Advice please

janelouise

Hello all
 I get PIP and ESA for severe anxiety and Agoraphobia. I dont quite understand whether my benefits are to encourage me to go out. My husband has recently left me and I am so isolated living with my dog and I never see anybody around here. My agoraphobia is where I need somebody with me if I go out and I can only travel from my home to my drs and in between but my daughter has to come all the way down from wales to take me for my blood tests.
I can go out with my dog but not to shops and crowds. But I am feeling so down and isolated here in the country side alone  and I wondered if I used a taxi service with my dog just to go somewhere quiet is that going against the PIP rules?
Does Pip encourage me to be independant. I am on enhanced DL and standard Mobility.

Thank you so much in advance
Jane

ourvoices

Hi @JaneLouise,

This is a link to self-help groups published by AnxietyUK, there might be something in your area: https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/our-services/self-help-groups/

Your PIP allowance, is there to help with your independence:

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a benefit for people with a long-term health condition or impairment, whether physical, sensory, mental, cognitive, intellectual, or any combination of these. It is paid to make a contribution to the extra costs that disabled people may face, to help them lead full, active and independent lives.

If that means you need to use a taxi to go somewhere quiet with your dog that's enabling you to lead a more full, active and independent life.

I hope the sun shines for you too, wherever you decide to go.

janelouise

Thank you very much. That has made me feel so much better. Thank you

BenefitsTrainingCo

Hi janelouise. PIP is to help people with the extra costs of living with disability, but you do not have to account to anyone for how you spend it. The important thing to bear in mind is that as long as your condition is the same as when you were awarded PIP and has not 'improved' to the extent that you would no longer fit the conditions, then you are entitled to receive it and to spend it how it suits you. It is now much harder for people who are new to PIP to claim the mobility component on the grounds of anxiety and agoraphobia as the Government has recently restricted the points available, but if you have an existing claim made on these grounds then enjoy using your PIP in the way it was intended!
Give your dog a pat from us!
Jayne

janelouise

Thankyou Jayne