Disability

pjgumna

Hi
My doctor confirmed that my mental health is classed as a disability.  Am I able to claim any benefits and what is the procedure and evidence needed? I suffer with complex PTSD, acute anxiety, and chronic depression. 

Ami2301

Hi @pjgumna I will tag @poppy123456 to offer some advice

thespiceman

Hello @pjgumna   Pleased to meet you.

Please if I can advise the following . Please read carefully this is a lot of information and will help you.

I am one of the team of Community Champions.

I would contact the following mental health charities.

https://www.richmondfellowship.org.uk.

https://www.mind.org.uk.

https://www.rethink.org.

Please can I add they offer floating support, advice on guidance, information on mental health welfare.

Benefits, doing form filling in, attending assessments and anything else they can help with.

Please note might not be in all areas.

Please contact me if you need to ask any questions. Have mental health with addiction and a disability. Also have lots of useful advice on diet, nutrition which is often useful on any mental health conditions.

Have qualifications, expertise and experience.

Please take care.

@thespiceman

poppy123456

Thanks @Ami2301 for the tag and sorry for the delay in replying.

Hi @pjgumna

PIP maybe a possibility but this isn't awarded based on any diagnosis, it's how those conditions affect your ability to carry out daily activity based on the PIP descriptors. Relevant evidence will be needed to support your claim and this should state how your conditions affect you against the PIP descriptors.

Expect a face to face assessment as most people have them, paper based assessments are rare. A claim could potentially take several months, maybe longer.

Some links here for you to read. https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/personal-independence-payment-an-introduction

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf

As for any other benefit, then it will totally depend on your circumstances and with no information it's impossible to advise further but no benefit is awarded based on a diagnosis. I'd advise you to visit a local advice agency for a full benefits check.

Chloe_Alumni

Hi @pjgumna, how are you today?

If you use this benefit checker it will show what you might be entitled to.

Please do let us know how you get on.