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DWP to offer extra PIP support to these 5 medical categories - are you eligible?

PIP can be accessed by working age people aged between 16 and 64. However, not everyone that is entitled to these payments is currently able to complete the application process - and those who find it difficult are to be offered help by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

What is PIP?

PIP is designed to help cover the extra costs incurred of living with a long-term health issue or disability.

It's not calculated based on an individual's income or savings and can be claimed on top of other benefits - such as Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

PIP consists of two strands; one which accounts for daily living and the other for mobility. Claimants may receive either or both.

Those eligible can receive a maximum of £89.60 per week, for the daily living element and £62.55 for the mobility aspect.

However, some people who are eligible for PIP can find the application process difficult, which is why the DWP has now made additional support available.

Some claimants have what's called a Personal Acting Body (PAB) - an individual formally nominated to act on a person's behalf.

If a claimant already has a PAB then they won't receive any additional support from the DWP.

Individuals who do not have a PAB are entitled and should be identified by the Government as requiring support.

The DWP says: "In some cases, however, claimants may not be able to engage effectively with the claims process, due to reduced mental capacity or insight - for example, they may not understand the consequences of not returning a claim form and not have a PAB to help them.

"In the PIP journey, such claimants are considered to require additional support from DWP and elements of the PIP claims process have been adapted to provide further support for this group."

Which groups is support available for?

Consequently, the DWP has now made additional support available for people, with the following health conditions, who may struggle to complete the PIP application.

1.) Mental health conditions

• Severe depression (evidenced by, for example previous hospitalisation)
• Bipolar disorder
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Psychosis
• Schizophrenia
• Personality Disorders

2.) Behavioural conditions

• Severe Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Conduct disorder
  

3.) Learning disabilities

• Down syndrome
• Fragile X syndrome

4.) Developmental disorders

• Severe autism spectrum disorder
• Developmental delay
• Speech or language disorders

5.) Dementia or cognitive disorders

• Alzheimer's
• Dementia with Lewy bodies
• Vascular dementia
• Dementia associated with other conditions (e.g. Parkinson's disease)
• Severe brain injury resulting in cognitive decline 

Reference: Daily Express: James Gray 

Austria to enter full national lockdown as fourth COVID wave sweeps Europe

Austria is to become the first country in Europe to make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory by law and has announced a full national lockdown from Monday, amid a fourth wave sweeping the continent.

Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said the coronavirus lockdown would run for a "maximum of 20 days".

He also announced it would be a "requirement to get vaccinated" in Austria from 1 February.

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Students will have to go back into home schooling, restaurants and most stores will be closed and cultural events will be canceled.

"We do not want a fifth wave," Mr Schallenberg said.

"Nor do we want a sixth or seventh wave. This is very painful."

The measure to make vaccination compulsory among the adult population will attract controversy, with Austria only the fourth country in the world to do so - after Indonesia, Micronesia and Turkmenistan.

© Reuters Police officers check the vaccination status of shoppers at the entrance of a store

Mr Schallenberg said: "Whipped up by radical anti-vaxxers, by fake news, too many among us didn't get vaccinated. The results are overcrowded intensive care units and enormous suffering."

He said the government therefore took "a very difficult decision...that we will quickly introduce a nationwide vaccine mandate" from 1 February.

The nation had already introduced a series of strict measures along with Germany and Slovakia in the weeks leading up to Christmas, as a debate intensifies over whether vaccines alone are enough to tackle coronavirus.

Around 66% of Austria's population is fully vaccinated, one of the lowest rates in western Europe.

Its infection rate is among the highest in the continent, with a seven-day incidence of 971.5 per 100,000 people - and daily cases keep setting records.

The country of 8.9 million has reported more than 10,000 new infection cases daily, while hospitals have been overwhelmed with many new COVID-19 patients and deaths have also been rising again.

The national lockdown will initially last for 10 days, after which the effects will be assessed and the measures extended to a maximum of 20 days if cases have not gone down enough.

Two states in Austria - Salzburg and Upper Austria - had already triggered a range of restrictions, with the rules extended to apply to vaccinated people and a full lockdown from next week that would see schools shut and a curfew

imposed. 

Last week, Europe accounted for more than half of the seven-day average of infections globally and about half of the latest deaths, according to a tally by Reuters news agency.

It comes after German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced fresh curbs on public life for those who have not had a vaccine in areas where hospitals are filling dangerously fast with coronavirus patients.

And German health minister Jens Spahn today hinted that the country could follow Austria in announcing a full lockdown.

"We are now in a situation ... where we can't rule anything out," he said.

Greece has also imposed more restrictions on unvaccinated people following a recent surge in cases - barring them from all indoor spaces, such as cinemas, museums, and gyms.

