PIP, ESA, and other things I can't claim

First off, I can't claim anything disability related for TWO YEARS after I've come back to the UK.

Then, there's this insanity with the PIP rules - you've got to be practically paralysed and drooling to receive ANY financial help for being unable to see to things round the house, and for yourself.

Jesus, there are MANY LEVELS of incapacity, you bastards! You all know this, I'm sorry, but I've come from a country that has a much more civilised, fair, respectful system in place, where my family was compensated for having their "Homemaker Incapacitated, thus financial provision is given to provide for her work". £500 a month.

My appointment was at a central place. I was seen by 4 different doctors, (psych cos of depression diagnosis, rheumatologist cos of fibromyalgia, bone doc - dunno why, neuro for migraines) then a board. And a social worker who was lovely. I've done it twice. Good experience both times, except for the exhaustion etc.

Never occurred to me someone could come to my house. Had to reschedule a couple of times cos of migraines. How can these uninformed twits assess you?

If I'd been working, not studying the language, at the time, we'd have got compensated more, for my lack of earnings. AND not means tested.

THAT'S socialism, UK, nasty, government.

If you can even get PIP, what do you get?

Oh, and THIS for ESA? Only eligible if:

• you have savings or investments worth less than £16,000
• your partner works less than 24 hours a week

Seriously? We have a TINY pension ISA, from my husband's accident 15 years ago. And if he's working full time, but not earning enough, they want us to drain that to subsidise his salary, before they'll help.

Jesus. Well. We've got 2 years to find work arounds. Putting savings in our adult kid's name is looking sensible.

Heck of a rant. I'm just SO DISGUSTED.

Israel has got a lot of things wrong. But the official figures show no discrimination between who gets given benefits there. All but one of the docs were Arab-Israeli anyway! The health system is a-politcal, and flaming excellent.

 

As far as I know....

There are two categories - contribution based and income related. If you're in the contribution based group then these restrictions don't apply. However, as you've not been in the country you won't have been making NI (national insurance) contributions, so you would fall into the income related group.

Except, if you qualify for the Support Group. When you qualify for ESA there are two groups

WRAG (Work Related Activity Group) - this usually lasts about a year and assumes you will be able to start preparing for a return to the work place, or

Support Group - people in this group are unlikely to recover in the short term, if at all. People in the Support Group do not have related income taken into account (as far as I am aware).

Certain factors will put you straight into the Support Group, but it's all about points awarded for each question you are asked.

Before filling in either PIP or ESA forms I would advise getting a copy of the MEAs guide to filling the forms in. Always remember that if you cannot do something safely, repeatedly and in a timely fashion then you should say you cannot do it and explain why. It's fine to include extra sheets when you return your form.

I think Action for ME also do a guide, I know some people say it's helped them.

Your local Citizen's Advice Bureau can also help.

The system is inherently unfair. As far as I can tell, it is designed to try to refuse you as many benefits as possible. I'm not surprised it's come as a bit of a shock.

 

Action for ME have welfare officers who an help advise on this stuff - email welfare@actionforme.org.uk

 

Great advice @Invisible Woman, thank you!

@Amw66 thanks for this - my first hurdle is that I've not disclosed to my GP that I even HAVE bloody ME!

I'd thought of claiming for chronic migraines - they're disabling enough alone. Nope. Also discriminated against!

The system isn't set up for conditions that aren't predictable. ME isn't the only ghastly one. Bastards.

@NelliePledge I knew I'd be scared of the BPS movement, but not just HOW much.
You never know what doctor could be a friend or foe.

The very good junior GP I saw yesterday for my thyroid - another condition badly misunderstood and mishandled! - I wanted to tell her...but the next doctor who saw my notes could be a BPS aficionado.

I'm lying through my teeth about my health status, so I can get new new symptoms taken seriously.

Maybe in 2 years, when I can FINALLY apply, (isn't that crazy?), I'll be able to openly state to any doctor, "I have ME," with confidence.

 

Sqeezy,

If it's any consolation even a UK citizen with many years of paying into the tax system is also denied PIP if they leave the country for 2 years and then return.

There was a "consultation" on this when the law changed but as far as I can see some of the disabled groups didn't seem to understand that this would be applied to all returning citizens as well and not "just" people who had never lived in the UK and never paid tax.

I think that this is ripe for a challenge but there don't seem to be any groups interested in following it up

 

I’m so sorry you’re going through this @Squeezy i completely forgot about a 2 year wait when entering the country

The UK benefits system is a form of torture on ill people. We forget how bad things are between interrogation times (or block it out of our minds to prevent benefit ptsd )

Nothing to add on the advice front that hasnt already been said; Citizens Advice Bureau are worth their weight in gold.

I struck lucky with the assessor i got earlier this year. He was actually nice! I thought he was lying to trip me up but it turned out he actually was nice

I’ve heard about the DWP being arsey about ME, but in my experience, i’ve only really come across one person who was discriminatory and an ME denier (and that was a bloke from welfare rights who’s job it was to help me) not the DWP.

The DWP have always been quite respectful about the ME in my case. I know, very strange!

I hope you manage to find a loop hole to make it work for you hun

But deffo use CAB and consider joining the ‘Benefits and Work’ website, once a member, there are lots of PDF booklets to help with form filling etc.

 

This is an appalling situation. Totally NOT a comfort! The time away should be immaterial. In fact, time WORKED should be immaterial!

I worked full time for 9 years before I left, part time for 6, and was gone 12 years. Had I worked 19 or 29 years these rotten waiting rules would be the same. It's no comfort.

I got ill a year after leaving. Think what they've saved in this 11 years!

Not that they'd have given me a penny for ME and migraines anyway, but still...

It sounds like the Brexiters threw out the baby with the bath water.

Was it a case of not wanting Europeans over here claiming our cushy benefits???

Ill and disabled refugees and asylum seekers?

I'm not trying to be political and start a Brexit debate - perish the thought, I can't cope with it all - but it's a flaming stupid oversight.

 

@Hell..hath..no..fury... So fantastic your assessor turned out to be honestly, truly nice! But OMG the stress you went through was totally torture.

I'm totally ranted-out. For now.

 

I've never used it myself, but I've read that many people find this website invaluable :

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/

There is a subscription fee of £19.95 (for one year of membership), but apparently people think it is worth it.