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Question 14 moving around - slopes and steps

QuestionP

good afternoon,

I have been advised by a few people to claim PIP after they witnessed me having to stop and my heart racing from climbing steps or goimg up slopes. I can managed 20 steps or 30m and then I need to stop on a hill to let me heart slow down.
I have been diagnosed for dilated cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation, and walking up slopes/hills or lots of steps is my only struggle.

would this qualify for PIP or am I being a drama Queen!
I have never claimed benefits before , but my friend at the weekend said I should claim PIP and take a taxi next time I need to walk up such a long incline hill , but I don’t take a taxi as I can’t afford it.

Thank you in advance for the advice

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Comments

Kimi87

The PIP Mobility descriptors are here:

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system

If you cannot do an activity reliably, repeatedly, safely and in a reasonable time frame for more than 51% of the time, you are treated as unable to do the activity at all.

If you decide to apply, please get help with filling in the form as local welfare rights know the wording to use, also an outside look at our problems is useful because we just get used to stuff as normal when it isn't, and as relevant information needs to go on the form.

https://advicefinder.turn2us.org.uk/

Rachel_Scope

Hi @QuestionP and welcome to the community. I can't really add anything to what Kimi has already said but if this is something you struggle with most of the time then you're definitely not being a drama queen! It could help to pay for taxis so you don't need to struggle.

QuestionP

thank you for the replies.

I shall take the advice and do some research before submitting the form.

thank you

QuestionP

one additional question if I may

the section

3. Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition.

Needs any one or more of the following –
1. to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage medication;
2. supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage medication.
3. supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to monitor a health condition. 1 point

can I ask, I need to use a blood pressure monitor and a smart watch to take an ECG and heart rate monitoring, does that count as assistance or is assistance referring to a person helping you?

Rachel_Scope

That's a good question. I would imagine that that would count as it's part of monitoring your health condition, it's just that the question isn't worded very clearly. I would definitely write it down anyway.

luvpink

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1110246#Comment_1110246

This may come under using an aid so yes you have nothing to lose by stating that.

flour

Hello @QuestionP

Welcome and don't think of yourself as a drama queen - look in to what you can get is perfectly fine.

PIP Mobility 2 is about moving on the flat not up/down hills or on steps.

If you have no issues and can move around on the flat for over 200 meters at the same pace as a non disabled person with no discomfort, pain, exhaustion etc… and do this again and again after a very short interval then you're unlikely to qualify for mobility 2.

Daily Living 3 Managing treatments

Assistance is help from someone else. If you do not need help from someone else to use the blood pressure monitor and a smart watch then it you would be looking at

b. Needs any one or more of the following:

(i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage medication

You'll need to explain in detail here what the reason why you use the aids is, how you use them and what the consequence will be if you don't use them.

For the other activities on the form you need to think about your 'only struggle being slopes/steps' what about being on your feet in the kitchen, do you have to rest after having a shower etc… ?

Separately look in to New Style ESA and/or Universal Credit - they do consider the inability to go up and down steps. Although they look at fewer than 20 steps there may be times when this is relevant.