Mobility Aspect of PIP - changes in my health.

Hi Everybody,
I survived this morning's home alone assessment for PIP (just!) . I was seen by a qualified nurse who said she had experience in general nursing, oncology and mental health and I'm pretty sure she does.

Although she seemed keen to nail my mental health issues down and gave me plenty of time and space to expand on them, she seemed to be avoiding the fact that my physical health has deteriorated in the last four years since acute agoraphobia has prevented me from going out and taking exercise. This has resulted in my becoming very breathless within the 50 metre range and I can no longer manage the 24 stairs up to my flat. I have also gained a lot of weight due to not exercising and my joints are paying the painful price. This is documented by my GP and has been officially accepted to the point I now have an excellent chance of getting suitable ground floor social housing accommodation on the grounds that I cannot climb stairs, as I have been awarded physical disability points.

At the end of the assessment as she was readying to leave she told me that the decision makers only consider breathlessness and inability to walk distances due to actual illnesses such as asthma and that my body de-conditioning due to inactivity wouldn't be considered an illness. I pointed out that the de-conditioning was due to my agoraphobia but she wasn't accepting it.

I didn't submit any evidence as it has all been shredded by the DLA and the welfare rights lady who filled in my form (very badly!) said not to wait to send evidence from my doctor and to wait and see if it was necessary as I am currently receiving indefinite DLA Middle Care and Low Mobility. I know my mobility has worsened due to physical reasons, though I currently receive it for not being able to plan routes, go to familiar places etc.

I'd be really grateful if anyone has any advice or has had a similar experience.

Thanks in anticipation

Hi Gordon, and thanks.
I'll do as you suggest and wait and see what turns up.

Thanks to everyone for being here.

This forum is a life-saver and I'm so glad my sister recommended it to me.

Apart from the wealth of factual info, it's the feeling of not being alone with it all that is just as valuable to me.

Will keep folks posted!

Well folks, today I received the following text from the DWP:

"We've now got all the info we need to decide your PIP claim. We will send you a decision letter once we've made our decision. Please call us if any details you gave us have changed. Thank you".

It's as I thought. After shredding all my medical evidence for DLA from 2002 onwards, they've decided to not even bother contacting my doctor.

It's so debilitating and I'm weary weary weary.....

hi jul .
been reading your post ,hope you dont mind me replying, ime also agrophobic have been for over 4 yrs now, and relate to excactly what you are saying about how your health has deteriated since being housebound ,as ive excactly the same issues ,,since being like i am ive put on weight over 2 stone and suffer oestio athritus in my spine and all joints as well and the lack of excersise through not going out walking like i used to has made it much worse ,i also suffer fatique even just walking from front room to kitchen , and get breathless very easily doing so, but told the assessor the same like you and she said to me that i could use excersise equipment in my home to use ,they seem to have a answer to everything ,but when your suffering mental health issue its easier said then done when even getting out of bed is a struggle ,,i was only awarded 4 points on the planning and following a journey didnt get anything for the physical descriptor of moving around ,, asked for MR and came back unchanged ,so now am appealing ,, as easy as it to say try not to worry to much until you recieve your decision as i know you will ,, mine took about 8 weeks to arrive after assesment ,so in meantime of waiting ,instead of worrying focus on the worse senario and maybe look into seeing if you could possible ask your gp , if needed !!. if you disagree with there decision if you could have copies of any evidence in your health records to send off if you ask for a manditory reconsideration if need be so your a step ahead just incase your not succesfull in what your hoping to be awarded ,, ive done this as i didnt have much evidence at the time to send off ,there is a charge for your records and my surgery charges £25 .. ,hope you are succsesfull and get the award your hoping for ,.
alison,