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From DLA to PIP

[Deleted User]

Sorry if this has been discussed before. I have just signed up to this site. My wife received a letter stating that her DLA she was entitled indefinitely is ending and needs to claim for PIP.

We have read that PIP are not interested in your health but your disabilities affect your every day life.

My wife had a stroke in 2001 in which now left her with a weak side. She gets frequent transient ischaemic attack and can take up to a week for her body to sort them out. This leaves her bed-bound.

She walks with cane at all times and if she tries walking without she will fall forwards.

She has a complex medication regime for her blood, headaches, arthritis and the aftermath for her stroke. This just make her very drowsy so again she spends most her days asleep. I am her full time carer also , I do all cooking, shopping and housework. I have to cut supervise her when she eats, cut her food and make sure she eats little mouthfuls at a time.

I have to wake her up 4 times during the day so she can take the her tablets. I have to get her up and walk her to bathroom several times a day.

She can't travel alone as she's need for me support, she can't walk 50 metres she needs to pause after every few steps.

How am I going to put this on the PIP form, explain this to the health assessor and what will the health assessor want her to ? She can't raise her arms or legs due to arthritis.

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Comments

northwestmum2

Best to put all on form exactly as you have here- enclose PHOTOCOPIES of any hospital letters(from consultants etc)and photocopy the actual form also to be on safe side- the DWP have a habit of 'losing' forms and letters etc-and if you need help with it go to a proper welfare benefits advisor- (although i did and all he did was put same things i would but in scrawny handwriting)but as i said make sure you COPY everything.also make notes or record assessment, ( we didnt )but then youve no proof if they lie about it.others have recorded it and been glad they have.

[Deleted User]

We always keep any paperwork and ask Dr for her records. We are seeing her GP next week . So will ask for one again and one dated back three months ago. Will local CAB office help so we tick the right boxes on Pip form.

northwestmum2

They DO make you try to raise arms/legs etc to see how much you can/cant do at assessments.if youve got certain medical conditions/or head/brain injuries you ussualy must be seen by an actual doctor,not just a health care worker(they told me that when i had waited wks for appts then 2hrs on the day for my own assessment,ive got epilepsy plus other medical conditions)Not everyone who changes over has to do assessment though- as its indefinate DLA to PIP she may not have to.Take heart- and be prepared.

[Deleted User]

She can't raise her limbs they either freeze or just crack then she will be in pain. Her GP can be booked up for a whole month.

I have to get her dressed and do her her shoe laces. But I would never change what I do for her.

Yadnad

northwestmum2 said:

if youve got certain medical conditions/or head/brain injuries you ussualy must be seen by an actual doctor,not just a health care worker(they told me that

Who told you that? When I put in my PIP2 to transfer from DLA in 2013 I identified and evidenced that I suffer from PTSD due to trauma as well as an acquired brain injury also by the same trauma
I evidenced the many problems that have arisen due to the above.
Since 1995 I have and still continue for life to receive a DWP benefit - Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit at 40% solely because of the above.

Yet I was seen by a general nurse who admitted that she knew very little of how those conditions would affect someone.

In my report (gained no award despite years on DLA (HRC & HRM) she completely dismissed all of the difficulties I claimed for the above and actually carried out a Mental Health Examination which said that I do not and never have had any mental illnesses and difficulties! Shock!! I don't rock, salivate, sweat, etc etc ,

Matilda

Disability Rights UK site has a good guide to claiming PIP. Your wife's disabilities have to 'fit' the relevant descriptors. The DR site also has a draft diary that you can adapt. It's a good idea to attach a 7 day diary with her PIP claim. List all the aids she uses on the claim form and in the diary.

Your wife will not be expected to undertake any exercises she is unable to do.

Walking distances:

Up to 20m aided = 12 points (enhanced)

20 - 50m aided = 10 points (standard)

20 - 50m unaided = 8 points (standard)

Instead of being asked how far can she walk your wife might be asked for how long can she walk. Always relate time to distance, e.g. 'it takes me X seconds or minutes to walk Y meters'. DWP reckon 45 seconds to walk 20m is very slow walking.

Never give a waking time alone as this could give the assessor an excuse to extrapolate that your wife can walk farther than she can.

