Been on high rate mobility and middle rate care DLA for seven years.
Had my PIP assessment just before Christmas and was awarded low rate for both care and mobility, scoring 10 points on each one.
My biggest beef with it all is that they do not take my bowel incontinence into consideration for the mobility issues.
Walking causes me major problems with my bowels and I need the blue badge to be able to park close to facilities for this issue alone.
My question is do I have a case? And would I need supporting evidence to back up my case, as although it is in my medical history I have bowel incontinence, it is mainly based on my word that I have accidents.
They also said in the letter that they did not believe I have problems with stairs, uneven surfaces and slippery ground, which I have major problems with.
If you have high rate it is automatic you can get a blue badge. Other people who can get a Blue Badge If you do not qualify automatically for a Blue Badge you may still be able to get one under the criterion ‘eligible subject to further assessment’. You will need to apply to your local council for a badge and answer some questions which will help the council decide if you can have a Blue Badge. In order to qualify under this category you must either: • Have a permanent and substantial disability which means you cannot walk, or which makes walking very difficult; or • Have a severe disability in both arms, regularly drive a motor vehicle but be unable to operate all or some types of parking meter (or would find it very difficult to operate them). You may also be asked to see another health professional such as an occupational therapist.
Neither of these criterions have anything to do with bowl incontinence but morally any council would understand the importance. If not you have two further appeals you can make; go all the way if need be; be very careful to keep the time restrictions.
I don’t know where you live, ged, but you may still be able to get a Blue Badge even with low rate mobility. I live in Warwickshire and one of the criteria for receiving a badge is that you get PIP mobility. It doesn’t have to be high rate, you just need to have scored at least 8 points on your award. So check with your council as you may still qualify. Also, if you’re going to ask for a mandatory reconsideration, join the Benefits & Work website and use their guides if you haven’t already done so. It costs£20, but you can get that back with your first month’s award if you’re successful. Plus get medical evidence from your MS nurse and/or neurologist to back up your claim.
It’s a fact that fewer people are awarded high rate mobility for PIP than received it for DLA. This is because you must either have extreme difficulty walking, or have mental health issues that prevent you leaving the house alone. While I am pleased to see that the Government recognises that mental health issues affect a person’s ability to travel, I’m not sure that mental health should have the same weight as physical problems in determining whether someone gets high rate mobility PIP. But then, they wanted to reduce the amount paid to disabled people by 20%. This way they can achieve that while claiming to be concerned about mental health at the same time.
I was hoping that Labour would win the last General Election, just to see if they would listen to the various organisations and moderate or change the criteria for getting PIP. The cynical side of me is pretty sure that they wouldn’t have changed a thing, just said it would cost too much to change and blamed the previous government.
The criteria for standard rate PIP for mobility is that you can walk more than 20metres but less than 50.
The criteria for getting a Blue Badge was generally that you cannot walk more than 50metres. The direct route to a badge always used to be that you received DLA for mobility at the highest rate, but since the criteria for that was being unable to walk more than 50metres, I’d expect that the direct route for a Blue Badge has now altered to mean that receipt of PIP for mobility at any rate entitles you to a badge.
There is no room for the DWP decision makers to consider your personal (or daily living) needs when calculating the points accumulated for the mobility element of PIP. They can only consider either your mental capacity for following a route, or your walking ability. (Or both of course.) So appealing the decision on the grounds of your need to reach a loo very quickly is a bit pointless. Although if you feel that you should have been given the enhanced rate for either Daily Living or Mobilty, then of course appeal.
As PJday suggested, use the self test on the benefits and work website. Or consider joining benefits and work (if you haven’t already) if you do plan on appealing against the decision. Their guides are excellent. I know a reasonable amount about PIP but I’m still using the guides to help me with my claim.
I agree with the other comments here, but would like to reply to:
“They also said in the letter that they did not believe I have problems with stairs, uneven surfaces and slippery ground, which I have major problems with.”
So you need to answer PIP Question 14 Moving Around
Your problem is FALLS, stumbles due to MS symptoms: You cannot walk safely, repeatedly more than 50% of the time.
I think you need to document this. Report your falls, stumbles to your GP. Describe how why you stumble fall eg. mention…
Weakness — Muscle weakness is common in MS and can cause gait problems such as toe drag or foot drop. Weakness can also cause knee, hip or ankle instability, which in turn can cause a fall.
Spasticity — Spasticity is one of the most common symptoms of MS and is a major contributor to falls. The term spasticity refers to feelings of stiffness and a reduced ability to maintain smooth, controlled movements of a limb. It may be as mild as a feeling of tight muscles, or may be so severe as to produce painful, uncontrollable spasms. Although spasticity can occur in any limb, it is much more common in the legs. When spasticity is present, a great deal of energy must be expended while walking.
Loss of balance — Balance problems typically result in a swaying or uncoordinated type of walking known as ataxia.
Dizziness and vertigo — Dizziness can also occur in MS. This may appear as the feeling of being off balance or lightheaded. Much less often, there is a sensation that one’s surroundings are spinning; this condition is known as vertigo.
Sensory deficits —Numbness and other sensory disturbances are often the first presenting symptoms of MS. Numbness can make it difficult to be aware of the position of one’s feet or other body parts in space, and may make it difficult to walk on uneven or unstable terrain. Tingling or burning sensations may occur, which can also interfere with function.
Tremor — Fine, rapid, back and forth movements of the limbs and the head can occur with MS. These tremors can often interfere with balance and coordination. Fatigue Fatigue is another common symptom of MS, occurring in more than 80% of people with the disease.
MS fatigue is commonly described as a feeling of exhaustion that is unrelated to an individual’s level of exertion. This differs from muscle fatigue that results from exertion. When present, fatigue can worsen all of the other symptoms that contribute to mobility problems thus increasing the risk of falling.
(see p.2-3 MS Falls) https://www.nationalmssociety.org/NationalMSSociety/media/MSNationalFiles/Brochures/Brochure-Minimizing-Your-Risk-of-Falls.pdf
Ask your GP to write you a letter mentioning how you are unsafe on public transport - may fall on the bus or train or when rushing to the loo or when out generally etc.,.
Of course your GP will suggest, if you do - stubble, trip, fall, that you should consider a wheelchair or scooter.
You need to be a wheelchair user to get enhanced PIP mobility
The best way forward here is an appointment with Wheelchair Services via your GP or MS Nurse. The letters/documents assessment from this can be include with your Mandatory Reconsideration letter.
So your falls -stumbles more than 50% of the time should give you 12 PIP points
Now on to PIP Question 13 Going out
As you need a wheelchair to be safe when out - do you need extra help?
Can you propel yourself in a manual wheelchair or would you need help - someone to drive you and push you in a manual wheelchair?
Are your arms or hands too weak for this?? If yes, you need a scooter or power wheelchair.
You might say:
I can not cope with any obstacles that would be in the way and I can not propel my wheelchair without the help of another person to cross the road in a timely fashion in order to be safe from traffic and to deal with any obstacles in the road. I can not take a bus or train by myself without someone to help me propel my wheelchair due to muscle weakness in my arms and weak grip in my hands.
Or you could say:
Another reason why I cannot plan a journey and need another person to take me and bring me home is due to my cognitive problems of poor memory. If I had to travel somewhere alone I can get disorientated - particularly if there were some delays on public transport or a change in route whereby I had to follow direction in a certain order. I would not be able to do that by myself without getting lost.
You could also state you need a SatNav to give you directions if you can still drive yourself. I am not fit to drive and gave up my licence so dependent upon help and a named driver.