Working full time as a volunteer and claiming PIP
gruber
Posts: 29 Listener
I started working full time as an unpaid volunteer a few months back. I have my PIP review early next year and am wondering if it would be compromised because of my working. I was so bored staying at home that I needed something to stimulate me. My GP has told me that it is good for me as it would help with my mental health issues. I currently get the enhanced rates for mobility and care of PIP due to both physical and mental health matters. I am currently 69.
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You can work and claim PIP, however does the work you do conflict with the reasons that you claim ?
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Well I would not be able to do my work if my problems got in the way. Whether the reasons are compromised I have no idea. I honestly didn't understand why I got the points I did and what they related to other than being assessed as not able to walk more than 20 metres on average.CockneyRebel said:You can work and claim PIP, however does the work you do conflict with the reasons that you claim ?
All I was asking was would I have problems at the next face to face assessment if I told the assessor that I was working full time? Would they want to know what I do and how I cope and manage with it?
It is not as though my health issues will get worse or better with working. I just get bored doing nothing all day long since retirement. I would have thought that the government would jump at the chance of getting the retired into some sort of employment paid or otherwise.
If there will be a problem and I lose my award I will then have to take up the offer of converting it to paid employment or even give up working altogether instead as I can't afford to lose the money.
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@gruber - it might be an idea having a look at the PIP descriptors and see if they still apply. They're available on-line and you'll be able to se where you most likely scored points.
You shouldn't have a problem at a F2F - just be honest, and say that you've been advised to do some volunteering for your MH..
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Thanks. I have already looked at the descriptors via the CAB site and as far as I can tell nearly every one of them still applies in some way or another. The way I see it is that my limitations are what they are, what they have been and subject to medical science finding cures, will always be. For an example my brain is still very active as are my thought processes and with me reducing some of the mental health medication it's as though I have left the 'woolly cloud' I was in behind me. It's a trade off really. I know that I am probably going to have to increase the medication at some time in the future as the problems still exist, but for the time being and even if I can only work for another year it's what I want to do. I don't give in easily to my difficulties. Put it another way who on earth would want to live surrounded by the same 4 walls day in day out and being medicated to such an extent that it's as though there is a blockage between what my brain says I want to do or say but the physical fact of doing or saying it is impossible and is utterly frustrating.
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If there has been, for whatever reason, an improvement in the impact which seems to be the case with you, you must contact the DWP to tell them of this. If they find out that you are managing better than when you were last assessed you will probably lose points and possibly your award. Why work for nothing and put all of this at risk?
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You really should get trained advice from CAB, Age UK or similar.I fully understand that you are not yet ready to vegitate but no one on an internet forum can give you a definative answer
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twonker said:If there has been, for whatever reason, an improvement in the impact which seems to be the case with you, you must contact the DWP to tell them of this. If they find out that you are managing better than when you were last assessed you will probably lose points and possibly your award. Why work for nothing and put all of this at risk?I'm assuming you must know @gruber in person if not then how do you know there's been an improvement in their health? It's wrong to make these assumptions when you have no idea how their conditions affect them.People claim PIP and work. As has been advised, as long as working doesn't contradict the reasons why they are claiming PIP then there's no reason why they can't work.As a community champion here on scope please be a little more positive in your comments to others. People come here for advice not judgement.1
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Yes I assumed, much like what the PIP assessors do. But is this not a case of a change of circumstances? Maybe going back to work full time doesn't come within that category. I believe it does but I will stand corrected. If as you say people can and do work whilst claiming PIP the assessment would have taken that into account those circumstances.poppy123456 said:twonker said:If there has been, for whatever reason, an improvement in the impact which seems to be the case with you, you must contact the DWP to tell them of this. If they find out that you are managing better than when you were last assessed you will probably lose points and possibly your award. Why work for nothing and put all of this at risk?I'm assuming you must know @gruber in person if not then how do you know there's been an improvement in their health? It's wrong to make these assumptions when you have no idea how their conditions affect them.People claim PIP and work. As has been advised, as long as working doesn't contradict the reasons why they are claiming PIP then there's no reason why they can't work.As a community champion here on scope please be a little more positive in your comments to others. People come here for advice not judgement.
I have just had a look on the net and it does appear that going back to work does not have to be notified. However I would imagine that the claimant would have to disclose that fact at the next re-assessment. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/changes-that-affect-pip/
I'm not trying to be negative, just offering some general logical advice.
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twonker said:
I'm not trying to be negative, just offering some general logical advice.
