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Pip assessment

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Comments

  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    Thanks. I've just had a brain storm. How about we all work out how much extra water/heating we use and any other expenses we have due to our disabilities then pay for the "normal" amount out of any income we have other than benefit. Then pay for the extra out of our PIP/ESA. Is that what you mean @Twanker.    
  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    ilovecats said:
    wildlife said:@Twanker.    
    #unfortunatetypo . . . :D
    or not :)
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • twonker
    twonker Posts: 617 Pioneering
    Maybe if the benefits system actually worked then disabled people getting PIP would not need to use their PIP money to buy day to day things. For a disabled person who is out of work or unable to work I would assume:

    housing benefit -> rent
    ESA -> day to day costs
    PIP -> disability costs

    If any of these are missing then someones living expenses doesn't fall accordingly, the other benefits need to make up the shortfall.

    You also get a lot of disabled adults that live at home and still need to pay rent, but they are ineligible for housing benefit so the rent money has to come out of their ESA/PIP unless they live with a wealthy relative who does not mind supporting their living costs.

    What about things like property damage caused by using some aids over time? Surely the PIP money should cover things like repairs needed due to the use of aids too. I can't imagine the DWP or an assessor would even consider stuff like this.
    Thanks, one of the more sensible posts on this subject.
    I agree that if there is a shortfall in benefits being paid, ie, Housing Benefit to cover the rent, ESA/JSA/UC to cover the costs of normal day to day living and PIP/AA to cover the extra costs incurred due to ill health or disability then something is going wrong.
    It should not be the case that PIP, in this case, is being added to ESA/JSA/UC to pay for the normal living expenditure.
    This goes for those who can't work because they can't find a job to those that can't because of a disability. What we as a society should be doing is challenging the government/DWP to ensure income replacement benefits (ESA/JSA/UC) are paid at a rate that allows for the normal costs of living to be covered.
    I would also agree that any damage that has been caused by some aids or that the aids need replacing should be covered out of PIP/AA.

    It is illogical to think or accept that any recipient of PIP or AA should want or have to add that money to the 'household pot' in order to put food on the table or to be able to by normal everyday clothing.

    In my case my PIP is put into a bank account separate from my normal income and is used to pay for my Rail Card, extra transport costs directly related to my disability, purchase & replacement of aids, payments made for cleaning, ironing, gardening, painting and general home maintenance & repairs etc. I have just had an invoice for £70 in respect of gardening work needed to the front.
    If I was not disabled all of the above costs and more besides would not occur as I would do the work myself.
  • twonker
    twonker Posts: 617 Pioneering
    ilovecats said:


    Thanks, one of the more sensible posts on this subject.
    I agree that if there is a shortfall in benefits being paid, ie, Housing Benefit to cover the rent, ESA/JSA/UC to cover the costs of normal day to day living and PIP/AA to cover the extra costs incurred due to ill health or disability then something is going wrong.
    It should not be the case that PIP, in this case, is being added to ESA/JSA/UC to pay for the normal living expenditure.
    This goes for those who can't work because they can't find a job to those that can't because of a disability. What we as a society should be doing is challenging the government/DWP to ensure income replacement benefits (ESA/JSA/UC) are paid at a rate that allows for the normal costs of living to be covered.
    I would also agree that any damage that has been caused by some aids or that the aids need replacing should be covered out of PIP/AA.

    It is illogical to think or accept that any recipient of PIP or AA should want or have to add that money to the 'household pot' in order to put food on the table or to be able to by normal everyday clothing.

    In my case my PIP is put into a bank account separate from my normal income and is used to pay for my Rail Card, extra transport costs directly related to my disability, purchase & replacement of aids, payments made for cleaning, ironing, gardening, painting and general home maintenance & repairs etc. I have just had an invoice for £70 in respect of gardening work needed to the front.
    If I was not disabled all of the above costs and more besides would not occur as I would do the work myself.
    Is ironing, gardening and painting a necessity . . . #justsaying
    It depends on how you value what bit is left of the quality of life.
    I detest not having an ironed shirt or bedding that has come straight out of the dryer all crumpled. I don't particularly want to live in a home that is surrounded on all 4 sides with grass 18" high and overgrown bushes along with dandelions growing out of the path ways. As for painting, maintenance of a home is vital. that is unless you want rotten window frames and doors.
    The point I was making is that my meagre PIP award is always spent on things that if I was not disabled I would do the work myself which is in line with what the DWP say - to cover the extra costs that come from being disabled. In fact the total I pay out far far exceeds what the DWP give me. My normal income is used to not only cover the day to day costs of living but also to cover the shortfall of my PIP award. You don't get much for fifty odd pounds a week.

Brightness

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