Important News regarding NEW PIP System Change

General health and lifestyle
1

Hi all,

Remember the Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits were going to be adjusted next April, but due to the public outcry - they decided against it. What you probably missed was a part of the Autumn statement, regarding Universal Credit or UC for short. I have included part of an email which you can find on the Pinned Reference of Benefits & Allowances on here.

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/useful-resources-488646

The site goes into far more detail than what I have quoted below, but this just gives you some indication of our future in the UK regardless if you're working or on benefits.

{QUOTE from Benefits and Work}

PIP AWARDS TO BE SLASHED

The DWP is aiming to slash the number of people who are eligible for the daily living component of PIP. The cuts will be aimed at the 35% of claimants who qualify for PIP solely because of their use of aids and appliances.

Senior officials are unhappy that recent upper tribunal decisions have found that a bed, for example, can count as an aid or appliance if a claimant needs to sit on it in order to get dressed.

This, they say wasn’t the original intention when the benefit was introduced.

As a result the department has launched a brief consultation, ending on 29 January 2016, to decide how to change the system.

Possibilities include giving claimants who qualify for PIP on aids alone a single lump sum in the form of a voucher or giving them nothing at all.

{End Quote}

That link above should take you the Resource Section of this site, after that Browse for Benefits & Work website - you can subscribe to a monthly news letter regarding the latest in Benefit News and Work, because even working families on low incomes are being hit as well as the poor and disabled.

Regards,

Les.

2

I don't want to be accused of agreeing with the government on this, but wasn't this the reason why they had to scrap DLA? Over the years definitions were expanded by the courts that allowed people to claim DLA for reasons that were never intended to cover when DLA was first rolled out. Claimants pushed the boundaries way beyond the original idea. Now PIP is going the same way. Courts once again are pushing the boundaries. I doubt that Parliament envisaged claimants being able to claim that a common of garden bed is an aid! Where will it end? We have the descriptors and we have the spirit with which the PIP legislation was written with. Why are we trying once again to push it way beyond what the original intent was? The government have noticed the trend and intend to call a halt to it. Surely being awarded standard rate care simply because people use aids was never the intention of the legislation. If they use aids AND also qualify under other sections (for other than aids) then I agree they should be given the 2 points. Make it a level playing field please as there are many many disabled people out there that wouldn't dream of suggesting that a bed is an aid and fail to get any award.

3

As long as everyone remembers,  despite the high faluting talk around PIP, it was changed from DLA  for one reason only - to save money.  

I get lower rate DLA for depression which I will lose coz this rate is being phased out.  But it did help me stay in my job and cut my hours a bit.  Now I can't get another job due to my depression (and being sacked for illness ie depression) and can't get my state pension until 65 because they have bunged the age up,  so it boosts my very small private pensions and enables me to survive.   Depression isn't my fault but I am being punished.  I doubty whether I would qualify for PIP.  x 

4

Hi Les,

I have a Electric hospital bed supplied by the District Nurses whom my Doctor called for one to be delivered, but it is not used for me to get dressed on, besides I do not think you even get a bed just to get dressed you would use a chair or your carer would help you.

I have the bed so I can higher my legs up, to stop swelling in my legs, ankles and feet. Plus if I have a seizure the bars around the outside protects me from falling off, I do sometimes get dressed but my wife dresses me, while I balance by holding on to the bed rails. It also massages my body, which is normally spasming 24/7, so even a good nights sleep, which is rare, I can get up by raising the back to sit me up. My wife used to have to pull me up with the aid of my son, sitting on a bed to get dressed is ridiculous!

Regards,

Les.

5

Hi. I am one of those that uses the bed to help get dressed. I have spinal problems & not steady on my pins. I understand how and why someone says their bed is an aid as well as saying they use a chair. Some of us cant get dressed standing up. My bedroom does not have enough room for a chair there for I have to use my bed.

6

Hi, you are absolutely correct. PIP was brought out to reduce the DLA total annual bill by 20%.

What I was saying was to question why the DLA bill had reached the heights that it did? That was entirely down to the Courts and claimants in trying to push the boundaries beyond what DLA was set up to do. Some DLA claims had become ridiculous.

Now we have the same thing happening with PIP. All of a sudden we now have a bed classified as an aid. This was never the intention of Parliament, but the Courts have allowed it.

