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.

This has been discussed on several threads. These ‘how to claim’ videos also appear on TikTok. The DWP has looked into a lot of them and found that rather than encouraging fraud these groups are simply showing claimants how to navigate the application process and present the facts of their condition in a clear way so as to make the best claim.

DWP admit that the PIP application process is complicated and can be daunting for many people. They have produced various advisory materials detailing how to make the best claim, and there is a booklet included with application forms as standard, which advises how to approach completing the form and where to get help.

DWP standard advice is to get help from various organisations rather than filling in the form unassisted. Unfortunately many support services are overwhelmed with requests and applications are time limited. That’s why a lot of these facebook and TikTok groups have popped up and are actually disseminating information supplied by DWP as to how to make the best claim.

I’m not saying that there aren’t those who will use the platforms to enable fraud but l think it’s important to point out the difference between that and simply helping the claimant make the best claim they can - not least because once you’ve said something on the application form it will be used to determine your claim so it’s important that it’s said in the right way.

I also know of such groups and so many people fail because they just dont have the evidence,
I have seen peoole sending in letters from family members and friends describing their / their childs condition as evidence
Or thinking popping to Gp and getting a letter frim them about what they have just told them is good evidence

Fair enough, if it makes you feel better. By the smiley face I interpret it does, which is positive.
perhaps if you engage in it long term it will help with your condition as your energy, clear thinking and motivation appear to be of a healthy level (which again is a positive) so it might be doing you good.

That does have something to do with it as well but a claim isn't just looked at by one person. A medical professional do a report and then the dwp make the decision. But they still have to follow guidelines. Going to the gp saying your anxious getting anti depressants and being put on a waiting list for cbt wouldn't cut it. You would be highly unlikely to get pip under primary care. I can't remember from the initial form but I did my renewal/review recently and that specifically stated not to send letters from gp. I assume 1 because they mean nothing and 2 they can access your medical records.

I have an English degree and found the process more stressful and complicated than writing my dissertation. Don’t get me started on the ridiculous review form. I can’t imagine how difficult it must for many others not as literate who can’t access support.

Its so hard I've always had someone from the cmht help me do it. I wouldn't of been able to do it alone.

My dd can’t do it herself and going into her records to get evidence now she is an adult is a nightmare.

I received help to fill in my son's DLA forms. They are overwhelming and complicated and it doesn't necessarily make a claim less genuine just because they have received help.

You do have to phrase things in a certain way and as long as you aren't lying, I don't understand what's wrong with knowing how to phrase things so that your claim isn't rejected and you hopefully don't have to go through to tribunal just because you aren't articulate and/or didn't word something quite right.

Agree. A poster upthread suggested that a PIP claim for mental health was as easy as visiting their GP and reporting their symptoms, getting a prescription and a letter of support. That kind of muddled thinking is what drives claims that mental health claims are all fraudulent.

The government’s own rhetoric is muddled and conflates PIP with out of work sickness benefits, suggesting that the majority of claimants are suffering from simple anxiety and expression when the reality is that most claims for simple GP treated anxiety and depression will fail because they don’t meet the high bar set for PIP mental health claims. Unfortunately MN doesn’t apply any critical thinking to these things, preferring to fall hook line and sinker for whatever narrative the government of the day feeds them, and then beat mental health claimants over the head with the fraud argument.

As outlined in my post upthread there are various FB and TikTok videos which are not actually advocating fraud, they are simply helping the claimant make the best possible claim, in many cases by disseminating the DWP’s own guidelines. DWP themselves advise getting assistance with completing the applications but unfortunately these support services are overloaded. These groups are simply filling the gap.

Due to the huge increase in those claimed UC whilst in work this has changed the figures

Proportion of Universal Credit claimants in employment in England | LG Inform
Only about 31% of all UC claimants are in any form of employment. This means they can only work a few hours a week to be included in this 31%. And even this number is steadily decreasing over time.

This.

Exactly, that is precisely why those posters going on about people sourcing help on how to fill out the form, are just spouting hot air. Some of those same people would have no issue with hiring tutors for their, children to help them navigate exam papers to help them know how to answer exam questions, or pass entrance assessments to gain entry into certain schools etc.

I don’t have an anxiety problem and I don’t claim PIP.

I work and claim pip i do have an anxiety disorder but its not what i Claim for

I know someone who gets pip for anxiety. They also have a motability car. Now this is what beats me. If anxiety is bad enough to receive pip, surely motoring around, days out, holidays etc would be beyond them? In this case I suspect they may have had the useful counsel of a family member who works at a famous mental health place.

I suspect there's far more to this than you really know

100%

I supect your talking nonsense
It doesnt matter who helps you fill in the form you still need evidence
My son has a mobility car
As he gets HRM on DLA i had a to go to Tribunal for it ,he gets it because he has severe mental impairment
I have tons of evidence for this and loads of professionals involved ,so i know its not a simple process.

Yes , well official figures are 36%, however there are 2.7 million UC claimants so that's 700,000- 800,000 claimants that didn't exist at all before the Conservative legislation to ensure working pays ,during the Cameron government.

Yep.

I was fortunate enough that my son was awarded without the need for tribunal but it absolutely helped at the time that he was in hospital and I had two hospital social workers help me fill out the forms as well as chasing evidence for me and making sure that it was good and relevant evidence.

I’m not even joking, I’ve just had my review letter back this morning and it’s said they can’t give me the higher amount because I’m not anxious to leave my house. I can not actually believe it. Baring in mind, in the last 24 hours have had my local authority in my house fitting numerous aids and adaptions.

Yes, I am disabled but I love going out when I can and enjoying my life to my own ability. Why do I not get the financial support that I need?

Unbelievable.

You may not meet the need for a higher rate. They have given you the lower rate, I take it. If you are not happy, and feel that you have strong enough evidence for the higher rate, then by all means, ask for a MR.

My post wasn't about learning disabilities. It was about anxiety related disorders.

Anxiety is a normal human emotion that everyone experiences throughout most of their life.
starting school, a new job, a college course, meeting a new person, going on a date, job interview, to the doctor, dentist, applying for a mortgage, getting n an aeroplane, taking an exam, driving test.
They all induce anxiety to a greater or lesser degree.

We are talking about anxiety disorders