PIP very worried need advice please

Carla35

Hi, I have only just found this site and in need of some advice please.I applied for PIP had a medical & scored 0 points. I had an appeal ( same evidence provided) awarded a 10 year award. I am 61 years old by the way.
I suffered a stroke, then had a tumour & following brain surgery it has left me with severe visual & balance problems, where for an hour a day I can’t see properly. I am no longer allowed to drive & have Angina & Asthma also. I get extreme headaches and falls due to my balance issues.
I am now being followed when walking my little dog, where a call pulls in the bus stop & then the same car is near my home on my return. My home is being watched too these past few weeks. This is making me feel so worried & unwell.The same car was outside my home at 11.21 last night.
I have checked my PIP forms tonight & I clearly stated I could walk but had heaviness in my chest (angina) pain & was breathless on doing so & this occurred before 20 meters & I then had to use my pump & heart spray to continue but this was not always possible.
I also put that I understood the distance you were able to walk after was irrelevant & it was whe you felt the symptoms that was important regarding the mobility claim. I also stated that I did not know if I would be able to continue walking as I can loose my vision at any time & become unwell with an extreme headache & that I really need someone with me when I go out in familiar & unfamiliar places but this is not always possible as I am widowed & live alone. I was told as long as I needed the help it not matter if I did not get the help. I was still entitled to claim.
on the award form they sent me, their reasons state for awarding me enchanced mobility is because I can only walk 20 meters but this is not true.I did not say that or write that on my PIP application. I am so worried & if I did not need PIP I would ring & cancel the award. I was so happy to receive the award at the time I did not read through why I received it.
very grateful for any advice. Thank you.

Carla35

I have found online tonight,regarding PIP mobility the descriper only applies if you can do the activity daily. Is this correct? I can’t walk my little dog every day, my neighbour does it for me sometimes. I walk maybe one evening, then mostly every other I try but due to my illness, some days I am too unwell to go out for a week or more at a time.
So if I can walk ok after taking heart spray & pump but can only do it some days,say for example  I may feel ok at 6 pm to walk but then up through the night with my heart or Asthma & not able to walk my little dog the next day will it matter that they applied 20 meters?. Am I going to be trouble for not reading through what they wrote? Due to the visual disturbances I experience I can’t do anything realisable, safely or repeatedly. Just so very worried.
Thank you

debsidoo

Hi @Carla35,
If you feel you are being followed contact the police with times and dates also provide them with the registration number and description of the car and driver if possible.They can at least find out who is doing this and why. It may just be a coincidence but at least they will be able to reassure you there is nothing suspicious going on.
  Debsidoo x

Chloe_Scope

Hi @Carla35 and a very warm welcome to the community.

I'm sorry you are being followed, this must be so scary! If you feel at risk then please do contact the police. Getting that reassurance should help to put your mind at ease?

MikeFromLFE

As others have said - this is something you MUST report to the police. 
This won't be Capita / ATOS - they are only interested in profit, and this would eat into their margins; I very much doubt that the DWP have this amount of slack that they can afford to trail an individual this way.

KG100

I'd take a photo of the car and number plate and then call or visit the local police station and ask them to check it out. 

Carla35

Thank you all for replying. I will do that next time. I have been too afraid to go out the past couple of days. Really worrying especially when living alone xx

Chloe_Scope

Hi @Carla35, no problem at all! I can understand why it would be frightening. If the community can help you with anything else then please do let us know

buzzer

@Carla35
use this link to pop postcode in to find your neighbourhood community police team, they may have a PCSO who can drop by for an informal chat, or call 101 
https://www.police.uk/

Carla35

Thats great, thank you so much x

Carla35

Hi everyone, I called into the police station & explained what has been happening. The officer checked the reg number I gave him & he said it belongs to someone living quite near to me. However, he was could not give me any more info so still no idea if it is DWP x

Carla35

Can anyone offer any advice also please, regarding my PIP mobility query? So very worried. Thanks so much x

poppy123456

Carla35 said:

Can anyone offer any advice also please, regarding my PIP mobility query? So very worried. Thanks so much x

What advice would you like?

LindaButler1970

I had a person from the DWP come and fill in my form at home as I find it difficult to write after a short period. She referred to how I get about and because there is this 20 meter question she basically said 'can you walk without any aid, including not holding on to anyone, not using the wall, to when out, and I said honestly no. 

I wait for the outcome, this was now a month ago and no reply as yet!

poppy123456

Having just read through you post again i can now see what your question is related to sorry.

Enhanced mobility for the moving around part is walking outside on level ground up to 20 metres regularly and reliably without pain, discomfort, breathlessness and fatigue.  When you're walking how far can you walk before you need to stop because of this?

You must also be affected at least 50% of the time over a 12 month period.

Carla35

Hi both & thank you for replying. I have Angina & Asthma so I get a sensation of heaviness, like theres a heavy weight on my chest, pushing every time I walk, ( or have stress) before 20 metres & I have to use my GTN ( angina spray under my tongue )I also have pain. I also use my pump, & then I can continue walking my dog but not every day. Use both during my walk also. I put all this on my forms & explained in detail but as I put in my post, I was so happy to receive my award after scoring 0 points at the first attempt, I didn’t read through their reasons for my award. I only realised when looking through my forms, due to being watched/followed that the DWP stated I could only walk 20 meters. This is not correct & not what I wrote or said as I can walk further than this but not before using my spray & pump & I can’t do it reliably. I also can loose my vision so I really need someone with me when I go out anywhere but as I am a widow, it’s not possible x

cristobal

@carla35 - try not to worry (harder to say than do I realise!)

Any of the descriptors should have 'reliably' attached to them, so when they say that you can walk 20m they mean 'can only walk 20m reliably'

There may be any number of reasons why you cannot walk further 'reliably' - maybe you can walk further, but not every day. Or walking further causes you pain.

Carla35

Ok thank you. I didn’t know that x

Carla35

Hi all, 
Not slept all night. I am still being followed & my house is still being watched. Honestly, this is making me a bag of nerves, despite not having done anything wrong. It is now a different car but they are doing exactly the same thing. They pull in & I walk past & I see them on their ipad or large phone & then they drive off further up the road until I reach them, then they drive away. When I return home, they are parked up quite near my house.
I have not been outside the door since last Friday. Then only to attend a Hospital appointment as I have been too unwell. I am never out daily & also unable to walk my little dog daily so why am I under surveillance & why is it ongoing? 
Thanks x

poppy123456

If this was anything to do with DWP then they would do it secretly and you probably wouldn't even know about it.

Have you phoned the police? If you haven't then i'd advise you to do this ASAP.

Carla35

This has been ongoing since July. Please will you read over my earlier posts which explain my condition & how it affects me. I am so very worried. Thanks x