PIP for Anxiety

[IntelligenceIsFree]

AIBU to clear things up?

The current nasty rhetoric around disabled people at the moment is astounding. Society needs to be reminded that we are ALL one illness or accident away from disability.

Everyone knows someone who is gaming the system, yet the PIP fraud rate is extremely low. The public demonising, does not match the reality.

The hot topic is “anxiety” and how people with “anxiety” are gaming the system, getting “free” cars and robbing tax payers; this is being constantly fed through media, news articles and so on.

This is simply not true. The people spouting this nonsense clearly have no idea how PIP works. Nobody gets PIP without strong medical evidence. Nobody.

Before anyone posts “my neighbour got PIP just by telling lies”. No, they did not. That’s not how it works.

People need to be educated properly on how benefits work, how they are awarded and what the criteria for mobility cars actually is; the cars are not in fact free.

People need to be educated on the fact that there is anxiety, which every human suffers from at some point, and then there are anxiety DISORDERS which are entirely different and can be life changing and debilitating. Hence, the need and entitlement for PIP.

Brenda down the road who feels too anxious to go to Bingo on a Friday night is NOT getting PIP ❌

Mary up the lane who has such severe OCD that she cannot leave her own home for fear that she will die, IS getting PIP .✅

There’s a huge difference.

The current turning on disabled people is shameful and we are living in a country full of hate because Bob (and his Uncle) are annoyed that they are paying tax to “support all of these scroungers”.

Bob (and his Uncle), needs to hope that they never get cancer, or suffer life changing trauma or have an unfortunate accident to avoid being served a huge scrounged humble pie.

I do not suffer from anxiety but as a human, I am pleased we have a system in society to support the most vulnerable people who need it. Life can happen to anyone.

PIP isn't classed as income and isnt a means tested benefit. I very much doubt you actually applied for it.

But where do you draw the line with some of these expenses and say they are just part of life/ a person’s ability rather than something that needs to be offset by PIP?

I work in an industry where, in order to advance after a certain level, you need to network with clients and consultants. I’m terrible at interacting with strangers, struggle with small talk because I sometimes freeze and don’t know what to say, afterwards I go over it in my head and worry about how I’ve come across. It sometimes takes a lot of energy to make a phone call. I have wondered if there’s some level of ND there, but I can generally function in society, I just struggle socially. I’ve accepted that I will probably not be able to get a promotion after a certain point because it’s just not for me, I’d find it too stressful. Would this count as having to pass on promotion? I don’t consider myself disabled or in need of PIP, but my income will be limited by my natural (in)ability to network.

Another PP mentioned occasionally needing ready meals and takeaways as an expense. I can understand if there’s some disability that makes cooking permanently impossible, but how does occasionally being unable to cook qualify for PIP? Why is that different to someone who can’t cook because they’re exhausted after a 12 hour shift, so goes home and has beans on toast? If it’s not the majority of meals, surely the odd canned soup won’t have such a detrimental effect on diet.

I’m genuinely trying to understand how these needs are assessed and where the line is drawn.

Wont admit what? Yes, I called you ableist. Yes. I stand by that comment. Yes, after this post I am adding ‘goady’ as well.

I decided not to engage with you about your ableism because I cannot be fucking arsed with another pointless discussion with ignorance.

How on earth can anyone know for sure it's low?

It doesn’t improve your autism.

What the actual hell! Are you like this with all disabilities?

Autistic children and adults are some of the most resilient people there are, managing a significant overwhelming disability day in and out. There is nothing defeatist about it.

Meanwhile I'd actually say you're ableist. So. Go figure.

Because those dealing with it have said it’s 0.4%

You make wild assumptions. How do you know I'm not autistic?

I really don’t care.

Jesus Christ this thread 😫🤦🏻‍♀️

In fairness I think many of you have simply never actually been through the pip process, especially for mental health...

For context I've struggled with mental illness since I was 11 (including self harm and suicide attempt aged 12+). And also until 36 undiagnosed ADHD.

So I was under CAMHS after my initial suicide attempt at 15, then somewhat dropped off the radar until university where I was majorly struggling, that was beginning of my medication/mental health journey.

Following uni after a breakdown I attempted suicide, lost my job, and was too unwell to work for the following 3 1/2 years. Thankfully I was able to return to work part time and have still worked part time for the past 13 years.

I finally circa 2020 found affordable private therapy. Therapy that was not accessible on the NHS (I was told by the NHS psychiatrist and my GP the best chance of therapy was private). And even better they could provide up to 2 years therapy. However due to only being able to work part time this is where the PIP was going to be used to fund the therapy.

Then COVID happened. And the waiting list was shut down.

