How do you use your PIP / how does PIP personally benefit you?

sam02

Ok, I have a plethora of health problems including some profound disabilities. I am certain PIP would be hugely beneficial for me, but I am trying to identify tangible ways how I can utilise the financial benefit of PIP to assist and improve my daily life.

Please could you help describe / explain how PIP makes a difference to your life, and how your quality of life has changed/improved as a result? And also is your PIP sufficient, if not why?

66Mustang

I live at home and would survive without my PIP, note I said "survive", not "live a half decent life".

My PIP is enough.

I use it to do things that cost extra for me because of my issues.

I can't use public transport so I have a Motability car and use the money to put petrol in it. I use a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of soap every 2 days due to OCD so PIP gets used for that. Another example is I like eating out but can't do that alone so I pay for my parents (who are my carers) to eat out with my PIP.

I keep my PIP segregated to make sure it only gets spent on the "correct" things. Using the eating out example I pay for my own meal using my normal money and only use the PIP to pay for my parents as I wouldn't want to think I was paying for my own treats out of money that is meant for being disabled. I have treats like beer and chocolate but I make sure not to use my PIP for that.

I save up about £100 a month and this goes on "bigger" things that help with my "disability". E.g. a few years ago I had a sink installed in my bedroom for about £800 but it has changed my life in ways I can't explain how.

Just my thoughts and I am not judging anyone who uses their money differently to me.

Hope this helps.

66Mustang

Just so you know PIP is not means tested and you do not have to justify how you will be using the money when you get assessed.

poppy123456

You can use your PIP money for anything you want to use it for, no questions are ever asked. Some people use it just to live, even more so now because of the increase in the cost of living.

In the Winter my helps with the extra heating costs needed because of the health conditions. I don't have a separate bank account for any of my benefits, they are all paid into the same account. I do save a little each month because i can. For the past 15 months some of my PIP has been used to pay for my upcoming holiday in the sun, which is very much needed because it means extended sun/heat, which helps my health condition considerably.

My daughter uses some of hers for the things she likes to do and to pay for her sister to go with her because she can't go out alone.  She does save some too and also used some for our holiday this year.

2oldcodgers

What a good subject which has made me think what I use my PIP for for and my wife, her AA.
For a start I have just taken on a Motability vehicle purely down to the extortionate prices of a new car that I would have bought. This then leaves my care element of £101.75.
Obviously the only running costs I have with the new car is petrol. However I would have paid for that irrespective of whether I had PIP or not so I cannot count that as a cost.
I had a look at what the government suggest I spend it on

What PIP is for

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can help with extra living costs if you have both:

• a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability

• difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition

You can get PIP even if you’re working, have savings or are getting most other benefits.

So they advise that living costs are the norm.

With that I assume that my gardener/handyman is a cost that fits the bill as I can no longer do any of that work due to my disabilities. That works out around £30 a week on average throughout the year. I have no other extra costs such as electricity/gas or water as I would pay those bills disabled or not.

To be honest I can't think of any other costs that I incur purely because of my issues. So effectively I could save around £70 a week (£3640 pa) But I don't it generally gets frittered away on day to day expenses such as cigarettes, bottles of wine, sometimes new clothes etc.

As for my wife's AA of £101.75 the government tells us: 

You could get £68.10 or £101.75 a week to help with personal support if you’re both:

• physically or mentally disabled
• State Pension age or older

It does not cover mobility needs.

All and every element of the personal support that my wife needs and gets comes from me that doesn't cost anything. Once again it is frittered away on more expensive food that we both like, new clothes/shoes etc. But to be honest she would still spend that level anyhow irrespective of AA being paid.

Summary

This extra money provides for a better standard of living and a better life balance of more away breaks etc.

chiarieds

Hi @sam02 - you say, 'I am trying to identify tangible ways how I can utilise the financial benefit of PIP to assist and improve my daily life.'

I would suggest you don't need to find this, for, as poppy has said, you can use it, 'for anything you want to use it for.' This will differ depending on whom you talk to.....for some it will make their life somewhat easier, for others it will help them with the necessities of life such as decent food, & heating.

I don't have my PIP paid into a separate account either; it helps with my fuel bills & food, & I also save what I can. I don't really think that my PIP money pays for a,b,c, as it all goes into the same 'pot.' I'm in total agreement with poppy & woodbine.....hope you get awarded PIP, then, if successful, spend it as you wish.

