Personal Independence Payment survey.
The Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC), of which WAMES is a member, wants to find out more about disabled people’s experiences of applying for and getting this payment.
The survey should take about 20 minutes to complete and can be completed over time.
Your views are incredibly important and will help them to tell the government about any problems or issues with the process that needs to change.
DBC is a national coalition of over 50 different charities and other organisations committed to working towards a fair benefits system.
we are currently waiting for an appeal for my son who applied for PIP. Michael has ME/ CFS for 9 years and at the moment he is going through a really bad time, his condition has had got so bad lately that he now spends up 3-4 days a week in bed he may make it to the sofa if he is having a good day and on rare occasions he may venture out however that will often be paid for by spending more time in bed depending on his recovery rate. During these times in bed if a family member does not take food and drink to him then he doesn’t drink or eat as he finds getting out of bed coming down stair to get food overwhelming and to tiring. On days when he is felling slightly better he may have a bath but on day he can have a bath that is all he can manage for the day. On other days on a good day he may be able to get his lunch ie a sandwich, it has to be an incredible day for Michael to be able to cook a meal. As Michael has complex food allergies he is not able to us pre cooked meals.
Michael was advised by the job centre to apply for PIP i have to say that part of the reason Michael health has deteriorated is because he was taken off ESA he was told that because he can sit up for an hour a day he can go to work it has been his efforts to set up a business that would mean he could work at his pace that are responsible for the relapse
Back to the PIP, we were visited by a woman who turned out to be a nurse who openly admitted that she had no experience in ME. She would not allow Michael to explain his condition and how it effects him , we explained all of the above and Michael was awarded 2 points, after sending letters of support from friends and family plus GP the reconsideration was turned down. I know of people who are a better than Michael who receive all sorts of help. Even though he has been awarded ESA we were told by the very rude woman that you just can’t be signed off for the same illnes you will be refused once our doctors see you. It make me wonder how my son is meant to support him self. When we went to see his GP and explained that he needed someone to help manage his condition the GP said “well it won’t be me !” we are told that the isn’t a consultant in Wales that we can see on the NHS but if we would like to pay then he would see what he could do, like are we meant to pay for a consultant on no money.