A few weeks ago I wrote a post titled ‘Disability Benefits – End of an Era’ about me no longer qualifying for PIP. Due to improvements in my health, the decision to end my benefits was wholly expected as, despite me still being sick (what with M.E/POTS being chronic and all) – I am no longer sick enough to meet the DWP’s criteria for claiming PIP (disability benefits).
Nonetheless, the reasons given by the DWP for discontinuing my PIP were tenuous (at best), insulting, ill-informed, and largely … wrong. And that pisses me off. Albeit, I’m not remotely surprised.
Back when I DID qualify for PIP, when my ME and POTS were Severe and I was housebound, the whole experience in trying to get approved for it was excruciating and utterly detrimental to my already disabled and debilitated state.
If I hadn’t had Pete to advocate for me, there’s no way I would have been well enough and/or able to advocate for myself. And it felt like this was EXACTLY what the DWP wanted. The whole system sets disabled people up to fail, and the fear and anxiety it elicits along the way is nothing short of cruel.
Six years on, it seems nothing has changed.
I’d like to say I was shocked by the comments I received in response to my post the other week, but sadly, I wasn’t. Your experiences with PIP all echoed ones similar to my own. But what I DID feel, is that your voices should be heard too. LOUD and CLEAR.
So, I’ve decided to crank the volume up by quoting (anonymously) some of the things you told me (see images for quotes).
Feel free to add any further thoughts in the comments, and share this post far and wide (I also posted this blog on my social media pages) to make our voices heard 👍
