Pip review

Middlesbrough_1

hi I’m new here . Last year I got low rate pip the last 6 months I’ve been suffering with dizzy spells constant migraines pain in my legs and lower back I went for a mri scan and that shows I have a bulging disc. I went for bloods and I’m not type 2 diabetic with me being on low rate what is £272 pcm and my condition is a lot worse now and more things have been proven on scans and bloods how would I go about to appealing the amount I get? Thankyou for reading

OverlyAnxious

Hi,

You can put in a change of circumstances with new evidence. Though you will most likely have to go through another assessment as well.

However, please make sure that your current difficulties would entitle you to more points from the PIP descriptors. PIP is not awarded based on any diagnosis, it is all about the descriptors. I must also warn you that they can reduce the award, as well as increasing it. So it is not something to be taken lightly.

The full list of PIP descriptors can be seen here - PIP - table of activities, descriptors and points (citizensadvice.org.uk)

Rachel_Scope

Hi @Middlesbrough_1 and welcome to the community 😊

Have your daily living and/or mobility needs worsened? This is the information they would look at, not a diagnosis. Make sure you're clear about how your needs have changed and what activities you are no longer able to do/struggle with. Here is some information for reporting a change of circumstances.

Middlesbrough_1

hi guys thank you for reaching out. What’s changed is I can’t walk as far as I could without me been in severe pain in my lower back and my legs I’m unable to even wash up or use a microwave due to having constant dizzy spells standing or sitting to long every few minutes I’m wriggling changing positions the way I sit not able to sleep on a night without feeling the room spinning constantly nausea and not even be able to go out my anxiety is that bad I suffered from an overdose few weeks ago as I was sick of feeling this way ended up in hospital on a drip because I can’t live like this. However weighing 16stone at 5ft5 has a big impact on myself as I struggle to loose with the weight due to my pcso and underactive thyroid and now diabetic type 2. My toes burn and my eyes blur out every single day which my family find it dangerous for me to do the things I used to do 6 months ago as I loose balance I’m under the mental health act for adhd atm I can’t hardly get out of the bed during the week but when I do it’s fight or flight for me is this worth actually changing the circumstances? I’m on daily living the Lower rate but a lot of things have changed over the last 6 months and evidence also shows in hospital tests. I always knew something wasn’t right with my back and the mri scan proved in I can’t be in this much pain for no reason so it showed my bulging disc which made sense. I’m skipping appointments because the pain is that bad ? Thankyou guys

Middlesbrough_1

I’m relying on alcohol to take the edge off and to make me have some sleep throughout the day and that’s a scary thing for me

OverlyAnxious

It would be ideal if you can check which descriptors you scored points in before. Then see which ones you think you could score points in now. It's almost impossible for us to judge it online from just a couple of posts.

If you are unable to go out at all on the majority of days because of overwhelming psychologic distress then that should give you a standard Mobility award on it's own. You would need to know exactly how many metres you can walk reliably in order to work out how many points you could score for the physical mobility question, which could bump that up to an enhanced Mobility award.

For the daily living side, I'm afraid not being able to stand up for long isn't really relevant for the food preparation descriptor. And washing up isn't considered at all. If your dizzy spells mean that you would be unsafe with knives or a pan of boiling water then that is more relevant for that descriptor.

You also mention that you can't get out of bed for days. If someone else is regularly prompting you to get up and have a wash or have something to eat, then that would also be relevant for the sections on washing and bathing & food prep.

Middlesbrough_1

my friend who lives near me comes to see me every single day we’ve also I have close family relatives that also help me I’ve had the cooker taking out of my home as I tried to burn my arms on the hobs to feel pain as most days I feel like I’m not even here or even visible. I went through a lot of ptsd due to past which has a majour impact of me leaving the home I can’t cumminucate that good as I get under pressure i go days without eating but my relatives bring me my meals and most of the time they’re still sat there not eating my family handle my medication as I known for overdosing and also forgetting to take them I’ll walk about 10 steps and I’m inagony I don’t really know what to do because family are telling me to report changes but I’m also not good at explaining things my family are about their ego and wouldn’t come to assessments with me they didn’t come to my last one and I felt like I couldn’t get a word it I felt like it would of been so much better on the phone what am I supposed to do ? And thankyou for you reply to me.

OverlyAnxious

You can ask for a telephone assessment as a reasonable adjustment if that would be easier for you.

As your family manage your medication, that would score another few points on the daily living side. Unless you had already scored points for that last time.

It does sound like you should be able to score enough points for a mobility award, and possibly an increase to enhanced daily living as well, but it has to be your decision whether to put in the change of circumstances or not. There may be a disability advice service in your local area that could help with the form filling.

Maybe you could write some short bullet points for each descriptor on a piece of scrap paper or an envelope over the next few days, just a bit at a time. Then compare that to the points on the descriptor list at the end of the week. If you can score more than 8 points on Mobility, and more than 12 points on daily living, then it should be worth putting in a change of circumstances.

Middlesbrough_1

hi thankyou again. I haven’t got my previous scores as I think I have binned it as I did move house a year ago into a disabled bungalow which was the reason I had taken it as I had no stairs to climb. On my last assessment I told them about my back ectt and still only passed for the daily living and I receive £272 pcm. Since then things have got worse from last time and it’s proven on scans blood tests ect ect I am going to ring them Monday so I can gather my thoughts as I’m not very good on the phone and always think if others speak for me they don’t say what I want them to say so things get muddled

aicha

You should request a PIP review form while waiting it .Prepare your case (GP &practitioners..letters,scans,medication list ,testimonies from family&friends caring for you .Speak to your GP &share your insomnia …Reach out to some professional (counselling) to assist you to navigate mentally through this strenuous odyssey

Good luck 🤞

aicha

oh I forgot

For the assessment request call or video ones

Middlesbrough_1

my doctors are abit off they want me in work asap it’s all they mention to be I was a care worker my past job and the struggles I had wasn’t good they don’t live with me to see the struggles the gps I see all they say if they need me sorting on meds to go back to work it’s so frustrating because they don’t know me they know me from a 5 minute doctor session so tiering and emotional and they wonder why half my problems I don’t tell them I skip half of the things so they don’t go on at me