Agoraphobia and anxiety

rsx

I applied for pip on the 10th March 2020 and had my phone assessment yesterday (22nd July 2020). I haven't left the house since 2015, and can't leave the house due to my anxiety and panic attacks. I have been reading up and have seen lots of negative experiences with mental health and pip and now I now I just feel so anxious about the whole thing. I feel like because I haven't been to the doctors since 2015 and don't take medication, as it made me really Ill when I took medication in 2015 and the doctors weren't helpful and now doctors and any medication is a massive trigger for my anixety but feel like I didn't get this across in the assessment, but I now feel like this will go against me. Just wanting to hear other people's experiences to try and put my mind at rest 

poppy123456

Hi,

One of the worst things you can when applying for a benefit like this is read other peoples stories on the internet because it's gauranteed you will mostly only find the bad stories. If someone's had a decision they're happy with, they have no questions to ask so we don't hear their story.

Lots of people successfuly claim PIP without any problems at all. What you must remember though is that it's not awarded based on a diagnosis, it's how those conditions affect your ability to carry out daily activity based on the PIP descriptors.

All i can advise is wait a week and then ring DWP to request a copy of the assessment report to be sent to you, providing you live in the UK. When you receive this, look at the descriptors online and compare the recommendations in the report against them. From there you will be able to see what recommendations were made. Usually they go with the report.

If you're not successful then request the MR and then Tribunal.

rsx

I know, the man on the phone was really nice and did seem to ask me the right questions if that makes sense, i just feel like i didnt get eveeything across as best i could. 

That's true, it's a lot easier to find bad reviews than good ones. I'll give them a ring in a week and see if I can get a copy of the assessment report.

Thankyou 

poppy123456

The assessment isn't really the time to get your point accross. That's exactly what the form is for, for you to give as much information about your condition as possible.

The assessment is just to confirm what you wrote in the report and any additional information they ask. If everyone was given the time to get their point accross during the assessment then backlogs would be longer than they already are.

Try not to think the worst because this isn't going to help. I realise how difficult that is, having been through this process multpile times myself but it doesn't help.

Good luck.

janer1967

Hi and welcome to the community

I would say most people get off the phone  or after f2f assessment think about what they didnt say or what they missed this is only natural

Try and relax and wait for the decision

rsx

Thankyou, it's such a long wait isn't it ( I understand why) it's just it give you too much time to think haha

cupcake88

@rsx Hi there and welcome I have my telephone assessment on monday and my disability is mental health also I have also been working my self up and wanting to think of the worst situation . How long did yours last for ? Not every one is on medication for mental illness so Im sure they will take that into count . If you are turned down then even tho I know its hard and stressfull but appeal . I know what its like to have anxiety I know it takes over your life . Please keep us updated and good luck 

rsx

@cupcake88 hi, it took about an hour, the man was actually really nice and seemed to understand how consuming mental health is. Thankyou, I have been reading up and I am preparing myself for every possibility although I hope it doesn't come to that. Good luck for monday

rsx

@cupcake88 hi, it took about an hour, the man was actually really nice and seemed to understand how consuming mental health is. Thankyou, I have been reading up and I am preparing myself for every possibility although I hope it doesn't come to that. Good luck for monday

rsx

@Username_removed My grandma makes telephone appointments for me if I need them, but thats only if im really desperate as I had a really bad experience with a doctor when I first got Ill and it causes me so much anxiety to speak to a doctor. My grandmas used to be a hairdresser before she retired so haircuts are done at home and any other appointments or visiting family don't happen as I haven't left the house in 5 years.

cupcake88

From what I have heard correct me if Im wrong any one but they go off your first applications and every thing you sent in and so they speak to you to make sure it sort of matches up with what u said in application form. I think once my telephone accessment is over I will feel much better waiting for the answer . 

rsx

@cupcake88 yes he asked me questions about things I had put on my application and yes I do feel a bit better now it's over with as I was worrying about it.

OverlyAnxious

I also have anxiety & agoraphobia, and a severe illness/injury/body/medical phobia that prevents me even trying medication.  I'm also not able to use phones or face to face therapy due to that...and am fully aware of how that all looks on paper lol.  (Lazy, not trying, doesn't want to get better, etc)

The lack of medication was used against me initially, and that seems to be quite common.  But I won at tribunal eventually and medication wasn't even mentioned there.

