you my, indeed all our, best wishes Nadine.

Happy New Year

AndrewT