Personal Independence Payment - Advice needed.

SaitenMar

Hello, I'm basically looking for some benefit advice. Just before the pandemic and lockdowns hit I was informed by the Citizens Advice Borough that I could be eligible to claim for the Personal Independence Payment but I wasn't sure if I could or not. Basically I suffer with Rheumatoid Arthritis in a number of joints though mainly my knees and ankles which means I struggle to get about sometimes and require the use of a walking stick, it obviously affects many aspects of my life and the condition can vary in severity.. Given that I'm currently claiming Job Seekers Allowance I generally didn't think I could receive any extra help. In the past I was on the Employment and Support benefit but had that removed after a rather nasty assessment experience with a guy who wasn't even a doctor and only talked to me for five minutes at most, and was put on JSA. As long as I got help in job searching, finding a job etc I didn't mind but I knew my condition was always going to be a factor. At the moment I'm really struggling and barely had any help from my local Job Centre. Right now I'm struggling both mentally and physically which lead me to see if I could get any extra help. I've looked into PIP again but still aren't sure I would qualify. The help for mobility etc would be massive for me but my past experiences with ESA really knocked me about. Now I appreciate you can't exactly give me a clear answer given that you don't know me but I would appreciate any advice or if you have any personal experience. I'm 32 by the way. 

Sorry this was so long, but I really appreciate any help. Thanks. 

poppy12345

PIP isn't awarded based on a diagnosis, it's how those conditions affect your ability to carry out daily activity based on the PIP descriptors. No one here can tell you whether you would qualify because no one knows exactly how your conditions affect you. I'll add some links for you to have a read of which will hopefully give you a better understanding of the PIP descriptors and what they mean.

It's long but i'd advise you to spend some time to have a read of all of it.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria

If you do apply then i'd advise you to fill out the form with as much relevant information as possible about how your conditions affect you. Also adding a couple of recent real world examples of what happened the last time you attempted that activity for each descriptor that applies to you will also help.

Regarding the "looking for work" with the JSA, if you're not able to continue to look for work then it maybe worth having a look at claiming Universal Credit and sending in fit notes to start the work capcbility assessment process off. Use a benefits calculator to check entitlement. A claim for UC will also end any tax credits or housing benefit you may already be claiming.

Spoonie_Turtle

The link poppy gave is the most thorough, and you should definitely have a read of it.

These CAB links might be helpful too, for thinking about whether you feel you would qualify:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/fill-in-form/
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/appeals/how-decisions-are-made/

Don't let your assessment for ESA put you off. There is some overlap but they are two separate assessments with different purposes. If you don't get what you feel is the correct decision (based on a good understanding of the descriptors and how each activity is assessed) you can challenge the decision and fight for what you think you should be entitled to. This applies to both PIP and ESA/UC (the Work Capability Assessment).  

Alice_Holt

From what you write, I think it is a strong possibility.

Under the Daily Living  (DL) component you may need:
Aids to wash and bath safely - i.e a shower seat or rails to hold onto;
Aids to manage toileting - i.e  a raised toilet seat or rails to get on / off toilet safely;
Dressing - it may take you a long time to dress - if twice as long as someone without your disability then you should be assessed as not being able to do this activity reliably and score points. Or you may need an aid such as a sock grabber;
Preparing meals - when preparing food do you need to sit for safety?  If so, a perching stool is classed as an aid.

Does your poor mental health mean you suffer from depression or anxiety?  Do you need prompting for any of the DL activities?
Are you able to reliably engage face to face with others, and form and maintain social relationships - or are these impacted by anxiety?

Be clear how far you can walk before severe discomfort means you need to stop to recover.  Does anxiety mean you need prompting to go out?

I would suggest doing some research on PIP, and seeing if your local Citizens Advice can help you with the PIP2 form.
Should you need to appeal a flawed assessment, then they may be able to help you with that. 

The key to PIP is "reliably", and "majority of days".  Do research and understand these concepts for PIP. 
 It is important to write a form that fully explains the difficulties you experience with the PIP activities.

In addition to the excellent sources quoted by poppy and Spoonie_Turtle, these may be helpful:
 https://www.nras.org.uk/data/files/Publications/28106 PIP Brochure 28pp A4 (Prf2).pdf

 https://www.rethink.org/advice-and-information/rights-restrictions/money-benefits-and-employment/personal-independence-payment-pip/

I think this site has some excellent guides, but to access all the guides you need to join as a member (c. £20 for a year):
 https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip
 It may be worth considering if your local CA hasn't the capacity to help you, and if you are able to write a strong PIP form yourself by using their information and applying it to your situation. 

SaitenMar

Thank you for replying, sorry I'm late in getting back to you. I will read up on it a lot more to get a better understanding. Appreciate the advice.