@twonker (and @yadnad your previous user name) - it seems to me that nearly every post you make is negative, or contradicting what others advise. I'm sorry to point this out if this is not the case but I genuinely do believe that you should try to make your posts more positive. It's very unhelpful to new posters.....
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gruber said:
Well I would not be able to do my work if my problems got in the way. Whether the reasons are compromised I have no idea. I honestly didn't understand why I got the points I did and what they related to other than being assessed as not able to walk more than 20 metres on average.CockneyRebel said:You can work and claim PIP, however does the work you do conflict with the reasons that you claim ?
All I was asking was would I have problems at the next face to face assessment if I told the assessor that I was working full time? Would they want to know what I do and how I cope and manage with it?
It is not as though my health issues will get worse or better with working. I just get bored doing nothing all day long since retirement. I would have thought that the government would jump at the chance of getting the retired into some sort of employment paid or otherwise.
If there will be a problem and I lose my award I will then have to take up the offer of converting it to paid employment or even give up working altogether instead as I can't afford to lose the money.Yes, the assessor would want to know what your voluntary work entails, and will weigh that up against what you got/should get points for.As you're of pensionable age however, by then you should get a light touch review with no assessment. I think you might get an assesment however if you put the full time volunteering on the form0 -
Hi @gruber I think @CockneyRebel advice is spot on, you will probably need trained advice to put your mind at rest.
The main issue would be if the voluntary work conflicts with what you are telling them on the form.
A good example would be if you are awarded high mobility rate because of limited ability to walk, but your voluntary work is as a guide taking visitors/tourists around. However if this was offset by an agreed accomodation to your needs it may not be a problem. ie you were to use a powered wheel chair or scooter to get around then the inability to walk a certain distance is not relevant.
To be able to advise you someone would need to understand what you are getting points for, what your voluntary work entails and what accomodations have been made to meet your needs to allow you to meet your obligations to them. If there is no conflict then there is not an issue, if there is then it is being able to explain how these barriers are removed. As mentioned working full time voluntary or paid would not automatically affect the points you get.0 -
Given the current political uncertainty, the strong possibility of a General Election where the Tories are almost certain to lose overall power at best and the fact that no action has yet been taken by parliament to ratify that type of review I believe it would be extremely dangerous for claimants to assume that what M/s Rudd said will actually happen as regards the 10 review period for pensioners and no more face to face assessments.Fetlock said::As you're of pensionable age however, by then you should get a light touch review with no assessment.
Maybe you know more than' I do on this subject? Otherwise I would advise that no matter what age you are at face to face assessments will continue as they have been doing since 2013 and should be prepared for in advance.
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What a mixed bag of advice. Apart from some posts it seems that I am best trying to get some advice. I'm glad that I don't have to inform them now but annoyed that I will have to explain myself at the future face to face assessment. It's a sad system that does not encourage the disabled to do some work, any work no matter what age they are. I suppose that the choice could come down to work and possibly lose the benefit, or don't do anything in order to avoid that possibility. Is this the way these things are supposed to be?
I either transfer to paid work to compensate the loss of the PIP or laze around and keep the PIP. Either way I will not be any worse off or better off. I could understand all of this if I was of working age.
Anyhow thanks for the giving me the advice and I will have to see someone for more advice.
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People do work and claim PIP but if the work you do contradicts the reasons you're claiming PIP then this can go against you the next time you're re-assessed.When you're next re-assessed if you're still working then they will ask you questions about the work you do.If you do start work then you don't have to contact DWP to tell them because it's not classed as a change of circumstances.0
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Thankyou Poppy. I understand the logic and where you are coming from, but because it is voluntary I choose the days and times that fits in with how I am feeling. I would imagine that they will try to say that the work' does affect why I am claiming PIP.I have had to reduce some of my medication to make it easier to manage the work much against the advice of my GP. I realise it will come to bite me on the bum in the future and will have to increase it back up. But in the meantime doing anything including pushing myself into work is far better than getting bored stiff watching daytime TV everyday and feeling sorry for myself..
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I have just been reading what someone has put on this site at 'What to write on review if no change'. Someone put up the copy of the review form for PIP and reading through it there is no mention of having to disclose that I am working. Am I supposed to volunteer that information or do I just ignore it on the basis that the question was never asked?
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It's highly likely that you'll be asked when you attend the assessment.
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Given that you are past SRA they may make the assumption that you are retired and therefore not ask. As long as your condition has not changed for the better, to an extent where by you no longer meet the criteria for your current award then there is no need to inform of a change of circumstance
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