I have a PIP (Personal Independence Payment) assessment next week. I receive ESA but I was told to apply for PIP which is supposedly replacing DLA and now I have an assessment. Does anyone know what to expect? Has anyone else with Fibromyalgia had a successful PIP/DLA assessment?
I have FM and was just turned down for Industrial Injuries benefit; they said I had not lost any 'faculty'??
I am appealing as they did not take into consideration FM at all, merely an accident I had at work which I think caused my neck injury as I had no problems prior but which they say, was an 'underlying' condition?? They have never asked for my medical records and its all assumptions.
How did you manage to get ESA with FM only? I understood we had little chance of claiming it with just FM, as debilitating as that can be.
I actually started claiming ESA when I was severely depressed and was suffering great anxiety after a death in the family but I have yet to have another medical assessment regarding ESA since I was diagnosed with FM but I have written to them after an adviser at the job centre told me to do so and ask to be put in the ESA Support Group. I have been on other forums and understand that many people with FM are receiving ESA.
I don't know about anyone else but I find my FM completely debilitating. For instance yesterday I felt so ill and completely exhausted, I managed to make it to 9pm when I finally went to sleep and have only just woken up at 2pm the next day. This is a regular occurrence for me because I am simply just too exhausted all he time. I've also been getting this pain which feels like a knife in my shoulder blade and I can no longer walk anywhere. Not because of laziness but I just can't manage it and if I do have to walk any distance I pay for it later believe me. I also suffer quite badly with IBS. I'm on medication for it but it doesn't always help unfortunately.
If I were you I would go on some other forums and get some advice. I believe a lot of the time it is how you fill in the medical questionnaires and answer the questions that makes the difference a lot of the time.
Thanks, I will do that. This whole system is skewed against us. How can they call FM a disability then refuse us disability benefits? I teach and am going back to work after months off due to FM. Don't know how I will cope with it.
Some seem to cope with FM better than others. I wish I was one of those people but I am bed ridden a lot of the time. I hope you find some helpful info. It is out there but you have to find it yourself as the system does not make it easy for us or anyone else suffering from a disability. I wish you luck xx
If you can, have a look at these posts about FM and benefits. It might be helpful to you JeannieMc
Just wait for the link to be approved xx
princessemh89
Thanx a million for this link!!
xx
I have been refused 3 times for dla/pip the medicals are a complete joke, you can be refused if you can walk in your house or if you drive to the medical by yourself.
I am having to finish work before I am dismissed for 'medical capability'; meaning, I can no longer do my job (teacher) due to fibromyalgia/bad health and must leave before they fire me! I cannot qualify for disability benefits because as you say, I can still walk and drive. Walking is not easy some days but because we can still do it without HAVING to use a walking stick or other aid, we are not considered ill. I use a walking stick when i can rouse myself to go for a walk, because I am scared of falling, having done that already breaking a couple of ribs!
Even though someone decided that FM is a DISABILITY, I have to sign on for JSA, contribution based benefit, after having to give up a well paid job that I love and was educated/trained for. The 'irony' is just amazing to me!! I know how frustrated, angry, disillusioned you are feeling right now. Hey but don't worry, the Tories are now letting you put up to £15K a year in your ISA and take your big fat pension as a lump sum instead of buying an Annuity (but you'll pay 20% tax for the pleasure).
"Politicians are shadows on the wall!" - Russell Brand
'The root cause of Politicians is MONEY!' - Anonymous
Hi JeannieMc I am still working but really struggling and don't know how much longer I can go on,I am in severe pain from the moment I wake up until I go to sleep,I was told it doesn't matter if you are working or not to get pip,It seems to me that if you have a self inflicted addiction (drugs or alcohol) you get everything you claim for,We didn't ask for our disability but when we ask for help we are refused.
As I said I do understand and share your frustration, however I also understand the 'plight' of addicts/alcoholics. Alcoholism is a disease and a terrible one at that; if it were as easy as not picking up a drink, there would not be any alcoholics. Alcoholism is a very complex illness and one where it's suffers are treated terribly; many of them are in prison and criminalised for it. I am very much with Russell Brand on this topic.
Try not to look for other sick people to 'blame' for us not getting what we should; the problem lies firmly with those who rule over us. They simply do not have any compassion and care only about money. Did you read what Tory Grand Shapps is saying about us today? Its all over the media and twitter:
Who said Tories dont have sense of humour? @grantshapps: #budget2014 cuts bingo & beer tax helping hardworking people pic.twitter.com/8l2J5gEzj6
** Keep fighting and stay strong; don't let the buggers get you down!
I have just been for a PIP assessment and am already claiming ES with my FM but I was on it anyway because of my severe depression and anxiety. Will have to wait and see how the PIP claim works out. I have seen many on different forums say that they have successfully claimed PIP/DLA and ESA. I can walk inside my house but not very far outside my home on most days but on a bad day I am bed bound which means I cannot do any of the things is asks you on the ESA and PIP medical forms like brush my teeth, shower, wash my hair, make a meal etc. So I think it is how you word things on these forms a lot of the time. I know that many people including the staff at the job centre told me to answer the questions thinking about how I would be on my worst day which means we definitely qualify for PIP and ESA. You just have to know how to fill them out and answer the questions, it makes all the difference!
@SuperSammy I have heard that going to the PIP assessments by yourself is a big no no! I also didn't fill in the questionnaires by myself either I had someone else do them because just looking at them gave me a headache! I'm not sure why but they see it as a sign of independence and capability. Personally I never go out by myself anyway so naturally I took my Mum to the assessment and had her in the room with me too to back up what I said and add lib. I will post back and tell you guys if I was successful or not but if I wasn't I will appeal anyway xx
Hi princessmh89 I went to pip assesment on my own and that was a mistake it said on my refusal that I was cheerful and had a good memory of my FM, We should be assessed by someone who knows what we are going through, I really hope you are successful with your claim.
@SuperSammy The things they come up with for refusing you are ridiculous. You should appeal or apply again. Get a family member to fill out the forms for you and at your assessment take someone with you and also let them do some of the talking too.
I hope I am successful too! It is so stressful having to go through it all because I have an illness through no fault of my own. The process is very degrading but you have to persevere. They make it so hard so that people will give up on their claim. The lady who did my assessment was nice but I am no fool and I know that means nothing. I will be requesting a copy of the report she made at my assessment too(which you should also do) because otherwise we have no idea what they actually wrote down whilst we were sat there (usually the opposite to what we say). At least then I will have some evidence to appeal against should my claim be refused.
And I agree with what others have said which is if you decide to go and drink a bottle of vodka every night of the week this system has no problem giving you money to support your addiction (which is all it actually does) and yet if you have a genuine illness they try to make you feel like a fraud for trying to get some help so that you can actually manage to live and support yourself!
I am going to make a new claim and I know what I should do now,I have got a carers service to fill in the forms for me and you are right about junkies and alkys that's self inflicted and they get everything they claim for I hope they get treated the same way I did but I don't think they will.
I am glad you are going to apply again. There's lots of advice online too. And when you go for your assessment if they ask you to bend over or touch your toes etc and you can do it but i causes you pain say no. Because if you do it but you communicate to them that you are in extreme pain whilst attempting it all they will put down is you are capable of doing it. It is possible to be successful with your claim but your have to know what you are walking into with Capita or ATOS they are so sly!! Makes me mad!
Yes you are right I will go there and not say much and I will have someone to take me there,Its also a good idea to write down on some paper about the history of your condition so it proves your memory isn't that good,and I will look depressed when I go in to see them (which wont be hard as I am depressed anyway)I am off to bed now.........Goodnight princessmh89