Let’s talk about PIP
Picture shows a man in a blue shirt and we are close up on his hands as he fills in paperwork on a desk with the name of the blog written above and the title of the post below in white against a dark blue background[IMG]
Hey everybody!
Wow this weekend has been full of tears, panic attacks, and worry…so lets talk about PIP….
If you have been reading my blog for a while you will know that recently I was called for reassessment for both of my disability benefits. I was awarded my ESA after going for reassessment and met all the requirements because I am legitimately disabled and have been for some years.
However, on Saturday I got a letter stating that they were stopping my PIP benefit completely this month. Now I want to explain that the person who came to our house to assess me was not the person who made the final decision! So it takes two people and I do not think either are medically trained to decide after a half hour meeting with only one of them that I am not disabled enough?
The fact that the only other option is Job seekers allowance which is the one you go for when you are actively seeking employment did not escape my notice. Nor did the fact that there may be an election and maybe they want us off one benefit and onto another so they can show certain statistics that fit the Conservatives narrative…
I cannot work because I have three illnesses that give me fatigue, one of which is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This makes my days very different and hard to know if I will have a day where me and Lee can pop to the shop or I can even get out of bed!
Another factor is that I have generalised anxiety disorder which means most days I cannot leave the house and have long term therapy to help me.
However, the report stated that my musculoskeletal system did not prove I could not work. This mix up is why it is insane to have one person assess and a completely different person make the decisions! I had to fill in thick forms with all my therapists and specialists contact details yet none of them were contacted!
So after finding this out my husband is angry and I ended up having a migraine after worrying all Saturday and crying much of the day! Stress is really bad for chronic illness, and my pain has worsened and honestly I just think the whole system is insane!!
Why do I have to keep being assessed by people when I have my own doctors who monitor me? How much is it costing to print these thick forms, and send letters, and hire two people per person’s assessment, to pay the assessor’s petrol to get to my home etc etc etc?????
If the government stopped wasting money like this just to be able to show statistics that fit what they promise how many people could be helped? How much would we save? I know I am only a small voice, but I am able to vote and so I am saying just stop wasting money and putting people through hell please?
Namaste xxx
One Comment
Despite Pain
Sorry you are going through this. Yours may be a small voice, but there are many thousands of small voices out there. Fight back – appeal, take it further. It’s a cruel system.