PIP application when to apply: new spinal injury

[Tallulah27]

Good morning everyone.This is my first post.I am a paraplegic resulting from a car accident 5 weeks ago.My proposed plan is to be discharged from the spinal injuries unit in 7 weeks time..The accident happened 5 weeks ago.I will be in a wheelchair for life.
Im receiving conflicting information of when and how to apply for PIP, all the timing stuff looks complicated.
It appears that it is 3 months from when I needed help however other information is different.My family and myself are totally confused.
I live with my partner whom is in full time employment.I have a daughter of school age.I have not paid any contributions for 7 years.I believe that this PIP can passport to other financial help.Sorry if I have rambled on.Can anyone clarify this issue please.Thanks in advance.

[stormforce]

Good morning I am sorry to read about your car accident

The rules for PIP are complex and believe me you have come to the right place for advice

Generally speaking to qualify for PIP you need to have been suffering from a condition for 3 months and expect the condition to last for the next 9 months(or longer)

I have included a link to the DWP site for you to read up it all helps and no doubt someone will be around on the forum to give more advice

https://www.gov.uk/pip/eligibility

Hope things work out for you..................Paul

[Tallulah27]

Hi Stormforce. Many thanks for your swift reply

[Flymo]

Hello, and welcome.


Apply now for PIP, assuming that there is reasonable clarity about your long term needs. As stormforce says, you can only be paid PIP when you have had a need for 3 months, also you cannot be paid PIP for long periods in hospital, but DWP will ask for the date of your injury and the dates of your hospitalisation, which they will take into account when the PIP decision is made.

You are correct that PIP can act as a passport to other help. If you take a look at the sticky PIP thread and the resources linked from it, this should answer many of your questions (coloured text are links on this forum).


Becoming a wheelchair user can be a shock, but there is a life to be embraced from a sitting position. I've been a wheelchair user since 1995, when I was 20, and a power chair user since 2003. There are others here with experience of life on wheels who I'm sure will be happy to help.

You are unlikely to get any ESA. You are not entitled to Contributions Based ESA because you haven't paid NI contributions in the past few years and your partner's income means your joint income is almost certainly too high for Income Related ESA.

PIP is not means tested and will be paid in full if your qualify for it.


With my legal hat on, you should consider a personal injury claim if anyone else is partly or wholly responsible for your injuries as you only have three years to bring this claim and you have injuries that will affect you for life. Even if you feel you were to blame, you may not be wholly to blame and it is worth talking to a lawyer about the possible liability of others. If you were a passenger, this may involve bringing a claim against the driver of the car - though any damages will be paid by his/her insurers.

If you have legal expenses cover on the insurance of the car you were in, this will likely fund the costs of bringing any claim assuming that you use their lawyers, so you should start by contacting the insurance company.

The next best thing is to go direct to a firm of solicitors offering a conditional fee arrangement (no win, no fee) - though in this case you need to ask about liability for costs of the other side if your claim is unsuccessful and you should consider insurance against these costs.

The worst option is to go to a claims management company. Their job in life is to generate fees by finding leads (potential cases) and selling them on to lawyers. If you don't have legal expenses cover, the best option is to find a firm of solicitors you are comfortable with rather than your case being sold to lawyers that you didn't choose.

My comments relate to the law of England and Wales, as that is the subject of my legal training. You are recommended to get independent legal advice from someone who has access to all the information about you and your situation rather than relying on anything you read in a forum.


I wish you, and those you love, all the best for the journey ahead. I will do my best to answer any questions and there are many others here who will chip in when relevant.

[Tallulah27]

Hello Flymo

Many thanks for all of the detailed information that you have posted.Thank you for your encouragement of how to embrace life from a sitting position and a life on wheels.Off to rehab now.Ill be back with an update.My sincere thanks to you.

[Flymo]

As you are in rehab at the moment, it's worth seeing if the rehab team can provide a written functional assessment of the problems you face with daily living tasks. They may well have made this sort of assessment already, or will make this sort of assessment before you are discharged. If such an assessment report is available, it is well worth sending it to DWP in connection with your PIP claim.

You can send in additional evidence after you return the PIP2 - make sure you keep a copy of what you send and write your National Insurance number on each page.

[sandyp196]

im so sorry about your accident and prognosis. i hope things get sorted moneywise for you. x

[stormforce]

flymo is so right get a written report of functional affects and get everything from specialists and doctors copied to you that's what I have done following invaluable advice from this forum
And very important keep all letters don't throw anything away!
After a long battle I have at last reached the end of my current claim of pip.
I cannot stress enough the benefits of having as much evidence as you can old saying what cant speak cant lie especially if its on headed note paper ...............I wish you well...................Paul

[tattymama]

Hi Tallulah27. Sorry to hear about your recent accident and prognosis. Welcome to the forum - this is, by far, one of the best I've come across. Everyone is so helpful and willing to share their knowledge and experiences (especially people like Flymo, not forgetting others - it's just that I can't remember their names right now). Sending you best wishes x