PIP Mental Health Success (How to)
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In this article we are going to discuss whether or not can someone can claim “PIP for mental health” and if a claim of this type can be successful.
What is PIP?
PIP stands for Personal Independence Payment and is a disability benefit. PIP can help you with some of the costs that you have due to a disability or a long-term illness.
The monthly amount that you can get depends on the severity of the consequences of the illness and not on the diagnostic itself.
Am I eligible for PIP?
To be eligible for PIP you must:
- Be aged between 16 and your State Pension age.
- Find it difficult to do everyday tasks or get around because of a physical or a mental condition.
- You have been finding it difficult to do your daily tasks for a period of at least 3 months, and are expecting it to continue for at least 9 months.
- You have lived for at least 2 years in England, Scotland or Wales (unless you are a refugee or a family member of a refugee).
Some of these rules don’t apply to individuals who are terminally ill or in the armed forces.
These are the only cases that exceptions are made for.
Can I claim PIP for Mental Health?
You can claim PIP for mental health if your mental illness affects your daily activities including preparing food, communicating by talking, having face to face contact with other people, managing your finances.
You will need to fill a form to describe how exactly your mental illness affects your daily routine.
When applying for PIP you will get assessed by a health professional. This shouldn’t worry you, though.
The Personal Independence Payment test is not so much different from the usual doctor’s appointment.
The healthcare professional will ask questions about your health and may do a short physical examination.
The goal of the assessment is to understand how much help you need.
If you disagree with the decision the Department for Work Pensions has made about your claim, you can challenge it and ask them to reconsider their decision.
This is called mandatory reconsideration.
How to claim PIP for Mental Health?
In order to claim PIP, you have to call the PIP claims line.
The person who will take the call will ask you several things about yourself, so it’s better to be prepared beforehand if possible.
We made a list for you will all the information that they will need:
- You full name
- Your contact details
- Your address and postcode
- Your date of birth
- Your insurance number
- Your nationality
- Your bank details
- Your GP’s or health care coordinator’s contact details (if you have one)
- Details of your work if you are working
- They will need to know if you are paying insurance to another country
- Details of any overseas benefits that you are claiming
- Details of any recent stays in the hospital, care home or hospice.
As you can see these questions are quite comprehensible, and it’s better to be prepared beforehand.
If you can’t make a phone call in order to fill the PIP claim, there is the option to fill a paper form.
You have to send a request for a paper claim at:
Personal Independence Payment New Claims, Post Handling Site B,
Wolverhampton, WV99 1AH.
Currently, there is no option for completing an online form.
What mental health-related questions will I be asked in the PIP form?
The following mental health-related questions might be asked in the PIP form:
- Do you often lack the motivation to make meals?
- Do you refuse or forget to eat or drink?
- Do you self-harm?
- Do you often lack the motivation to wash or bathe?
- Does your illness affect your ability or motivation to dress?
- Do you socialize with other people? If not, why?
- How does it make you feel when you meet a stranger?
- Do you spend a lot of time at home because of anxiety or paranoia?
- Do you struggle to go somewhere new?
- How does going out and making a journey make you feel?
Each question has a different score that will determine the level of help that you might need.
Don’t worry too much, there is no good or wrong answer.
Use as many details as possible in describing your problem, use examples from daily situations.
What happens if my mental health changes while I’m receiving PIP?
If your mental health changes while you are receiving PIP, you should contact the PIP hotline and explain what has changed: has your mental health improved or worsened.
The Department for Work Pension will want to reassess you. The process is similar to when you first applied for a claim.
Depending on the changes, your payment might increase or decrease.
Are PIP claims for mental health successful?
PIP claims for mental health can be successful if the claimants are aware of what their mental health issues are.
When filling out the form, you need to give details, not just tick the boxes and hope for the best.
Don’t overexaggerate your issues, be concise and explain your problems.
What actually happens, what is the reason for this issue, the frequency of the problems, whether or not any help is available – these are some major points you need to address in your application for PIP.
Here are some sample answers that will assist with your application:
- Preparing food – Because of my severe depression, I have problems motivating myself to prepare food.
- Washing and Bathing – It takes me over an hour to wash every morning because I have to wash my body in a certain order and clean each part of my body a certain number of times. If I am not sure I have done it correctly I have to start again from the beginning, something which always happens several times.
- Interacting with other people – Because of my depression, I have become very isolated and get very anxious at the thought of even seeing people I know well, other than my immediate family.
- A claimant who suffers from ADHD – I can become angry and upset at any time of the day. My over-reactions often cause people to move away from me or stop serving me or talking to me. Sometimes I will be asked to leave a café, shop or doctor’s waiting room.
- A claimant who suffers from Agoraphobia – I cannot go anywhere on my own and just thinking about doing so makes me very anxious indeed. If I even leave my front garden I start shaking uncontrollably, my chest gets tight and I believe I’m going to stop breathing, my heart races and I break out in a sweat. The only way to control the panic is to go back to my house.
What to do if you are not eligible for PIP?
If you are not eligible for PIP, not all hopes are lost.
You need to check, but you might be eligible for Attendance Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit.
Conclusions
In this article we discussed whether or not can someone can claim “PIP for mental health” and if a claim of this type can be successful.
By now you should know if you are eligible or not for PIP.
If you are still not sure, please check our references for more information or leave us a comment below and we will address your case.
Did you find our advice on how to fill a form for PIP useful?
Feel free to share your opinion or any other questions in the comments section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you claim PIP for mental health?
You can claim PIP for both mental health and physical health issues.
PIP is awarded based on the level of help that you need, not the diagnose.
The rate of your payment will be based on your score for the two components of the PIP – the daily living component and the mobility component.
What is PIP for mental health?
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for mental health is a disability benefit.
If your mental health prevents you from accomplishing your daily tasks and you are eligible for PIP, you should apply for a claim as soon as possible.
How many PIP claims are successful?
PIP is not an easy benefit to claim successfully.
So far, according to the DWP’s own statistics, just 44% of new claims for personal independence payment have been successful where the claimant is not terminally ill.
The success rate for DLA to PIP transfers is currently 72%.
How long does the decision-maker take for PIP?
Usually, it takes 12 weeks from the date you started your PIP claim before you can hear back from the DWP. Some decisions take less time, some take more time.
Each case being unique.
Can you claim disability for depression?
You can claim disability for depression if your mental health is so severe that you cannot work and sustain yourself.
You might qualify for Social Security disability benefits.
How is PIP scored?
PIP is scored based on your answers, depending on your ability and how much help you need to do it.
For each answer, you get a certain amount of points, that are later added together.
If you score between eight and 11 points on your PIP test, you get the standard rate of the daily living component.
Recommendations
- Are u ok?: A Guide to Caring for Your Mental Health
- Mental Health Awareness: What You Need to Know About Mental Illness
- The Anxiety Toolkit: Strategies for Fine-Tuning Your Mind and Moving Past Your Stuck Points
- Thriving with Adult ADHD: Skills to Strengthen Executive Functioning
- The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Depression: A Step-by-Step Program
References
- Support for staff on making a claim for PI
- PIP factsheet
- PIP eligibility criteria
