11 points on pip should i appeal

Tara2015

Hi looking for advice about pip decision bit of a long one so stay with me I have been giving 11 points so awarded standard daily rate and only 4 points for mobility I'm 32 I have rhunatoid arthritis I work 16 hours a week and to be honest I'm surprised I got anything at all they gave me two points for pretty much everything and only 1 point for help with medication my partner has to open all my bottles and packs and gives me my injections my ra is uncontrolled for 3 years I have it in my jaw my neck both shoulders both elbows wrists fingers one hip both knees can't bend at all both feet and ankles I can't get in or out my bath at all and can't dress my upper body but only got two points for each of these should I appeal I feel cause I work as a cleaner I sound stupid but my work has reduced my hours from 40 to 16 and hired in another cleaner to do all the work I can't do and given me the most simpilist of jobs but I still find it hard I'm on 22 pills a day just to do 3 hours work but I can't afford not to I have a ten year old son and bills to pay I told her at the assessment I don't bath at all as I got stuck one day for 3 hours and couldn't get out it's a council house so no shower my bf doesn't live with me so don't see him everyday and both my parents have passed away so no one  to help me in or out I only earn minimum wage so you can gather what my income is and feel obliged to crawl in to work even when I can't hardly walk cause theyv been so helpful my ra has got worse over the last 3 weeks to the point if this is my life for the rest of my life I don't know how I can cope I agree in most part I can use a microwave I can walk for ten mins I can eat unaided but the washing bit astounds me and dressing at the face to face she seen I can't raise my hands or get them round my back I feel I'm lucky to have got the 11 points and agree I don't need the mobility but just one more point would give me more to get aids fitted in the bathroom and buy good shoes to help my feet and when I get so bad when I'm physically unable to move I can phone on sick nstead of crying in the toilet at work cause I'm in so much pain because I could afford to be off sick cause I would know I still have an income to provide for my son so would yous appeal or count your blessing there is people so much worse than me and iv worked since the day i left school I feel like I have no life with this now I just go to work then can't hardly move so can't enjoy stuff with my son I guess I feel cause I work I'm not entitled to anything but in reality if I didnt have to I could maybe actually have a some sort of a life the other thing is if you appeal do they stop the payments from starting 

markyboy

My advice to you is stick to what you have got if you ask for a reconsideration you could risk losing what you have been awarded you are unlikely to get extra mobility if you can walk for 10 min as you said you thought you were lucky in getting 11 points

Tara2015

Thankyou for your reply but I'm not looking to get extra mobility i wasn't awarded mobility component it's the daily living 

mikehughescq

Impossible to say. I have certainly pursued 11 point appeals and got people to 12 but it depends on your specific circumstances so you will need face to face advice before you decide whether or not to stick or twist.

Tara2015

Thanks I'm going to go to cab as I'm unsure myself seems a bit iffy they have gave 2 points for everything and only 1 for medication as tho they just wanted to keep it under the 12 points it's more the bathing I literally can only wash at the sink and theyv said I can get in and out with an aid when I can't at all and if my partner trys to help it's to sore and I bruise so easily with the meds I'm on and dressing i can dress all be it extremely slowly my bottom half but can't my top half as I can't raise my arms up and cant do buttons and clips so it's a mission I my rheumatologist even wrote in her statement I can't get in or out of the bath but as you say is it worth the risk as I could loose the points I already have I think my fear is I know its getting worse and my nurse and gp have asked if I can stop working or at least get a desk job but I'm not qualified for a job like that but unless they find a medication that's going to work I know I'm not going to be able to work for much longer and it terrifies me how il be able to support myself if I got that 1 extra point it's literally what I earn in wages so when it comes to it I know I can live on it, thankyou for taking the time to reply once iv got advice from cab If I do appeal il let you k ow the outcome 

poppy123456

People will only ever score 1 point for for managing and monitoring a health condition unless they have therapy inside their home. If you have help with your medication from your partner then 1 point is correct.

Tara2015

Good to know but not realy what im disagreeing with its the bathing and dressing as i said i cant get in or out the bath and cant wash my hair shes wrote could use an aid to help but no aid will help to do that so think it should be more than 2 points and most nights i sleep with my bra and top on as i cant do in the morning so again feel 2 is the wrong this is  the only 2 parts im disagreeing with in the report iv had ra for 4 years and only now applying for help so not looking to get anything more than the help i need 

poppy123456

If you need assistance to get in and out of the bath rather than use an aid then you need to state the reasons why this is needed and why you can't use aids, even if you don't have them. You need to state what will/could happen if you used aids because they will give you points for using aids rather than needing assistance if aids can be used. Have you ever had an accident when trying to use the bath? What happens when you do use the bath, this sort thing.

As advised, further advice is needed before requesting the MR.

mikehughescq

The 1 point does look correct. However, the remaining 11 may be an understatement. Getting face to face advice is the only answer to this. Ask to see someone else if you get someone who gives you the “be grateful for what you have line” or the “ooh you could lose it all line” before doing an activity by activity analysis. Advisers should analyse and then advise. Not the other way round. Happy to be quoted on that too.

Tara2015

Yes poppy that was all stated and also explained the walls are no good to put bars up and the council won't put in a shower as I'm on a waiting list for one floor house as I'm 19 stairs up my rhumie nurse stated on the medical statment I can't get in and out of the bath due to fluid in the knees I can't bend them at all and have no upper strength to pull myself up if someone tries to help me out I get severe bruising due to my medication iv cracked two bones in my foot by falling trying to get out and last time I had a bath I thaught I was having a good day only to get stuck in the bath for 3 hours so now I don't bother never felt so useless and degraded this was all stated in my form and at the face to face think that's why I'm so angry about it I walk with a stick and a big boot and have a permanent limp but I'm not complaining about not getting the mobility as most days I can still get about all be it in pain but theyv stated I walked fine in the face to face there's genuine people who can't do that at all who need that more than I do my doctor would happily sign me off unfit for work and I could just cocoon myself in the house and give in to the pain just to fit the criteria but I'm not giving into my disease this is where the system is so wrong Im going to cab on Monday I tried today but they were closed and will go on there advice so I have there help if I do appeal 

Tara2015

Thankyou Mike for your help they closed at 3 today so will be Monday and hoping I get a helpful one iv been before for other things and it's pot of luck who you get but the more iv went over it the more I think on those two I need more help than an aid and this was stated so they are wrong I'm quite a well least you got that or that's just the way it goes but I'm tired of pretending I'm fine when I'm in constant pain and just want to be independent still I will keep you posted on monday

Tara2015

Just an update my cab was opened today and the woman I got was amazing she's hoi g to appeal it for me so thankyou for your help 

Yadnad

Tara2015 said:

Just an update my cab was opened today and the woman I got was amazing she's hoi g to appeal it for me so thankyou for your help 

Was she of the opinion that going to appeal will not put at risk the points already awarded and will she be going with you to the appeal as your representative?

Tara2015

Yes she was and right now it's only the mandatory reconsideration Im doing 

poppy123456

Tara2015 said:

Yes she was and right now it's only the mandatory reconsideration Im doing 

I'm not sure what you mean by this because the MR is the first step to appeal. Without this you can't take it to tribunal. If the MR decision remains the same and most do, will she represent you at Tribunal?