PIP Mobility Advice Please

vicki84

Thank you all for your replies I have got to make a doctors appointment this week so will talk to him about everything then.

I don't have adaptions in my house as such for example getting of the toilet I would probably grab hold of the sink as its right next to it and I don't have a big bathroom so I don't know if that would apply.

I only really have two rails on all stairs nothing else needed adapting
so I could manage.

50Twuncle

They appear to work on whether you need any equipment\to help with your day to day needs
ie) a shower seat, a tool to help you get your shoes or doing up laces - plus list those thngs that you are UNABLE to do no matter what equipment you have.
You need to list everything that you use - no matter how insignificant you think that it is...
Good Luck and let us know how you get on..........
ps Sorry Rockingbilly - just noticed that you said the same thing.

50Twuncle

rockingbilly wrote: »

Re The Daily Living activities

You may needs aids and appliances to help you with some of the activities, for instance-
Rails or a shower seat in the bathroom to wash and bathe safely 2 points:
Something to hold onto to retain your balance when getting on / off the toilet / raised toilet seat 2 points;
Perching stool to sit down when preparing a simple meal 2 points;
or you may have difficulty preparing veg (peeling and choping).
Aid to help you dress / undress safely (grabber, loan handled shoe horn etc) 2 points

Which would get you to 8 points and a standard DL award.

Thank you Alice for that information. I never knew that! So there are another 8 points that I missed working on.

Do you get more points for struggling to do certain things - ie Washing up using a perching stool or for not being able to even attempt to do it ?

McKneff

Good luck Vicki let us know how you get om.

You are like a breath of fresh air to be honest. When you see people on a daily basis asking for help trying to buck the system and maximise their claims. Not all but certainly there are some

And you shoud not, under any circumstamces feel guilty.xx

Annie

w06

Vicki things like using the sink would/may be considered an aid. When I had my assessment I was saying well no there isn't room in my bathroom to have handrails, I manage. I had a very good assessor who dragged out of me that actually yes I use the sink and radiator as a hand rail either side of the loo.

Ames

Don't forget that any walking done while in pain doesn't count.

So if you can walk 100 yards but are in severe pain after the first 30, for the purposes of PIP you can only walk 30.

Alice_Holt

"getting of the toilet I would probably grab hold of the sink as its right next to it and I don't have a big bathroom so I don't know if that would apply......
.........so I could manage."

If you didn't have a small bathroom - how would you manage with nothing to steady you?

I think you may significantly understate your difficulties because -
1) You can "manage" and have got used to managing:
2) The form is not easy to complete because you need to state what you can't do -(this is probably very different to the way you approach, manage, and work around your conditions).
I would suggest you get help with the form as it's easier to complete with a bit of emotional distance. Do you have a local CAB / advice agency who can help?
3) Don't feel guilty about applying (as others have said).

You have to describe the difficulties you have with the activities.
Cyclamen's post is stop on.
You need to separate yourself emotionally from the form. Try to look on it as a piece of work / project tasked with achieving a PIP award. Think of how you would write it for a friend who had the same health conditions you have - I'm sure you would do your utmost to get her an appropriate outcome. Please do the same for yourself.

Please read through the links I provided in my earlier post. There is some really good info out there (the B & W site may be worth subscribing to if you can't get help from an advice agency).

Good Luck.

rockingbilly

w06 wrote: »

Vicki things like using the sink would/may be considered an aid. When I had my assessment I was saying well no there isn't room in my bathroom to have handrails, I manage. I had a very good assessor who dragged out of me that actually yes I use the sink and radiator as a hand rail either side of the loo.

Yes a radiator is classed as an aid - the DWP accepted it in my wife's Attendance Allowance claim. Later Social Services carried out a review for my wife. She used the radiator to pull herself out of bed. They weren't too impressed and supplied a bed riser that fits under the mattress.
Using the sink as an aid to get up off the toilet is much the same as a toilet rail that is also supplied by Social Services as an adaption/aid That is how I ended up with a raised toilet seat and rail.

Ames

It's worth trying to get a proper rail though, just for safety so the sink doesn't pull away from the wall after repeated use.

vicki84

Thanks for all of the replies I went to the doctors yesterday and explained I was struggling I have been prescribed Tramdol and Amitriptyline.