Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Claiming Pip For Parkinson’s Disease

The Extra Information Box

Parkinson’s patient loses mobility car

The second page of each question has a box where you can explain what difficulties you face with each activity. Examples are provided above the box and in the information booklet that comes with the form.

For more detailed guidance on the questions, including examples that could be written in the extra information box, please our PIP supplementary information sheet .

If you can, attach photocopies of any additional evidence that you have to the form. Anything that helps an assessor understand how your condition impacts your day-to-day life is useful. For example, you could include copies of:

  • prescriptions
  • care and support plans
  • information from professionals such as your specialist, Parkinson’s nurse, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, social worker, support worker or counsellor

If you keep a diary of how your condition affects you, it may also be helpful to include a copy.

A consultation will usually be arranged . So if you’d prefer this to take place in the morning or in the afternoon, put this on your form, as it may help you avoid being given an inappropriate appointment time.

You should return your completed form as soon as possible, as there’s a time limit for its return.

If you get new evidence that could help your claim after you’ve sent the form back, you should make a copy and send it to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Make a photocopy of the form once you’ve completed it, along with any supporting evidence you’re sending with the form. Keep this safe.

Law Centres And Legal Help

You can find good quality help in the not-for-profit and professional sectors. Equally, going to a Law Centre or a firm of solicitors does not guarantee that you will talk to someone who has the right knowledge and experience, so ask. If your polite enquiry about this seems to cause irritation or offence, then I would walk away.

Social Security Disability Insurance

Social Security Disability Insurance is a government disability benefit program that is administered by the Social Security Administration . These benefits are paid on a monthly basis to disabled workers who qualify under the SSAs rules. Like any insurance benefits, the rules and stipulations are complicated.

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Parkinson’s: Benefit Removal ‘worst Feeling’ Of Woman’s Life

A woman with early-onset Parkinson’s disease said having a benefit payment removed was the worst feeling of her life and left her “really depressed”.

Lynsey Thomas, 42, had been given the personal independence payment shortly after she was diagnosed at 35.

But the £335 monthly payment was removed after a reassessment last year.

The Department for Work and Pensions said it was committed to “ensuring people get all the support they are entitled to.”

Lynsey, who lives in Bridgend, spent months trying to get her PIP back and it was ultimately reinstated and backdated at a tribunal in November 2020.

There are now calls for people with Parkinson’s to be given permanent awards that cannot be downgraded, because the condition is degenerative.

Charity Parkinson’s UK Cymru said there was “little evidence” the DWP’s 2018 move to 10-year awards and “light touch” reassessments for people with “the most severe” conditions had a positive impact.

Can I Still Drive With Pd

How Can an Attorney Help Your Parkinsons Disease Claim ...

Most likely yes, in the early stages and if you take medicines that control your symptoms. Staying fit and active helps keep the muscle strength you need to drive. Here are some other options to help you maintain optimal driving safety:

  • Eliminate driving distractions. Listening to the radio, talking on a cell phone, eating or drinking while driving all affect concentration and reduce safety.
  • Avoid nighttime driving if you have vision changes in reduced light settings.
  • Do not drive when you feel fatigued or your medication wearing off.
  • Choose familiar, comfortable routes and non-peak driving hours. Consider a GPS system for directions.
  • Maintain good posture. Reduce back strain with a lumbar support cushion.
  • Do regular neck and trunk stretching exercises to increase mobility when backing up or watching for traffic and other obstacles.
  • Consider taking a defensive driving course. AAA, AARP and other agencies offer these classes. It may also lower auto insurance premiums.

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The Right Legal Guidance Can Make The Difference In Getting Disability Benefits For Parkinsons Disease

At Marc Whitehead & Associates, we can help you prepare an initial SSDI or LTD application for the best possible outcome. If youve already been denied benefits for Parkinsons, our attorneys will develop and file a solid appeal to rebut a wrongful claim denial.

Our accredited veterans claims lawyers help vets across the U.S. get their rightful benefit payments approved in the shortest amount of time possible.

We have helped hundreds of claimants with Parkinsons disease get disability benefits. and as we analyze your situation, we identify and fix critical information gaps in any of part of your claim including missing medical data or incomplete vocational and functional evidence. We work in cooperation with your treating physicians and may enlist the assistance of qualified vocational experts, and much more.You must never give up. Call us toll free at or request a Free Legal Consultation to learn how we can help. Parkinsons is a serious disability, and we are able to assist you wherever you live.

About Marc Whitehead

Choosing To Claim Pip Before Invited To Do So By Dwp

If an existing DLA claimant contacts us to voluntarily claim PIP they can do so. However, if they are in receipt of both the higher rate mobility component and highest rate care component of DLA, we will advise them not to proceed. This is because they will have no likelihood of receiving an increase in benefit. These claimants would only be asked to claim PIP if they tell us that their condition or needs have improved.

