women with visible and invisible disabilities
People may know already that disability benefit reassessments and reviews are on now hold because of coronavirus precautions. So if your disability benefit was due to end or be reviewed, it will continue to be paid for the next three months or longer. As far as we understand from official information, people making completely new … Read more
Shared from the Guardian Benefits assessment suspension does not go far enough, says charity Efforts to fight coronavirus not sufficient to protect vulnerable, according to Mind Patrick Butler Social policy editor Mon 16 Mar 2020 ‘The mental health charity Mind has said the government’s suspension of face-to-face benefit assessments as part of efforts to fight coronavirus … Read more
Shared from Disability News Service: By John Pring on 27th February 2020 A disabled woman’s tribunal victory has given hope to claimants who cannot take part in face-to-face benefit assessments for impairment, health, or trauma-related reasons, but then have their claims ended by the government for “failure to attend” their appointments. Jane* spent two years fighting for her … Read more
Pamela* in Yorkshire writes: I’d really like my PIP story to be included on your website. Things are just so dire with benefits and I want to share my experience to try and help others as much as possible and publicize the ME Association meeting with the government minister. I read the PIP stories on your website … Read more
For two years, WinVisible has peer-supported disabled single mum Maria (not her real name) in South London, and provided her with information to secure benefits which the family needs: • She used our blog about the Personal Independence Payments (PIP) legal challenge on mobility needs and mental distress, to brief Merton Centre for Independent Living … Read more
We are taking part in the Commission on Social Security, which is led by people with personal experience of claiming benefits. The Commission is a project supported by the Trust for London, to come up with proposals on how to make the welfare benefits system better. These proposals will be put to the government. The … Read more
We got this message about our self-help information on exemption from face-to-face benefit interviews: “Hi, I’m emailing about the story you have online from June 2017 about the guidelines protecting people with severe mental illness getting a face to face assessment when applying for PIP. I’m from Northern Ireland and have a 20-year severe mental … Read more
Women battling for paper-based assessment have won PIP, including Mrs X. Here is her story and how she won: My horrible PIP experience and 16 letters of complaint! “I am a 65-year old woman who lives in Essex. In 2012 I had a stroke caused by excessively high blood pressure (I had no idea). That … Read more
There is wide concern from the public, MPs and others about how claimants with mental distress are treated in the benefit system. But not everyone is aware that as PIP is tied to working age (16-64), teenagers aged 16 are put under the stress of possible loss of benefit when their DLA is ended in … Read more
Claimants in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, including one with epilepsy, have won a PIP tribunal legal case against being scored too few points for “managing therapy or monitoring a health condition”. Benefits minister Esther McVey had to concede the DWP is in the wrong and will again have to review PIP claims where people have been … Read more