PIP questions

Hi,

Just looking at my mandatory reconsideration info. I have a couple of questions please.

If I do something every other day but can’t do it on the other days at all because of fatigue and pain does that count as 50% or more? What if it is 50%? Is that the majority of the time?

Do I answer with the help I would need to be able to do it everyday?

Eg washing and dressing. At the moment I can’ only do this every other day on my own because of pain and fatigue but I don’t ask my partner to help, I just don’t do it at all that day. Do I say that if I had to do it everyday I would need help to do it or just that I can’t do it? (It is reasonable to assume that most people can wash and dress everyday) Eg he would have to help me get in and out of the bath, help with dressing.

I think this is where I didn’t explain myself well enough at the assessment. I don’t want him to have to help me do these things, it doesn’t mean I don’t need the help.

Thanks.

Thanks Gordon,

Can I just clarify please (I'm still unsure that I'm picking the correct descriptors). I have fibromyalgia, cfs and neuropathic pain in my leg.

Washing - every other day but less in flare up, takes more than twice as long as normal, causes increase in pain and fatigue so overall I think that means I can't do it repeatedly (as often as needed ie everyday) to an appropriate standard (I am not washing all of my body every time), and because of the effects it has on pain and fatigue I can't do it at al.
I think the descriptor should be can't wash at all.

Dressing, pretty much the same, can't do it everyday, causes increase in pain/fatigue, takes longer than normal so I think the correct descriptor is can't dress at all.

Cooking, I can't do this at all, my partner has to do it all because of pain and fatigue so again I think the correct descriptor is can't do it at all.

Walking - I am in considerable pain all of the time but because of a nerve pain problem as soon as I stand and start to walk it increases significantly. 6 days a week I can walk no further than the bathroom (3 meters), on the other day I can walk a bit further but like I say in lots of pain. So for this I think can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided.

Do you think I have a reasonable argument for this?

Thanks.

I know I haven't gone into much detail above, but none of the descriptors take into account fatigue. I physically can’t get out of bed to do anything most days apart from going to the loo. I really don’t know how fatigue fits the descriptors because to me if I can’t do an activity at all that day because I can’t get out of bed then surely that counts as a can’t do it at all day.

For example cooking, my daughter has to make breakfast, I don’t each lunch until my partner comes home from work because I can’t get to the kitchen and my partner has to cook tea. It’s not a case of if he chops things I can manage because I just don’t have the energy to do any of it at all. I know they don’t take into account getting to the kitchen but even if I could get there to get breakfast and lunch I would be flat out and unable to cook tea. Then the next day I couldn’t do anything at all because of fatigue from the day before.

Can anyone help with descriptors when it comes to fatigue, I’m going round in circles.