PIP for Depression and Anxiety as a parent

queenmiffy

Hello, 

Currently await my MR consideration notice and preparing to have to take it to tribunal. I've been so down I missed the opportunity to attach more evidence. 

I'm wondering how people with young children have been awarded PIP? I feel like I'm being tricked because I care for my children, but can't look after myself properly. It's hard to explain this, and it doesn't always make sense but that's depression and anxiety it doesn't have to make sense for it to utterly dehubilitate you, but when you're a parent you still have to meet your children's basic needs even on your worst days. 

Any advice would be appreciated please. I'm feeling more ready to fight this because I feel its such an injustice when I rely on the support of my husband to just go about life and neglect myself so much. 

Thanks 
M

TheManFromLondon

@queenmiffy I will urge you to be very careful what you are doing. I have seen this happening right in-front of my eyes, to a family member.

At the tribunal, your ability to take care of your children may be questioned. This is because depression as a disorder, affects how the depressed person assesses his ability and justification to do, not do or how they do things and that can change greatly in a very short period of time, with triggers that are not anticipated, such as a simple everyday life event. Hence depression is a flag for having a close look to people for risk of harming themselves or others and parents who may neglect their children (and that comes in many shapes and forms).

At the tribunal, both the panel and the DWP may ask for you to be referred to Children Services and Adult Services, but mainly the first is the most likely if you say just one wrong word. This is irreversible. You will be on a very intrusive ride that will last months if not years. They will speak with the children without you present (no matter what age), go to the children's  school, they will speak to neighbours, your partner (if divorced this will be times worst if you have a bad relationship), they will leave no stone unturned, and with all the news we read, they do well doing so.

It depends how bad you describe your situation at your form, interview, tribunal, and what flags the specialist on the panel will recognise or the DWP want to be a pain. Unless you have done a training on Mental Health illness, you will never know all the things you should NOT tell to not trigger such a situation.

All the people you speak for your claim, the assessor, the case manager, the tribunal panel, etc all they have to do is to make a referral and you are down the rabbit hole.

My cousin was separated from her two children for 6 months and the children went to a foster family, because she said to the assessor, her kids see her some times crying and she said so emotionally. Just that. And they made a decision to make the referral and it all went down hill form there because she was surprised to see unannounced social services at her door and tried to refuse entry to them.

Be careful. Good luck.

TheManFromLondon

ps

I feel I must add this here, as you may well have questions about all that and I will not be around for some time.

From what I understand you have been diagnosed with depression, getting support and possibly medication for it.

You must have therefore had filled this questionnaire: https://uhs.fsu.edu/sites/g/files/upcbnu1651/files/docs/PHQ-9%20and%20GAD-7%20Form_a.pdf

It is the standard questionnaire in the UK and it is used to confirm, at least at a general scope, both anxiety and depression.

Take a look to refresh your memory about the questions (particularly the PHQ-9 part that traces depression), and you will realise why depression is so important.

Anyone with the power to make a referral, is trained to know this: you don't have access to this questionnaire, things may have changed, play safe, get someone to retrieve the most up to date answers from this form from the person you are concerned. If children are involved, play safe, make a referral for Children Services.

It is the way it works, and it saves lives.

Do not worry. Just be mindful of everything you're dealing with here.

Ramonica

This happened to a colleague of my husband. But it went like this: the assessor contacted their GP after their interview, and the GP had no idea the condition of the woman had deteriorated as described on the paper, and it was the GP who made the referral for Adult Social Services, which then triggered the Children Services by the ASC before they even talked to the woman. Its crazy how things can get out of control in just a moment.

kimkenzie202

I personally would not claim PIP if I had young children, especially for mental health...since most mental health claims that are successful tend to be very serious conditions( you are not gonna get PIP for mild anxiety etc), I would be worried about Social Services becoming involved especially if I was a lone parent.

The DWP are known for saying, if you can look after your kids, then you can look after yourself(especially for mental health) and therefore refuse an award, and if you can't look after your kids, reporting you to SS.

Jimm_Scope

I want to pop in here just to say that I think we are coming at this from a very strong angle. 

@queenmiffy is not a lone parent. They are a partnership with their husband and they look after their kids together from what I can see. This is not a lone parent situation. PIP also does not mean you cannot look after your children. PIP means that at least 50% of your life is affected by your conditions. It does not mean you cannot do things, but you can take longer and can it disrupts how a regular person would live. It does not mean however that you are incapable.

