Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

[Bill-K]

Hi guys - and please move this thread if it is in the wrong place - I have a habit of sitting in the wrong seat and pressing the wrong buttons !!! I've spent a few years in these forums dealing with bank charges & PPI etc., and I like to think I'm pretty clever with that stuff - but the damage of passing years hits us all, and my dear wife is now suffering from what we consider to be permanent disabilities. I am also now relying on Pension Credit, as I have now packed in my self-employed driving job, and accepted my current status as a grumpy old git and a Carer.

I thus find myself starting a thread here as a 'Newbie,' so please be gentle with me. So far - I'm pretty OK health-wise (although Mrs-K reckons a bit of effort in the bathroom might be worth considering. I'm not sure if that means "aim," personal hygiene, or a Power Shower. Probably all 3.) But dear Mrs-K has suffered from increasing debilitating illness over the past couple of years, and we decided to apply for P.I.P. for her last year, as her illness appeared to be irreversible. I will say little more at this point - but we are due to attend an ATOS assessment on Tue 17/02/15.

In addition to her physical disabilities, she also has (clinically diagnosed & recorded) depression - so, we are hoping for a favourable outcome. I will be attending the assessment with her, and I have read up as best I can as regards how to proceed. Any advice you guys might have would be good, because we are now both bricking it - but I'm expecting this to roll out to an appeal saga, anyway. I guess I just needed to issue some invites to our particular party...!!!

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

Hi Bill,
I've deleted the other thread as it was doubled up (identical to this one).

I'm so sorry to read that your wife is ill, and that you're facing the dreaded PIP medical.
Pompeyfaith is your man to talk to about this. As time is so short if I was you I'd pm him: http://forums.all-about-debt.co.uk/p...do=newpm&u=889

kind regards,

Elsa x

[Pixie]

Re: Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

Just want to wish you and your wife luck for tomorrow Bill-K x

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

In view of the short timescale I've pm'd Pompeyfaith with a link to the thread, just in case xx

[PlanB]

Re: Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

Wishing you and your wife loads of luck for tomorrow

My daughter got me to fill in her ATOS form this summer when she couldn't work due to a couple of broken limbs. I was stumped by the question which asked if she was able to carry out complicated tasks such as working a washing machine. I was tempted to put that she can't even do that when she's fit and able so the answer has to be "No"

[IF]

Re: Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

Thinking of you both too Bill

Bestest
IF

[oscar]

Re: Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

About to shoot out Bill, but will respond a little later.

I am sure you are aware you have to be careful on your wording with some of their questions.

EDIT.

Back again now Bill.

I am assuming that as you are claiming PIP, that your wife is under 65? (not prying, but that's part of the criteria)

You and your wife will probably also qualify for other benefits once PIP is in place, but you need to be careful of the ones you apply for, as one can cancel out the payment of the other (so is a bit of a waste of time)

Pompey will be able to advise far more than me, and obviously you don't want to put your life story as such on here.

[Bill-K]

Re: Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

Apologies for the duplicated thread (me pressing all the wrong buttons again) - thanks to Elsa for fixing that & PM-ing PompeyFaith. Thanks to you all for your good wishes and advice. Mrs-K satisfied the basic qualifying conditions that Oscar mentions (eg under 65, etc.) and we filled out the full PIP application in July. I kept a copy of it, and we made a point of being truthful and factual with the answers - avoiding the temptation to exaggerate symptoms, but went full-on with the truth. The answers scored 25 on the Daily Living, and 22 on the Mobility - so we believe we have a good chance . If anything, some of the symptoms have worsened since then, so I think we should go through the form again and check.

