PIP Assessment by Physiotherapist

Julia1

Three years ago, I was placed in the ESA Support Group and was awarded DLA for daily living. In ten days time, I'll be assessed for PIP. The assessment will be done by a physiotherapist. I anticipate that s/he will not know much about the auto-immune disease I suffer from. It is a chronic, incurable, life-threatening disease that causes muscle weakness and joint pain and destroys the liver. I am at Stage IV and have cirrhosis of the liver. Ultimately, I will need a transplant.

DWP Guidelines state that those who suffer from this illness should be granted an indefinite award. I anticipate that the physiotherapist will provide the DWP with a report that makes light if my symptoms. I will then have to request an MR and possibly take it to Tribunal. As I have already presented a wealth of medical evidence from Specialists in Lincoln and Cambridge (Addenbrookes), I'm wondering whether there is anything I can do to prevent the physiotherapist and/or DWP from making ny life any more difficult than it already is over the next few months. 

BenefitsTrainingCo

Hi Julia,

I know it's a stressful process attending a face to face assessment. I would try not to worry too much about MR and appeals - try and concentrate first on getting through the face to face assessment first. You never know - you may be successful.

You've certainly done the right thing sending in lots of additional information already to the DWP. You can take copies and give to the physiotherapist when you attend the assessment. Make sure you have read the PIP descriptors first and make a note of which ones apply to you. Try and keep a diary of a typical day making a note of what help you needed, how you felt, how long it took you to complete the activity, etc and take it with you to the face to face assessment. It can be a useful reminder on the day and you can give a copy to the physiotherapist.

There is more information about what happens at the assessment at http://pip-assessment.support/#main-menu

Good luck - and let us know how you get on.

Best wishes,

Michael

gerardmckeever

I have a state pension and I appled for carers allowance . I was turned down because my state pension was more than the careres allowance  and I do not qualify for pension credit . I thought a pension was no longer a over lapping benefit can you advise where I stand thank you

BenefitsTrainingCo

Hi gerard, just to confirm that I'm really sorry but as discussed in your other post, carer's allowance and state pension do overlap and you can't get both.

Whether you can get pension credit is a separate question depending on your income. It might be worth claiming carer's allowance even though you won't get it, as it increases your chances of getting pension credit. 

Will