PIP claim

Hi Bex1969

I have just been through the PIP application process and the main point about a pip claim is how your condition affects your daily life, but you won’t know that yet as you haven’t started treatment. You can’t really put possible side effects as you you don’t know which, if any, you will have and how they might affect you. 

In the form you need to write about exactly how your life has been affected by your condition, and base this on your worst day. I’m not sure how you could do that completely at this point. It’s a tough process to go through and you need a lot of detail. For me, this was followed up by a telephone assessment which then was passed on for approval. I was awarded pip, but I had a lot of different areas to show how my treatment and surgery had impacted on my daily life, and this is really important and exactly what they are looking for. They are not looking for things which may happen in the future. 

If I’m honest, unless you have other conditions for which you are claiming, it seems too early to claim at the moment. If pip is awarded, you receive payment backdated from the date you called to start the application process. If you are not awarded, on the basis of insufficient information or inability to show the impact on your daily life and/or mobility, then it’s a tough process to try and have the decision reversed. 

I’m basing this on my own personal experience of the process, and on the information you have given in your post.

Sarah xx

You don't say what type of cancer or treatment but: sorry, but the treatment side effects get worse. It also takes months to recover. I had lower bowel cancer. 28 Radiotherapy treatments and Chemo over almost five weeks. My treatment ended on the 3rd June but my digestive system is far from normal. I have been told tiredness can last up to a year. I'm  male age 76 next month so get tired anyway if I over do it. I only assume bowel cancer because you are on this thread. Upside - Oncologist says he can't feel any cancer. Last week CT Scan and blood test. This week MRI scan. 5th October see my Consultant again. Beware what you read, info sent to you but read thesthreads - real experience. Take care.

I have anal cancer, consultant has told me my treatment will be chemotherapy and radiotherapy, I should hopefully hear this week treatment plan and start date