Benefits panic and anxiety

[Jobstressy]

I work pt and am finding my panic attacks are returning the day before work.
I'm wondering if I'd be entitled to any benefits so I can give up work?
Dh is almost retired. We have savings but they won't last forever.
I feel like such a failure. But my health is deteriorating because of my job.
Any advice appreciated. T I A

Change jobs?
seek medical advice to help with the panic attacks?

You could go for UC but you would still be expected to meet the work requirements to be eligible for benefits so ultimately no, you’d still have to work.

If you are over 55 you can take 25% lump sum from your pension?

HRT helps with anxiety?

What therapies have you had for the panic attacks?

Are you on any medication?

Anxiety and panic attacks are very common. You won’t get benefits solely for this. You have to do the work to manage them. It’s taken me 20 years of counselling, CBT, and trialling lots of different medications but I’m now pretty functional.

You could apply for PIP if your anxiety is so bad that you can no longer work. But first see your GP. You can try talking therapy combined with Effexor/Sertraline that is for depression but also calms anxiety.

Not true. You can get PIP for "only anxiety" if it affects your daily life to a point that you can no longer work. I have a friend in exactly that situation who gets PIP although I start to think that she's more allergic to work than anxious because she's way more social and out and about than I am.

What is it about your job that is causing panic? You could address this with your employer to see if adjustments can be made or look for a new job. Going onto benefits will mean you'll be subject to strict medical assessments and they will assess whether you could do nay type of work. Is it just working that is causing anxiety because i think a lot of us feel like that ?
Do you have any private pensions that would allow you to retire a bit early?

Thanks everyone
I had panic attacks years ago. Am over 55 and on HRT.
There's no way of changing my job.
I wish I could work part time from home as this would be less stressful. Not possible in my present role.

I felt like I was dying today. Terrifying. My bp went up 168/104. It's back to normal now I've rang work to say I'm not coming in tomorrow or Friday. I was at the GP and they told me to be off and rest and keep a diary of my bp.

If you’ve been working for at least a couple of years then you could try claiming New Style ESA. You would need to submit fit notes from the gp, fill out a medical questionnaire and potentially go for a face to face assessment. You could also apply for PIP, same kind of questionnaires and assessments, no fit notes needed.

if you have savings (over £16k and you’d not be eligible, over £6k benefits would be reduced) and your DP works then probably won’t be entitled to UC but it’s worth a check on a benefits calculator. Again you’d need to declare yourself as unfit for work and do the same things as you would for New Style ESA.

initially it might be best to make a GP appointment, talk it over, maybe get signed off work for a period of time and try to address the reason for the anxiety.

I feel like this every time I have to go to work but sadly the bills still need paying. You need help with the anxiety not to think of giving up work and going on benefits But my health is deteriorating because of my job - try and new role!

Why on earth is some people's advice to go onto benefits rather than seek help for the anxiety. Benefits for most would be a fraction of a salary. Contributions based ESA is £92 a week for a year unless you get put in the LCWRA category which means you have been medically assessed as unfit for work or work related activity in which case it is £140 per week and can be paid indefinitely. Anxiety would have to be severe and limiting a lot of daily activities and / or mobility to get PIP and you'd need a lot of medical evidence/ evidence of trying therapy etc or different medications.

@Jobstressy why is there no way of changing your job?
why can’t you start looking for a job where you could work part time from home?

First line of action is surely getting medical help which might eliminate the panic disorder? And then find another job. You say that’s not possible, but on what grounds? Unless you live in a tied cottage or something I can’t see how you can’t switch to a different part time job, or more than one, if needed. I worked all through my panic disorder as it was linked to perimenopause and it was eventually sorted when I was on the right dose and combination of HRT. Then came back when it needed adjusting again. But I used free therapy offered by my Employee Assistance Programme and help from my GP to get me over it until I was on an even keel again. Can you access all the resources available to you to help?

Have a look at this video on panic attacks. Once you stop fearing them, they go away;

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How long have you worked there? Redundancy?

I didn't mean I can't get another job sorry for the confusion. I just meant there's no way to adapt my job.

I am looking for other roles constantly.

I used to be on medication for panic disorder so will no doubt have to go on it again.

I'm seeing the GP again in a couple of weeks.

@Jobstressy did the medication help?

Seek medical help and get back onto medication.

Then analyse what exactly triggers your anxiety in regards to your job. Is it people facing, performance targets, long commute, bitchy colleagues ...
Then have a look for jobs that exclude or at least have a minimal element of what triggers your anxiety.

Look at what you can do, not what you can't do.

Yes but it numbed me. I didn't cry when I should have. Not even when someone close died.

Thanks 2 of those you mention are issues.

Do you have any transferable skills?

Yes I have transferable skills. I've updated my CV.

Strangely I'm the one people come to for advice or an ear. I'm extremely honest. And a good listener. I feel vulnerable atm though. Dh is a good support and I have friends I can confide in.

I have over a week off work now so hopefully I'll feel better in a few days?

People are mentioning benefits because OP asked about them.

If you have a pension through work, check whether you can take it early.

I actually find work helped me with my panic attacks. Not working allows my anxiety to climb...