Hi, I am actually going through this process myself at the minute. My wife is the motability customer in our house and has been for over 25 years. I was always the one that didn’t have mobility problems.
Long story short, i now suffer multiple lower limb problems for which I need multiple medications. I’ve needed to use my wife’s walking sticks multiple times over the last year and have now been referred for walking aids of my own.
My walking ability has definitely deteriorated over time and I now know that my walking pace has slowed to less than half of what it was, as i’ve timed myself many times over a known journey. My balance is also pretty poor now, and i have problems with stairs.
Many times i’ve questioned whether I should apply for PIP myself. My wife has a blue badge and has had it that long it used to be orange. When she is with me we have no issues using the badge to help with parking, but when I am on my own in the car I will absolutely never abuse her badge. That said there are plenty of times when having a blue badge of my own would be a huge help to me for sure.
Many times over i’ve considered applying for PIP but just kept telling myself …
“sort yourself out, you’re just having a bad day”
The harsh reality when the light bulb goes on is that when I think about it, I now have more very bad days than less bad. I know I definitely can’t mobilise ‘reliably’ now, and so ultimately I have taken the plunge and decided to apply. I took the view that I don’t have PIP now, so I have nothing to lose.
Before applying I spent a long time compiling information, and both written and photographic evidence, and narrating the problems that I have and how they have developed over time. So when the form landed there was no pressure around submitting it as I was pretty much ready to go, i.e not struggling to meet a deadline.
I have my face to face assessment next week so we’ll see how that goes, but I fully expect to have to take it to mandatory reconsideration, and then appeal tribunal. Lets face it, nothing worth fighting for ever came easy.
All I really want is to be able to obtain a blue badge to help me when I’m on my own, as it would be a huge help. I know I can apply for one without PIP, and might still have to do that in time, but the pathway will be much easier if I qualify for PIP.
Having had a really hard time getting my wife through the process over recent years, i’m under no illusion that it will be an uphill journey, but i have to try nonetheless.
Good luck to everyone else going through it lads and lasses.