PIP claim 2nd time with new conditions

tifo

Hi

I have a thread on here from a previous claim which went up to tribunal but I wasn't successful. I still suffer from my eye conditions, gout and other issues but at the time the DWP and tribunal said they were not enough for a PIP award. I still disagree but anyway the judge said she doesn't believe me.

Recently i've been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in the knees, the left knee is stiff and limited in movement for the past month and the right knee is also stiff but not as much. I've had the x-rays etc and it could be due to age or gout which used to affect the left knee sometimes. I also now have pains in my fingers esp when I do tasks using them, for example keyboard. More so in the right hand. It's the joints.

My cholesterol is at 5 (2 years ago it was 5.5) and the GP says this is now considered high when previously it wasn't as they use different criteria and wants to put me on statins, though this is not a basis for the claim.

My BP is also slightly high and i've been put on medication for this.

So this month 3 new outcomes.

So, should I make another PIP claim because of osteoarthritis? The other existing conditions will be secondary. I see that the award success rate for osteoarthritis or generalised osteoarthritis is high at around 72%. My other conditions have not gone away as they're for life which I said in my previous claim, though my gout hasn't flared up much this year.

Thanks

tifo

I'd like help from an agency this time as I think I may have made newbie mistakes last time and tried too hard to get all the info to the DWP (claim, MR) and tribunal, esp since the DWP used both my WCA and PIP medical reports in both tribunals and I had to argue against 2 reports (hence double the writing I had to do) and the DWP rep and judge at the tribunal kept jumping from one report to the other, with me having to keep up with the relevant report. I thought this was unfair but the tribunal didn't see anything wrong with it.

I've been told to be concise and not waffle which can happen when one tried too hard.

Albus_Scope

Heya @tifo PIP is awarded based on how your illnesses effect you day to day, it's not based on any diagnosis. But there's no time limit on when you can reapply.

I've found the best way of setting up your application is writing about each descriptor that applies to you, then what the issue is, preferably with real world examples of issues with consequences and then the tick box you chose.

tifo

Hi, i've started my claim with DWP, made the phone call yesterday which is 3 months from new condition.

Also been to see Shelter who are our local benefits advisors and they were totally useless as before, they just give you the descriptors and ask to fill your own form.

chiarieds

Hi @tifo - I'm sorry Shelter weren't much help. You could try the following to see if there's a Welfare Rights Office near you:

https://advicelocal.uk/welfare-benefits

As mentioned by Albus, PIP is not about any diagnosis, but rather how your disability affects certain activities of daily living &/mobility. PIP is also about how you are the majority of the time.

Try & 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 such as pain or fatigue?

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.

Try keeping a diary for a week or so to help show where you may have difficulty/need support, etc. Just complete a few questions at a time, & you can always add extra pages at the end. Ensure you put your name & National Insurance number on each page. You can also ring the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 to ask for extra time to complete the form, & you will be given another 2 weeks without question. Keep a copy of everything 'just in case,' & get a free Certificate of Posting from your Post Office when sending the form off.

This is also worth reading through:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria