Claiming benefits

Thank you for your reply . It’s abit more than tiredness though, it wipes me out for days, and other side effects to. X

It’s worth applying if your “tiredness” is debilitating fatigue. I had a bout for close to 6 months so I can sympathise with you. I couldn’t barely do anything but just about managed to hold my job down even though it’s literally opening a laptop and programming all day. But I don’t claim anything myself. If I could I would.

Hi Kathy,

You might find that the Citizens Advice Bureau is a good source of information initially perhaps online as they prepare useful leaflets and are more helpful than from DWP;as a second stage CAB offers telephone advice I believe despite Covid having scuppered most of their face to face activities.

I am aware that PIP is awarded irrespective of ,income ,savings or whether working or not.However assessment by DWP is how your condition affects you as opposed to the condition itself-so athough all of us with CML are regarded as disabled under the Equality Act (formerly Disability Discrimination Act). CAB suggests that one builds up a diary of what is possible/not possible on a day to day basis under the 12 headings of the PIP Assessment that is undertaken by say Capita on behalf of DWP-they, although with minimal healthcare capabilities and qualifications , have been trained to be quite expert at finding ways to deny the applicant.If you engage a healthcare professional to help you to prepare your case it might cost you.You wont have the seeable faces of disability so you will have to prepare a good case with lots of evidence via diaries , examples, timings etc etc.

At the moment all DWP related face to face assessments are on hold because of Covid so telephone assessment will be the order of the day-then you will be told your assessment cannot be completed until face to face is back in practice..I have experience of helping a friend deal with Universal Credit Employment Support Allowance,Council Tax Local Support plus in the past Adult Social Care and NHS Continuous Care.I have concluded that it is quite difficult to match up oneself with the professionals who make the decisions however much self training one does in their fields.

I wish you well

John

Thank you all for replying , I don’t think I’ll put myself through the stress of applying x

Hi Cathy

I am a Benefits adviser for Citizens Advice and to clear your mind as to whether you should apply or not  if you google   

citizens advice PIP descriptors   

you will get the whole list of how they award points for each category. You need a minimum of 8 pts for Standard Rate Daily Living  and 8 pts for Standard Rate Mobility. 12 pts will get you Enhanced Rate DL and ER Mob.  Quite a few patients with CML have been successful but it depends on how your illness/TKI side effects affect your life. Do NOT attempt to complete this form yourself but contact Citizens Advice or Macmillan as one wrong word can scupper the application!.    OR

Maybe you should be claiming ESA/Universal Credit? This will depend on

1) if you have  a partner who is working (means tested so probably not eligible)  or

2) if you have enough NI contributions over the past 2 or so years, you may be able to clam New Style Employment and Support Allowance which is not means tested but can only be claimed for 1 year.

It may be worth  contacting DWP about this or making an online initial claim for Universal Credit. wwww.gov.uk

Good luck