The death rate from the virus has reached its highest level in six months, as roughly one-third of Greece's population remains unvaccinated.

Reference: Sky News; 

Worrying signs of high cholesterol on your toes and fingers that show dangerous levels

High cholesterol tends to be a symptom free medical condition, but the common condition can have a variety of more serious implications, according to experts.

High cholesterol can cause blockages in blood vessels, strokes and heart attacks.

Therefore the location of the blockages can have potentially life-threatening implications.

The condition can be caused by a variety things that tend to stem from repeated unhealthy behaviour.

The NHS say the condition can be caused by: "Eating fatty food, not exercising enough, being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol."

They say it can it can be genetic but cholesterol levels can be reduced by adopting a healthy diet and doing regular exercise.

"Moderate aerobic activity means you're working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat."

© Getty Images/iStockphoto Statins may be prescribed to tackle particularly high levels of cholesterol

But what are the signs you need to take action against high cholesterol?

A warning sign of high cholesterol can be painful fingers and toes.

It is thought the pain is caused by an accumulation of cholesterol in the vessels of the legs and hands.

Another symptom commonly associated with the condition is a tingling sensation in the toes and fingers.

Speaking to the Express, Dr Rahul Agrawal: "everyone needs to monitor their cholesterol levels".

"Interruptions in the blood flow to certain parts of the body makes a tingling sensation in hands and legs,

"The high cholesterol levels in the blood make the blood flow thick and affect the normal flow of blood in the nerves and cause tingling."

Fatty lumps can form under the skin, which can appear in the hands and feet.

These fatty lumps are known xanthoma and can vary in size, from the size of a grape all the way down to that of a pinhead.

It is understood they can often appear in yellow or orange, and look like a flat bump under the skin.

They could be tender or sensitive to the touch.

They can also appear on the elbows, buttocks or knees.

Although doctors can diagnose the condition you may need a skin biopsy.

Meanwhile, a lipid blood test can inform patients whether they have high cholesterol levels.

It is thought that xanthomas can reduce if cholesterol levels are reduced.

For dangerous levels of cholesterol, doctors are likely to prescribe statins, which work by slowing down the production of cholesterol in the liver.

Reference: Mirror: Harry Thompson  

Blood test could identify diabetes 'almost 20 YEARS before it strikes'

A blood test may detect people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes two decades for the condition strikes, a study suggests.  

Swedish scientists found people with high levels of a protein called follistatin were twice as likely to develop the 'silent killer', compared to volunteers at the other end of the scale.

The findings could allow for the condition to be spotted earlier, slashing the risk of subsequent complications, such as heart disease and strokes.

Nearly 5milllion people in the UK have diabetes — with 90 per cent of all cases being type 2. Some 34.2million people in the US have the condition. 

Obesity is the main trigger, so maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet and exercising can cut the risk of developing the condition. 

The condition prevents the pancreas from making enough insulin, causing blood sugar levels to rise.  

What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a common condition that causes the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood to become too high.

It can cause symptoms like excessive thirst, needing to pee a lot and tiredness. It can also increase your risk of getting serious problems with your eyes, heart and nerves.

It's a lifelong condition that can affect your everyday life. You may need to change your diet, take medicines and have regular check-ups.

It's caused by problems with a chemical in the body (hormone) called insulin. It's often linked to being overweight or inactive, or having a family history of type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is currently diagnosed after it develops though a blood or urine test, which detects high blood sugar levels.

Lund University researchers examined blood samples from 4,195 participants, who provided regular samples over nearly two decades.

Some 577 people (13.8 per cent) went on to suffer from type 2 diabetes, according to the results published in Nature Communications.

Those who developed the condition had higher levels of plasma follistatin in their blood at the start of the study, compared to those who did not. 

Follistatin helps regulate the metabolism but it also encourages body fat to break down and accumulate in the liver, which can lead to type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease.

Participants with slightly elevated follistatin were 28 per cent more likely to develop the condition. 

Those who had higher follistatin levels were 47 per cent more likely to have type 2 diabetes in the following years.

And those with the highest levels were twice as likely to develop the illness. 

Dr Yang De Marinis, lead author, said: 'This study shows follistatin has the potential to become an important biomarker to predict future type 2 diabetes.

'It also brings us one step closer to the understanding of the mechanisms behind the disease.'

Dr Marinis, also CEO of biotech startup Lundoch Diagnostics, is creating a blood test tool that could be rolled out across the world.

Patients would provide a sample of their blood, which would be then be analysed to look at levels for the protein biomarker. 

Reference: Emily Craig Health Reporter For Mailonline