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

It's not that simple. You don't have to incur extra costs. The idea is that because you don't have the same ability to work as a normal person you should have access to a decent lifestyle. This can be having carers, equipment etc but not necessarily. It just helps make life a bit easier to live when you have a lot to cope with.

Exactly so.

You have £50k in savings, no diagnosis or attempt to get one and want a handout from taxpayers?

The fact this is even a possibility shows why our country is fucked!!

(and I say that as someone who had an extremely difficult pregnancy/birth as well as a severe mental health condition. I get zero from the state, my husband and myself financially support ourselves.

Have you no shame??

To be fair I don't think @Scully01 was conflating savings with PIP or confusing with UC - I think they were asking why on earth someone with £50k in the bank feels like they need money from the government at this time. And I agree.

to clarify you are not diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and have some fairly routine pregnancy related issues and you wonder if you can get pip which is to help people with long term issues with additional costs.

right, there can be no part of you thinks anyone will award you this,

Just noting the rules as they are. Not as people would wish them to be.

E2A: Disability should never be a function of wealth.

It wasn't intended as a sweeping statement. However generally to be stage 4 you'll have endured treatments either in your primary treatment or be on lifelong treatment. Whether that's maintenance, targeted or systemic treatment. The fact that the person I was quoting says she is unable to do anything like cooking or daily tasks means she would likely hit some of the criteria but hasn't even attempted to apply because she was told not to.

Yes but you were correcting a point that hadn't necessarily been made. I didn't remotely insinuate that it was, you know I didn't, we are talking about the OP's situation specifically - I am at any rate.

No it isn’t. And it’s absolutely nothing to do with the ability to work - many PIP claimants work full time. It’s a cost related benefit designed to assess the likely extra cost of living with a disability. It assesses your ability to carry out a range of activities designed to reflect areas where extra cost could be a factor and put simply the more difficulty you have in doing them, the more likely it is that you will have extra disability related costs. For those assessed to have moderate costs the standard rate is awarded and for higher costs there is the enhanced rate.

PIP can be spent in whatever way best supports your disability - from paying higher energy bills brought about by incontinence, to leasing a motability car to help you get about.

Agree. No diagnosis. No medication. Not a hope in hell of being successful .

But the point here is that living with disability cost money. Why should someone with £50k in the bank be expected to exhaust their savings (which they may well need to cover major adaptations if disability worsens) before they get the same help with disability related costs as someone with less savings ? Disability is universal, which is why PIP is universal and not means tested.

How are you able to look after a toddler and baby but not yourself?

Okay so I don't know what I'm talking about despite my 35 year old autistic son claiming it. I'm his carer and we don't incur extra costs because I do everything for him. I have never been asked about extra costs.

But starting a thread on MN to gather information might just fill in the blanks enough to blag it !!

I agree with all of that - I have a friend on the highest level of PIP - they have epilepsy and it's immaterial how much they have in the bank and that's not even remotely the point that was being made - the point was that the OP hasn't explained a condition that would qualify for PIP, they are a blagger as you say and one of the things you ask a blagger is: "You've got £50k in the bank why are you going after tax payer money that you're not entitled to in the first place!!"

Why did you choose to have another if it is that bad?

Jesus wept. PIP is for people with disabilities not for people going through a difficult time due to their own choices to have children. It's people like you that result eventually in benefits being cut back from those who need it. What do you need the money for? It's designed to pay for accommodations needed due to the disability eg specialist phones due to communication issues or hearing problems, specialist equipment to help with mobility. It's for people who cannot be independent without extra help. The clue is in the name of- personal independence payment. It's to bring dignity and inclusion to people with disabilities.

I believe with PIP and DLA you do better if you have some supporting evidence from professionals.

But the biggest question is why you haven't seen your Dr for anxiety. I have just started on sertraline, which is an SSRI. I have had a shocking year and many reasons have triggered my anxiety. I'm currently feeling a lot better now though and will be on it for the foreseeable. Anxiety is treatable and I wish I got help sooner. I would never say the anxiety is your fault, because I know how debilitating it is, but getting help from your Dr would be the quickest starting point. Going straight to PIP makes no sense at all.

If you think PIP is paid just to make the lives of those with a disability a bit easier, then no, you don’t know what you’re talking about. If that was the case, most people who applied would get it.

PIP accepts that living with disability can be expensive. The assessment is designed to assess the claimants’ likely extra costs due to disability and contribute to it so that as far as possible their disability doesn’t disadvantage them at work or in society generally. You’re not asked about extra costs because PIP doesn’t assess them directly - it does it via an assessment of how well you can cope with a range of activities which would likely incur costs if you had difficulty in completing them. The level of likely cost increases with the amount of difficulty you experience.

You say you don’t have any extra costs. You are your sons’ carer. Are you able to work ? Has your sons’ disability impacted in any way on your ability to earn - if so that’s a disability related cost. There are probably more that are similarly hidden.

I'm usually really sympathetic to people going through tough health issues especially with young families, but really? You haven't seen your doctor and you haven't explored medication to try to help your symptoms?

You can take antidepressants when pregnant. You can take them when breastfeeding. It's a balance of risks/benefits.

There are lots of cases in which people rightfully get Pip for mental health conditions. My relative was sectioned for 9 months. The medication keeping him out of section is so strong that he can't function as an adult: he needs carers to make sure he shops, cooks and eats. Even if that's decreased over time (it has been in the past but big if), he could never work more than part time - and that's honestly incredibly unlikely. Those people are getting the full PIP money.

To be honest the more questions OP is throwing up the more l’m getting the impression that it’s either rage bait or an information gathering exercise so she can blag it. I don’t think l’ve ever seen a thread like it to be honest - a new low in entitlement.

I might have missed this but if you have savings why wouldn't you use that money if you are short. Or to pay for some childcare to give you a break.

No because the reasonable question would be why you haven't got medication which may well help with your symptoms.

This is awful, I can't understand how certain people qualify and you do not.

For goodness’ sake, how is anyone on MN supposed to know?

Just submit the form and see what happens. And if you need help with completing it, you’d be better off asking AI than MN.

But definitely get medical documentation - I am no expert, but saying “I have anxiety” without supporting evidence might not wash?