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PIP & Diabetes

InsulinAddict1310

InsulinAddict1310

Member
I have now just applied for PIP after seeing it mentioned on the forum in the past. I have leaned on some of the mental health issues I have experienced due to my lack of control with my diabetes and general anxiety issues I experience. Has anyone had any luck with PIP?

TIA
 
Extremely bad luck. Currently waiting for my second tribunal. Amongst other things, the DWP don't accept an insulin pump as a necessary device for managing medicine, according to my assessor it's a choice not a necessity.
 
AFAIK, having diabetes does not qualify you for PIP on its own.

Now if you have diabetes complications that result in you needing help that may qualify you, but certainly not diabetes on its own.


Seacrow said:
the DWP don't accept an insulin pump as a necessary device for managing medicine, according to my assessor it's a choice not a necessity.
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Well many T1's don't have access to a pump and have to manage with injections - and some do in fact choose injections over a pump, not sure what an insulin pump has to do with the DWP mind
 
Rokaab said:
AFAIK, having diabetes does not qualify you for PIP on its own.

Well many T1's don't have access to a pump and have to manage with injections - and some do in fact choose injections over a pump, not sure what an insulin pump has to do with the DWP mind
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No, it's meant to be how you are affected, not what conditions have you got.

One of the questions you score points on in the PIP questionnaire is needing aids or devices to manage medication. I'm allergic to all basal insulins I have tried, so can only receive basal insulin through a pump. The decision maker decided it was a choice, not a necessity, to have a basal insulin dose.
 
Seacrow said:
No, it's meant to be how you are affected, not what conditions have you got.

One of the questions you score points on in the PIP questionnaire is needing aids or devices to manage medication. I'm allergic to all basal insulins I have tried, so can only receive basal insulin through a pump. The decision maker decided it was a choice, not a necessity, to have a basal insulin dose.
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Fwiw the number of points you score for 3a(I) (“needing an aid or device to manage medication) is only 1. It’s basically irrelevant in the scheme of things as you need 8 points for an award of standard daily living, and most of the points come in two’s. So unless you score one of the rare threes (4 e - needing assistance to get in and out of a bath) then whether you achieve a 1 for 3a(I) is neither here nor there.
 
finzi1966 said:
Fwiw the number of points you score for 3a(I) (“needing an aid or device to manage medication) is only 1. It’s basically irrelevant in the scheme of things as you need 8 points for an award of standard daily living, and most of the points come in two’s. So unless you score one of the rare threes (4 e - needing assistance to get in and out of a bath) then whether you achieve a 1 for 3a(I) is neither here nor there.
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It's the principle though. My diabetes consultant has decided a pump is medically necessary to treat my diabetes, but the assessor decided it was an optional choice I made for convenience. The assessor was a mental health nurse, and her opinion was taken over that of a specialist consultant. WRONG
 
Seacrow said:
It's the principle though. My diabetes consultant has decided a pump is medically necessary to treat my diabetes, but the assessor decided it was an optional choice I made for convenience. The assessor was a mental health nurse, and her opinion was taken over that of a specialist consultant. WRONG
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Then go for mandatory consideration and appeal if they come back with the same decision.
 
Lainie71 said:
Then go for mandatory consideration and appeal if they come back with the same decision.
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Done and done. Tribunal is week on Friday. The letter from my consultant gave other possibilities, including injecting every two hours, day and night, and trying anti allergy treatment for insulin. So my choice was being permanently awake or being under watch in hospital for a month or using a pump. But still a choice, so pump obviously for convenience.

Just in case... Diabetes is not my only problem, nor does it largely feature in my application, except perhaps for safety while out and about (No hypo awareness + No sensor = repeated hospital trips). It just complicates other co-morbidities.
 
Good luck with your tribunal! Push heavily on the No hypo awareness with repeated hypos - that has very good scope for points, particularly for mobility (potentially 11f, enhanced rate mobility), but also even supervision for cooking and for bathing.
 
Hope you get a good result at the tribunal. Would the consultant who wrote your letter want to inject every 2 hours - I don't think so!!
 
How can i get PIP. I applied and got nil points.
I'm a brittle diabetic and everything affects me. I've no hypo awareness, no feeling in soles of feet or fingertips. I've had laser treatment for eyes.
My work has issued me with a noi due to my hypos (pretty often and irregular), suspended me most of jobs I do.
I suffer diabetic depression and this isn't helping.
But because I'm still whole they won't consider me for PIP. I'm appealing and getting my Specialist and Doctor to help fill out my form
PIP personnel suck as they don't understand the difficulties we face every minute of every day of our lives
 
InsulinAddict1310 said:
I have now just applied for PIP after seeing it mentioned on the forum in the past. I have leaned on some of the mental health issues I have experienced due to my lack of control with my diabetes and general anxiety issues I experience. Has anyone had any luck with PIP?

TIA
Click to expand...
My experience with PIP is not diabetes related (I applied on behalf of my daughter, who has a different condition). However, I would definitely recommend going on to the 'Benefits & Work' website (and Facebook page): the people who run the website have supreme knowledge, experience and insight about the benefits system and how so many of us have been denied what it was set up to do (provide or top up a basic income for those whose medical conditions make daily living and/or mobility limiting or challenging).

There are guides written on all the different benefits available, the questions you are asked, what the questions mean, and how they try to trick you into providing answers that won't score you enough points to qualify. I initially sought help for applying for PIP for my daughter, and that itself was very insightful, but the real gem for me was the PIP guide. As a result, my daughter was granted higher rate for both daily living and mobility components, something she would never have qualified for without the very clear guidelines from the PIP guide. (I say that, having applied for Employment & Support Allowance prior to knowing about the B&W website - and scored 0 points, which was, frankly, ridiculous.). There is also a great forum on the website, where individuals share their experiences (good and bad) and their success stories, which can be what keep you going when you're doing battle with the DWP (Dept for Work & Pensions).

Much of the information on the 'Benefits & Work' website is free to access, but I would definitely suggest signing up to access the guides (£20 per year for individuals, but if you sign up for their emails, you'll get a 20% off code pretty shortly after).

Very best of luck :)
 
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