I've been on benefits due to health issues for quite a long time now, I was on Incap Ben until Oct 2013 when they moved me to ESA and that's been static since then. Not had any kind of increase in 4yrs. In 2014 I finally had a diagnosis of one of my health issues that had been ignored for years by doctors... Dismissing my issue as weight related when it was in fact a condition called Spinal Stenosis... which is 'made' worse by being overweight. This explained the shocking spasms in my lower back which could turn my legs to jelly and make me slump to the floor at any time and I couldn't walk more than 20-30yrds without getting one. Since then I have lost over 140lbs the condition has remained and not gone away as previous doctors claimed. I have also been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my knees which is further impacting my. the small increase in the distance I could walk has been decreased again by limited movement and pain in my knees. I've also got early stages of the condition in both shoulders and struggle to lift my left arm above my shoulder but can rotate it, whilst my right shoulder doesn't rotate properly but my arm can be lifted above it. Back in either 2014 or 1015 I got the forms for PIP but never sent them in... to say it was a confusing mess of questions that repeat themselves over and over again and with reports that the vast majority of claims are simply dismissed anyway put me off ever sending it in. I'm not getting any better and losing over 10st hasn't had the kind of impact that I had hoped it would... I admit that my weight was out of control due to severe depression and 19 deaths of family and friends between 2008-2016... In short I was broken and whilst I'm still broken, my financial situation continues to deteriorate. I can just about cover the rent due to the fact I rent from family (all legal, proper tenancy agreement in place and council know everything) at a rate well below average (they're doing it to give me a safe place to live not to make a profit). I can just about cover utilities and household expenses, but there's not enough for anything else and although I do have a car it's 12yrs old and I limit how much it's used due to the cost of diesel, insurance and car tax. Without transport I would be housebound and unable to get out and about on my own... I can't even make it to the local corner shop which is about a 300-400yrd walk. On a very, very, very good day... I might make it to the corner shop, but would then struggle to get back carrying anything I bought. By the time I got back (after stopping repeatedly to sit and let the pain subside) it could virtually incapacitate me for hours and I'd be unable to go out again for a few days at least. When I am able to go out to do shopping (once every 2 weeks on average) I have to normally go with some one and require a trolley to hang onto to support myself. Even then after doing a small amount of shopping, we stop at the supermarket cafe for a rest and a drink before carrying on. I tend to load my shopping in small amounts into multiple sturdy bags with handles, so I'm not carrying heavy ones into the house. I can park on my drive so the boot of the car is no more than 6-8ft from the front door and it's an estate so a low tailgate means no bending to lift things up. I know I could do my shopping online but I actually look forward to doing mine as it gets me out of the house for an hour or two. The arthritis needs me to keep moving more not less, but I can't do that where I live due to the area, hills and so forth... it would be nice if I could drive down to the lakes nearby a couple of times a week and do a little walking there, as they have benches and rest points all around them... But parking isn't cheap. After reading so many threads on here about people applying for PIP and being refused... it's making me wonder if I should at all... I'm not asking for expecting a disabled badge or motability car... I desperately need a little extra help so I can perhaps pay for a little more fuel each month, or parking charges... an extra £20 a week would have a huge impact provided it wasn't taken away from my other benefits like ESA/LHA. If I get the forms... where can I get help to fill them in... a lot of it seems designed to confuse and deliberately make it as hard as possible to complete. I think doing it my own will only result in me not bothering like I did last time... which is what I now think is the main objective of the form.

The Employment and Support Allowance assessments' could be changing as of 2015 please read the attachment or follow this link HERE This is a 93 page report sorry about the long read folks