Would I have any chance of getting PIP while pregnant?

[99Samblaze]

Hi everyone, I’m just wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation or has any advice. I’ve heard that it can be difficult to be awarded PIP while pregnant because some people see pregnancy related difficulties as temporary, but I’m struggling quite badly with anxiety and depression and have been referred to the prenatal mental health team.
On top of that, I’m suffering from severe pelvic pain, to the point where I have to lie down after sitting for around 10 minutes.

Mentally, I feel completely exhausted and overwhelmed, and even the simplest everyday tasks take me forever to get done. My husband does most of the cooking before he goes to work because I struggle to manage everything myself. I’m also worried about how PIP would view my situation, as I’ll soon have a newborn as well as a toddler to look after. Would they hold that against me and assume I’m coping because I have children to care for, even though I’m genuinely struggling both physically and mentally? I’m not expecting anything I’m not entitled to, but I was wondering whether I might have a chance of being awarded the standard rate of PIP?

I heard also on FB forums that it’s extremely difficult to get PIP, has anyone got it after going birth?

Thanks

PIP is for long standing, ongoing conditions, so pg related are unlikely to qualify unless they have longer term consequences which are evidenced by HCP. if you are able to cook and care for dc on your own during the day they eill assume you could for yourself, even if dh prepares food and sets things up before work. I don’t think the “50% rule” or “worst day” is an officially valid basis for a successful claim.

The 50% rule absolutely is valid - I’ve used it several times at appeal and it’s made the difference. You need evidence to support what you’re saying and it can involve demonstrating how doing any of the activities assessed would have a knock on ability to do any of the others. It comes under ‘reliably, repeatedly, safely and within a reasonable time frame - for example if you can walk 20 metres once during the day and would struggle the rest of the time, then you can’t walk 20 metres to that standard.

Completing the form as though it’s your ‘worst day’ is something I counselled claimants against doing because basically it’s benefit fraud.

My savings isn’t enough, I know to some people it’s a lot but in this economy it is not. Besides, I cannot touch any of it as it’s for deposit for house and I worked too hard to just spend it like that. Worked non stop no holidays no days out.

The more I read comments, the more I realise, DWP will hold having toddler and newborn against me and risk of safeguarding issues too. It seems highly unlikely to get PIP and I really want to work once a week as supply teacher as it really helped me to overcome anxiety and depression. I also know, they will use that against me too. I can’t go more than a day a week due to my anxiety of not knowing school and the staff etc.

50k is the new 10k in this day and age, honestly it is not a lot. I would happily support and would not mind giving my tax to a new mum who’s worked all her life to have savings and just needs support for a year or two whilst her children are young.

Why would you have babies so close together if your health suffers?!

This is rage bait

I don’t really understand this. If the job itself contributes to anxiety and depression due to not knowing the school and staff, then it isn’t helpful for your anxiety- it’s the opposite. It makes no difference whether you’re there one day a week or five. The nature of supply teaching means you are going to regularly be put in situations where you don’t know the school and staff. (And I’m not judging- I was a supply teacher myself many years ago and it provoked great anxiety, because while I quite enjoyed the job itself once I was there, I developed great anxiety about not knowing until the morning where I was going to be that day, so I ended up not sleeping well and dreading the early morning calls. So I jacked it in and found a different job that didn’t contribute to my already anxious nature).

You absolutely are entitled, you need to appeal this, it’s utterly disgusting that you’ve been declined.

Thought you wanted a council house?

Yes a council house and pip, neither of which she’s getting,

This is hilarious. So you have fifty grand in savings but you need some extra benefits. Righto. You might be better off holding off on the house move and splashing out on some therapy and anti anxiety meds.

There are plenty of people facing extremely challenging situations, who've worked hard and made huge sacrifices myself included. To say you can't touch your savings because its only for a house deposit, thats entirely up to you, but as I said upthread in my professional experience PIP is not designed to enhance your income for a bit because you've paid into the system and feel entitled. I've fought many an appeal for claimants in heartbreaking situations and it just doesn't sit well with me that you view it in this way.