As Oscar has also mentioned, I've looked into some of the extra benefits such as Disabled Parking, etc., which will be useful. The only other financial benefit I have found so far is Carer's Allowance, which would reduce my own Pension Credit, but overall should still be worth about £30 p/w extra for us. From what I understand, I cannot claim CA until the PIP is awarded - but I am hoping it can all be backdated to the original claim date, which was June as I recall. Being 'cautiously optimistic' that it doesn't get refused, I'm hoping for DWP approval around mid-March - which would mean around 40 weeks of back-dated PIP& CA hopefully, and a nice Spring bonus after all this waiting. Here's hoping...

[oscar]

Re: Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

DONT apply for carers.

As you said, it gets taken off your Pension Credit, plus if Mrs is awarded PIP, you should qualify for the carers premium (£34) with having an underlying entitlement but not actually claiming.

It would be more beneficial to keep the pension credit at its current level.

[Bill-K]

Re: Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

Thanks for that warning, Oscar. A while ago (when she was more able) Mrs-K applied for CA while she was looking after her elderly mum. It came to about £60 p/w, but it did indeed reduce my Pension Credit by about £30 p/w - so it was the equivalent of getting just £30 p/w CA, which is what I would expect again here. I'll look into this further - especially the Carer's Premium. It's tough enough having to fill in a 40-page PIP application and jump through ATOS hoops without having to juggle with the effects of other benefits & entitlements !!!

[oscar]

Re: Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

I don't know for certain, but the premium should get automatically added to your pension credit. You may have to "nudge" them, but there is no application as such as far as I am aware.

[Bill-K]

Re: Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

Thanks Oscar - Looks Like CP will be the way to go with this - but I'll try and read up some more on CA & CP + other stuff.

[pompeyfaith]

Re: Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

Hiya Bill

You seem to have been managing this quite well thus far, but as you rightly predict the biggest hurdle is about to manifest but lets get you on the right road with some excellent tips for tomorrow.

I take it you have Facebook yes?

OK I am not going to copy and paste the text here as that is not fair on the author Michelle Cardno of Fightback4Justice so will give you the links so you can go to her notes page and read up but I will say this she is very good and been too and won many claims and appeals for DLA/PIP and ESA/IB and thus her notes pages are second to none

Once on the page should you wish you can print these and take with you to refer too as your good wife's witness so without further ado links are below


https://www.facebook.com/notes/fight...54430323965565

https://www.facebook.com/notes/fight...53887075975565

https://www.facebook.com/notes/fight...52766497585565

There maybe other notes that will help you so please go though them all so you do not miss anything as it is a really good resource

Finally you are welcome to PM me if you have any urgent questions

Good Luck

[cymruambyth]

Re: Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

I can't offer any advice, all I can send are my best wishes for Tuesday.

[Bill-K]

Re: Claiming PIP & expecting ATOS will Force us to Appeal

Been busy updating the 'PIP diary,' as Mrs-K got so despondent that she abandoned it - so, again, my apologies for not responding here immediately. Many thanks to Cymru for best wishes XXX (I have a shoe fetish...!) I have seen ATOS threads by peeps who were really on the brink of defenestrating, and even supported the hubby of an old friend of mine who couldn't deal with the assessment interview - so I have an idea of how bad it can be. Fortunately, us forum guys help each other out - so we get to develop a bit of a 'swagger,' sometimes with all this beaurocracy and red tape, but I really do pity those thousands of poor peeps who just don't do the forum stuff and are alone with this.

Many, many thanks to you guys for the good wishes, tips & hints - and now my thanks to the guv'nor Pompey for his links. Before it gets too late, I'll peruse them for tips regarding the assessment interview - and later for pointers if we need to appeal. I must remember to charge up my phone, so I can record it, too !!!

EDIT: I realise I should have started this thread earlier (LOL - ever heard that before ...?) - Excellent links from Pompey, which I have just scan-read through. It's laughable that they insist that claimants provide a 'Police-Quality' dual recorder - but can't quite manage to provide one themselves. I'll leave my phone on 'Record' - and if there are 2 of us at the assessment, then we have corroboration of what was recorded - even if we can't openly produce a recording of it later.