PIP confusion, advice needed please

I did say this was a nuclear option and applies only if you're a Council or Housing Assoc. tenant, but I know from professional experience that even just telling them that you are struggling to pay the rent will produce a response. Their tenancy systems should have you registered as disabled and that will flag this up to anyone you speak to - I would ask for the Area Housing Manager, Head of Housing Benefits or the Tenancy Support Team. It is a last resort, but if nothing else is working then it's worth a try. Might not be worth the risk for this lady, depends on where she lives. If we knew that (roughly, not actual address) then more specific help would be possible.

Re. My earlier domestic abuse comment, I'd add I was a trustee of a rape crisis centre for several years. All the staff and volunteers are wonderful people and will understand and help if they possibly can.

Alice, I'm not trying to get into an argument with you here just provide some help to someone who is clearly desperate and has tried the obvious things including CAB. I am aware of introductory tenancies (in fact I helped one of the local authorities I advised write the procedures for dealing with each of the equaliy groups) and this lady clearly isn't in one as she has been in her flat since at least 2007, probably longer, and had at least some adaptations done. To be crystal clear, if, for whatever reason, someone can't get the help they need in any other way then desperate measures are needed to get attention and if an LA or HA tenant says they are struggling with rent - and I imagine that this lady may well be if her PIP is taken away or reduced - then telling the council or HA will make them pay attention. Evicting people isn't cheap - especially if disabled adaptations would have to be removed before a property can be re-let so social landlords will try and find other solutions first. But I have suggested a number of other things in earlier posts and would hope that one of these will work. I'll shut up now!

Bridgeford5,

Look at my earlier posts here (5, 17, 48) in which the appeal process is outlined.
I would suggest you see if your local CAB / advice agency can offer help.


This is what the Migraine Trust say:

"Migraine may be considered as a disability under the Equality Act 2010. This will depend on the severity and frequency of the attacks and the impact the condition has on the sufferer. The Equality Act defines disability as: ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. Migraine is clearly a physical impairment. To fall within the Act, you then need to establish that the effect of the condition has a substantial and long term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

‘Substantial’ means more than minor or trivial. ‘Long-term’ means that the impairment has lasted or is likely to last for at least 12 months or the rest of your life. ‘Normal day-to-day activities’ are not set out in the Act. However, there is guidance to the Act, which says: ‘In general, day to day activities are activities that people do on a regular or daily basis’. For instance, shopping, reading and writing, holding a conversation or using the telephone, watching TV, carrying out household tasks, walking and travelling by various forms of transport and taking part in social activities. This can also include general work-related activities such as ‘Interacting with colleagues, following instructions, using a computer, driving, carrying out interviews, preparing written documents, and keeping to a timetable or shift pattern’.

Your doctor or headache nurse may be able to advise you on whether your migraine condition is likely to be considered substantial, long-term and likely to affect such day-to-day activities"

If you google "PIP and Chronic Migraine", you will get more leads.

See also: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5631449#2)

I suffered from very bad migraines when I was younger and know how awful they can be.

Since migraine sufferers are affected differently then I think it may be worth keeping a diary to include with you evidence for your appeal. If someone can confirm the details it might be useful (family member?)

For instance, I did not get a headache, but flashing lights, blurred vision, incoherent speech and then paralysis of my face until I b#blacked' out for several hours. For a couple of days afterwards I could not function well as was in a 'fuzz'.

Since eligibility for PIP does depend on the frequency of your disability keeping a diary ('before days' if you get any warnings, 'during' and 'after days') with very detailed explanations could help in this aspect.

Many people think having a migraine is simply a bad headache but it can be so much more.

I don't know whether your consultant/doctor has detailed your particular case with a full explanation of the details but if not it may be worth asking your GP for this.

Good luck!