I'm not totally housebound, can get out very locally just to the supermarket when it's quiet and was able make one slightly longer trip to an elderly relatives for an hour once a week when I applied for PIP.  The current situation has really tested that though.  Even now lockdown has eased I'm not able to visit that relative any more and am really struggling to drive anywhere other than the local Tesco or even walk round the block.  I do my own haircut with clippers.  I've never had a hospital appointment and only been forced to visit doctors twice in the last 5 years which were both awful experiences and not helpful at all, before that I hadn't been for a decade, just try to put up with various physical ailments and keep hoping I can 'go' before they get bad enough to really need treatment.  I have tried to get some help from them by writing letters but they insist on phones so we're at am impasse!  Going slightly off-topic there, but there really is no need for a lot of people to leave the house nowadays.  If I could do online shopping, I'd have no reason to go out at all myself.  Ironically, it's my anxieties around food contamination, storage & transportation that keep forcing me to visit the supermarket at the moment.

poppy123456

rsx said:

@cupcake88 hi, it took about an hour, the man was actually really nice and seemed to understand how consuming mental health is. Thankyou, I have been reading up and I am preparing myself for every possibility although I hope it doesn't come to that. Good luck for monday

Sorry quoted wrong comment.

poppy123456

cupcake88 said:

From what I have heard correct me if Im wrong any one but they go off your first applications and every thing you sent in and so they speak to you to make sure it sort of matches up with what u said in application form. I think once my telephone accessment is over I will feel much better waiting for the answer . 

Yes, as well as any other information needed.

cupcake88

@OverlyAnxious if you don’t mind me asking are you awarded pip for month daily living and mobility . 

@rsx  I’m routing for you I hope you get it I really do sending you so much luck 

rsx

@OverlyAnxious Thankyou, that sound exactly like me, there is nothing I want more than to go back to my old life 5 years ago but I'm just so terrified of trying medication after the last time that I can't do it again.

I'm fully preparing for having to appeal the decision, mainly so Im mentally prepared if it does come to that and if it doesn't then that's a bonus.

Just out of interest if you do have to appeal how long did it take from start to finish, I know it will be different everywhere but just to give me a idea.

cupcake88

Routing for you so you don’t have to appeal . Fingers crossed 

rsx

@cupcake88 thankyou so much , good luck on Monday I hope everything goes well for you 

OverlyAnxious

cupcake88 said:

@OverlyAnxious if you don’t mind me asking are you awarded pip for month daily living and mobility . 

I don't mind at all.  I couldn't get any Mobility because I can and do go out alone. 

Not far, not for long, not on certain types of roads or at certain days and times, and I can't use public transport, taxis or even lifts, but because I can go out alone I don't fit the descriptors.  Seems pretty unfair but at least I've let it go and not still dwelling on it...    In all seriousness though, access to the Motability scheme would've been a massive help for me before lockdown, I'm not so sure it would've been much help in the current situation though.

Being totally housebound, you should qualify for standard mobility.  (Edit - Sorry, got you mixed up with rsx, disregard that if you're not housebound!)

I get enhanced daily living, partly for OCD & food issues, and partly for 'mixing with people' which was the anxiety/agoraphobia part.

Hope that helps. 

OverlyAnxious

rsx said:

@OverlyAnxious Thankyou, that sound exactly like me, there is nothing I want more than to go back to my old life 5 years ago but I'm just so terrified of trying medication after the last time that I can't do it again.

I'm fully preparing for having to appeal the decision, mainly so Im mentally prepared if it does come to that and if it doesn't then that's a bonus.

Just out of interest if you do have to appeal how long did it take from start to finish, I know it will be different everywhere but just to give me a idea.

I never had an old life, I'm not sure whether that makes it a little easier to deal with...people say you can't miss things you've never had, but I'm not so sure!

It took just over 12 months between my initial application and winning the tribunal.  Though I think the tribunal waiting times have dropped considerably with the Corona situation.  My tribunal was done on paper in the end, which worked out in my favour, I'd never have got through a telephone tribunal.