Unsure if anybody will see my message, PIP

Hello,

I am unsure if anybody will see my message but anyway, here goes. Firstly about humble self. I am unfortunately housebound disabled because I cannot walk too far and suffer both chronic and acute pain.

My short term memory is really bad yet my long term one is still good. I’m now 73 years young and even more unfortunate I live alone as a widower. I lost my very dear wife back in 2009 to cancer. Our four children have grown and flown with families of their own. I only wish my dear wife was here to enjoy the seven beautiful Grandchildren, although I hope she does in her Spirit form.

I live alone in my bungalow on the outskirts of the village of Pontyates. The Road I live on is on a hill and a “C” class country road, and just over a mile from the main road that runs through the village. I believe Carmarthen is between 8 to 10 miles away, the same for Llanelli. I haven’t driven since approx. 2005 on the medical advice of several doctors. My dexterity is not up to it!

I only have my pension with pension credit and the lower pip rate to live on. For many years before pip I used to have the higher disability rate but as at that time we already owned a vehicle, we used the benefit to help living as a family of six on our smallholding known as Coynant on the edge of the village of Llanfynydd, Carmarthenshire.

When pip was introduced the so called “nurse” who came to my bungalow and “assessed” me. I actually saw a copy of her report and it had lie after lie in it. I saw this after my having attended a tribunal, fighting for my rite to be given the pip. The tribunal was awful, my having to sit in front of three people, one a judge, the other I am unsure of and a third I recognised as a former neurological head who was removed from his position but kept on due to contractural reasons with the DHS.

They promised me that only of of them at a time would speak to me; they all ended up actually shouting at me. My son who drove me to this horrid place asked them to “stop bullying him.” The so called judge said that if he said another word he would be ejected from the court room!

Needless to say they did not allow me to the higher rate of pip. They could see by the fact that I used two walking sticks to aid my walking that “I had a difficulty in moving about.” I did try and contest the decision but the same judge refused me in no uncertain terms.

So, for the past so many years, I have had to be housebound here within my four walls. I simply cannot afford taxies and cannot get to the main road for any bus that may go through the village. Well, there is my story, please feel free to use it as I still cannot help but feel very hard done by as I am and always have been an honest man. Surely my circumstances should have allowed me the higher rate of pip as I always had with the Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Especially as it is now, as it was back then, that I Need it.

Thank you for you patience in reading through my circumstances; unfortunately time is not on my side.

With my Sincere Thanks and Very Best wishes,

William [Personal information removed by moderator]