Would any one who was successful at gaining the enhanced mobility rate on the PIP be able to share their answers to the questions, how you phrased the replies?
Im having awful problems knowing how to say, some parts the day I can walk between 20 and 50 meters, maybe 3 or 4 times in total, but the rest of the rime I can walk less, so more than 50% of the week I can’t walk more than 20 meters, so do I tick the less than 20 meters box?
its so difficult, I’m so worried about losing my car, it’s my total independence, I can’t walk to the bus stop nearest to me it’s over 200 meters away, I don’t like public transport as I have toilet accidents and at least in my car I feel “safe”
Any comments or suggestions would be gratefully appreciated
The best suggestion I can offer is to join http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/ it costs about £20 but it’s worth it. They have guides and good ideas of how to write your forms.
Its no good anyone telling you what they answered, because it’s about you, your mobility and what you can manage.
I don’t go along with the idea that you should answer as if it’s your worst day, because if you do that then have an assessment that doesn’t match up to your form replies, it will look like you’ve exaggerated everything. But you can say ‘on my worst day I …’
If you have expert assistance available e.g. from the CAB, then use it.
If not, write your answers roughly first, keeping the PIP descriptors in mind (https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf) then leave it to one side for a day, re read what you’ve written, see if it makes sense, if it describes your abilities and if it matches up with where you think you should be on the points table. Then if you have someone you trust to read it critically, get them to do that and make some honest comments about what you’ve written.
Also its also about planning a journey too. Being able to gets you 0 points.
I was chatting to a friend who is doing hers she has a car too. I said how do you get from A to B when you park? Do you walk more then 20 - 50 metres say if your working and do you work full time. She does on both accounts but struggles and uses a walking stick and works part time when she gets home she is wiped out. How will she answer. I told her to join benefits and works they are very useful.
I found the DLA form much more intensive and geared more to how your mobiility affects you, safety outside, care was more comprehensive etc. Yet i had no issues getting it even not diagnosed.
Now so many people are failing as it seems a point system which is geared really to people more or less housebound.
I found the DLA form much more intensive and geared more to how your mobiility affects you, safety outside, care was more comprehensive etc. Yet i had no issues getting it even not diagnosed.
Now so many people are failing as it seems a point system which is geared really to people more or less housebound.
[/quote] In my experience they do look at the effects of your mobility issues on the QUALITY and SAFETY of your walking. The problem is that the question gives few if any pointers to what they are looking for and the format of the form begs short (and inevitably inadequate) responses.
I know I am like a stuck record on this point but it is VITAL that you tell the full story in your responses to the questions using continuation sheets where necessary. Remember that you should be not be able to do things SAFELY, REPEATEDLY and to an ACCEPTABLE STANDARD. So, I could say that I can walk more than 100m but this does not give the full or accurate picture. My measured walking speed is less than a quarter of average speed. I have to halt every 10-15 steps to reorientation myself so I don’t fall. I can’t walk in a straight line and I have been known to bump into other road users. I got full mobility.
As Boblatina says, that when determining the appropriate descriptor for walking the test is guided by 3 things, can it be done Safely, Repeatedly and within a Reasonable Time. If someone has a fluctuating condition, the most appropriate descriptor will be the one which is likely to apply for the greatest proportion of the time. On your application form if you are saying that 50% of the time you can walk 50 metres and the other 50% less than 20 metres then you will need to expand on that. So for the days when you can walk 50 metres, can you do this safely for example without any risk of falling, can you walk the 50 metres in a reasonable time or do you have to keep pausing for a rest. These are the sorts of clarifications that the assessor will want to understand. I think that many people when filling out the PIP form tend to putdown what they can do on a good day. To me its a bit like the “British stiff upper lip” approach where we soldier on regardless. It allows the Assessor ample opportunity to reduce the Descriptor scores, so it is important to remove as much interpretation as possible when writing up your evidence.
Good luck with the form and we will keep our fingers crossed for you.
Filling in the form is not as easy task. Its best to get a specialist who knows their way around these forms.
Do you go to an MS Therapy Centre? There is usually someone there who can help you. If you have not been to one before then give the nearest one a call. There is usually someone there who might help you. Google ‘National MS Therapy Centre’.
Yes all good points, however, i had an EXPERT fill mine in from DWP she took an hour to do it, and i felt we didnt really cover some of the points you are making so it makes me worry to be honest. She did ask can i do it safely, (which is on form), and does it make me fatigued or breathless so i said yes which it does, and i get tired quickly and am liable to fall if i am on my own.
I do think the form is clever actually as people filling it in are not encouraged to embellish where I found the DLA one they did, i still have copies of my old form.
I think that people should say like you state tell them how it really effects you on your bad day, although for me, it affects me on either. x