Crohn's Disease, Advice needed.

bjorky

My friend in his early 30's has Crohn's and lately he has been having really bad flare ups and had to take several days off, he works full time in a high pressured job and had the condition for 15 years, i told him he could get DLA but need some help.

rogerblack

Neglecting how ill he is at times.
Is he, over a 12 month period, ill more than half the days?
Because if he isn't, then he would not generally qualify at all for PIP.

Redacted

Not everyone with a long-term illness or disability is eligible for DLA/PIP.

I too have Crohn's, work full-time and go through flare-ups that necessitate taking time off work. I've never claimed PIP or DLA as I did not think my personal symptoms/difficulties fit the descriptors. However, there are people with Crohn's disease who are eligible, because the severity of the illness and how it affects your day to day life varies from person to person.

NACC produces various help sheets, and one of them is about claiming PIP. I attach a link so that and your friend can look through it, and decide if the descriptors apply to him.

http://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/information-and-support/information-about-ibd/publications-list

rogerblack

Redacted wrote: »

Not everyone with a long-term illness or disability is eligible for DLA/PIP.

I too have Crohn's, work full-time and go through flare-ups that necessitate taking time off work. I've never claimed PIP or DLA as I did not think my personal symptoms/difficulties fit the descriptors.

Be very careful in reading the descriptors, they are misleading on their bare reading.

Shortly after PIPs introduction regulations added an implicit 'repeatably, reliably, safely, and within twice the time of a normal person' to every descriptor.

This means that if you can't do a thing to a reasonable standard, at a reasonable rate, as often as required, and safely - you can't do it for the purposes of PIP.

Being able to struggle and manage may not count as being able under the terms of PIP.

The 50% of days I raised earlier is totally seperate to this.
Nomatter how ill you are (unless terminal), if you are not ill on over 50% of days over the year assessment period you will not qualify. (3 months back, 9 months in the future)

Redacted

Hi Rogerblack,
The issues you mention are some of the reasons I attached the link to the guides produced by NACC. I think their one for PIP is pretty comprehensive, and helpfully tailored to those with IBD.