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Is The Decision Not To Use The Scheme Related To A Preference For Using Public Transport Or Is It Due To Other Factors

10. Under 10% of people with Parkinsons are eligible to apply for the Motability scheme currently. We believe that low income and poverty is a factor in people not leasing a Motability vehicle. If someone with Parkinsons is on the enhanced rate of PIP at £245 every 4 weeks and possibly on Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance at £73.10 per week, then their household income may not enable them to take advantage of the scheme. A Motability car might not be the priority, whereas paying utility bills and medication costs are likely to be prioritised above this expenditure.

11. Research conducted by Sheffield Hallam University showed that the additional cost of Parkinsons on a household is around £16,582 per year. This includes health and social care costs, potential loss of income from reduced hours or retirement. This additional cost of living with the condition shows that household income for those with the condition is squeezed. So while mobility is an important element to maintaining wellbeing, participating in the Motability scheme may not be viable due to the cost.

12. Also, some people with Parkinsons cannot drive, have had their licence removed or dont have someone who is able to drive them, so the Motability scheme isnt that useful for them.

Medical Evidence Of Disability Due To Coronary Heart Disease

How many Parkinson’s disease sufferers were refused PIP benefit?

The SSA will be looking for a “longitudinal” clinical record of your coronary heart disease. This means at least 3 months of treatment is typically needed, unless your current evidence is sufficient for the SSA to make a determination. The basic documentation you should supply to the SSA includes detailed reports of your history, physical examinations, laboratory tests, and any treatment that has been prescribed to you, as well as your response to such treatment.

Your longitudinal record should include ECG results. An electrocardiograph records electrical impulses of your heart onto a strip of paper known as an electrocardiogram or tracing. An ECG may show that your heart muscle is not receiving enough oxygen, resulting in ischemia. An ECG may be performed while the patient is at rest or exercising.

Be sure to include the results of any exercise tolerance tests performed. Exercise testing is the most commonly used testing for determining the presence of myocardial ischemia and for providing an estimate of your aerobic capacity. If possible, recent exercise test results should be included in your records, since the SSA generally considers exercise test results to be timely for only 12 months after they have been performed.

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Exercise And Healthy Eating

Regular exercise is particularly important in helping relieve muscle stiffness, improving your mood and relieving stress.

There are many activities you can do to help keep yourself fit, ranging from more active sports like tennis and cycling, to less strenuous activities such as walking, gardening and yoga.

You should also try to eat a balanced diet containing all the food groups to give your body the nutrition it needs to stay healthy.

Parkinsons Disease And Long Term Disability Insurance Claims

You may have group disability insurance coverage as part of an employee benefits plan, or you may have purchased an individual disability policy as protection against loss of income.

In either case, to receive these long term disability benefits for Parkinsons disease, you need to meet your plan or policys definition of disability. This generally requires that, due to sickness or injury, you are now unable to perform the duties of your own occupation or another occupation.

Your insurance company may not fully understand the impact that Parkinsons disease can have on a person over time, both physically and cognitively. Claim examiners may not appreciate how is it that you have been able to work for years with PD and now suddenly you cannot.

Our attorneys do understand. We also know what it takes to submit a strong LTD insurance claim to prove disability for Parkinsons or file an appeal that will stand up in court.

We prepare for the tactics insurers use to avoid having to pay monthly benefits. Here are a few:

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Pip Q11 Mixing With Other People

This question is about how you get on with other people face-to-face, either individually or as part of a group. Do you understand how they’re behaving towards you, and can you behave appropriately towards them?

PIP Q11a Do you need another person to help you to mix with other people? Does someone else need to encourage you to mix with other people? Does someone help you understand how people are behaving and how to behave yourself because you have a learning disability or mental heath problem?

PIP Q11b Do you find it difficult or stressful to meet other people?

PIP Q11c Extra information – Mixing with other people

Explain any stress, anxiety or confusion you feel around meeting people. Do you need help to stay safe? Do you have good days and bad ones? How do they differ?

Mixing with other people

What Grants Are Available For This Group Of People And What More Can Be Done To Support These Needs

Parkinson

20. We believe that access to work grants could potentially be available and applicable to this group of people. In a recent survey of 399 of our supporters 65% of respondents had heard of the access to work scheme, however only 14% indicated that they had made use of the scheme. Therefore, we would recommend that the SSAC encourage the DWP to widely publicise the access to work scheme.

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Assessments For The Person You Care For

The person you are looking after can have an assessment no matter what their level of need or their financial means.

If they are not offered a needs assessment, they should contact the local authority and ask for one. The assessment will look at their physical, mental and emotional needs. You as a carer are entitled to be involved in the assessment.

