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Trying to claim PIP for anxiety depression OCD

jasmineP94
jasmineP94 Community member Posts: 6 Listener
in PIP, DLA, and AA

Hi, new here so hope I’m doing this right. 

I am filling in a form to claim PIP for anxiety depression and OCD and after looking at other people’s stories and what has been talked about in the news, I’m really worried.

It all started December 2016 I wouldn’t eat if I had to go out (which I had to daily for work at the time) I would become highly distressed ext. 

Anyway, after struggling to continue working I was signed off work in July 2017 as it just become to much. I had tried to break my own foot with a concrete slab to try and avoid leaving the house and I was cutting the inside of my elbows. I am always anxious, fearing germs and bacteria which is where my OCD comes in, I wash my hands so much that they are constantly cracked and bleeding and I get through a 500ml bottle of soap within a day, day an a half. I find it difficult to leave the house and can’t do it alone as I can’t press traffic light buttons extra and because I get so distressed my eye sight gets so blurry and distorted I can’t see properly. My diet is severely effected and I have a very limited diet as I don’t trust a lot of food. I find it extremely difficult to cope outside my home but in my house I also find it difficult (I have no safe space as I call it where I’m not afraid). If I touch anything I have to wash my hands, I have specific clothes I can wear inside that can’t be worn outside, I can’t sit even in my own home in a place where other people have sat etc. 

I have a mental health nurse and counselling and see my GP regularly and I’m on Citalopram 30g. I am 23 but I have always worked, and mostly within the NHS in GP surgery’s so I’m used to hard work  and long hours, I’m afraid an assessor will see my age and judge me thinking I’m lazy. I really don’t have any quality of life, I haven’t seen any of my friends in over a year because I just find it so difficult to socialise and be around people due to fears of contamination. My concentration is so bad as I’m always worrying I can’t even read which I used to love doing. 

I just wondered if anyone is/has applied for PIPfor these conditions successfully as I’m so afraid I won’t get PIP and I’m not sure I can appeal and go throughout tribunal if I have to. 

Any advice would be appreciated.

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Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,905 Disability Gamechanger
    PIP is awarded based on how those conditions affect you daily and everyoe is different. You can't compare 2 people. You'll need evidence to support your claim as mostly they don't contact any GPs or Consultants. Here's a list of all the PIP descriptors. There's 2 parts, daily living and mobility and you need at least 8 points for an award. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf

    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
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  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    edited February 2018
    Hi @jasmineP94, and welcome to the community! It's great to have you here.

    I'm sorry to hear that you're worried about the PIP process. As Poppy says, PIP is awarded on the basis of how your conditions affect your life, rather than the conditions themselves. It certainly sounds like it might be worth applying- why not have a look, and come back to us with any questions? We have plenty of advisors and friendly community members who'll be happy to help out with any concerns you have.

    It's good to hear that you have support for your mental health issues. If you feel vulnerable, please do remember that you can contact the Samaritans at any time at 116 123 (UK). We also have some mental health discussions that you may like to join in with.

    Best of luck and do keep us updated!
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  • jasmineP94
    jasmineP94 Community member Posts: 6 Listener
    Thank you both. I’ve filled in my PIP form with the help of CAB and have a letter from my nurse and my care plan and I’m going to send it today.

    because of my anxiety extra I have no quality of life, it effects me daily in everything I do so hopefully I won’t have to fight to get it but I’m just worried as you hear so many stories of people deserving of PIP who don’t get it and have to go to tribunal to appeal and I know if they turn me down I won’t be able to go to a tribunal because of my the reasons I’m applying for PIP in the first place.
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  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    Good to hear, @jasmineP94!

