The Guardian is reporting that doctors who contracted Long Covid whilst working in the health service are being denied PIP, with some saying they will have to sell their house as a result.

A respiratory consultant who contracted Covid working on a ward in November 2020 applied for PIP in June 2021 after developing Long Covid.  They were refused PIP despite having urinary incontinence, difficulty standing, preparing food, eating, washing, dressing or engaging with people face to face.

 “I thought that I had illustrated quite clearly what my disability was,” they said. “When I got the report back, I thought ‘is this about me?’”

They also said that the process of making the claim was so taxing it made them ill.  They have now used almost all their savings on private treatment and are now considering selling their home.

An infectious disease expert who developed long covid had their claim rejected in part because they can drive a car, which the assessor said showed they had “significant physical function” and “substantial cognitive powers”.

In fact, the healthcare worker had been obliged to sell their manual car and get an automatic with additional assistive features because Long Covid had affected their ability to drive.

The Benefits and Work guide to claiming PIP includes advice on how to anticipate and challenge the claim that being able to drive a car is evidence that you aren’t eligible for PIP.

Th expert has now requested a mandatory reconsideration of the decision that they are not entitled to PIP.

You can read the full story in the Guardian.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Gary Bowman · 1 years ago
    Why have so many people voted away their right to a safety net of even an adequate social security income,  should the worst happen?  Was it envy whipped up by government propaganda and the fake news of the tabloids,  we all know how it goes "scroungers" "life of luxury" "smoking, drinking, sky tv" "while you work full time" etc. etc. Is it a slick campaign over successive governments, people believing the fake news or the "it will never happen to me so why should I worry about anybody else, and I certainly don't want my tax wasted on them" attitude? The only problem with the latter is, it will happen to some people and by the time they discover that they have, out of their own selfishness and narrow minded thinking, shot themselves in the foot. It will be too late. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Louise · 1 years ago
    This is soooo digusting!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    MrFibro · 1 years ago
    If GP's and such alike are getting refused PIP, what chance have we got.

    Talk about turning on your own ( assessors turning on their own medical experts)

    You just could not make it up, so now these so-called health professionals, are trying to teach their granny's how to suck eggs.

    Just a joke our entire system is.


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    Sally Dignam · 1 years ago
    I had that levelled at me too. A DWP person commented, in their reasoning to reject my mandatory reconsideration, that because my BMI was high I couldn’t possibly have problems eating, cheeky wot sit.
    I am pleased to say that having the stress of this, my third Tribunal. I have been given the Mobility element of PIP back and had it has been increased to the highest level. Even better I’m being left alone as the Tribunal stated it was not appropriate to put in an end date.

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Steph Eddleston · 1 years ago
    Stone The Crows!  So those GP’s who for years and years treat their patients with Fibromyalgia as if they were cuckoo and told them it was all in the mind, and refused to support their patients PIP applications now want to claim PIP for long covid. Shocking! Thank God for the middle class contracting covid that’s what I say. It’s only now the middle class are at the mercy of covid that theres any hope of a correct diagnosis and research into suitable help 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      MrFibro · 1 years ago
      @Steph Eddleston Hi Steph eddleston,

      yes your right, but a while back a debate in parliament ended in the fact that they now recognise FIBROMYALGIA  as a medical condition/ illness / disease, which is severely debilitating to the patient.

      Now how that gets translated as in regards to claimants PIP/ ESA  assessments etc is a complete different matter.

      So my point is fibro should be taken very seriously, by the DWP etc as it affects the person both physically and mentally.

      regards.

    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Felix · 1 years ago
      @Steph Eddleston I so agree with you, been my thoughts too with all the news coverage on lack of nhs support for people with long COVID. I have had fibromyalgia and me/CFS for over 40 years and many many gp appointments that had no acceptance of the symptoms and the resulting disability. Hopefully this will now change due to long COVID.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    justiceforall · 1 years ago
    Perhaps this unfortunate situation will prompt the medical profession, and in particular GPs and Consultants, to take some actual interest in the laws regarding disability benefits in the UK, so that when patients need corroboration of their ailments, the doctors are more informed about how best to support them in writing, instead of just putting some cursory comments on paper that bear no relevance to the particular questions the DWP are asking, thereby ensuring with more certainty that their patients will fail to get the award they are entitled to.  
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    SMH · 1 years ago
    Regarding driving, this is crazy.  Why would Motability be there for us.  DWP are aware we can use our award for the car, and actually encourage it,  so many contradictions, all designed to get around giving a deserved award to assist our lives.  DWP are the biggest scammers in my opinion!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Jackie Staples · 1 years ago
    I am on pip and esa, i drive a car because with out it i would be house bound i get the enhanced mobility, but because i have not applied for a mobility car and bought my own because the cars from mobility are to high for me to climb in the only gave me middle carers yet i have to pay a cleaner and a lady carer to help me prepare food and get dressed. They make up their own conversations that they have with you and the idiot who phoned me from his hone during Covid was saying stupid comments like i can see your home i can see how bad your paths slope, at no point did he want to know how severe my mobility was. Its disgusting how they get away with bullying and  intimidation, discrimination, which is as the government voted illegal to do.  
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Stephen · 1 years ago
    I can no longer drive. As DWP regard driving as having significant physical features and engaging substantial cognitive powers will they, applying their reasoning, accept my inability to drive as proof of my not having those physical and cognitive skills?

    Just a thought

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