I've been holding my tongue commenting on this thread but I can't anymore.
I'm disabled, need to claim ESA and PIP and have to live in sheltered housing to receive the daily support I need to survive. I can't do many basic things and it kills me every day that I can't just go live my life and progress like everyone else does. It's affected my relationships, friendships, my mental health (two suicide attempts) and I need to put in 10x more effort than an able-bodied person everyday just to get through the day and then I have the difficulties through the night to look forward to. Joy.
I've attached my PIP assessment to show you what you need to qualify for each part and I can tell you now.. they are
TOUGH and I'm still wondering why I didn't score higher on many of those parts when I require the highest levels of home help and sheltered living care and I'm
not even eligible for a blue badge or a motability car despite my physical disabilities having a significant impact on my mental health which has resulted in me only being able to leave the house a handful of times in the past few years (diagnosed agoraphobia and general anxiety disorder caused by the suffering I've experienced with my long term physical disabilities and under psychiatric care.) A blue badge and motability car could have such a huge improvement on my life and provide me with a much needed aide to live my life but I was denied.
I have absolutely no idea how Wilkes has scored high enough to receive PIP and a blue badge. She walks her dogs every single day. She can take Ellie out to shops, to school, she can do supermarket shops, she can go on a long road trip to France, go in swimming pools and sunbathe, just go out by herself in general without fear, she can feed herself food and bathe, and go on a plane to Florida unaided and walks for miles and miles and miles around theme parks. Plus she can look after pets, do washing up, clean the house, leave the house without a support person, receives no house help or personal care help etc.. And she can vlog! Don't underestimate that! If her assessor knew she talks to a camera everyday and uploads it online for the whole world to see they would not be scoring her highly on the anxiety/PTSD front because that's one of the most anxiety-inducing things you can do.
Remember the PIP and ESA assessors under the Tories are looking
not to give you money, they will grasp onto anything they can to not give you the points you need to qualify so they can cut the benefits bill and will dig into every aspect of your life. Tens of thousands of people with conditions like multiple sclerosis, severe epilepsy, autism, amputated limbs, and cancer have been denied. They are
known to be especially strict on people who say they have conditions like fibromyalgia, anxiety disorders, PTSD, M.E, back pain, arthritis and will usually not award you any points or so little points that it's not enough to qualify.
Wilkes must have laid her conditions (if she actually has any) on thick. Really, really thick. And it disgusts me because it's people like her who makes people feed into the belief that most people with disabilities are liars and scroungers and lazy arses. It's people like her that have made these assessments as strict and devastating as they are and made the assessors believe those with genuine disabilities are trying to pull a fast one and fiddle the system, but instead of managing to weed out the fakers they're penalising the genuine ones instead. Thousands of diabled people have killed themselves or died after being declared 'fit for work', including those who can't communicate, or can't walk, or have terminal illnesses..google it, educate yourselves, it's heartbreaking.
I also wonder if she's declared all this money she's received to DWP. If you come into any other money, even if it's just an extra £100 month you need to report it so they can reassess your claim. If she hasn't declared it you can bet they're going to come down hard on her if she's reported as most people who cheat the benefits system these days go to jail.
Don't even get me started on her saying the 'S' word. If she was truly disabled she wouldn't be going anywhere near those derogatory terms. She infuriates me.
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