Applying for PIP - is it worth it?

tinkledom

A_Flock_Of_Sheep wrote: »

tinkledom I really do find you peculiar. If you are as you say here suffering regular seizures then you are actually completely medically unfit to drive and breaking the law. Yet in this very thread you say you need your daughter with you when YOU drive 300+ miles to Lancashire. You also refer to driving in other threads.

Yes my last seizure was again in the middle of the night just over 2 weeks ago. The A&E doctor told me not to drive until I was given the greenlight by the Neuro team. I saw them the following week and additional medication was prescribed.

The last time I drove up there was on the 18th December to try and get to my dad before he died.
Since then it had been just the local 2/3 miles round trip locally.

Yes you are right I shouldn't drive, which is now the case. Hence why I need to have either of our daughters to come with us in the car for her to drive.


I haven't driven since this last seizure and won't until I am told that it is OK to do so. I haven't as yet told the DVLA as no need to until I am told that I must.
When there is no one to drive for us, then I use the train and/or bus.

TOBRUK

tinkledom wrote: »

Why are people who claim to be ME sufferers so defensive?

I don't claim to be an ME sufferer - I am as I was diagnosed a few years ago!

As I have already said, It does appear that the effects of ME, as described to me on here, are far far more serious than the difficulties that I face everyday. You seem to be suggesting that ME with its many 'symptoms' should be at the 'top of the tree' when compared to the vast majority of the needs relating to other far more serious conditions. ...
But as you say my particular difficulties are deemed to be less significant than those that suffer from ME. I now consider myself most fortunate.

I don't claim that ME is wose than other illnesses - you are twisting everything for your own agenda on here. It is you who has been on and on and stating that ME is not a real illness 'so called' and making cheap remarks such as 'those with dodgy legs'!- which you will no doubt deny! Don't dare to MISQUOTE me as you have here ("But as you say ....") making out that I have said or suggested such a thing that I think you or anyone elses difficulties are less significant than those who suffer from M.E.! I have never and would never do such a thing.

I should have knwn better than to have responded to your posts because you purposefully twist everything.

By the way, I am a little jealous of where you live. I spent many of my younger years in your area before moving west to Tycroes. I played against many teams from and around your surrounding area and spent many enjoyable evenings in the various rugby clubs of Llanharan, Llanharry, Pencoed, Tonyrefail, Pontypridd & Natgarw.

You needn't be jealous of where I LIVED - I moved from there almost 3 years ago.

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

I think I will wind up tinkledom and tell him/her how I am disabled, I work, claim DLA and the disabled element of WTC but do Salary Sacrifice for extra pension to bring my income down to the WTC payment threshold.

Now I will retreat to the bushes.

tinkledom

A_Flock_Of_Sheep wrote: »

I think I will wind up tinkledom and tell him/her how I am disabled, I work, claim DLA and the disabled element of WTC but do Salary Sacrifice for extra pension to bring my income down to the WTC payment threshold.

Now I will retreat to the bushes.

Why would anything like that wind me up - good luck to you if you can use the welfare and tax system to your advantage. It is the name of the game, always has - always will.

What I have a problem with is trying to get it into my head that those with less severe conditions (sorry - major conditions such as ME) are able to receive a host of high value disability payments, yet there are many others with what I would call life threatening conditions such as heart failure, Emphysema, Motor Neurone, MS, Cystic Fibrosis PAD, and Chronic Pancreatitis that find even trying to complete the forms an impossible task and at the end find that they are either refused an award or given one of low value.

I know I keep harping on about CP, but I belong to two CP forums

http://www.patient.co.uk/forums/discuss/browse/pancreatitis-and-pancreatic-disorders-1933

and

http://www.pancreatitis-forum.org.uk/

and very few are awarded it for the needs (DLA) and ESA.
Simply because very few people know anything about it.

I'm not moaning about who gets what, but trying to see why some members of society get refused and others succeed when you compare illnesses/disabilities and needs.

As a final example I have a close friend (58) who is in the final stage of Motor Neurone Disease. His wife has tried for the past two years (3 applications) to get any award of DLA. She claimed ESA for him and he was found fit for work and is now waiting for a tribunal hearing. She has a LPA for her husband.