Watch out for other trick questions, such as about pets and hobbies. Looking after pets especially dogs could suggest a high level of energy. And hobbies such as craftwork and doing jigsaws could suggest a high level of manual dexterity.

Try to get some f2f advice from CAB or similar.

[Deleted User]

Matilda said:

Disability Rights UK site has a good guide to claiming PIP. Your wife's disabilities have to 'fit' the relevant descriptors. The DR site also has a draft diary that you can adapt. It's a good idea to attach a 7 day diary with her PIP claim. List all the aids she uses on the claim form and in the diary.

Your wife will not be expected to undertake any exercises she is unable to do.

Walking distances:

Up to 20m aided = 12 points (enhanced)

20 - 50m aided = 10 points (standard)

20 - 50m unaided = 8 points (standard)

Instead of being asked how far can she walk your wife might be asked for how long can she walk. Always relate time to distance, e.g. 'it takes me X seconds or minutes to walk Y meters'. DWP reckon 45 seconds to walk 20m is very slow walking.

Never give a waking time alone as this could give the assessor an excuse to extrapolate that your wife can walk farther than she can.

Watch out for other trick questions, such as about pets and hobbies. Looking after pets especially dogs could suggest a high level of energy. And hobbies such as craftwork and doing jigsaws could suggest a high level of manual dexterity.

Try to get some f2f advice from CAB or similar.

Could you send me a link for that. My printer is not working but I could use diary sheets. 45 seconds to 20 meters sounds about right for her (cane and arthritis combined )

We have pets buy I look after them by feeding them and cleaning them.

She does not have hobbies because she can't do. She does not watch TV or listen to music.

Matilda

disabilityrightsuk.org

[Deleted User]

If someone can give me some questions that the accessor could or will ask us, will be appreciated

AndMac

Great advice from Matilda.

Just joined, hello. I have monoplegic CP - left leg. with minimal weakness in my hand and arm, but I also now have arthritis in my left hip, and very restricted mobility. I walk very slowly, with two sticks, I cannot move without support. I'm 60 -just.

Last year I went from enhanced mobility DLA, zero care, to higher rate mobility and standard care. It's a ten year award.

I am less functional now than when I got DLA in 2009, but I needed to be, I would have got nothing, otherwise, under the 20-50 metres walking rule.

Can I just second keeping a diary, and making sure you have evidence to tick the boxes for each points requirement for care? With mobility, you basically can either cover a certain distance in a certain time, or you can't.

I felt my diary spoke for me, and outlined a lot of my need for help with care.

This is an example of evidence:

I knew I would need to tick the box for help getting dressed to get points for this. I use a Sock Aid to put socks on, and made sure I mentioned using it on both my diary and my claim form.

Rather than struggle or just not wear socks, I bought the aid to show that I needed help.

I could hear the imaginary conversation with the assessor.

'You say that you need help dressing, but you got your socks on, didn't you?' 'Yes, but only with this Sock Aid',

Box ticked for needing help with dressing.

Grab handles by the loo and bath ticked boxes for help with toileting and bathing (also my downstairs commode, as my stairs are like the Eiger, and loo is upstairs). I use a perching stool to cook, and don't use my freestanding oven, but a combi microwave.

I'm very shaky whilst bathing, so I ended up with 9 points for standard care. 3 for bathing, 2 each for dressing, toileting, and preparing food.

I also had a slips, trips and falls log, indicating my instability, and need for help, even if I don't get it.

I held out for a home assessment. I work from home, and would have lost work to attend the assessment, plus the expense of hefty taxi fares, and the stress of walking to and from the taxi was an issue.

I made sure I answered the door to the assessor, so she could see me walking, and how I moved.

I wasn't asked to do all the exercises, due to my dodgy hip.

Hope that helps someone.

[Deleted User]

AndMac said:

Great advice from Matilda.
Just joined, hello. I have monoplegic CP - left leg. with minimal weakness in my hand and arm, but I also now have arthritis in my left hip, and very restricted mobility. I walk very slowly, with two sticks, I cannot move without support. I'm 60 -just.

