Should I inform PIP Ive been told have Osteoarthritis in my knees?

Hi Julsx X 

yes I would I have told them and I have had a face to face review and told them of the help I need with dressing and hygiene needs and mine has just been put up so now I have gone from middle care to top care I have put a letter in and asked them to look at the mobility side as I get the middle rate now and they have kept it the same as I have had my right knee totally replaced and I'm having my left one done next year.

so phone them and tell them and also get a letter off your GP to send to them it will help a lot. Good luck.

If you a ready aŕe getting pip and you are get standard rate for both parts, l would not inform them as l made the mistake of telling them in a change of circumstance as l had to get ankles fused. I was already on standard for both parts as l have had 2 new hips a new knee and am just about to get my last knee done.

The isssue is you have to start from begining in filling the form in and then provide more evidence and attend an other f2f. This time my f2f was terrible the lady was rude and l was suffering bad anxiety. I was wearing a moonboot as l had just had ankle surgery. My husband is my carer and when he tried to speak she cut him of saying its your wife that needs to talk. By this time l was crying and the last f2f l had my husband was encoureged to talk. This woman was not having any of it. She never listened to me and spoke over the top of me. She never once did any mediical accesment on me apart from ask me to push my hands on hers. She mentioned in the report that l could hold a hankie cause l was crying. Yet she said l was not anxious!!

I asked for a copy of the report as l new l was not getting anywhere.

And as l had thought it was full of lies. She said she performed a medical and there was a full page on my leg rotation and arm and spine. I have no clue how she did a medical without me moving from the chair and wearing a moonboot. There was no bed in the room to perform medicals. She also lied about my medication and a few other things.

I decided l was not giving up even though Mandetory Reconsideration is not very sucessful. But l was 42 when l got OA and its ruined my life and stopped me working or going holidays. My life is just pain.

To my suprise l won my MR only because l involved my local MP and got her to write 2 letters 1 complaining about ATOS and one to DWP. I also had 2 brilliant letters from my condultants but l am sure it was the MP letters that made the diffence infact l am sure it was. As all they did was add 2 points on one that l never even disputed and 4 points on another which again was nothing to do with what l disbuted.

So unless you want to fight as much as l did and go through stress then go ahead. But its a total joke the fact you can end up with less on occations as they start it from a new claim.

Hope this helps

L