With people going down this road in trying to fit any problem they have into the descriptors it will only result in one thing - a general tightening of the regulations so much so that it will become extremely restrictive. Anybody that attempts to claim for a non intended reason will find that once a loophole has been discovered, the governmenr will close it.

This will affect everyone and not just those that are 'trying it on'.

 All I ask is that the so called 'clever ones' spare a thought for those that don't go down this road and will end up penalised.

7

Hi Paula,

When I first contacted Adult Social Care (ASC) they gave me a small bench to sit on. It's not exactly that small because I used it to get dressed on, but I found it difficult - it came with handles, but after awhile I even found using it was difficult.

As my disorder became worse, the harder it became for me to even get out of bed, things like turning over or even trying to sit up was impossible. Back then my wife and I had a double bed in the largest bedroom in the bungalow, so as you can imagine we did not have much space when the District Nurses lent me an Electric Bed, which are used in hospitals. This solved a few problems like sitting up, etc..because all that was required was a push of a button. Of course, I couldn't turnover in bed, so I had to manage sleeping in a sitting up position, with my legs raised (this was to aid my swollen legs, ankles and feet).

I still use the bed to sit on, because my mobility is so poor - I have to hold the safety bars on the bed while my wife dresses me. It is impossible for me to get dressed any other way. Once that is all done my wife transfers me to my wheelchair and pushes me into the toilet / bathroom - which has a lot more aids!! I basically live on aids and my family to move me around, my wife can no longer lift me, I'm not small - I stand over 6ft, not sure on my weight.

If it wasn't for disability aids, I would be literally stuck in bed - even my middle son finds it difficult to push me around in a wheelchair. My wife is going to start looking at ways of getting me a partially powered one. Basically, a wheelchair that is battery powered that she can push me up slopes easier, because she has now got a back injury from pushing me around. She is my carer, and even she finds some of the work to get me transfered to my wheelchair, difficult.

The only reason why I use the bed to get dressed on, with the aid of my wife is she can higher and lower me, to get me into certain positions, which a normal bed cannot do.

I wish life was not so difficult, I was not born with the disorder - and I certainly would not wish it upon anyone. Its not just affected myself but my 3 children as well, I just hope I live long enough to see my only daughter get married - that is one day I would like to see!

Lately, I've been really down - I got a woman that bought around a list of phone numbers of people that are also disabled in some way to meet once a month.

This government does not make things for us any easier, and I know what David Cameron thinks of us, which I will not repeat on here. But it was in a book I read.

Regards,

Les.

8

Hi Les. Ur right it not easy. And I know how you feel. People think that when you lie down the pain should ease but it doesnt. Like you said somrthing as simple as turning over can mean no more sleep that night due to pain. I'm 47 and my bestfriend help with alsorts bless her. I call her my babysitter. It hard when we have to rely on others. My disability is due to car accident nearly 30 years ago. I had my MR this morning so another waiting game. I thought about seeing if there is any groups near me but the only one is a night time meet and I dont drive after lunch time due to my meds.

Its so easy to fall into depression aswell which same again some peeps just do not understand.

If like me you cant promise anything ie appointments or going out as everyday is different.

You could be fine then have a flare up and thats it.

Paula

9

Hi hypercat. Its worth a try sweet. My mum had a saying which was. If ur not sure ask. As you dont know the answer until you have asked the question. Even if you get care its that bit extra for you. Depression is nothing to be ashamed of. I have it. Im having CBT therapy. What was only a 6 month thing as turned into 18 months and counting.

Give them a call sweet.

Paula

10

Thank you Paula your mum is right - it's always worth asking.  The trouble is the things they ask aren't really relevant to me but other things do impact my life a great deal.   When I am going through a bad spell I rarely cook even using the microwave I just eat junk food or a sandwich.   I don't care how I live so stop doing housework and live in a midden.  I don't do self care just the basics so I am acceptable but barely.   I buy groceries locally as can't bear to go too far,  I rarely open post in case it is bad news etc.  If I got a bit more money I could afford to pay for a cleaner which would help a lot.  But I can dress myself and go out and don't need reminding to take my meds,  I do get very confused with them though,  and can't work things out or plan things.   I am always like some of this all the time even when my depression is not too bad.  Life is just so hard sometimes.  x