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What could / should PIP be paying for ?

Wibbles

The government appears to have backed down on the option of paying PIP in the form of vouchers - this time !

But lets start a list of everything that PIP could / should be paying for ?

(Things that I am unable to do myself - that my wife does for me)

I'll start off with a few :

Someone to cook my meals for me.

Someone to wash up after my meals.

Someone to drive me to medical appointments.

Someone to mow the lawn, weed and keep the garden tidy.

Someone to do the shopping.

Someone to Vacuum and Dust the house.

Please continue the list…. this may prove useful for all of us, should the government ever decide to revisit this possible plan. making individual "claims" necessary.

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CocoChanel

Someone who helps maintain monthly bills, helps me organise these and make payments on my behalf.

Someone to help with school drop off and pick up.

Someone to do the odd jobs around the house I.e. fixing things that are broke as I have adaptations or unable to change light bulbs etc.

Wibbles

Someone to make sure that I am awake by a certain time in the morning (human alarm clock)

Someone to help me get into/out from the shower safely

Someone to wash my clothes and dry them on the clothes line

Wibbles

All of these things are extremely important/vital and would be impossible without the assistance of a carer - so would be "chargeable" to PIP.

OverlyAnxious

I think they'd take issue with a few of those things. It would be generally expected of a partner to cook and clean for a spouse that they live with, without needing to pay them. If you mean paying an external cleaner and gardener to come in, then that's more understandable.

In my case, it would be used to pay for more accessible healthcare, but that doesn't exist yet. It would pay the additional rent for a more accessible property, above the LHA rate, but I can't access those due to societal bias. It would pay for an assistant to help physically & practically with non-essential tasks that I can no longer manage, but that service also doesn't exist. It would pay for someone to understand my situation and converse with people such as health professionals, tradespeople and benefits services on my behalf, but again that doesn't exist either. And lastly, it would pay for a vehicle suited to my specific needs, that can be relied upon at all times, but unfortunately that service is currently only accessible to people who meet certain PIP descriptors, so again no use to me.

whistles

You could start with if your wife does things for you, you don't need it? That would be wrong in so many levels right. It would mean anyone who is married would be exempt

PIP is called a personal independent payment because it's designed to enable you some independence. What you spend that money on is your business as otherwise it stops being your money.

I don't get the care element, but I do get something else provided by the LA I think. My benefit was almost cut in half when I lost DLA care and the premiums.

If they decide to give me a voucher for mobility instead of into the bank, public transport/taxis will need to be told they need to accept them.

I don't wish to get involved with a list. What gives me independence isn't necessarily going to with someone else. Each condition effects someones day in a different way. I see pip as allowing me to live a fairly "normal" life when for the most part I don't feel part of society as I am not working.

CocoChanel

I agree to any points above as alot of the support we need does not exist. However to your point of expecting a partner to do certain things, some people like myself don't have that. Therefore we rely on others whom some charge for these things.

OverlyAnxious

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/932122#Comment_932122

Yes, that's the point. The OP lives with a partner who manages a lot of the things listed. They would do the same with or without PIP, it is not costing them any extra.

But for people like you & I who live alone, we would need to pay external services for the same tasks, so it would cost us more to live the same life as the OP. That extra cost is what I believe PIP should be spent on.

Hopeless

Taxi’s for when public transport is inaccessible.

Delivery costs when shopping in person is difficult.

Extra energy costs from being at home more.

Wibbles

Don't forget to add things that you'd like to be able to do / should be able to do - even if you are unable to do so……… for whatever reason.

LottyM

This whole thing is just terrifying. I wake up every day after a night broken with horrible nightmares and intense fear. I look on helplessly and wonder what the new government will do with PIP. I can't move on or get better because of the perpetual fear and uncertainty. How can they do this to other human beings? I honestly want to die just so all the pain, uncertainty and feelings of worthlessness die with me.

