Claiming PIP for mental health when working?

[SockMobster]

OK. I realise that I am posting this in AIBU and it may not be the best place but I need opinions from people (please just try and share them nicely).

Basically, had a crap twenty years and now have now also got a diagnosis of complex PTSD, Dissociative Disorder and Complex Needs (which relates to trust).

I am living in a shit situation (safe, but shit), and when I discussed this on another thread it was suggested that I claim PIP. I am going to claim it, and I think I hit three of the categories on a bad day - the thing that concerns me is this, on a bad day I can still do my job (I just modify it a bit so I don't have to be near triggers or people), but I can't do that with most of life... On a very bad day, there is no way I can do my job, but I am getting better at coping with them and they now don't last all day.

Therefore AIBU to still put in an application for PIP even though I work?

Not unreasonable at all. But I can say with some certainty that you are unlikely to get it. It’s nigh on impossible now for MH conditions, I have bipolar and BPD as well as anxiety which leads to agoraphobia, and even after a year in which I attempted suicide several times I was still refused PIP. They lied, twisted what I said and made the whole process so stressful that I stopped fighting.

Please do apply (you are certainly entitled) but be aware that they are thundercunts.

Do you need help with daily living? In what way do you need the payment in order to live your life?

Gendarme

That's what I think too - but I lose money through dissociation (literally one day 300 pairs of fleecy pyjamas were delivered to me - thankfully they got refunded but it's shit like that that happens and not always to the 300 pairs extent so often can't claim back), and I am totally shit with communicating and being with people - there is stuff I would like to do, but i just can't afford (I mean like an evening class in something I liked so I could get used to being with people).

However, I do work as part of a small team at work, but i have know my team leader for over 15 years, so it's not like a situation where I walked in knowing no one - I met a few of them for coffee etc. beforehand.

Not at all! I work 16-24 hours and receive PIP. If I didn't receive PIP then I wouldn't be able to manage those 16 hours as I use part of it to pay a cleaner on the weeks when I have my dc.

I have anxiety (mostly due to autism) and depression (after being anxious for too long). I had to do something to decrease the stress of daily life in order to avert yet another breakdown where I'm no good to anyone. I obviously couldn't stop being a parent and I needed to work. Therefore the only thing I had the power to change was the housework, and PIP has enabled me to do that.

If I was off work with severe anxiety and depression I'd be costing the state much more.

So, no not a daily occurrence (apart from the mixing with people part), it's a sometimes daily occurrence, and sometimes just one day every week or so. Sometimes it lasts for hours, sometimes more than three days...

Right. I do welfare advice. With that set of diagnoses, I presume that you're under CMHT? That should definitely work in your favour as a good CPN can provide decent high quality evidence and CMHTs are usually very familiar with benefit claims.
The issue is, as you well know, that getting PIP for MH issues is very difficult indeed if you can work. Effectively you need to argue that you can do your job while struggling/failing to perform basic self care (washing, dressing, eating, cooking, talking to people). Whether or not you can prove that successfully really depends on the type of job you do and how you function the rest of the time plus medication, MH support and so on.
Also, just so you know, AIBU probably wasn't the best place for this-people in AIBU are often not very friendly to benefit claims. Maybe ask for this to be moved to Mental Health? @SockMobster

Put an application in. If you are not entitled to it you won't get it.

You might get it. Might be easier if you are under the care of MH services and they support you with your application. I know some of the people I work (I work in MH) with are in FT employment and also receive PIP or Universal Credit.

And not getting it doesn't necessarily mean you are not entitled to it.

That's true. There are plenty that should get it that don't.

As unweavedrainbow said, contrary to the opinions expressed by some tabloids, benefits for poor mental health can be extremely difficult to get, especially if you are ‘functioning’.

@SockMobster you need to prove that your MH conditions affect you more than 50% of the time (which is calculated over a year, to allow for longer episodes of ill health) to a qualifying level (I presume you're familiar with the criteria?) How's your self care?