Last year I went from enhanced mobility DLA, zero care, to higher rate mobility and standard care. It's a ten year award.
I am less functional now than when I got DLA in 2009, but I needed to be, I would have got nothing, otherwise, under the 20-50 metres walking rule.

Can I just second keeping a diary, and making sure you have evidence to tick the boxes for each points requirement for care? With mobility, you basically can either cover a certain distance in a certain time, or you can't.

I felt my diary spoke for me, and outlined a lot of my need for help with care.

This is an example of evidence:

I knew I would need to tick the box for help getting dressed to get points for this. I use a Sock Aid to put socks on, and made sure I mentioned using it on both my diary and my claim form.
Rather than struggle or just not wear socks, I bought the aid to show that I needed help.
I could hear the imaginary conversation with the assessor.
'You say that you need help dressing, but you got your socks on, didn't you?' 'Yes, but only with this Sock Aid',
Box ticked for needing help with dressing.

Grab handles by the loo and bath ticked boxes for help with toileting and bathing (also my downstairs commode, as my stairs are like the Eiger, and loo is upstairs). I use a perching stool to cook, and don't use my freestanding oven, but a combi microwave.
I'm very shaky whilst bathing, so I ended up with 9 points for standard care. 3 for bathing, 2 each for dressing, toileting, and preparing food.

I also had a slips, trips and falls log, indicating my instability, and need for help, even if I don't get it.
I held out for a home assessment. I work from home, and would have lost work to attend the assessment, plus the expense of hefty taxi fares, and the stress of walking to and from the taxi was an issue.
I made sure I answered the door to the assessor, so she could see me walking, and how I moved.
I wasn't asked to do all the exercises, due to my dodgy hip.

Hope that helps someone.

Hello yes. Can you give me a guide line to write the diary. I do my wife's care and personal care.

AndMac

If you write the diary, I would write it as if your wife was writing it, as it's her needs. So, starting at the time she wakes up, all the things she does, and how she does them with your help and the help of aids.

This is an excerpt from mine:

Getting washed/dressed takes up to forty minutes. If I sleep in the chair I am still in the clothes from the day before and may only need to change my lower clothing. I use babywipes to clean myself, unless I am having a shower.

Showering takes around 20 minutes, I have to wear a rubber shoe in the shower as the discrepancy in my leg length is too great to stand with both feet on the floor. I use my wall mounted safety rails to hold myself upright and wash one-handed. I can stand for brief periods unaided but need to bend my knees to do this safely. I am very unstable and this position is tiring.

Drying off and getting dressed takes up to 40 minutes. I cannot put socks on easily so use a Sock Aid to help me to dress. The Sock Aid is really useful. My reacher-grabber device helps me to pick items up from the floor/that are out of reach from a seated position.

I have to rise and sit repeatedly to get underwear and trousers on. My painful hip makes leg movements a very slow process, my poor balance means I must support myself at all times.

c. 9.30 After dressing I put any other items needing washing in to a bag and kick / push this along the floor to the landing. I drop it over the bannister. My disability means I need to walk with a stick in each hand so very little is carried. I leave my sticks at the top of the stairs and walk slowly downstairs, picking up my 'downstairs sticks' at the foot of the stairs.

I have coffee/tea/breakfast after putting the washing on. I eat and drink sat at a cluttered worktop on my perching stool; cluttered because everything needs to be at hand, carrying items from cupboards is difficult. I often have porridge made in the microwave. Using the stove-top safely can be dangerous sometimes as I may lose my balance and put my hand on the hotplate. This has happened.

c. 10. 15 After breakfast, on a normal working day I do my work of online English instruction.

I may break to use the commode downstairs or the toilet upstairs.

In the entry above I detailed how I needed help to dress (the Sock Aid), and help with bathing (the grab rails), and how I could not use the cooker safely. I also mentioned the downstairs commode I use.. Keep repeating things like that.

[Deleted User]

That's great advice thank you. When the forms arrive I will get a diary started for 7 days before posting.

Pippa_Alumni

Welcome to the community, @AndMac- great advice from you and @Matilda!

All the best with your application, @andyjd. If you have any further questions, do let us know. You may also find this guide on filling in the PIP form helpful.