They may have shelved vouchers, but now I hear they want us to provide receipts for extra expenses. I can't get receipts! I don't have that level of functioning. I want to get better, to work. How can I focus on recovery when all I know is fear?

poppy123456

@LottyM where did you read that you need to provide receipts? It’s not correct where ever you got that from.

You can spend your money on anything you want to.

whistles

Today I got a taxi.

I paid cash because some prefer that as it costs to have the card machine.

That didn't come with a receipt.

Wibbles

It's easy to see where the extra costs associated with being disabled comes from.....

Meg24

I have 3 needs that are what are known as "protective factors" which are basically things that prevent people with unaliving thoughts from going through with it. PIP helps me pay for all 3, that is to say that without PIP I would lose one or all of them.

1. My dog. She is literally my carer as without her I would be nocturnal, would never leave the house or even my bed, would not structure my time etc. I also have no other company so would be completely alone 24/7. I feed her healthy food, keep her up to date with all her healthcare, have proper insurance to cover her for life and I make sure she has a good bed and toys. She's 100% my responsibility

2. My car. I'm housebound without it as I can't use public transport and the only place I can go without it is one walk out the back of my house onto farmland. I can't walk my dog properly there as there is livestock and there are no shops etc. No car = no dog because I won't keep a dog I can't walk properly & if I can't afford a car I wouldn't be able to afford a dog walker either.

3. My home of 16 years. I cannot cope with even small changes, sameness and stability are essential to me. That means that even though my daughter moved out some years ago I need to stay here, so I have to pay the bedroom tax and all bills associated with a 2 bed house, I can't tolerate people so could never have a lodger.

None of these things (save maybe the car although I lost PIP mobility for 4 years when they changed the MH rules) are things PIP are meant to pay for, but they're the things I need to keep my disability stable.

Jimm_Alumni

It really is an inexhaustive list.

@LottyM Hey, welcome to the community. I know it is quite worrying but the government have given no indication of any changes to PIP so far. If you don't mind, where did you hear about this receipts idea? There are a lot of media sites causing worry and anxiety with wild speculation, it would help us if we knew what places were saying this kind of stuff.

Edit: Don't worry! I think I found the 'news' article, was it from BirminghamLive? The article does at least say that this was a possible proposal by the previous government, not the current government.

whistles

This is where some people are finding receipts from. If they suspect someone of fraud or going over the 6000 they might ask for proof of where large sums of money went and why.

https://www.independentliving.co.uk/industry-news/dwp-bank-account-surveillance/

wobblyone

This is an interesting post. I use PIP to pay for extras when I can’t get out and about. Home deliveries, taxis and carers mostly.

I also pay for extra therapy that is not available via NHS and also to cover gaps in services that I’ve been unable to access.

I also pay for friends and carers to take me out sometimes or get me to appointments.

I have larger taxis for my mobility scooter and sometimes have to pay more for things because I’m too unwell to manage what I’d normally do.

I often pay more than my PIP for carers or trips so I only have agency workers as and when or have gaps where I just go without a lot of things. In my household someone needs a lot of heat so until recently I covered the extra energy.

If there was a voucher system for PIP it would be impossible to tailor then to fit individual needs or help with independence. In my case it sometimes helps when there are gaps in NHS and Social Care so that it can’t really cover the cost so vouchers would mean a bigger gap.

Jimm_Alumni

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/932374#Comment_932374

This is to do with Universal Credit and possibly other means-tested benefits however, not PIP. PIP is not means-tested so it doesn't matter what your savings reaches. This article is also quite old now, though it is possible LottyM only saw it the other day.

whistles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/932384#Comment_932384

As I am on a means tested benefit, my savings shouldn't exceed the 6000 regardless of having PIP though?

poppy123456

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/932389#Comment_932389

The maximum amount of capital is £16,000 before means tested benefits stop, not £6,000. That is the lower limit and for every £250 or part thereof over £6,000 your means tested benefits are reduced by £1/ week for legacy benefits or £4.35/month for Universal Credit.

PIP isn't means tested so capital doesn't affect the amount you're entitled to. However, if you have any money left at the end of the period it's paid for then that becomes capital.