I am 43 and used to work full time and have done since l was 16 years old last year l found out l had Osioarthritis in my joints and needed both hips replaced after beingbin severe pain for a year thinking l had pulled muscles.but eventually they sent me for xrays on my hips.
So l had my 1st hip replaced in december 15th last year and the 2nd on february this year. On recovery my knee'started getting very painful and l was sent for more xrays on my hips and knees.
I found out l had OA in both knee's and needed them both replaced. By this time l had been off my work since november last year had both hips replaced lost all my confidence became really deoressed at times. Luckily my husband works from homecand was there to help and look.after me. So l had my 1st knee replacements in august. This just pushed me over the edge l was as it was a very hard operation l am in constant pain with aches and pain still coming from.hips and know l was in agony with my knee.
I feel my life has been turned upside down.and l am a diffrent person from who l.used to be. I have slept on the couch for the past year as l find it more comroykkģķmk
What l was saying is l havee has 3 major ops in a year l sleep on the couch now its affected my life and my relationship. I decided l could not do my other knee just yet l need a break plus l had went down to basically no pay at work as l had been off a long time. I made the desition l could only ever work part time again as l am.not fit enough and my husband is also part time to help care for me and soend more time together as its been hell the last year he has basically been my carer. I never though about claiming any benifits before as l.have always worked all my life. But l was assesed by the council and given a 3 year blue disabled parking badge and she also said l should apply for a mobility car or pip because l have had to reduce my hours. I could go on about how bad my life has been but it never crossed my mind l would be eligable for anything. I went through the application on thecphone last week and the pip 2 form has now been sent out.
I know we will be struggling with money after we go part time but l honestly could not work full time and still rely heavily on oainkillers. Do any of you know if l will have any chance at getting pip or a mobility car. I am not sure if there is a diffrence in benifits as l have never had to claim.them before.
Do l have a chance?
I know its affected me in all diffrent ways including pain and happiness. And its took away my cofidence and mt independance.
Hi Laura I have very similar problems to you and I'm the same age and like you I've worked all my life and its so rubbish that we have such bad health problems....ive just been awarded pip so there's no reason why you shouldn't try to get it too...put as much evidence hospital letters etc in with you claim form...cant stress this enough....good luck xxx
Yeah l know well thats reassurinh knowing you got it. Thanks for replying can l.aak you a few questions. I have all my paperwork from.my appointments l have pictures of my xrays after the hips and knee have been done. I am.gping to make an appointment with my go to make him.aware l have applied for pip as it tells you that on the webside. I can give them the name of the person at the council who awarded me my disabiity badge for 3 years and my work know l jaave had to reduce my hours as l am unable to work full time. So far l have only worked 2 days per week as l have holidays to use up but even thats a struggle. I am not sure if my husbamd would be eligable for carers allowance? Luckily l have no children and it does not affect that. Deborah what other evidence did you put l have my surgeon who done my ops my gp my council occupatonal health is there anything else. Are you still working or have you had to give it up? I drive and have a car to pay for and now mu wages have halfed and so is my husband so we have half the income coming in.
What proof did you give just letters for appointments ect? Thanks so much. Its been the hardest year of my life l was 42 when this started l found out l needed all joint replaced my mum got cancer and we are not sure if she can be cured and in the middle of that my husband...my rock fell ill and ended up in hospital with a brain virus. It was so scary and he could have ended up with permenant brain damage but luckily he pulled through. I just don't think its fair on people like us in our 40's and basically l will never be the same person l was again.
Pip would maybe help us a bit or mobility or carers allowance. Its not like l dont want to work full time l can't because of this. I never thought l would have a chance because l am still working 21hrs.
Yeah its so unfair being like this at our age....id just include every letter from your surgeons/doctors and really tell them how affected you are when you fill in your forms...i didn't but luckly I had a nice assessor who could see I struggled ...hopefully you'll be successful too xxx
yeah I agree - i'm 68 and up until early this year had DLA High Mobility & Middle Care. In the change over to PIP things went wrong (entirely the fault of the DWP - they lost my letters for application).Because of that I can't now claim PIP and they closed down my DLA claim which I had for the previous 21 years!
On top of that the DWP tell me that I don't heve any needs so can't get Attendance Allowance.
I have multiple conditions that create extreme difficulties - Aquired Brain Injury (Frontal lobe damage) PTSD, Early onset Dementia, Thrombosis, Chronic Pancreatitis, PAD, Type 1 Diabetic etc etc etc
Thanks l have read.lots about pip on the internet now and to be honest l am not sure if l will qualify for anything because l still have a job even thougjh l have had to drop my hours and go part time.. and been off more than a year. I hope l do. People keep telling me to apply for pip and mobility but because l have never claimed for snything l have no clue.