OverlyAnxious

PIP doesn't help me tbh.  I wish I'd never gone through the hassle of it knowing what I know now.

I was hoping for three things when I first applied:

1.  Pay for private healthcare, believing this to be more flexible and accessible than NHS treatment.

2.  Access to the Motability scheme for a reliable new car in the spec that I needed for the conditions I have.

3. Allow a move to a more suitable property, instead of an upstairs studio flat.


Realised early on in my PIP journey (after a failed face to face and joining this forum) that I could never be awarded enhanced Mobility so had to give up on number 2.  Then got turned down for every single privately rented property I enquired about due to being on benefits, they weren't interested in the amount of income I had.  And then I found out that private treatment is still just as inaccessible and inflexible for someone in my position as the NHS treatment.


So the only difference for me is a number on my banking app.  I wouldn't say it's improved my life in any way at all.  I'm currently awaiting a review, if I lose the award, I'll have to very seriously consider whether it's worth all the hassle of appealing when it doesn't seem to make any practical improvement to my situation.

sam02

OverlyAnxious said:

PIP doesn't help me tbh.  I wish I'd never gone through the hassle of it knowing what I know now.

I was hoping for three things when I first applied:

1.  Pay for private healthcare, believing this to be more flexible and accessible than NHS treatment.

2.  Access to the Motability scheme for a reliable new car in the spec that I needed for the conditions I have.

3. Allow a move to a more suitable property, instead of an upstairs studio flat.


Realised early on in my PIP journey (after a failed face to face and joining this forum) that I could never be awarded enhanced Mobility so had to give up on number 2.  Then got turned down for every single privately rented property I enquired about due to being on benefits, they weren't interested in the amount of income I had.  And then I found out that private treatment is still just as inaccessible and inflexible for someone in my position as the NHS treatment.


So the only difference for me is a number on my banking app.  I wouldn't say it's improved my life in any way at all.  I'm currently awaiting a review, if I lose the award, I'll have to very seriously consider whether it's worth all the hassle of appealing when it doesn't seem to make any practical improvement to my situation.

For what reason did you realise you would never get Enhanced Mobility? Do you agree with their decision? If not, did you appeal?

OverlyAnxious

sam02 said:

For what reason did you realise you would never get Enhanced Mobility? Do you agree with their decision? If not, did you appeal?

In order to get Enhanced Mobility with just mental health conditions you MUST NOT be able to go out regularly alone, but MUST be able to go out regularly with another person.

Due to social issues, I have always found it extremely difficult to go out with another person.  At the time I first applied for PIP (2019) I was able to drive short distances on my own, which allowed me to purchase groceries at shops with a self-checkout and go for short walks in rural areas away from other people.  This means I was not eligible for any Mobility award at all.

Now that I am housebound, I am eligible for Standard Mobility and have been awarded that this week on the review.


I had to go through MR and tribunal to get the daily living allowance the first time, but knew I would never get Mobility allowance, even through tribunal.  I agree that the decision was within their own regulations - but I do not agree with the regulations.  I was totally reliant on my own private vehicle in order to get anywhere at all, could not use public transport or or even take lifts with a relative.  It's difficult to see how that doesn't score any points for 'going out', and even more so how I would not be eligible for the Motability scheme.  Ultimately, I may be in a much better position now if I had been able to access the Motability scheme pre-Covid.  I am now housebound, and unable to travel in any vehicle or manage any person face to face, meaning I cannot access health services that I desperately need. 

OverlyAnxious

Biblioklept said:

@OverlyAnxious I hope you don't mind me saying but I think you've possibly overthought the mobility section. I think I'm a very similar position to you in terms of mobility and I receive high rate mobility and always have.

My current position is I can't go out alone and I can't go out with someone.
My last time around I could (sometimes) go out alone and not with someone. 

Both times I've been awarded high-rate mobility. 

It's not about the care you get, but the care you need (whether you'd want, accept, or use it or not)

Don't mind you saying at all, though I haven't overthought it unfortunately.  You shouldn't have got high rate this time unless you also got some points in the 'moving around' section.  The 'journeys' section is very clear for people who can't go out at all.  10 points - standard mobility.

e. Cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant. 10 Points

poppy123456

I agree with overlyAnxious here if you can’t go out the majority of the time due to OPD then 1E is the correct descriptor, not 1F.