Most people use the Benefits and Work site to help with claims or appeals for themselves or someone they are a carer for.
But, in the last newsletter, we published feedback from members explaining how they have used the knowledge gained from our guides and training to help a number of other people:
“Over the years, I helped 4 other people apply for PIP or a higher rate of PIP. Everyone was successful and I am grateful for the guide which I used to help my friends.
“I have been a member for many years as it has helped with my daughter’s claim. I helped my friend do her identical twins . . .”
“. . . using your excellent website and your guides I have been successful in helping 5 individuals achieve the enhanced rates of PIP after making fresh claims and on appeal.”
It set us to wondering how many members use their increased understanding to help other people.
Helping others with their benefits is a brave but brilliant thing to do and it can make a dramatic and permanent difference to someone’s entire life.
We would obviously advise people to always get professional support if they possibly can, when dealing with issues such as overpayments or better-off calculations.
But often the help that people need is with much more basic issues, such as what t write in a PIP2 form, how to prepare for an assessment or the steps involved in lodging an appeal.
These are things that many of our members have become very knowledgeable about through managing their own claims using the Benefits and Work resources.
Sometimes the help needed may be as simple as making someone aware that they might be eligible for PIP and showing them how to find out more.
In other cases it might involve many hours helping someone prepare for an appeal and giving them the courage to persevere.
We’d love to hear from you if you’ve been able to make a difference to other people’s lives in this way. Please share your story in the comments section below – you may even inspire others to do the same.