Personally I cannot understand the system, given the number of medical assessment hoops I have had to go through to get anything and I look at my friend. Yet it seems that ME sufferers manage awards quite easily. Does that make any sense?

Morglin

tinkledom wrote: »

That's it from me, I am as lost now as I was at the start. How the OP can understand all of this I don't know. Mental health problems caused by the pain from walking??
Maybe I am not as disabled as those who are suffering from ME. I thought my health was bad, but this thread has given me heart in that those with ME/Fibro seem to be in a far worse position.
I'm out of this now and thanks for the insight into ME which to me now seems to outweigh any other disability excluding only having 6 months to live!

Of course physical pain can cause mental health problems, including depression, as can diagnosis of something unpleasant, the limitations caused by any disability, and the sheer stress of having to deal with the finances, DWP, councils etc., etc., :doh:

If a person is on severe pain, all of time, and knows that walking etc., is going to cause even more pain, why wouldn't it make them depressed?

Some need others with them, whenever they are going out, and although it may be down to their own mindset, it still causes problems.

'Difficulties with getting around' covers a wide remit, in respect of DLA and PIP.

You fall into the trap of trying to make a competition of who has the 'worst' disability, which is nuts. Every disability has it's own problems, and the longer the disability lasts, the more it impacts on both physical and mental well being, as well as usually shortening lifespan.

I could say, judging by how many people you appear to care for, that your disability is less than mine, simply because I couldn't do all the physical stuff you do, but I don't view life like that, as I can probably do more than others with the same conditions I have.

You can sneer at ME all you like, but the condition has been investigated by greater and more knowledgable minds than yours, and been found to be a disease that does exist, and is not just 'in the mind' as first thought.

I haven't got ME, but I know many that have, and it can affect anyone, at any time.

As for your prognosis, well take heart - I was told, over 12 years ago, that I probably only had a couple of years left on this mortal coil, but hey ho, much to everyone's surprise, I am still here....:T

Pancreatic diseases can cause cancer, later on - but smoking, drinking, and obesity can also cause cancer as well, so there are no guarantees of who will get cancer or why. You may never get it.

In the lap of the Gods!

Lin

Morglin

tinkledom wrote: »

Why would anything like that wind me up - good luck to you if you can use the welfare and tax system to your advantage. It is the name of the game, always has - always will.

What I have a problem with is trying to get it into my head that those with less severe conditions (sorry - major conditions such as ME) are able to receive a host of high value disability payments, yet there are many others with what I would call life threatening conditions such as heart failure, Emphysema, Motor Neurone, MS, Cystic Fibrosis PAD, and Chronic Pancreatitis that find even trying to complete the forms an impossible task and at the end find that they are either refused an award or given one of low value.

I know I keep harping on about CP, but I belong to two CP forums

http://www.patient.co.uk/forums/discuss/browse/pancreatitis-and-pancreatic-disorders-1933

and

http://www.pancreatitis-forum.org.uk/

and very few are awarded it for the needs (DLA) and ESA.
Simply because very few people know anything about it.

I'm not moaning about who gets what, but trying to see why some members of society get refused and others succeed when you compare illnesses/disabilities and needs.

As a final example I have a close friend (58) who is in the final stage of Motor Neurone Disease. His wife has tried for the past two years (3 applications) to get any award of DLA. She claimed ESA for him and he was found fit for work and is now waiting for a tribunal hearing. She has a LPA for her husband.

Personally I cannot understand the system, given the number of medical assessment hoops I have had to go through to get anything and I look at my friend. Yet it seems that ME sufferers manage awards quite easily. Does that make any sense?

To pick up on a couple of your examples of who, apparently, cannot get help from the DWP:

Well, I have a form of MS, albeit more complicated, and I also have lung problems, a disease of my joints, and other things, all proven, and I have never had any hassles whatsoever with the DWP or forms etc.,

My husband has severe heart problems and also has other disabilities caused by MRSA after a quad bypass - he has no problems with the DWP either.

