Hi, my name is Hannah195! I have a question about pip and wondering if anyone could help?

Hannah195

I have a question about pip and wondering if anyone could help?

I have nerve and ligament damage in my right foot and this sends oain up my right leg. I can walk but my foot itself tend to be 90% numb I could kick a wall and feel like I've done nothing, I dislodged/broke my metatarsal bones in my right foot and was in cast but when I did it, I didn't feel anything to give context.

When it comes to wanting to drive its near impossible, I find it hard to gage how much pressure I'm applying, I did 2 lessons in an auto car before I had to stop and this was due to being unable to 100% use My right foot. It has also been known to cramp up and then stick in a position and I just have to wait for it to go back to normal kinda thing.

Where do I stand with getting any help yo get probably an adapted car in order for me to be actually able to drive. It's annoying because I can physically walk even if I trip over my feet and have to buy new shoes every month...but I cant drive with my foot I'm its condition?

Could anyone shed some light on what I could do please? TIA

chiarieds

Hi @Hannah196 - & welcome to the forum. I'm sorry to read about the difficulties you face. PIP is about the functional problems you have with regard to the 12 descriptors/activities that are looked at with this benefit so it's always a good idea to familiarise yourself with them first. Please see: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/asset-library/personal-independence-payment-descriptors-and-scores-april-2023.pdf

poppy123456

To access motability then you need to be awarded Enhanced mobility PIP and then there would be help towards the adaptions. For motability you exchange the mobility payments for a vehicle.

However, PIP isn't about your ability to drive. Whether there's any entitlement will totally depend on how your conditions affect you. This is often a good starting place. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria

Hannah195

Thank you for your responses. I understand Its not based on my driving its my function aspect pm that sode of things, I'm gonna go through my gp to get to the bottom and get a answer for my foot and maybe a diagnosis and then go with this to pip and see what I can do, I know I could score some points for mobility but would have to just see. Thank you for any answers that have been given 😊 

Hannah_Alumni

@Hannah195 Welcome to the community!  

I see Poppy and Chiarieds were able to help with your query Please keep us updated and I hope everything goes well with your GP and you get to the bottom of it all! 

poppy123456

You don't need a diagnosis to claim PIP because that's not what it's about. Whether there's any entitlement will depend on how your conditions affect you.

Hannah195

I understand a diagnosis isn't needed but when. Trying to explain my foot issues that can affect my mobility its hard to explain without medical terminology and with having anxiety and possible adhd (going through diagnosis) it's hard for me to get this across so easily in writing or on the phone 😕

chiarieds

I appreciate where you're coming from as, altho it's not normally recommended to get help from your GP about PIP, my GP offered to write me a supportive letter. He was able to see some of my physical problems (e.g. partially dropped right wrist & permanently partially dislocated collar bone). However, he wrote his letter all in medical terminology, & I used the same with my assessment, yet decision makers don't necessarily have any medical understanding (fortunately I explained the medical terminology with a subsequent Mandatory Reconsideration before I joined this informative forum).

Do find out more from your GP, but, if you consider claiming for PIP, with the claim form do give a couple of recent, detailed examples as to the difficulty you face for each applicable descriptor, i.e. when did it happen, where, what happened, did anyone see this, & were there any consequences to attempting/doing an activity?
Say if you can do each applicable activity 'reliably,' i.e. safely, to an acceptable standard, repeat as often as one would reasonably expect, or if it takes you much longer than someone without a disability.

Keep it simple, always relating to the PIP descriptors, & avoid medical terminology as you need the decision maker to understand exactly how you're affected the majority of the time.

Hannah195

Thank you! That's so helpful, think I'm gonna look into it tbh, my foots getting worse and it's effect my hips and they have issues as it is. I can't walk to town anymore have to catch buses and if not its ordering food to home and that's costly enough as it is, will look into everything and see if it's worth doing. Thank you for your help 😊

chiarieds

You're very welcome, & do look at the links above & come back with any questions.