Five common illnesses which make you eligible for PIP benefits worth up to £9,584 a year

HOUSEHOLDS should be aware of these five common illnesses which could make you eligible for PIP benefits worth up £9,584 a year.

Personal Independent Payments (PIP) is a benefit for people who are under state pension age and need help with day-to-day life because of a long-term illness or disability.

The maximum amount you can get is £184.30 a week, which works out at £9,584 a year.

New government figures show that as of July 31, there were 3.5million people claiming PIP in England and Wales, a 3% increase on the number as of April 30.

To qualify for the allowance you must have found it hard to do everyday tasks, because of a mental or physical condition.

You must have experienced this for at least three months and expect it to be hard for another nine months.

According to the latest figures it takes around 15 weeks from the start of your application for a decision to be made about whether you qualify or not.

It is worth being aware of the illnesses that could make you eligible for the benefit, so you do not miss out on the help you are entitled to.

Psychiatric disorders

People suffering from psychiatric disorders make up 38% of the claims for PIP, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

This can include a range of mental health issues ranging from Depression, Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Schizophrenia.

It is always worth ringing the local council and explaining your illness if you are unsure whether or not you are entitled to help.

Musculoskeletal disease (general)

General musculoskeletal diseases are pain in the human musculoskeletal system, including the joints, ligaments, muscles, and nerves.

Around 19% of claims for PIP are made up of people who have to live with one of these conditions.

Examples of Musculoskeletal diseases include:

• Osteoarthritis
• Back pain
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Tendinopathy
• Fractures
• Osteoporosis
• Epicondylitis
• Fibromyalgia

Musculoskeletal disease (regional)

Regional musculoskeletal diseases are a group of conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system in a specific part of the body, such as the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, or ankle.

An example of this would be gout or rheumatoid arthritis.

If you have a regional musculoskeletal disease, you could also be entitled to claim PIP.

Neurological disease

Some 13% of people claiming PIP suffer from a neurological disease.

These types of conditions typically stem from issues that affect the brain.

Some common types of illnesses within this category include:

• Acute Spinal Cord Injury.
• Alzheimer’s Disease.
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Ataxia.
• Bell’s Palsy.
• Brain Tumors.
• Cerebral Aneurysm.
• Epilepsy and Seizures.

If you suffer from a neurological disorder and your condition was not listed above it does not mean you are not entitled to claim.

It is always worth ringing your local council to find out more and to see if they can assist you with your application,

Respiratory disease

If you suffer from a respiratory disease you could also be entitled to claim PIP.

Common types of respiratory disease include:

• Asthma
• Cystic fibrosis,
• Emphysema
• Lung cancer
• Mesothelioma
• Pulmonary hypertension

Around 4% of PIP claims go towards helping people with these types of conditions, so it may be worth applying if you suffer from one.

However, it is worth noting that even if you have a respiratory disease it does not mean thaT you will qualify for PIP.

The DWP will look at a number of factors including how your illness impacts your life and your ability to care for yourself.

How do I apply for PIP?

You can make a new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claim by calling the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 0800 917 2222.

This is the Government department tasked with paying out benefits to millions every year.

There are also other ways to claim if you find it difficult to use a telephone. See Gov.UK for more information.

When you claim, you’ll need:

• Your contact details
• Date of birth
• National Insurance number
• Bank or building society account number and sort code
• Your doctor or health worker’s name, address and telephone number
• Dates and addresses for any time you’ve spent abroad, in a care home or hospital

Someone else can call on your behalf, but you’ll need to be with them when they call.

You’ll then be sent a form to fill in, after which you’ll be invited for an assessment or your health or social care worker will be asked for information.

After this, you’ll be sent a letter telling you if your claim has been successful.

You can read Citizens Advice’s help on preparing for an assessment.

How do I appeal or overturn a decision on PIP?

If your application for PIP has been turned down or you don’t think you’ve been offered enough cash you can appeal the decision.

You first need to ask for a “mandatory reconsideration notice” – this is where the DWP looks at the decision again.

If you are still unhappy with this outcome, you can then appeal to an independent tribunal.

You must send your appeal form in within one month of the date shown on the mandatory reconsideration notice.

Be warned that it usually takes up to six months for an appeal to be heard by the tribunal.

If you’re unhappy with the decision you get from the tribunal, you may be able to get the decision cancelled – known as “set aside”. You’ll be told how to do this at the time.

You may also be able to appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) if you think the tribunal wasn’t able to give you proper reasons for its decision, or back up the decision with facts, or if it failed to apply the law properly.