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

I really don't understand why you would have a baby, especially when so close together and with all your problems.

In this case, the answer might well be that they applied and she didn’t.

Both of my pregnancies have been extremely hard. Please don’t judge someone.

Get off MN and make a start on the application?

If your first pregnancy was extremely hard then you should have spaced them out a bit more to give yourself time to recover, not having another one so soon and then moaning about it.

Well I’ve heard it all now

Of course I’m judging you! You are trying to take money from my family’s pocket rather than dip into your savings. I had HG, severe PGP, cholestasis and an emergency C-section alongside pre-existing MH conditions, I felt unable to work so I took maternity leave early and my husband supported me. Never crossed my mind to expect the state to do it!

We would love another child but too worried about the costs/implications of another pregnancy with a toddler. Should obviously just put all ideas of social responsibility and personal integrity aside and get my grift on!!

Were they so hard that you can’t dip into your savings, but you can post here?

I'm personally not judging you for the difficult pregnancies, we all understand it's a hard time. But if your mental health is so bad I can't understand why you wouldn't trying talking to your GP first, you must be having GP appointments anyway for pregnancy. And you get free prescriptions due to being pregnant.

If you were going to apply for PIP at least speaking to the Dr would give some supporting evidence.

Weren't you trying to get a council house earlier this year too?

OP I imagine you are feeling sorry for yourself like we all do towards the end of pregnancy with all the ailments it brings. You've made a post which I imagine was just a flippant comment about applying for PIP. I would assume in naivety to how PIP works or immaturity possibly. You've been torn apart by enough people here but I think you do need to educate yourself to what it actually involves and why you would not receive it.

For context I spent noweeks researching what the form asks you and making notes of how my condition affects me. It took me 5 hours to write it out online. Followed by a one hour phone assessment which knocked me out for two days from the fatigue. Then a half hour follow up call to discuss some extra bits they wanted clarification on. It was the most humiliating thing I've ever done having to give someone a blow by blow account to how I've gone from a fully functioning adult to someone needing help with most things nowadays. Then sitting on a decision for weeks on someone deciding whether you need it or not.

May I suggest you visit your GP, speak to your midwife and ask MN to delete your post possibly even? Unfortunately you will just rile people up as it's such a sensitive topic at the moment.

exactly, if it’s so hard spend your own money (we paid privately for weekly physio to help with my pelvic girdle pain, as the NHS waiting list was so long (finally got an appointment through the week after I gave birth prematurely!) I had to stop working sooner than expected so we didn’t go on holiday as planned.

Why the fuck do you think you should get free money to subsidise your choices?? Also, “severe anxiety and depression” needs diagnosing by an actual medical professional, not just scrolling TikTok whilst you ignore your toddler

Being a tax payer for ten years, I think I deserve to get help now. I doubt I will get PIP but why come on to me when many people who never worked get so much benefits. Like I said, I don’t even qualify for benefits.

Being a tax payer for 10 years qualifies you for maternity pay or allowance, depending on your circumstances. Also child benefit. These are benefits, no?

Is this actually a benefit bashing thread and you just want what others get?

I don’t know why anyone is engaging with this thread. The agenda is obvious. 🙄

Swap? And all the shit that comes with being disabled - not allowed to drive, I need help from my parents to do things that you take for granted, the constant hospital appointments, the realisation that your disability is getting worse and worse and no one can get to the bottom of why , etc

Would you really want all that for pip? I think you should count yourself lucky that you can have healthy children and live a normal life

Maybe you should use your savings to get therapy. Sounds like you need it

Yes, I will probably delete it. To be honest, I only wanted opinion of people who have actually applied to PIP or have some knowledge about it. I didn’t expect to be bullied into this.
I remember a year ago, I asked about social housing and some people even suggested abortion when I was pregnant with my first.
I have been a tax payer for ten years but I just need help at the moment.

It's not about deserving benefits it's about being eligible for benefits which are completely different things.

It’s very hard not to judge when you’re blatantly trying to gather information to blag a PIP claim which is meant to support people with disabilities. I’m sorry you had hard pregnancies but that’s irrelevant to what’s happening here. PIP is not a pregnancy related benefit. Do you not think the people who claim it have hard lives permanently. ?

Well I know a lot of people who don’t need benefits but they get it so it’s a slap on the face but I am just asking about PIP for now until eventually I return back to full time work in few years time when I get better.

10 years is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I've been paying tax for over 20 years. Does that make me more entitled than you?

Dip into your vast savings and think before you have a third child.

You say you're a week away from giving birth. If you'd thought it through a bit sooner, you'd be getting maternity benefits. Having two so close together with your health issues and no job wasn't wise.

But on the upside you have 50k to live on so use that and go see a doctor to get diagnosis and meds for your anxiety. Thinking about PIP at this point and posting the way you do is odd if you don't want judging, or just to have everyone bitching about The State of the Country and voting for dogwhistle politicians.

But you had the opinion of people who have knowledge of PIP within the first few posts. You haven’t been bullied, you’ve been taken to task for wanting to apply for a benefit you are not entitled to. You are not disabled - you have pregnancy related issues. There are also ex professionals on here including myself who have given you comprehensive reasons why you would not qualify.

It’s really not for you to decide who does and doesn’t need benefits though is it ?