With that set of diagnoses, I presume that you're under CMHT?

No, they actually wouldn't have me - I now go to a specialist tertiary clinic (I think this is how you would term it), they have a clinic for trauma and complex needs which I go to.

I'm ok with the AIBU bit - I actually would like a full set of opinions on this (and I'm running a long hot bath to calm down in), I honestly don't know what is the right or wrong thing to do.

And often part of people's recovery or treatment plans involves getting them into meaningful employment. Therefore being eligible for PIP and managing to work are not mutually exclusive.

I don’t know whether you’d qualify or not. You haven’t given enough information. Assess yourself as you are most days. Bear in mind that complex communication is two sentences, not war and peace (or even a Mumsnet AIBU post).

Don’t worry about having to claim for costs incurred by your disability. If the peace of mind of a regular income helps your mental health, that’s good enough for me.

Applying isn't wrong. If you don't qualify you definitely won't get it. If you do qualify, you still might not get it, but you might.

It affects me 100% of the time; the impact is just variable - does that make sense?

My self care is also variable - it's mostly quite good now, but it's improved a lot - the day to day stuff is good now, getting hair cuts etc. is not great but I don't think they count that as self care. My teeth get brushed every time I eat and I shower every day.

At your clinic do you have access to a regular MH worker who can provide evidence? Why did the CMHT turn down your referral? I presume you have a psych?
PIP is incredibly evidenced based. In an ideal world (for the application, not necessarily for you...) the fact you could work would be counteracted with evidence showing marked self neglect, difficulty communicating with strangers and a history of struggling with handling money (the 300 pyjamas is a good example of this) plus medication. The DWP LOVES medication as proof of disability.

The DWP LOVES medication as proof of disability.

That's me fucked because I refuse to take the stuff (I felt that being medicated was not helping me process trauma correctly and the staff treating me agreed with me (I didn't just refuse to take it)). I take some medication short term when needed (to help me sleep, and when anxious to deal with life), but not things day-to-day.

Yes there's definitely people who would provide evidence if they thought it was appropriate - I haven't asked them yet as I was unsure if it was appropriate to or not. I know three people there (one I see twice a week), and two others who "know" me and help out number 1 when necessary.

CMHT turned me down as I have "complex needs" which relate to trust of medical professions so they didn't want to touch me.

Thank you everyone for all the advice.

No, it's still ok, as long as you have a reason for not being medicated. They tend to use medication as a benchmark for illness, iyswim. An example would be someone claiming "serious" depression but only being prescribed low level anti depressants and no specialist contact (although that example ha issues, for lots of reasons...). Basically they want proof that you're "seriously ill". Twice a week contact from specialist professionals and being turned down from CMHT for being too complex does that well. Just be prepared for meds to come up at some point.
Tbh, i think you have a really good chance of being successful. The only issue would be that you say you don't have too many issues with self care, but the counter argument to that would be that you can only manage that with significant external input. Your work, from what you've said, is in a supportive environment that makes allowances for your issues. I really would go for it.

how much help do you need on a day to day basis with self care and looking after yourself?

It is not so much about diagnosis (even though that helps) but 'complex needs' means really nothing as such. You need to evidence that /and how much help and support you need with your daily living.

Do you live alone? Is so, do you have carers or other help coming in regularly?

I can’t tell you if you’d get it or not, my claim is for blindness so totally separate criteria.

However, I would strongly urge you (and anyone making a claim) to make copies of anything you send and to send anything recorded/signed for delivery.

It’s only because I had proof that they had signed for my claim form that they ‘realised’ that they had actually received my claim in plenty of time and it was not 5+ days past the deadline as they originally stated that they processed it...

I can't see why anyone would think you are being unreasonable to apply (even on AIBU) - but I certainly wouldn't have a clue about how likely you are to get it. I do, however, firmly believe that MH problems should be treated like physical problems when it comes to benefits eligibility.