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My sister in law is on PIP and wants to go self-employed

happyfella
happyfella Community member Posts: 486 Pioneering
Hi, my sister in law who has been on PIP and the old disability allowance for i think around five or six years, could be longer wants to go self-employed but she is concerned how it will affect her PIP.

She has COPD, and this year we thought we were going to lose her. She receives the high rate of PIP for both elements and uses the mobility part of PIP to get a car so she can go out. Without it she would be in the house 24/7.

She is getting fed up now and is thinking of going self-employed and working from home or working for her daughter from home. However, she is worried about how going self-employed would affect her PIP. Her PIP runs out next year, she did tell me when but i have forogtten now and she relies on it. She is worried that if she sets up a business that her next PIP assessment will say well you are well enough to start your own business then you don't need PIP. SHe is not looking to be the next Richard Branson, she just wants to try and start a new business to bring more money in and more importantly to have a purpose.

Her last assessment they downgraded her from high rate to normal rate. She talked about in the assessment about wanting to find a job because she was fed up with being at home each day, and also mentioned that when her husband was off work they would go out each day for days out so she could try and relax, which was two days a week.

Can I ask, is anyone on the high rate of PIP for both and either working or is running their own business. Not sure if i have put this in the right place but I am hoping for a lot of feedback so i can pass on to my sister in law. It is like she is just existing at the moment and she wants more than that.

Comments

  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    PIP is not affected in any way by any form of employment, it might only be an issue if the claimant started to do work that contradicted the reasons for being awarded PIP.
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • happyfella
    happyfella Community member Posts: 486 Pioneering
    She gets Pip for COPD, when she goes out she uses a wheel chair, she suffers from confusion and cannot stay anywhere overnight as she has an oxygen machine. She would be doing the work from home.
  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    Then as I said becoming SE shouldn't affect her PIP at all, does she claim any other benefits?
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • happyfella
    happyfella Community member Posts: 486 Pioneering
    I don't know if she claims other benefits. it was just a conversation we were having. her husband works but not sure if she claims anything besides pip. I do know that someone comes in and helps her and claims carers allowance for doing it.
  • MarkM88
    MarkM88 Community member Posts: 3,127 Connected
    She gets Pip for COPD, when she goes out she uses a wheel chair, she suffers from confusion and cannot stay anywhere overnight as she has an oxygen machine. She would be doing the work from home.
    Remember she doesn’t get PIP for having a specific condition/illness/disability as PIP is not awarded for what you have been diagnosed with. 

    She receives PIP because she was assessed as needing extra support or help with daily living and/or mobility in accordance with the PIP descriptors. 

    You can receive PIP whilst working and I know many people that do this. 

    As already pointed out though, she shouldn’t be doing work that is a contradiction to what she told the assessor she can’t do and was assessed not able to do. 

    As long as that is the case, then course she can go self-employed. 
  • happyfella
    happyfella Community member Posts: 486 Pioneering
    thank you for the info.
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @happyfella hope the info given has been useful and puts your sisters mind at ease 

    Any further questions just ask 



  • happyfella
    happyfella Community member Posts: 486 Pioneering
    i will pass it on. Not sure if people know, but if you have an oxxygen machine then you can get a rebate from your electricty company. My Sister in Law is on oxygen and she receives a big rebate each year
  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    i will pass it on. Not sure if people know, but if you have an oxxygen machine then you can get a rebate from your electricty company. My Sister in Law is on oxygen and she receives a big rebate each year
    Thats interesting, do you have details or a link to that info?
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @happyfella I get thst with my electricity company and I am on the priority list if we have a power cut that lasts over two hours they bring a generator to get the electric on I help my neighbors out then ? 
  • happyfella
    happyfella Community member Posts: 486 Pioneering
    woodbine said:
    i will pass it on. Not sure if people know, but if you have an oxxygen machine then you can get a rebate from your electricty company. My Sister in Law is on oxygen and she receives a big rebate each year
    Thats interesting, do you have details or a link to that info?

    Hi, no i do not have a link but will ask my sister in law for a link. She also gets priority with her electricity company, which i got an email yesterday to say that i also get it with being on PIP but never applied for it. An advisor applied for a discount for me on my electricity and i got the email within five days to say they have added £140 to my account. I think it is a warm front thing, but not sure.

    My sister is also on a priority list with the ambulance service. So, if she or her husband phones 999 they come out very fast. She was scared the other week because her husband called 999 and two ambulances came out. She was scared and thought she was not coming back. Apparently there was a mistake and only one should have come out. Sadly, she spent a week in hospital. They were going to operate but tried something else first and that worked.
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @happyfella I did mine over the phone with my  company 
  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    2019/2020 has been the final year for the £140 warm home discount .
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • MarkM88
    MarkM88 Community member Posts: 3,127 Connected
    woodbine said:
    2019/2020 has been the final year for the £140 warm home discount .
    It could potentially get extended though, they did a consultation on whether it should be extended, whether any of the eligibility criteria should be reconsidered and if the payment is a sufficient amount. 
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @MarkN88 its been extended i judt posted a screen shot 
  • MarkM88
    MarkM88 Community member Posts: 3,127 Connected
    @MarkN88 its been extended i judt posted a screen shot 
    I thought I had read the consultation paper online, so I'm glad to see it has been extended. 
  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    yes @lisathomas50 we all saw that, when it started in 2011/12 the end date was always planned as 2019/20, if they do extend it that will be good news. We will wait and see.
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    Its extended to 21/22

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