Need help and advice - hubbys PIP decision

psammead

anmarj wrote: »

They could change it, but not sure if they tell you there and then, you may have to wait for a letter with the new decision.

So i guess if they say they'll write to us then they are thinking of changing it but if they say the decision isn't being changed then we'd need to start the appeal route which I'm guessing I can ask them to do during the phone call?

On other words I will kind of get a clue as to the outcome by their response? If i get a we will send you a letter out then they are going to change the decision; if they say do you want to start an appeal they are not going to change it straight away?

anmarj

psammead wrote: »

So i guess if they say they'll write to us then they are thinking of changing it but if they say the decision isn't being changed then we'd need to start the appeal route which I'm guessing I can ask them to do during the phone call?

On other words I will kind of get a clue as to the outcome by their response? If i get a we will send you a letter out then they are going to change the decision; if they say do you want to start an appeal they are not going to change it straight away?

Not necessarily. They could still say no in a letter. You need to focus on how the descriptors fit to your hubby. If they still turn your hubby down then it will be a mandatory reconsideration and if that fails you then have the option of appeal. The appeal can take months to be heard, this is not a quick process, just take one step at a time.

psammead

Ok hun thank you.

Mactone

It certainly sounds like he needs a lot of help and support. I don't know anything about illness and benefits so can't offer any advice on that, so hope it works out for you and he gets what he is entitled to.

However reading what you have written, have you considered whether he is safe to drive. It does seem that under certain conditions he can panic and is unsure what to do, you also mention that he is constantly dizzy and takes a large amount of tablets daily, I don't know what medication he takes, however a lot of medicines have an effect on alertness and concentration. Just something to consider if you haven't already.

psammead

He doesn't drive very far and only if he feels up it. Yes he does panic but only if he is on his own in the car. He never panics if i am with him as he completely trusts me to divert him round whatever the problem is. Also if he gets too tired or I don't feel he is safe enough then I drive. However it is the only thing left he can do without physical help and it would destroy him if he lost his license. His GP assessed him when he was diagnosed with diabetes and we had to tell the DVLA and she said he was fit enough to drive and she did take into account all his meds. Plus his license is now only issued for 3 yrs so it gets checked medically frequently.

His dizziness is worse when he is upright, not so much when he is seated and if he can focus on something in front of him he is able to distract himself from it so to speak. However if it's really bad then he's often throwing up as a result so driving is out anyway!

When_the_going_gets_tough

Op please don't give up. Follow the appeal process through to the end - be tenacious - you both deserve it. Depending on where you are in the country there are a variety of welfare rights organisations that might be able to help. Try googling for your area and above all - be persistent. Good luck.

rogerblack

psammead wrote: »

Oh and what would be the aid or appliance he could use to cook a meal? He needs 2 crutches to even stand and then after a minute his legs begin to shake and cramp, if he stands for much longer then they just give way. He can't use a perching stool as he also has menieres syndrome which means he is constantly dizzy with spells where it flares up so he he again would need crutches to stabilise himself on a stool even if he did feel safe using one. So how then with his hands full of crutches, feeling dizzy and sick, legs giving way and agony from being riddled with arthritis does he move between surfaces/appliances carrying hot pans or a knife/plate and cook a simple meal from fresh ingredients? What possible aid or appliance would mean he could? He also takes Warfarin following DVT and clots on the lungs so he is at higher risk of serious internal bleed if he were to fall or if he cut himself he would also bleed much more profusely potentially fatally.

If, and only if he can - with aids or appliances that are reasonable - cook, from scratch a meal using fresh ingredients -safely, reliably, and in a timely manner does he meet the descriptor.

And yes - the details matter.
If the 10 - not 20 meters has been mentioned - and if it in fact takes him more than several seconds to do it - then yes, he meets that descriptor.

anmarj

Did you get the call and how did it go?