Amend standards for PIP to clearly include type 1 diabetics

Type 1 diabetics do not usually qualify for PIP despite dealing with a dangerous condition 24 hours a day. We believe there is a general lack of understanding and education of Type 1 Diabetes which may affect PIP assessments.

Managing Type 1 Diabetes is a relentless, 24-hour responsibility that requires frequent blood glucose monitoring, insulin adjustments, and careful planning around food, activity, and stress. When combined with the pressures of full-time employment, this can lead to significant physical exhaustion and mental burnout. We believe allowing more types 1 diabetics to receive PIP would provide financial support for helpful technology not provided by the NHS and support individuals to reduce working hours due to the demands of managing the condition.

People can be impacted by health conditions in different ways, so PIP uses a functional assessment to measure the impact of a person’s health condition or impairment on their day-to-day life rather than focusing solely on the health condition or impairment itself.

The assessment looks at an individual’s ability to carry out a series of key everyday activities which are fundamental to living an independent life, such as their ability to prepare, cook and eat food, dress and undress, make budgeting decisions, manage and monitor their health condition, engage with other people, and plan and follow journeys.

The PIP assessment criteria were developed in collaboration with independent specialists in health, social care & disability, including disabled people, to ensure they accurately assess an individual’s needs. Health conditions may be physical, sensory, mental, intellectual or cognitive, or any combination of these, and the assessment was designed to take a comprehensive approach to disability, reflecting the needs arising from the full range of conditions. The activities within the assessment consider not only the physical barriers to completion of those activities, but whether someone needs prompting or supervision to do them.

Health Professionals (HPs) who conduct PIP assessments are trained specialists in disability analysis, including how to assess the impacts of medical conditions on people’s day-to-day activities, as well as awareness training in a range of conditions, symptoms and disabilities. To support HPs in delivering informed assessments, HPs have access to a wide range of Core Training and Guidance Material (CTGM), which offer detailed clinical and functional information, including the potential risks and limitations of conditions such as Type 1 Diabetes.