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@Donaya , I probably "stomped" a few years before you got round to your "stomping"!     Take care  

@Stumbler Small world, Ilford was my stomping ground given i lived there for 25 years!  Enjoy the day :@)

@Donaya . You're up in Essex. That used to be my old "stomping ground". I got out of London as far as Ilford, until I cut the London ties and moved down to the South Coast.  

@Stumbler Stumbler! Good name, I guess my name would be Dory from the film Finding Nemo... atrocious memory at times oh and a hand that likes to be independent!    Most certainly people with MS must be their own advocates and not stop until they have the outcome they are entitled to.  If we do not make a fuss it will continue, from my experience the DWP assessors not only aim to fit your responses to their tick boxes, they have the audacity to make assumptions based on the person they see before them not by what is reported to themin terms of difficulties and the impact on day to day functioning. For example i do not fit physical characteristics of what one may visually perceive as disabled. However it is the disabling symptoms that cannot be seen that cause me the most difficulties, unfortunately such symptoms do not fit the DWP framwork of assessment.    As evidenced in reserach the majority of PIP Tribunals are upheld.  What is needed is competent and knowledgeable professionals who understand MS in its entirety, along with the varied disabling symptoms we experience that have a unique cluster for us all.    The joys!   

@Donaya , thanks for sharing this with us.   You're right, the more success stories are posted on the internet generally, the more people will be encouraged.  And we can build up a critical mass mass, which will hopefully start to educate the DWP and the Assessors.   We can but hope.  

Hi all, if you were refused PIP by DWP and have not appealed i urge you to do so as MS is a life changing disease.  I applied June 2019 then appealed, last year Oct following my face to face assessment Sept. This was refused, i then appealed by Tribunal which took place July 2020 via telephone. A Doctor, Judge and a representative from DWP asked questions based on the what was reported up until the date of assessment (sept 2019) they did not want to hear about now.  Anyway, this was not a scary experience. In fact it was easier than the DWP assessment, they wanted to hear how the RRMS impacts on my day to day life.  The decision was upheld and i was awared PIP standard rate.  4x 2 points awared and 4 points awared fot mobility.  Interestingly DWP scored me ZERO in all areas!!! I will be back dated from june 2019 and entitled to PIP until june 2022.    Be brave, fear nothing and make sure you stand up for MS by claming what you are entitled to. Do not be put off by a Tribunal. My opinion is DWP have no idea what they are assessing with MS, lack understanding to the hidden yet highly self limiting symptoms that do not fit nicely into their generalised tick box questions. DWP are likely to score people with ZERO like me, dont be put off... appeal with a smile! Surely living with MS is far harder than anything a Tribunal can throw at you. Good luck all.