You have nothing to lose by applying I'd never claimed anything before as well but the whole thing took about 11 weeks and I got awarded for both ...good luck xxx
PIP isn't about working. It's a disability benefit for those who struggle in daily life. People claim this and work. ESA is the benefit for those who can't work. As long as you have plenty of evidence for your PIP claim there's no reason why your claim won't be successful. I've been claiming it for just over 2 years. First time for me. Don't currently have the enhanced mobility part tho. Waiting for a decision to be made regarding my recent review for that. It seems possitive so i'm keeping fingers crossed. Take a look online at the PIP descriptors and try to understand what it's about to give yourself more knowledge. There's plenty of info out there.
As you might know claiming PIP is a process where you need to fit certain criteria and score enough points on a number of descriptors which include Daily Living Activities and Mobility. You are not awarded PIP simply because you have a condition (that is Employment and Support Allowance) instead it is based on how the condition affects you in other words it’s severity.
The thresholds are 8 points for standard payments and 12 points for Enhanced on either Daily Living or Mobility. You score points by fitting what are known as ‘descriptors’. In Daily Living there are 10 activities which range from preparing a meal, washing/bathing, dressing/undressing, taking medication, social interaction and budgeting. In Mobility there are two descriptors ‘planning and following a journey’ and ‘moving around’.
To ‘score’ points you must on the balance of probabilities prove that you receive personal care to carry out any of the daily living activities or your mobility is restricted to certain distances. To complicate things more the care must be provided more often than it is not what is known as the ‘50% rule’, in other words you receive the care more than 50% of the time. The good news is even if you can do some of the care yourself it doesn’t count if you can’t do it ‘safely’ ‘to an acceptable standard’ and ‘within a reasonable timescale’. A ‘reasonable time scale’ is usually set at more than twice the time it would take a non-disabled person to carry out the same activity.
It is VERY important to fill in the PIP2 form and give all details of any personal care you receive. Don’t make the mistake of just sending the medical evidence and hoping it will speak for itself, because it won’t.
Google PIP ‘descriptors’ and identify which ones apply to you. Actually write that descriptor down on the PIP2 form and explain why it applies to you and then refer the assessor to any supporting medical evidence. You will also need what is known as ‘care evidence’. Sometimes claimants have Care Plans and that is very powerful evidence.
However, it is not unusual for claimants not to have a Care Plan so instead provide a copy of a ‘Care Diary’. Get a signed statement from your Husband detailing the care he provides.
As I said you need to prove on the Balance of Probabilities that you receive this care so the more evidence in your favor the more chance you have of receiving the benefit.
On this forum we often get asked ‘what are my chances?’ and frankly it is an impossible question to answer over the internet without seeing medical evidence and you directly.
That said you have provided what is known as a ‘prima facie’ (first sight) accounts of your difficulties and it would appear that you may well have a right to PIP.
Good advice Denise. Claimants often make the mistake of stating they need PIP to pay for their life style. As you correctly point out that is not what PIP is for, it is designed to help with the extra cost of disability (care/travel expenses) and stating you need PIP to pay your other bills is a massive mistake.
Les let's not hi-jack another thread. This is Lors thread and we really don't need to hear your story again, it's more than well documented on this site.
Just a small point but I think it's important. Scoring points for PIP isn't about proving that you receive personal care, it's about proving that you need it. The form repeatedly says "This includes help you have and help you need but don't get". It may be harder for people to claim if they don't receive any care as they will have an added hurdle - "You say you need help and yet you're managing without it".
I realise Lors is receiving care from her husband but even in this situation there may be times that her husband isn't around to provide that care, whether because he's working or because she is, so the 'help you need' part of the requirement may be relevant. During these times the reliability criteria become particularly important. I think it's important to think about this and either explain on the form or in the assessment to hopefully avoid the opportunity for the assessor to make any incorrect assumptions about the help being given/received through choice rather than necessity.
All I was trying to explain by giving an example is that my care needs are greater than my wife's who has Arthitis in nearly every joint at age 71. She agrees. Yet for the life of me I cannot understand why those suffering from Arthritis should get PIP awards (and in my wife's case - the day & night award for Attendance Allowance) yet I am classed by the DWP as not having any care needs after having had a rigorous face to face assessment for my Attendance Allowance claim.
On the face of it and based on that result any PIP application that could have been made had the DWP not cocked it all up would have failed in any event. Totally confused, annoyed and angry.
You don't need to shut up les your entitled to your opinions like everyone else who uses these forums....but I'm 43 and have worked for 22 years as an orthopaedic nurse but now I find myself with arthritis in almost every joint...today has been particularly bad as it hit home how useless im becoming rapidly...I don't have the energy to do anything...im going to theatre tomorrow to get the 1st of many joints replacement!!...arthritis is cruel and it should be recognized by the DWP ....and I thank god it is