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

The taxes you’ve paid for a few years are a long way short from what you’re taking out of the system already.

You talk as if you’ve been propping up the UK economy.

Madam, I am not your enemy. I want the best for people like you and I do sympathise with you and I had your beliefs a year, until I got a letter from HMRC, literally a week after I gave birth asking me to pay more tax because I paid too little tax. I was so furious because millionaires and billionaires dodge so much tax, literally in millions and they come after normal people like us.
I am just a regular person like you, your frustration shouldn’t be with people like me rather the government.

And there are people who have been on benefits since high school, what’s your point?

Because you have only worked a few years, you have £50k in the bank, your healthcare and childcare and schooling will all cost much more than you’ve put into the system.

And yet you still want more from the taxpayer.

You keep banging on about being able to look after a toddler and a baby being the reason you will be denied. The reason you will be denied is because you are capable of looking after yourself, yes. Are you actually stressed because your husband wants a new job and is putting pressure on you to use your 50k savings or contribute more?

Where is that information from because it’s very different from what I have been told while helping someone with the process? I have been told all of these things I said by a healthcare professional who advised said person to apply.

Probably because they're actually disabled?

Why can't you use your savings like everyone else?

My son has been getting DLA since he was 3 hes 16 and will never be able to work
Hes also severley disabled
I doubt you would want to swap places with him.

Absolutely patronising drivel.

I suspect OP has nothing wrong with her. Not even anxiety. She has probably read about all these people on benefits and is deciding to try her luck because she is jealous and also doesn't want to work. I bet I am right OP. Just going by the constant moaning about what other people receive.

Yes because like my son they are disabled with a proper diagnosis since toddlerhood. Why are you jealous of that? You better hope you don't have a child the same as then you will wish you were never jealous of it.

Great post 👏

OP, your attitude is absolutely appalling. I am 42, having paid tax for over 20 years, my husband is a net contributor, we get ZERO help not even Child Benefit. We have one child but won’t have another as we can’t afford for me to be a SAHM. I had a horrific pregnancy with HG I was hospitalised with, PGP and specialist mental health referral due to pre-existing eating disorder and depression. We would love a sibling for our toddler but I don’t feel able to as my husband is already supporting a family of three. Wouldn’t cross my mind to expect taxpayers help, even having paid in for decades, worked since aged 15 and knowing how much we as a household contribute.

Can I ask, as many PP have, why on earth you chose to have another baby in such quick succession, and why you think this is someone else’s problem to facilitate?

Where is any sense of social responsibility or even self-respect? Are you not embarrassed to be asking about benefits which exist for those who have actual, life-limiting disabilities (I have a friend with epilepsy who had to fight for her PIP)?

Can you not see from the responses here how tone deaf and obnoxious you sound?!

Exactly! The fact she hasn’t even seen her GP to access medication/talking therapies, hell even a psychiatric referral if her anxiety is so debilitating, says it all. The first thing I did upon finding I was pregnant was make an appointment with my doctor to discuss if/how to continue AD medication/therapy, what support I could access to best support the challenges pregnancy would throw up, I was terrified of how best to support my baby with a serious existing mental health condition.

The way the OP just casually says “oh I have anxiety and depression, not diagnosed, but what can I get?”!!

Honestly it is such an absolute slap in the face to so
many mothers. And genuine PIP claimants. And taxpayers. And just general decent human beings.

Do you not have any self-awareness OP?!

It is in the Regs and there is a fair bit of case law.

In order to be able to do something, you have to be able to do it reliably. That is That is safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time frame. The definition of reliably is in Regulation 4 of The Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013. This includes looking at things like pain, needing a prolonged rest afterwards or taking a lot longer than typical to complete a task.

The majority of the time comes from Regulation 7 of The Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013.

If you look at the points table, you can see that you might be able to use the toilet/bath without assistance but still score points e.g. if they need an aid or appliances or need prompting or can only use a shower and not a bath.

There’s lots case law are the preparing a meal but a simple meal is a cooked one-course meal for one using fresh ingredients. It looks at cooking at waist height or above so doesn’t include e.g. bending down to an oven. Part of the activity looks at microwave use, but if you can only prepare a simple meal using a microwave, you will score points.

Many HCPs do not understand the rules around PIP.

Don't be too detailed on here because OP will use it for an application.

Everything is available for OP to google if she wanted to anyway.

I was a disability outreach worker - worked regularly with PIP, mandatory reconsideration and appeals . Everything I’ve outlined in the post is within PIP regulations - they have a responsibility to make sure that you can do something as often as necessary, not just once in a day - hence the rules state ‘safely, reliably and repeatedly as often as necessary throughout the day’. ‘Safely’ means without harm to yourself or anyone else, including making your own condition worse, and without any knock on effects on anything else you do in the day.

They look at what aids and appliances you use, how much help/supervision you need and whether you can do the activities in a reasonable time frame - no more than twice the time it would take someone without the disability.

To be honest, in my experience healthcare professionals tend to concentrate on providing general medical evidence as to your general condition and abilities. It’s up to the assessor to decide how that information translates into your daily life and mobility and how you would score points in each activity.

Bitten tongues abound, in the course of this disgraceful thread (I mean, its originator’s POV, natch)

“I just asked a simple question whether DWP will accept a pregnant woman with anxiety.”

The DWP wouldn’t take your pregnancy into consideration. PIP is awarded for long term conditions, something that is expected to last at least 12 months, so pregnancy isn’t included. You could try claiming based on your anxiety, but not for pregnancy issues.

“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.”

Well, can you care for yourself, and your children? Or do you need help and support?

PIP is meant to help disabled people pay for help and support, if your anxiety is preventing you from being able to care for yourself and your children, you may be eligible for PIP.

Do you need help with:

• preparing food
• eating and drinking
• managing your medicines or treatments
• washing and bathing
• using the toilet
• dressing and undressing
• reading
• managing your money
• socialising and being around other people
• talking, listening and understanding
• working out a route and following it
• physically moving around
• leaving your home

• can you do it safely
• how long it takes you
• whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment

https://www.gov.uk/pip

PIP assessment criteria does not take into consideration a claimants ability or otherwise to care for their children.

Not directly, but they will factor it into the ability in other areas. They don’t directly assess driving ability but they ask if you drive and if you do, they will use that to challenge what you say about activities that use similar skills. Similarly with the ability to look after and walk pets.

In the context you've described yes, it can be used, for example in the PA4 as an example of ability; I've been a WB specialist for 15 years and read so many PA4s when preparing for tribunals in that time, that I frequently see comparison with other activities for justification not to award points under various descriptors.
I was trying to say that it wouldn't be considered in the context of a claimant qualifying for PIP because of childcare challenges.

Although even when driving is mentioned, it doesn’t mean the judgement made about it is always lawful. For example, sometimes assessors and DWP say because someone can drive, they can’t score on activity 11 when case law says that isn’t necessarily so and any assessment should be holistic in nature not focus on driving to the exclusion of other relevant consideration.

OP, I have been diagnosed with two incurable cancers. I’ve been forced to give up my job and be medically retired. I have just received my PIP renewal form
( sorry, booklet!) If I’m successful, I’ll let you know how bloody stressful the process is and you might then think twice about seeing if you can claim pip for a temporary condition!

Apologies, see what you mean now. I must admit l've seen my share of questionable PIP applications over the years, but this is the first time I’ve seen pregnancy shoe horned in !!