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!

The top rate of mobility isnt just about somones physical ability my son transfers from DLA to PIP this year he currently get HRM under SMI rules
Physically ,he can walk for mile ,s mentally hes like a toddler
I dont see the rates changing when he moves to PIP ,as theres not a cat in hells chance of him being able to navigate a journey independently from A to B

Because I have stayed in SIL's flat for 3-4 days at a time in the past and she lives a very lavish lifestyle which would not be covered by UC and there would be no need for carers because she's 100% able to care for herself. I have no idea if PIP assessors are stupid but it doesn't take a genius to be able to spot that there's nothing wrong with SIL. If next door has carers, they must be invisible and very quiet.

But you are just whipping up a benfit bashing froth. Am I supposed to believe you are really seeking to educate?

There are loads of totally dubious claims for PiP. I used to be an advocate for appeals panels and the people claiming were just chancers. It takes away from genuine claimants.

That’s not checking bank accounts though. And especially not for pip fraud as it isn’t income based.

My worry is the over reliance on benefits. They are no longer a ‘supporting’ when people need the help.

Like others have said there is people who work and get PIP - the issue is they then are used to having that additional money and live to that level - if a government takes it away I worry about what that reduction would do to their finances.

Others work just the minimal amount of hours to get UC - they could work FT but why if you can spend time with your children. Which many of the people who do pay the taxes don’t have that option.

I see the impact when a child turns 18 and what impact that suddenly has to a family who are used to a certain level of income via benefits. I see 18 years old realising universities isn’t an option as parents can’t afford them to go as they need to work likely minimal wage to cover the loss. Or see parents having to take in extra jobs just to survive.

I also see a family struggling with disabled child, neither parent can work as their child needs are to high. I would have no problem with more money going to carers that have no option.

There isn’t enough in the kitty as the welfare system (like NHS) is creaking - we all can’t keep taking eventually there will be nothing left and the people that really need it will be affected the worse.

I wholeheartedly agree. However, claiming fraud is higher than it actually is, based on misconceptions of what PIP is actually paid in respect of is also ignorant.

No one is denying there's 0 fraud. It's just not as common as people think

I have been reported because I don't meet someone's criteria of disabled. They don't see the scars from falling over because my disabilities mean I have zero depth perception or the struggles to communicate because I can't hear people properly. I have to have someone with me for hospital appointments because I keep walking out and forgetting what's been said due to my head injuries

People need to seriously start listening. There are many people on this thread who have been through the pip process there are people like this person who i am replying to who works in the sector and understands it saying people can not just get pip for saying their anxious. Yet you still all choose to believe the random posters who say my neighbours, cousins goldfish auntie hasn't got nothing wrong with her she pretends to have anxiety and gets full rate pip and goes on 7 holidays a year.

So much mis information on this thread.

You absolutely can get pip with 0 evidence - i write them weekly.

However.

People are not getting it for anxiety unles they can prove high level restrictions, high dose medications, and input from services. Just reporting anxiety isnt enough. People just claiming anxiety cant get a car, there has to be a secondary condtion and/or phsyical condition too. The highest anxiety descriptor in mobilty is 11E, which is 10 points, and a standard rate, which doesnt entitle them to mobilty scheme. There has to be more going on. To get a higher rate for MH alone, there has to be a significant risk of harm to themselves or others, psychosis, lack of insight, vulnerable, self harm, sucidial ideation. Anxiety is not scoring higher rate mobility by itself.

Thanks for answering. Does the counselling help do you think? I know sometimes it’s hard to find counselling that is suitable for ND people. Have you seen the gummee glove? They do one for older children/adults who are chewers now I think.

Have you not seen the amount of white middle aged women hobbling along with their walking sticks ? Do you actually think they would need that stick if they needed to escape their house from a fire ? If you are willing to embellish and have the persistence to take a denied claim to tribunal you have a very good chance of getting PIP.

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.