Perhaps any severely ill people you know, who are having problems, might be well advised to get some professional help when they next have to fill out a claim form.

Same applies to you if you cannot get what you think you are entitled to - instead of sniping at others, go and get some knowledgable help to fill out the forms. Then you might have less hoops to jump, in future.

Lin

tillyenna

tinkledom wrote: »

Why are people who claim to be ME sufferers so defensive?

Quite simply dear Andy, because we have to deal with people every day like you, who say that we only 'claim' to have an illness.


With regards to you doubting how M.E. could affect someone's ability to go out and about psychologically, let me refer you to Dr Charles Shepherd (frankly, The medical authority on CFS, He's the chap who discovered it) and his tome 'Living with M.E.' in which it explains that one of the most common symptoms of M.E. is... Anxiety. BOOM


You know what, you want to stay on this thread, which is about M.E. (and actually, about ME, ho ho, I'm so funny) then go and do some RESEARCH... There's a lot of frankly, incredibly interesting literature on M.E. (there's less on 'me' but I'll get there one day). And I for one, would be DELIGHTED to hear what you think about M.E. having read some of the information on this disease. Might I suggest Dr Shepherd's book as a starting point, referred to by many of us spoonies as 'The M.E. Bible', regardless of whether you have the disease or not, I think you might find it interesting reading... perhaps it might even occupy your time so you feel no need to spam this already spam filled thread... sandwich anyone?

mollyxxxxx

just had a face to face assessment with capita at my house for my son who was refused DLA when he first had his motorbike accident 2 years ago after numerous hospital visits ,> physio , neurologist , psycoligist , he has an advisor helping his needs also travelling up and down the country to different specialist doctors I sent a massive file off to pip will be happy to just get a blue badge really because I really struggle for the car parking and all the other running about I do just saying they have all the proof and still sent an accessor down to the house to see how he copes with everyday life good luck but you do need proof

borkid

tillyenna wrote: »

Quite simply dear Andy, because we have to deal with people every day like you, who say that we only 'claim' to have an illness.


With regards to you doubting how M.E. could affect someone's ability to go out and about psychologically, let me refer you to Dr Charles Shepherd (frankly, The medical authority on CFS, He's the chap who discovered it) and his tome 'Living with M.E.' in which it explains that one of the most common symptoms of M.E. is... Anxiety. BOOM


You know what, you want to stay on this thread, which is about M.E. (and actually, about ME, ho ho, I'm so funny) then go and do some RESEARCH... There's a lot of frankly, incredibly interesting literature on M.E. (there's less on 'me' but I'll get there one day). And I for one, would be DELIGHTED to hear what you think about M.E. having read some of the information on this disease. Might I suggest Dr Shepherd's book as a starting point, referred to by many of us spoonies as 'The M.E. Bible', regardless of whether you have the disease or not, I think you might find it interesting reading... perhaps it might even occupy your time so you feel no need to spam this already spam filled thread... sandwich anyone?

Took the words right out of my mouth. 'Andy' has been given references re the effect of ME on people but he doesn't seem to have taken them onboard. I vaguely remember a few years ago a University in the states did some work on the effect of different illnesses on peoples lives. ME came out second to terminal cancer on the devastating effect it has. Unfortunately I can't remember exactly which uni I think it was Florida.

sunnyone

A_Flock_Of_Sheep wrote: »

Edit - And you reference to the illness as "Only" being ME is quite offensive. It is actually quite a debilitating and restricting illness that can destroy the life and career of someone who was previously unaffected rendering them unable to work or limited to any work they can do. One of the people I know had an amazing job earning nearly £60k a year. £500 a month PIP doesn't even come close to plugging the loss of salary gap. The person would much rather be back in the position they were in I can assure you.

Describing someone who's only health problem is ME as only having ME is not offensive, how can giving a correct desription possibley be offensive?

The sentance has nothing at all to do with the condition, in this case (you) the reader is using your personal experiance of the condition to interprate the sentance as offensive, me and other readers read it literatly without preconceptions.

All readers interprate the written word diffrently, that dosnt mean that all written words should be sensored because a small majority of people find something offensive.