My health conditions have changed. Should I put in a PIP change of circumstances or await review?

DuffersMum

Hello

My PIP (standard mobility and care) was due to end in Feb 2022 but like many others received a letter to say it had been extended to November 2022.

I have recently had hearing aids fitted for both ears whereas in my last assessment I didn’t have these.  Also due to undiagnosed T2 diabtes I now have neuropathy in both my feet which make my feet numb which in turn has had a detrimental effect on my already poor mobility.

is it worth putting in a change of circumstances or would I be better to wait until they send the forms through? If I was awarded the same points as last time (and I should do) adding the hearing aids should take me into the higher rate for daily care...the neuropathy could take me into higher rate mobility but I know how difficult it is to get that.

Originally it was thought that although they had extended the end date of my award it was possible they would still send the forms out at the original time, but it would give them longer to carry out assessment and make a decision in these Covid times...if that was the case my review forms should be received in August..not sure how it is panning out with regards to when they send forms now, so if anyone can enlighten on that one it might help me decide whether to ring with change if circumstance of not.

Thanks

rubin16

Hi,

I think at the moment looking at the state of things you will have a long wait regardless of what you do, so I think knowing your award is about to end anyway I would request a change of circumstances now if I was in your shoes. You will be seen quicker than if you waited till november and still had to wait for months for an assessment. So if you did it now you could possibly save yourself some months wait.

Others might have other views as i'm new to PIP, but thats what I'd do in your shoes right now.

Hope this helps.

DuffersMum

Username_removed said:

It really depends on where your award is at right now i.e. how many points do you have for each component. That’s your starting point. Then you need to methodically figure out how many extra points will be available in consequence and whether that would suffice to move you from standard to enhanced on one or both components. 

If it would not then you have your answer. If it possibly would then it’s time to get some expert advice before you disclose anything. 

I should definitely get an extra 2 points for care and as I was on 11 last time (and nothing has improved with the other descriptors) so that should take me to higher care...the numbness in my feet means I can’t walk much as I can’t feel my feet so I can fall that could (but should) give me higher rate mobility but I do know how they like to bend things to suit at times..I also can no longer drive as I can’t feel the pedals...might not mean anything but last time the assessor only awarded 10 points for mobility and her main reason for that was because I could still drive a manual car.  I know it all depends on the assessor, the last one I had was horrible, hoping I might get a nicer, more understanding one this time

Cher_Alumni

Hi @DuffersMum

Just to let you know I've amended your thread title to reflect your query and help others find it easier.  If you want to pursue getting expert advice, as recommended, in the future then please visit Advice Local to find a free, independent welfare organisation close to where you live.

Please let us know if you have any other questions and take care. 

DuffersMum

Cher_Scope said:

Hi @DuffersMum

Just to let you know I've amended your thread title to reflect your query and help others find it easier.  If you want to pursue getting expert advice, as recommended, in the future then please visit Advice Local to find a free, independent welfare organisation close to where you live.

Please let us know if you have any other questions and take care. 

Thanks for doing that

DuffersMum

The care part is for hearing aids, I didn’t score any points under  7 last time as although my hearing was not good I did not need hearing aids...I now need hearing aids in both ears.

The mobility element, I scored 10 points last time because in the assessors words “she drives a manual car so can therefore walk more than 50m” amazing as she’d only seen me walk a maximum of 10m to the assessment room, but she obviously knows best..  I now have neuropathy in both my feet, but worse in my left foot so I can’t drive a manual car anymore sadly as I can’t feel the pedal  and as I can’t feel my feet or toes I’m liable to trip over my feet when I walk.  This falling apart lark is no fun is it

DuffersMum

Username_removed said:

I can see that 2 points on 7 looks an option but what about washing and bathing where you would presumably need to take your hearing aids out? Would you then be able to hear a smoke alarm or an intruder for example? If not then there are more points there. 

As regards mobility there is nothing basically wrong with a HCP seeing you walk 10m and extrapolating from that that you ought to be able to work more than 50m. The manual car business is a red herring. The only question is whether you can reliably walk more than 50m out of doors. 

The mobility part is, I find, the most annoying...I can’t walk even 20m outside without being in pain and now with the added problem of the numb feet and toes the big possibility I would fall, however it didn’t matter what I said last time I obviously didn’t explain my pain in the right way, I mean, how do you explain it other than it hurts? 

I never even thought about not hearing smoke alarms etc, so thank you for that.

daisy1838

Please take care in the shower with any numbness in your feet, if you haven’t already maybe get an ot to assess for aids!

DuffersMum

daisy1838 said:

Please take care in the shower with any numbness in your feet, if you haven’t already maybe get an ot to assess for aids!

I have rails etc in shower and my husband helps me, thanks for showing concern x

DuffersMum

Username_removed said:

Username_removed said:

If it would not then you have your answer. If it possibly would then it’s time to get some expert advice before you disclose anything. 

I think you’re at the point where you need to see an adviser now as there is almost certainly something to go at here so it needs talking through in much more detail before you disclose anything and challenge the current decision.

I always find it weird when people can’t see beyond “it hurts”. Yes, pain is subjective but  describing it really isn’t that hard. It’s just about getting people to think it through.

In terms of explaining pain it’s actually quite easy. Is it there before you start walking? Where specifically is it? Is it persistent or intermittent? Do painkillers help? At what dosage are they effective? Does it sometimes stop you walking at all? Does it get worse when you start walking? How many steps does it take before that happens if it happens? Where does it get worse? Are you forced to rest? What causes that? Breathing or pain or concentration or something else? What do you do if there is nowhere to rest? How long do you rest for? What does rest alleviate if anything? If it doesn’t alleviate anything then why stop? How many rests?

Do you use a cane, crutch, stick? Which hand? Why that hand? And so on. 

By the time you’ve finished that you’ll have a detailed description of what is going on before you walk; what happens when you walk and what happens next. 

Be very careful on rests. People are poor at estimating anything. Your 20m may well be 50m. Your 5 minute rest may well be 15 seconds. I’ve had people say all that and worse. There are no exceptions on this. Everyone thinks it’s either impossible or so super confident they’re right. I’ve had a DQM on a tribunal challenge s claimant by telling them they’ve just watched them walk 50m from the car park venue to the venue. I’ve had to point out to them it barely measured 50 feet.

Thanks for this...I tried explaining things last time along the lines of what you have posted but it all seemed to fall on deaf ears..next time I will have to be clearer in my explanation..I know a lot of it does come down to who assesses you.  My last assessor clearly had trouble with her eyesight as well as her memory as so much if what she reported was not just inaccurate it was downright lies..I should have appealed but I found the whole thing so stressful I couldn’t cope with having to go through everything again...of course they depend on people being like me and just accepting the decision..

My mobility is worse than it was 2.5 years ago hopefully I will be able to explain that better once I either do a change of circs or await the review documents at the extended time.

I appreciate the time you have taken to help me,