Students on PIP, what has your experience been like?

Sausagedog

Hi, I'm hoping to start university this September, the course is 2 days a week and I'll mostly be attending via Zoom but will be trying to attend physically when I'm able to. The building is a 20 minute walk away (or <5 min drive).

I'm very anxious though because on my PIP mobility form I have "unable to undertake any journey due to psychological stress" (for context, I did tell them I already go out 2 days max a week). They took off points for standing/walking after my last reassessment despite having chronic pain that affects my mobility, so now I'm afraid that DWP will see that I'm going to uni and automatically take points away from the journey criteria assuming I'm attending physically every day, and therefore I end up losing the mobility rate completely.

I'm too afraid to contact them and explain, I've had horrible experiences with them that leads me to believe they just want to use any excuse they possibly can to get people off PIP, and going to uni would be like handing them the perfect excuse. Even if I explain the situation I'm sure they will twist it as they twist pretty much everything I've said in the past.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation? Any advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

poppy123456

PIP is about how you’re affected on the majority of the days. This means at last 50% of the days in a 12 month period. 

Being a student and doing zoom meetings will not affect your PIP. Even if you do manage to attend some times in person then it’s unlikely it will affect it, if it’s not the majority of the days.