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mobiity aids points & PIP
profjohn
Member Posts: 2 Listener
Ive just been following the mobility points discussion on PIP and walking distance thresholds i was/ am on originally on high rate of DLA but my mobility allowance was suspended when I moved to living in france now I'm back in the UK I'm was expecting to have my mobility component reinstated but DWP tel me NO I have to apply for PIP which scares me that might lose my DLA & ESA In relation to waking distance-thresholds. After a stroke i havehemiplegia left sided paralysis which means that the gross movement of my affected leg/ foot is very awkward crude and prone to pain I can only walk get out of my chair stand because upon dressing at the start of the day i dress with / use a clinical othotic foot brace [ invisible wearing trousers] which helps to stop my drop-foot. if i get out of bed at night I struggle without the orthotic or a walking-pole touching the wall or furniture to walk to the ensuite toilet . but with the orthotic and my walking pole I can walk more than the 50m distance on a smooth surface. but I wouldn't dream to try without orthotic due to instability pain fatigue etc try to walk the 50m without pole or orthotic on anything other than smooth indoors any distance greater than the 50m would be hugely slower and more wobbly than an ' normal person. But even so I worry that with my aids I might be deemed too mobile for PiIP mobility etc when using my foot brace and walking aid. what advice should follow with Pip etc? thank you
Replies
“Welcome back”
Yes I’m sorry to say that PIP will be replacing DLA eventually.
PIP is completely different to DLA.
Here’s some info for you:
https://search.scope.org.uk/s/redirect?collection=scope-meta&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scope.org.uk%2Fsupport%2Fdisabled-people%2Fbenefits%2Fpip&index_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scope.org.uk%2Fsupport%2Fdisabled-people%2Fbenefits%2Fpip&auth=OdCmUepX8Eu01lD6Q10Fhg&profile=_default&rank=1&query=Pip
You can do a “self test” on our site to see what you could potentially get!!!!!
Please please let me know if I can help/support you with????
You are not required to walk pain free but any pain that restricts the distance that you can walk should be taken into account.
Specifically for the Moving Around activity, if you are able to walk but you are in severe pain when doing so, then you can argue that your walking is not to a necessary standard and should be disregarded.
The legal test requires you to stand and then move (walk), so if you have problems getting up then you should document these as well.
If you walk slowly then it must take you at least twice the time to cover the 20m as a healthy person would, this could be down to the speed of your walking but could also be the result of having to stop.
You must be able to repeat the distance, so if you could walk it once but not then be able to walk it again within a reasonable timescale then you should be classed as unable to repeat the activity.
CR
I understand that rest stops between walking stretches should be a few minutes though neither assessor nor tribunal asked me how long I have to stop for.
Disability Rights UK site (DR) used to state and maybe still does that using aids will get you some points. So list all the aids you use the in your application and in your 7 day diary. DR site has a draft diary you can adapt.
I was awarded standard both after assessment and enhanced both at tribunal.
Such as a walking stick, hearing aids, a bath lift and a perching stool.
The DWP were stopped from bringing in the amendment that aids should only be worth 1 point thus you would never get enough on aids alone for an award.
Yes they should do. However in my case they didn't. The assessor/DWP accepted that whilst I had a whole houseful of aids (2x high toilet seats & frame one for upstairs the other for downstairs, a perching stool in the kitchen, a bed riser/grab rail, electric bath lift and shower seat) they were there out of choice and not out of need. Consequently they were disregarded for points purposes. They did however give me some points but not enough for an award for having to use two hearing aids which were provided by the hospital - I had sent in the paperwork from the audiology dept.
For the first two assessments (2014 & 2016) I went from no award to enhanced care & mobility for each following an MR.
For the third one (2018) they again decided no award. Asked for an MR as I had done for the previous two and was told this time that the DWP agree entirely with ATOS and no award is due.
After that I gave up. So no award at all now, but thinking of claiming Attendance Allowance depending on how the form has to be filled in and whether I will have to have another face to face assessment. If I do I'll close it down as I'm not being subjected to anymore of their antics.
Thanks but no, I'm not going to put myself through that torture. Yes I will probably win (as I have done twice before for the same reasons), but I simply cannot face the ordeal. Even winning is not the end of it. At 70 the thought of having to go through this every 24 months for the rest of my life makes me shudder!
Another poster on here is going through with an appeal - this is what she has said:
A DLA award is required to cover some of the extra costs of living with a disability, and it is not to be used to top up the general household income.
I asked the DWP years ago about when I would be paid my DLA as money was tight - the above was their answer!
I know what you mean - losing my PIP has seen our total income drop by £195 a week!!!