PIP eligibility for Back pain???

dan94

I’m recently looking into PIP but unsure if I will qualify as I don’t actually have a diagnosis. I’m under the age of 30 and since aged around 19 had severe back pain from simple tasks. I’ve had scans, nothing showed, and physio. Lived to deal with the pains and adapt with help. However since now having an almost 2 year old the pain is getting worse. My back seizes in the night and the pain wakes me up, I struggle walking next to my child holding their hand as this causes too much pain. I don’t cook meals as again the standing / leaning causes too much pain. At work I have to make sure I have a chair I can sit on ect I just didn’t know if they will think well this is nothing?? Or they will see the pain although not diagnosed as a condition affects lots of my daily life. Obviously there’s a lot of daily tasks / activities that are affected by it I’ve just outlined a few points above. Thank you 

nasturtium

Hello Dan64

You do not need a diagnosis to claim PIP because PIP is based on the limitations of your condition to complete the 12 PIP activities Reliably and that is safely, repeatedly, in a reasonable time and to an acceptable standard.

You need to explain in detail how your condition affects you when you do the 12 PIP daily living and mobility activities. Give real world examples of problems that have happened when you completed the activities, what happened and if anyone witnessed it and what was the consiquences.

The best evidence is your evidence you put on the PIP2 Questionnaire form (how does you disability/condition affect you) form.

You are looking to complete each PIP activity that applies to you and your condition with atleast half a side of A4 for each of the applicable descriptors.

So for example you said that you cannot stand to prepare a meal because of the pain you have in your back  and you need to make sure you have a chair to sit on at work. That shows that your can prepare a simple meal from fresh ingredients to and acceptable standard using the aid of a Perching stool and that should get you 2 points for needing to use an aid.

I have written a lengthy post on how to present your verbal evidence on a reply to another post on this forum with links to further advice sites with more information. The link can be found here and it is based on a back condition so you might find it of some help https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/680205/#Comment_680205

You need to be as detailed as possible on your PIP2 Questionnaire form and if there in not enough room you can add extea sheets of paper but to need to reference those extra sheets for each activity in the box provided and make sure you include your name, date of birth and national insurance number at the top on every extra sheet you include. Also if you send supporting evidence only send copies and not origionals and put your name, date of birth and national insurance number at the top.

I hope this has been of some help.

Nasturtium

dan94

Thank you for your reply I will have a look. My worry is I will get say 2 points for the cooking and then I can walk a distance of say 200m but it’s the pain afterwards … once I stop. So I feel I won’t get awarded. I cannot go to standing concerts. Walks around shopping centres , themed parks ect but I don’t feel it’s enough for what they class as mobility 

nasturtium

dan94 said:

Thank you for your reply I will have a look. My worry is I will get say 2 points for the cooking and then I can walk a distance of say 200m but it’s the pain afterwards … once I stop.

The distance of your ability to walk is based on the distance you can walk without severe pain or discomfort. So you can walk 600m but if you are in severe pain and discomfort after 30 meters but you need to push yourself to keep going or you might be very slow at walkiing because of the pain and discomfort caused by walking or  after you have walked out you would not be able to walk out again the same day because of pain and discomfort then you should be assesed and not being able to complete that activity. You need to do all of the 12 PIP Activities Relaibly https://pipinfo.net/issues/reliably

Like I advised above and on the link I included on my post the best evidence you can provide is the evidence you put on your PIP2 questionnaire form and the quality of that evidence.

If you want to include supporting evidence then you can keep a 7-10 day daily disability diary to show your daily limitations doing the PIP activities and what happened that dat when you did the activity.

Also if you have suport from a family member or you know someone who sees you regularly and witnesses the problems you experience then you can ask them to write you a supporting letter explaining your limitations and restrictions you have each day. They will need to include how they know you and how often the see you.

All of this can be included with your PIP2 Questionnaire form as suporting evidence showing your daily limitations.

Kind Regards

Nasturtium

nasturtium

Just to add to the above that the Mobility activity also includes you ability to stand and then move. So if you cannot stand safely, repeatedly or to an accepptable standard and then move forward thenyou need to include in the Mobility activity (Moving around) in detail why you cannot stand.