    It certainly sounds as though you may qualify for an award. I understand your concerns but do bear in mind that if your application is unsuccessful, there are absolutely things you can do and that we can support you with, should you need it. I'm sure our community members will be able to offer reassurance too! 
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  • jasmineP94
    jasmineP94 Community member Posts: 6 Listener
    Thank you @PippaScope

    its nice to know there is support. Hopefully things will go smoothly but if not I know where to come for advice. 
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  • 18272laura
    18272laura Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    I get stressed and anxious and have anxiety attacks due to my long term condition "NEUROFIBROMATOSIS  
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  • Ethan2000
    Ethan2000 Community member Posts: 1 Listener
     :p 
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  • synergy2120
    synergy2120 Community member Posts: 19 Courageous
    Im also in the process of claiming PIP, i have OCD, severe anxiety and i also have a hip disease that causes me a lot of pain....I recently received their decision and have appealed as the bloke decided i only had mild anxiety etc  (i would love to know what his medical background is :p ).....They do seem to make it hard to get PIP but keep at it. Im at home a lot of the time now due to having to leave work and if there is one thing im good at its writing reports, filling out forms etc as i used to be a school governor so if you need help just contact me. 
    Try not to be put off by all the nightmare stories...yes it can be tough to get it and you will read things that they write about you that will make you angry and upset....but you have to remember that these people do not know you and have judged you on the bare minimum...
    Let me know if i can be of any help x
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  • stevenheather
    stevenheather Community member Posts: 23 Listener
    Good luck I’m just going for pip myself and it’s great having this site for help
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  • Yadnad
    Yadnad Posts: 2,856 Disability Gamechanger
    synergy2120 said:
    if there is one thing im good at its writing reports, filling out forms etc as i used to be a school governor so if you need help just contact me. 

    For the life of me I cannot work out what being a school governor offers in the ability of form filling for Welfare claim forms?

    I am the chairman of the governors at the local school as well as being the local ward councillor and neither role has helped me fill out any DWP claim form as the many refusals will attest to.
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  • synergy2120
    synergy2120 Community member Posts: 19 Courageous
    It was not meant to mean that im an expert in it, just that writing reports etc was one of my roles as a school governor and i also helped the local parents with their forms etc....Some people find the forms very daunting to fill out and i was only offering a helping hand in case she needed help! 
    As you will know from being a school governor we all have different roles, mine was in helping parents. The school was in a very run down area and a lot of the parents needed help with filling in forms etc....so its something i gained a lot of experience in...i was not in anyway implying that being a governor means im more likely to get you a pip award....just offering help
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  • Yadnad
    Yadnad Posts: 2,856 Disability Gamechanger
    The only reports that I write for the school are the Finance Policy and the Fraud Policy. My forte is overseeing the 'business' side of running a school, budgets, etc. Both the Head, Deputy Head and Business Manger are answerable to me where it involves anything to do with finance or administration.

    Obviously yes there are many roles that a governor is expected to cover, but to be honest in all of the years that I have been with the school I have never heard of any governor helping parents fill out forms. At best governors are the point of last resort. Normally we keep very much in the background overseeing the whole operation. The only time a governor becomes involved is if the parent has exhausted all other channels and a complaint comes along.

    In fact I doubt if 95% of the parents actually know who the governors are and what they do.
      
    Still yes there are schools of all types that sit amongst all categories of people.
    Anyhow I am pleased to hear that you were able to help out although strange to hear.
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  • synergy2120
    synergy2120 Community member Posts: 19 Courageous
    I totally understand that, it is very unusual for school governors to get as involved as we did, but the school had a very open policy and quite a few of the governors volunteered in the school so were heavily involved...including me. I volunteered as the school librarian as well.
    I think its because the area is in need of a lot of help so we were heavily involved with the school and parents. I also lived in the area so knew a lot of the families personally so i was an easy person for the parents to approach and talk to...
    Every school is different and needs different things. We had people writing policies etc and all the usual stuff. But we had extras like me helping parents, i thought it was normal practice until we interacted with other governing bodies! 
    I loved it, but my very poor memory, mental state and hip pain started really interfering with how well i was able to do the job and the latest OFSTED inspection nearly finished me off  :D
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