Lambeth Council provides 'PA Passport' giving direct payment PAs Essential Worker status

Although we are all experiencing difficulties when trying to shop for essential foods and groceries, give a little consideration to disabled people dependent on PAs and support workers for shopping. Most support packages only allow for around an hour to carry out a weekly shop. This is inadequate at the best of times. During the past few weeks the cruel inconsideration of shoppers vacuuming clean entire supermarket shelves has caused real suffering to disabled people, many of whom depend on specialist diets.
Fortunately, in the past couple of weeks most of the large supermarkets have set aside opening hours specifically aimed towards elderly and disabled people (or in their quaint terminology 'the vulnerable'). 
However, some supermarkets have turned away direct payment PAs trying to access the stores as essential workers. Last week I flagged this up to my line manager. I then suggested that a letter (a passport if you like) could be given to all PAs who shop for clients. A letter giving PAs essential worker status, explaining that the bearer of the letter is shopping on behalf of a disabled person. 
I am pleased to say that Lambeth Council agreed to the proposal and has sent the 'passport' out to all DP users.

PIP PIP Hurray

As a person who is prone to anxiety, someone who views life though a glass half empty, the whole PIP experience was very difficult for me. However, the assessment element of the process went very well.

On the day Emma was present as my companion. Emma works for dasl as a benefits advisor, working with clients with a mental illness.

The assessor was very helpful, even assisting us with setting up the recording equipment (which Recovery in a Bin kindly loaned me - a big thank you to Lou). C, the assessor was polite, courteous, helpful and empathetic. The assessment lasted around 1 hour and 40 minutes, was very thorough, though personally invasive.

Last Friday I received a letter from the DWP informing me that my application for PIP had been successful. Following on from the PIP assessment on January 20th I found that I had scored 22 points on the Daily Living component of PIP and 12 points on the Mobility section.

Very importantly I received an ongoing award. This means I won’t be reviewed for 10 years; and then, apparently, this will be a ‘light touch’ process.

Of course I am relieved, and thankful that the process is now behind me – for a decade anyway. Yet, though personally relieved I still have many misgivings with PIP itself and more particularly, the process. Therefore I shall continue campaigning against this awfully flawed policy, fighting to get a fairer and transparent system put in place.

Finally, I’d like to thank Emma, my PAs and GP for their supporting letters, Age UK and the people who read over my submission prior to making the application.

Very finally, I’d like to thank the assessor for carrying out the PIP process in the way it should be carried out.