A year or so later, thankfully that waiting list opened back up and at the time I had the daily living element of pip and was going to be able to put that towards it. And the just as i applied I got my pip renewal through. Knowing I wanted to be able to commit to the 2 years I waited until I'd done my renewal. Except then it all went to shit. Cos despite having 20+ years of medical evidence, they decided I no longer met the criteria (despite only my diagnosis changing NOT my care needs). For context for 12 years I was (mis)diagnosed and on the highest doses of bipolar medication (including anti psychotics) I did try to do an MR but that was also rejected.

So for anyone who assumes you can just go an apply and they give you it? Nah not realistic in my experience. I had reems of evidence and about 300 bloody pages of medical records to support my claim and they still said no.

My friend works for CAB and told me personally she would more than happily take on my case as she does believe I meet the criteria but tbh I have no fight left. I give up. I accept I am not going to get the therapy that would help. 🤷🏻‍♀️it's shit but it's just one of those things.

It's drives me insane when people say it's easy to claim and that they know people who "got it with no evidence" when I literally provided as much evidence as humanly possible and computer still said no...

1/4 people are getting PIP. Think that tells you everything.

Well the low figures are those provided by the DWP. With the government narrative of reducing the benefits bill I can’t see any reason they would cover up a higher figure, as it would support that.

The more interesting question is why are the rates of people unable to work so much higher in the UK than anywhere else. I can only think that is because a lot of them are lying about being unable to work.

No they aren't

The actual expenses incurred are never assessed. the only thing that is assessed is someone's functional ability. I do a lot of work with cancer patients, helping to complete PIP forms. They often don't get awarded in the early stages or when going through chemo unless side effects are pretty bad yet they have huge additional costs - taxis to numerous hospital appointments because you can't risk public transport car parking or petrol costs because you have to travel miles to your regional cancer centre or taxis because you can't use public transport, extra heating, ready meals as you're too exhausted to cook, wigs, turbans, picc line cover, extra bedding because you are sweating or vomiting. yet often nothing extra . Then you see others getting it for nothing much and to be honest it's infuriating.

Yes, what it tells you is that when the coalition government abolished DLA because it was too expensive and introduced PIP with the express intention of saving money, they should have realised that opening it up to claims for mental health for the first time ever was never going to achieve that.

Why would anyone believe the DWP ? surely if they admitted fraud it would show that they aren't assessing people properly ?

I’ve wondered if that was the case because we seem to be a very unwell nation. Are other countries equally as unwell?

No they aren’t it’s 1 in 10

PIP fraud is extremely low because of what’s considered PIP fraud metric. It requires evidence of intent to defraud (evidence of deliberate dishonesty) which is high bar to prove. Most people would pretend they made a mistake /misunderstood. Only cases formally identified and proven as fraud are counted.

Plus eligibility is quite loose and it’s easy to inflate how the condition impacts you, even to a medical professional. Let alone there are a number of self-assessment areas.

This is true. It’s 10%. But claims have increased by 1% in the last recorded quarter. @MadCatHag is right. Why are we so much sicker than other European countries?

Aayh right

I mean in fairness the DWP don't care if you can't actually cook meals

I can't due to anxiety (haven't cooked a meal in 10 out of the 12 years I've had to live in this shit hole-admitadly in large due my abusive asshole of a housemate who was so abusive and threatening around the kitchen or the first 2 years of being here I was unable to leave my room -it essentially triggered a hell of a lot of trauma from the abusive relationship id just escaped) and the fact I don't feel safe and frequently get distracted so quite simply I don't eat meals when I'm here. But because I told the DWP I occasionally eat crisps I have no issues with preparing food.... 🤔

No the The UK's disability support system is often considered less generous than many European counterparts, ranking near the bottom for welfare value among OECD countries. While disability, specifically Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA), has seen a massive 30-54% rise in claims since 2019, the system is criticized for poor employment outcomes and high rates of poverty among disabled people compared to the EU.
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I think there is a massive issue with PIP assessments, although sorting it out would probably result in no savings whatsoever (and a higher cost of doing the assessments!). Would make it fairer though.

I believe some people are getting it who shouldn't be (although some of these desperately need the income top-up, but technically don't meet the criteria). And some who should be getting it, or getting a higher rate, are not.

I thought the assessments were overly strict and designed to catch people out, after my own and others' experiences when extremely unwell. I then had a bizarre experience when my health had improved somewhat - after years of having to repeatedly appeal I was suddenly waved through an assessment.

I honestly wonder if they decide by rolling a dice! It seems like they've just decided that, say, 20% of claims should be successful, but don't care whether that's the 20% that actually most need it.