Following the assessment, the local authority will decide whether the person you are looking after is eligible for support. Support could be provided by the local authority, or in the form of a direct payment.

Improving Your Chances For Obtaining Benefits

Its particularly important to see a psychologist or psychiatrist who can document the progression of your illness, because this can sometimes be the only official record of your PTSD. If you live with or frequently see family members or friends, ask them to document your behavior over time as well. Since severity is the key to determining whether or not your PTSD disorder qualifies you for benefits, tracking the frequency and nature of your symptoms can help your case.

  • Keep a detailed journal, including a calendar of notes about how you feel each day
  • Record any unusual activities you could not do on any given day
  • Keep a detailed history of your current and past medications, as well as any side effects that you experience
  • See a health care professional regularly and take the medication that he/she gives you so that he/she can support your application for benefits
  • Ask your doctor or other health care professional to track the course of your symptoms and to keep a record of any evidence of fatigue, irritability, forgetfulness, unusual behavior, or other hard-to-document symptoms
  • Keep records of how your illness affected you on the job.

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Symptoms Of Parkinson’s Disease And Parkinsonian Syndrome

Parkinson’s disease starts with minor symptoms but progressively gets worse over a period of years. In the later stages of PD, dementia becomes an additional problem as the degenerative process caused by alpha-synuclein spreads throughout the brain.

The signs and symptoms associated with PD are collectively known as Parkinsonian syndrome . Most cases of PS are caused by classic Parkinson’s disease, but there are other disorders that can result in the same signs and symptoms. Examples of these PS cases include brain disorders caused by strokes, brain trauma, drugs, toxins, brain infections, and brain tumors. Most cases of PS are not reversible.

About The Pip Assessment

Parkinsons Disease Long Term Disability Claims Information & Help

The assessment criteria state that you should be judged as to whether you can complete the various tasks:⢠safely⢠to an acceptable standard⢠repeatedly⢠in a reasonable time period

For the mobility component, the assessment is based on the ability to travel a distance of 20 metres, not 50 metres, as is the case for DLA.

PIP is awarded for a fixed period, rather than indefinitely, and you will be reassessed at the end of that time, to see whether your needs have changed.

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Costs For Replacement Services

Before a Parkinsons diagnosis, most patients worked outside the home, likely in some part of the agriculture industry where they were exposed to paraquat. Many worked just as hard in their free time to maintain their household however, the progression of Parkinsons leaves many unable to do the same household tasks they did before.

Families, especially those who live with someone who has Parkinsons, can chip in to help out, but sometimes they need outside help.

Examples of services families might need to hire include:

  • Lawn care service
  • Snow removal services in certain parts of the country
  • Laundry service
  • Cook or grocery delivery
  • After-school tutoring or childcare

Different families need different services depending on their situation. However, they often cost huge sums and increase the economic loss of someone who developed Parkinsons disease from paraquat exposure.

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How To Qualify For Disability Benefits With Coronary Heart Disease

You may qualify for disability benefits for coronary artery disease by either meeting the requirements set forth by the Social Security Administration in the SSA’s listing for ischemic heart disease or by demonstrating that your heart condition has so reduced your functional capacity that you are unable to hold a job.

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What Illnesses Qualify

This is where we began, but you will have gathered that this is perhaps not the right question. Mental health, learning difficulties and physical problems can all be relevant to PIP. Many disabilities are invisible, so dont let that put you off. Variable symptoms can be tricky to assess and describe, but it just makes it more important to find that good quality help. Fatigue seems to come up more than it used to, and the limitations that this can bring can be more difficult to get across on the page.

You are at least as likely to underestimate your entitlement to points in the PIP test as you are to overestimate it, so dont put off applying for another day. Call them on 0800-197-2222 to get a form sent out to you. This personalised form, with your name, address and NI number, will take days to arrive, so start looking for help and advice while you wait.

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Types Of Disability And Mobility Benefits

If youre living with dementia, you may be entitled to a disability benefit. These include:

  • Attendance allowance
  • Personal independence payment
  • Disability living allowance .

However, people with dementia dont automatically qualify for these because tests are required to determine the level of need. If you do qualify, these benefits provide extra help to deal with the practical effects of a disability such as needing help with personal care or supervision to stay safe during the day or night.

These benefits are not means-tested and payment is not affected by your savings or income. They are tax free and do not depend on National insurance contributions. Disability benefits are paid at different rates, depending on your needs. They can be claimed whether or not you work, and whether you live alone or with other people. For some benefits a medical assessment may be required.

Up until November 2018, PIP was for people aged 1664 and AA was for those aged 65 or over. However, as pension age is now increasing in stages to 66 by the year 2020, the new cut-off point is each persons own pension age. For more information see the gov.uk website.

If your care needs started after you reached pension age, or you have not made a claim until then, you should claim AA. This is for help with personal care or need for supervision only.

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