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.

Agree, I think it's this kind of scenario that winds people up. There are deserving people that for some reason are struggling to get help yet others are awarded higher level. The blinkered approach that it isn't happening is wrong, it obviously does happen as a lot of us see it in action.

If someone is suffering from OCD to the extent they can't leave their house, then how long should they be on PIP for? I think for cases like this where it is possible to recover from then it should be for a limited time only and PIP should be given along side CBT or other therapy.

The problem with anything like mental health such as phobias, generalised anxiety, social anxiety is that it requires a lot of effort to overcome and to be outside your comfort zone. I'm not sure if paying someone to stay at home indefinitely if they have social phobia, agoraphobia is helping that person in the longterm.

Are you with them every day…on the days they are totally debilitated? Got cameras in their home?

The relatives I know that get PIP/DLA are numerous. One is definitely justified. The others I question.

One family member’s children have (private) ADHD diagnoses. They flaunt that they get extra money, queue jumps etc. Their kids needs IMO are less than my child who has meltdowns if we go to shops and vomits when anxious. What would the money buy us? Perhaps some private therapy but I see it as I’m parenting a different child, I adapt to their needs and money won’t improve things much.

I’ve been told about websites which guide you on how to get the maximum claim, how to do it on the basis of the very worst day imaginable.

I think I could get awarded DLA for both my children if I did the worst day. One for chronic constipation, soiling etc. The other for probable autism. It doesn’t mean I should.

You’re conflating completely different opinions and claiming people are “ableist”. These two opinions are NOT equivalent:

”Anxiety is relatively easier to overplay than other disabilities, particularly physical disabilities”

”All those claiming PIP for anxiety are frauds”

I know several people (actually know) who have faked mental illness to stay off work and get paid sick leave. It’s not a stretch to think that some people go as far as trying to get benefits by exaggerating (or indeed, completely making up) issues with anxiety/depression.

What I completely agree with you on is prevalence - PIP fraud is likely a tiny minority of cases.

She was a mental health nurse which makes her comments slightly ofd

Thanks for answering. Some of those didn’t even cross my mind. It’s opening my eyes a bit. Hopefully, opening others eyes too.

Absolutely it does, but if you can purchase a membership, get dressed to go to the gym, shower after your session, eat enough before and after to feel OK, cope with being around other people for the duration of the workout, and be able to go to the toilet at the gym when necessary, then doesn't that cross off most of the things on the list for PIP? Surely the question is it, "Can you only do it when it has multiple benefits?" but "Can you do it?" and if you can go regularly to the gym, you can.

Bank accounts arent monitored for pip.

Hurray for you announcing your cure for OCD on Mumsnet!

PIP IS awarded for limited periods …that is part of the torture for people already suffering

As this thread shows people with mental ill health can’t win…go out and they are unworthy ..stay in and they aren’t trying to get better. TW there is another alternative and lots of people take it because of the appalling discrimination, stigma and prejudice they are subjected to

PIP is time limited. You can only get an award for a maximum of 10 years

Being to anxious to go to work doesn't mean they get pip if you know for a fact they are getting pip in you have seen all their bank statements how do you know they don't have carers in. Are you meeting them every single day? If they live alone they would also have to prove to pip they have carers doing these things for them so how have they done that. Or do you think pip assessors are stupid and you just fill out a form say im anxious and they say no problem here's some money. Like seriously think about what you are saying. You said your friends is a liar so she's probably lying to you to

Thanks. Yes that makes sense.

Exactly. Glad to see someone else with sense here.

I'm epiletic have non epilepsy seizures also and hemiplegic migraines and still don't get awarded pip i really do not understand how people manage to fraud it.
With my epilepsy alone i will never be able to drive or be alone for a simple bath i wont be on my own to travel if i have a seziure while out i'm classed as a drunk,my migraines are nothing simple they last for weeks at times i lose my speech movement of my arms and my sight in one eye,yet still don't need the needs for pip!

I see my next door neighbour more than half the days and hear him on the other days. I have spent enough time with my SIL over the years to know that she's living a very normal life.

I that case. Yes my taxes more than covers my pip.

You won’t get pip for adhd or an autism diagnosis or constipation. It’s based on need you can’t parent away.

How can people even fake it though, you have to have an interview and provide evidence.

Not read all the posts but I'm really conflicted on all this. I have a serious anxiety based disorder, PTSD and the only effective treatment I've had, I've had to pay for and I've now accepted traditional work isn't for me so I work for myself in a consulting role.

I don't think PIP is helpful to the person who is ill nor to the country. What would be helpful is effective treatments, on the NHS and better and more supportive communities.

All that takes time and money. I wish I could magic it to be in place. But having spent time off work when I was at my worst, it actually made my symptoms worse still.

Another thing that would have helped was forcing companies to support reasonable adjustments. Their view of "reasonable" was moving me onto different working hours so I saw my partner less. It wasn't reasonable at all. If I'd been supported, for a limited time, with perhaps just moving onto a less stressful project it might have helped me and stopped me from getting as low as I did.

But my experience is only the experience of one person. It won't be the experience of everyone. But I think there's too much focus on what people with mental illness can't do and not on what we can. That's not good for them or government finances.

(Btw, never asked for a penny so I have no idea if I ever would have been eligible.)

Yeah my family think this to they have no idea

I work with people with LD who go to the gym aren’t allowed to manage their finances, travel independently and more …your limited understanding is showing …gym membership is possible for people claiming PIP

I’ve worked within the PIP system in several different ways, the majority of which was handling claims as a disability outreach worker/benefits advisor. MN is full of people who allegedly know people with simple anxiety and depression treated by their GP with anti depressant and anti anxiety meds, despite the fact that the PIP assessment does not and has never considered simple anxiety and depression treated by primary care (GP) alone to be sufficient for a successful claim. I’m sure someone will be along in a minute to reinforce that theory.

The threshold for a claim made solely on the basis of a mental health condition is very high - sometimes so high as to disqualify the very people it’s meant to help because the assessors are not experts in mental health. The benefit is primarily aimed at those who are being treated by secondary care, consultant led mental health teams, and who experience overwhelming distress as a result of their condition.

I supported a claimant at an assessment who had had several hospitalisations due to psychotic breaks, was under the care of a psychologist, and had made attempts on their own life twice. They were denied benefit. Put bluntly it was because they didn’t present as a gibbering wreck at the assessment and were able to answer the questions presented to them. What the assessor didn’t see was the panic attack and vomiting outside the building at the end of the assessment because of the stress it caused. It took at very stressful reconsideration request and finally a tribunal to secure the benefit they were entitled to.

Severe mental health problems can and do attract higher costs. They can be so debilitating that the sufferer is unable to go outside unsupported and is unable to engage in day to day activities or look after their own personal care. The DWP has posted comprehensive information as to what is needed for a mental health claim online, and one glance at it confirms that it is only intended for the highest levels of disability.

And in actual fact paying for a gym membership can be part of why PIP is paid. Anything can be a disability related cost if it’s incurred as a direct result of the disabling condition. It’s a complete myth that PIP is only there to pay for walking sticks and stair lifts.

Mary shouldn’t be getting PIP though

It’s not ableist to acknowledge that some fraud takes place around benefits that are for people with disabilities. Claiming that it never happens is plain ignorant.