This is absolutely not true. The form tells you exactly how to answer it. Gone are the days when this outdated information was applicable. They ask you categorically, how many good days, how many bad days per week. What can you do on the good days, what can you do on the bad days. You have to prove needs/difficulties are there for over 50% of the time. You get asked on the form, at your assessment, and by the Judge at Tribunal. There is very specific Law that must be applied and followed.

The money difference pip makes to me is minimal - things old be tighter but I’d survive - but it’s a gateway to other help, which really does make a difference.

This kind of pronouncement is dangerous

People with learning disabilities are at a minimum 3 times more likely to have severe mental ill health ….by it’s very nature LD endures it is a life long condition.

I happen to work for an exceptional charity that ring fences paid positions for people with LD but until you compel employers to employ people with disabilities you are condemning vulnerable people to a very unstable impoverished life believe treatment will fix all and threatening their ability to live.

PIP is necessary —- basic benefits are deliberately designed to be short term and punitive…you want that for our most vulnerable citizens???

And this is why 65% of first time claimers get denied because they read threads like these and believe its easy then they get a nice reality check when they realise its not

Thanks for answering. I do hope you get the absolute highest rate available to help towards their care.

Yes, thank you for posting this. The public reaction to depression is similar. There is what Freud called something like "ordinary unhappiness" and depressive disorder. Life events often cause stress and misery but can often be dealt with.
Clinical depression causes persistent low mood, struggles with motivation, problems with sleeping, eating, self-care, self isolation etc. People don't know how to react so they run away. When severe it can lead to self harm, even suicide. Everything becomes impossible. I could say more about my own direct experience but don't think that this is really the place to do that.

The only thing that I would suggest is if you suspect fraud then report it. It is very easy to report anonymously online. Hugely doubtful that anything ever gets investigated but we have to try.

It would if a person is able to get there but if their anxity is so severe they get PIP leaving the house at all is going to be a challenge.

Teen DD gets pip. She has autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression. Our extra costs are her regular psychologist, the psychiatrist she sees to access ADHD meds, the private meds themselves, plus incidentals like my extra petrol because she can't catch a bus and college is a 1.5 hour round trip, twice a day. Also foods that she can learn to cook are all pre-prepared because she can't make a healthy meal with individual components (she can only do 1 thing at a time but she can stick a pre-prepared veg bag for 1 in the microwave). Other things like burning most food she tries to heat up in the oven so it has to be thrown out, leaving the oven on full blast all afternoon until someone else in the house notices, so lots of wastage and extra electricity. But she needs practise and try to learn if she ever hopes to be able to live independently. There are lots of other incidentals relating to clothes, toiletries etc because of skin sensitivity. We also supposedly use some towards her (small furry) pet, which we got for her comfort/stress relief, but actually all the other stuff costs more than the pip we get so in practice there's nothing left to cover it.

1 in 2 women over 50 will have a severe fracture you think they made those up? Are they all throwing themselves downstairs 🤦‍♀️

The desperation to undo the rights of others…unbelievable

At an in-person assessment she just hams it up a bit. She tells her GP the same thing so she’s consistent across the board. Other than that, she has evidence of the injury happening (received hospital treatment at the time) and can give (made-up) descriptions of struggling to dress/wash herself, walk far etc. and how it affects her. She showed me the forms when she had to reapply a few months back so I know she has been dishonest. It’s inconsistent because, like I said, I know people with a genuine need who have been denied PIP, but she has never had any difficulty with it.

I used to wonder the same, and then I had an accident and became disabled.

I have mental health issues now but in the beginning it was just physical issues

I cannot get cold. The pain is unbelievable. My heating is on more than usual and I run electric heated throws.

I use the mobility component for an automatic car with adaptations. I couldn’t afford them.

my clothes washing is more than normal.

I can’t always cook

I have a cleaner

I paid for physio. The nhs wait was 9 months

im sure there’s more.

more I use now for issues related to my mh.