Sunny day in Glasgow I hope you are also enjoying the sunshine in your area

Hi everyone and thank you for trying to write to the UK government on our behalf, the changes have affected me as an asylum seeker it is very difficult to access any benefits and living on a low income budget has truly affected me and my family, even when you are granted status to bring your children it is not easy. It's hard for me as an asylum seeker to continue to live in these conditions, please help us request for a change on this issue, thank you

I think people that are going through mental health should also be considered for PIP because they are struggling to put their life together, to go for therapy and also mental health rehab. It's also a struggle and also I think I don’t know when PIP was introduced because I just came into the country six years ago but for me I think the government should make it easier. Like for people that are claiming PIP there should be an office where they can go and then somewhere they can complain. I’m not claiming PIP but just my suggestion. Thank you Changing Realities for everything, you guys are the best

As someone who have a friend that is trying to apply for PIP, it’s very difficult. Sometimes they tell you that your evidence and your situation or your disability is not enough evidence for them to grant you the PIP and it’s quite unfortunate that the people that really need it are not getting it and it makes them sad which is not good. I think they should be an easier way for people that want to apply for PIP if you have disability can see because sometimes the question alone they will ask you do you walk when you say you walk? It becomes a problem. They just want you to be completely ill. For them to know that it is serious case and some people submit application up to 5 times and I worry that when we grow up and try to go for PIP, the condition is worse and it’s going to cause so much trouble

The last week felt like a bit of a reprieve only to be once again thrown back into it all. One school that is being suggested for my child who has now been out of school for over 18 months is an independent school. Whilst the cost of the education would be covered by their EHCP, the uniform, trips, meals etc will not and that concerns me. The uniform alone is £350!

No. PIP hasn’t kept up with anything and has instead become another tortuous implement used by both politicians and the media alike to vilify disabled people.

Don’t get me wrong, the “poor them” narrative is equally bad, but pity didn’t seem quite so demoralising as being told that I am the cause of the downfall of the world! There’s nothing positive about PIP - there’s no consistency with the assessments - which should have never been handed off to private companies. There’s far too much of a “trying to catch you out” culture - and you have to have a degree to work out exactly how you should word the form.

I had previously been to tribunal for every single time I had a review until I recorded the last review assessment with their consent. I got a 10 year award - which considering I have 4 life long conditions was a relief but why did it take until I was 30 when I have had DLA and then PIP from the age of 16? There needs to be more support for filling in the forms and also changes made to support those with fluctuating conditions and neurodivergence.

Question 1.

The assessment and criteria does not take into account fluctuating progressive or energy limiting conditions. It fails to allow access to support for those who suffer with this. Currently the process only takes into account static physical disabilities rather than dynamic ones.

In my experience, assessors regularly choose to ignore whether an activity can be performed repeatedly timely or safely, again, without considering the domino effects of severe pain or physical 'pay back' for doing so. For disabled people, the real effect of exertion is magnified multiple times, leaving them incapacitated for long periods of time or exacerbating symptoms. This is extremely damaging to the claimant.

Personally I have longed to see assessors and decision makers made accountable and questioned at tribunal regarding their judgments regarding a claimant. Especially considering that a high percentage of PIP awards are over turned at tribunal due to inaccuracy. (Consistently at 65-67% in favour of the claimant).

The original paper-based assessment form is merely a pointless tick box exercise which doesn't ensure fairness for those who have fluctuating conditions. Clinical evidence often gets ignored by the assessors or they only have access to a snapshot of a claimants file. Were they given access to the entire claimants file, it would reveal a different picture than what they see during the small window of opportunity at an assessment. This limited perspective of a person's capability and difficulties needs to be abandoned and more emphasis given to medical professionals opinions. Rather than the standard response of "we use information about your condition to base our decisions on". The information they use is often out of date or incorrect.

Claiming PIP is an incredibly stressful and traumatising process. Not only is it a taxing process physically, but mentally is is a wholly negative experience.

I am not alone when I say claiming pip or having any involvement with the DWP, is humiliating, harmful, and demoralising as well as lengthy. There is an immense lack of trust with regard to the DWP. If I wanted to make my condition worse then I could do no better than to engage with them and these processes. They know it and so do I. If talking about my condition and explaining it repeatedly serves to reinforce it in my brain and body how is any of this helpful? It is, in itself, a hazard to health.

(A recent Journal of Social Policy analysis found PIP assessments are "severely re-traumatising," identifying key themes of harm, distrust, rigidity, intimidation, and powerlessness.)

The actual physical and mental energy required to complete a full form, collect medical evidence, post it securely and be subject to a high pressure interview, commonly triggers an increase in symptoms. The distress involved from trying to prove disability or illness is enough to push people over the edge and some claimants are so unwell, suicidal ideology may well already be a factor in their day to day lives. All for the sake of proving themselves to be ill to qualify for help.

The DWP and assessors typically treat the claimant with disbelief or judge them to be exaggerating symptoms.

Assessors typically cherry pick information as they type notes into their laptops. Particularly they favour standard phrases such as "didn't appear tired" when a claimant has only just got up so done nothing to exert themselves at that point in time. Or "didn't appear to be in pain" when in actual fact there is nothing in law to state that pain must have a visible component. When clearly they are not trained to recognise when someone experiences severe levels of pain on a regular basis, rather than acute pain, their reactions are not as obvious to the untrained eye. Squirming around in agony is frowned upon by health professionals delivering pain management programs. Besides it's a vital waste of energy for someone who has to navigate daily life like this.

Assessors need to use factual data rather than rely on assumptions guess work or opinions. They risk missing out crucial information during an assessment. This practice often leads to an unfair denial of support.



The current system tends to focus on bureaucratic efficiency rather than the safety of the claimant. In doing so, it openly causes the claimant more harm than good by causing exacerbated symptoms and flare ups due to stress. Entirely the opposite of what it's meant to provide, ie support.

No PIP, has not kept up with changes to employment and mental health challenges. The government need to make sure it does as disabled people are really having an impact on their quality of life and what they can do to change it.

The experience I have with my mum's is a bit back and forth, the assessment doesn’t always reflect the real day-to-day impact of living with a disability or caring for someone who does. It feels more like box-ticking, and it misses the full picture, especially the emotional, physical, and constant nature of the care involved.

The process itself can be draining. Filling in forms, repeating your situation, waiting for decisions and it takes a lot out of you.

Communication can also be difficult. You’re often left waiting or unsure, which adds to the stress. It feels like the system is dealing with Robots not human beings.

PIP assessment itself gives immense pressure to the disabled people on their mental health. Sometimes it asks difficult questions to assess people's disabilities. I think PIP needs recommendations from GP or health care specialists who can provide medical documents for patients' eligibility for getting PIP instead of asking direct questions to patients. The assessment form is also long enough to fill up and most of the time the patient needs support from others to fill it up.

Watched the BBC committee with Ruth. Amazing to see her and her using terms like experts for lived experience parents.

Thank you for listening to us!

No sadly it does not recognise enough with daily tasks and ability to do them with variences often changing