I think it's okay to warn queenmiffy that the DWP may attempt this, but I think active attempts to try and put her off are not supportive or helpful. I think what would be better is perhaps helping queenmiffy with advice and suggestions if the DWP did attempt such an angle of attack.

I do appreciate yours concerns @kimkenzie202, @Ramonica and @TheManFromLondon. I think they are valid concerns that queenmiffy should have in mind during this process. I also think that if queenmiffy's conditions are affecting her life to the point she is entitled to PIP then she should get PIP. She should know that the DWP may try these tactics against her, but I think we should also be informing her ways to defend herself from these accusations by the DWP rather than trying to dissuade her entirely.

TheManFromLondon

I will suggest you read this post and particularly the last comment from margyhome:
https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/110829/a-pip-assessor-contacted-my-gp-about-safegaurding#latest

Lone parent or not, you are in great risk saying you are depressed with children around. Proceed as you see fit, I have warned you.

TheManFromLondon

Jimm_Scope said:

I think it's okay to warn queenmiffy that the DWP may attempt this, but I think active attempts to try and put her off are not supportive or helpful. I think what would be better is perhaps helping queenmiffy with advice and suggestions if the DWP did attempt such an angle of attack.

It "would be better" to let her go in the lion's den like that?

I think you dont have children or your judgment on mental health disability is flawed. My opinion.

@queenmiffy Nobody wants to put you off, but I would never shut up and see anyone ending up in this situation. Think.

THE_DUDE

I have a brother who's wife claims pip. He brings two children to school, then goes to work and the youngest stays home with my sister in law.

 She has anxiety and depression and gets high pip on both.

Instead of being persecuted for being ill, she gets help from GP and mental health team.

poppy123456

TheManFromLondon said:

Jimm_Scope said:

I think it's okay to warn queenmiffy that the DWP may attempt this, but I think active attempts to try and put her off are not supportive or helpful. I think what would be better is perhaps helping queenmiffy with advice and suggestions if the DWP did attempt such an angle of attack.

It "would be better" to let her go in the lion's den like that?

I think you dont have children or your judgment on mental health disability is flawed. My opinion.

@queenmiffy Nobody wants to put you off, but I would never shut up and see anyone ending up in this situation. Think.

I agree with Jimm here, sorry. Many people claim PIP due to mental health and have children, even single parents. This doesn't mean they are not entitled. If they do contact someone like a GP for safeguarding issues, isn't that a good thing? 

It's fine to warn people but they certainly shouldn't be put off from claiming because of this. 

TheManFromLondon

kimkenzie202 said:

I personally would not claim PIP if I had young children, especially for mental health...since most mental health claims that are successful tend to be very serious conditions( you are not gonna get PIP for mild anxiety etc), I would be worried about Social Services becoming involved especially if I was a lone parent.

The DWP are known for saying, if you can look after your kids, then you can look after yourself(especially for mental health) and therefore refuse an award, and if you can't look after your kids, reporting you to SS.

With all respect, this is false and there many problems with this statement.

First, its how your mental health affects you, and it does so in different ways whether you have mild anxiety or schizophrenia.

Second, I claim for a number of years, and I am a lone parent and I have a child, and there has never been an issue of taking care of him, as a matter of fact, he is my carer on a series of needs, and from next year (16) he will claim carers allowance. The fact carers allowance is available form the age of 16 should give you a hint why there is no problem to begin with having  parent with a disability, of any kind.

I dont want to go on a long post here, you are (again no offence intended) wrong saying that, mainly the way you phrased it. Granted if you go say things that raise concerns they will trigger a process and it's the right thing to do, and if one is taking care and his children are safe and provided for, social services will see that. But if you go and try to make a big impression just to get a benefit, you may end up with irreversible consequences.

The rule is: ideally have support through GP and specialists so third parties can confirm you are safe, make your claim with honesty.

Do not refrain from making a claim in fear of anything, this is wrong. Just be honest.

Butterfliess

I think this a really scary thing to come and read. I’m seeing more of these sort of posts that almost scare people with young children who claim PIP or other disability benefits. 

While i appreciate that DWP can raise safeguarding issue if they feel it’s needed it most definitely doesn’t happen to all claimants with children. Claiming pip doesn’t mean you can’t or are not great parents. 

This is supposed to be a place for
People to get support and advice not be scared into loosing there children or preparing themselves to have to prove or fight to show they are good parents. 

What a scary world we live in.

poppy123456

Butterfliess said:

While i appreciate that DWP can raise safeguarding issue if they feel it’s needed it most definitely doesn’t happen to all claimants with children. Claiming pip doesn’t mean you can’t or are not great parents. 

I wholly agree!