In one way I hope so. I've seen the devastating side of people fighting to be awarded PIP and some of their circumstances and journeys to that have been horrendous. I've very much contained myself in my comments but I admit it is becoming harder to do so.

I literally dare not comment on that view.

Completely agree- Macmillan may be able to help here.

Pardon- did you say £50k wouldn't be enough to support yourself for a year or so whilst you figure out your next steps? Definitely rage bate then. I assume your husband is asking you to contribute to rent/mortgage and bills whilst you're on maternity leave without any income then?

Otherwise, the insanity of you suggesting you couldn't just take 10k out of your savings for one year which, in addition to mat allowance and child benefit would give you £1,000 a month to play with us out of this world. Depending on your housing situation, even if you were contributing to the rent/mortgage and bills, people manage that with less...

Regardless, even if you think you should be entitled to other benefits (and personally I'm idealogically a fan of having a universal basic income, so wouldn't necessarily hold it against you in principle), it sure as hell isn't PIP.

@99Samblaze

I really hope this rage bait, but I am going to bite.
You say you have worked all your life so deserve some help. But you say you have been a tax payer for 10 years.
So you are about 30. So you have not worked all your life.
I'm 61 and the only way I got PIP was by my oncologist completing a form stating I have very limited life expectancy.
I have worked and paid my taxes and NI since I was 21. Thats 40 years. I lost my job and my income overnight when I was diagnosed with cancer. I do not have a husband to help support me. Or 50k in the bank. My savings have gone on living expenses since February.
Why do you think you should be getting PIP when there are many people like me struggling to live on fresh air.

That’s me, again. I’m not entitled to Pip. Most people I know with stage 4 cancer aren’t entitled either. I initially couldn’t believe it either, but it’s true. Macmillan and Maggie’s did help with the application and I was turned down. You need to be at the “terminal” phase (meaning a doctor would not be surprised if you died within 12 months) to be automatically entitled to Pip, which I’m not.

I'm very sorry to hear this. I do know that only the SR1 certificate gives automatic entitlement but can I ask, was Mandatory Reconsideration then appeal discussed with you by the benefits advisers?

I am not rage baiting. I just asked a simple question whether DWP will accept a pregnant woman with anxiety. I only asked because they could argue that I look after a toddler and have newborn on the way, therefore I am capable of looking after myself. I also asked because PIP has no financial threshold unlike UC where you are limited.
my husband has been looking for work, because his current job is causing him so many back problems. We can’t apply for UC because of my savings so we are stuck.

I am also sorry about your situation and I wouldn’t mind my tax going to people like you or towards a new mum like me.

It’s not a lot? It’s more than some people have and I don’t even have 10k saved being a mother of 2. You’re not coming off great here

It is enough, you are just choosing to not see it this way and be quite ignorant to it and quite clearly would rather use the benefit system. I don’t have 50k just sat there and if I did I would not be thinking of claiming pip for temporary problems.

You wouldn't "mind" ?
You're still ignoring a lot of the explanations about what PIP is actually for and keep going on about it not being means tested like UC. It's enraging for someone like me who has spent years working with people quite literally on their knees financially struggling day to day with the most basic of human costs let alone the real costs, financially and otherwise, of very serious conditions.
You do not qualify for MT benefits because you CHOOSE to keep £50,000 in savings towards a house. Quite rightly do you not, therefore, qualify. PIP is not a convenient alternative pot. Quite frankly your repeated comments about not minding if your tax went to a 'struggling young Mum like me' are really getting me riled. You've paid, what, approximately 10 years tax and NI and now you're the chancellor of the exchequer? I've suffered debilitating bouts of anxiety most of my adult life yet I have managed to work since I was 16 - 20 hours a week until 18 around a FT college course because both my parents were mentally unwell- I'm 51 now and as well as working bloody hard, have raised two children under very tough circumstances, and there are thousands like me who will categorically find your comments not only completely tone deaf to so much real suffering but also entitled to a level that, obviously, leads many to view this as rage bait. You have chosen children close together, you need support with your anxiety that you can access as many have suggested. You do not need and absolutely should not apply for PIP.