Claiming PIP with severe Emphysema advice please?

michael88

Hi, i know it may be hard to get an answer but just an idea would be helpful. I suffer from severe Emyphsema and have done for 10 years and while I am still working I am soon giving up due to illness and wonder if you think I may be able to claim PIP. I am 63 years old male. I was awarded a Blue Badge about 7 years ago as I have trouble walking and need some assistance with dressing and washing from my wife. I have never claimed a penny from the state in my life and have always worked. 
Any thoughts, please?
Thanks
Michael

janer1967

Hi and welcome to the community 

Pip isn't about a condition it is about how much the condition affects your ability to do the task as outlined in the descriptors 

Have a look in our pip section for more details on the descriptors 

Ross_Alumni

Hello @michael88 and welcome to the community.

A good way to figure out if you have a chance of being awarded PIP is to have a look at these descriptors and consider how your condition applies to them. Think of what happens when you try and do the activities, and whether you need any help to do them from another person or aid.

wilko

@michael88, hello and welcome to the community. PIP is not awarded on a diagnosis, disability or illnesses but on how you cope and manage the PIP descriptors in a timely manner, safely and in a repeatable fashion fo 50% of you daily life. I would advise you take a self test on the benefits snd works site and see how you fair. Remember the answers you give in your application form will have to be justified at your assessment should you decide to make an application for PIP.

Emilyb81

Hiya ? @michael88
 just wanted to say I have the same illness and I get PIP  (thank God!) So it is possible for sure? However it really is about how having it affects our ability to do the descriptors though as people have said above? I had never heard of them before I came on here but honestly completely changed everything for me!
I fully believed (as many do) that as long as I have a serious illness and  diagnosis I would get dla/pip no matter what? As I thought that's what it is for? But since I saw the pip descriptors list etc I now see what they are actually interested in or looking at? And it's not got as much to do with what is wrong with us it's about what we can or can't do? Because 2 people can have exactly the same illness but they are affected in completely different ways? For example I know a lady who also suffers from emphasema and she only has to use an inhaler when outside? I have to use one all day every day no matter where I am or what I'm doing most of the time? So I now see why diagnosis isn't as important as the descriptors ?? 
Same as before I came here I thought an assessment was me telling them what happens to me on a daily basis and them writing it down word for word and telling DWP? Then someone at DWP makes a decision based on what I said?! But I found out it's actually not that way at all? 
Anyhoo I won't go into all that now but this site has definitely helped me understand the whole process a lot better ?? so you are in a good place! So wish I'd known these things before I claimed but at least you will now! ?? Good luck with it all!

michael88

Thank you all so much for taking the time to advise me, I will keep you informed.