Benefit rules are frequently complicated

Welfare benefits and entitlements for people living with anxiety disorders

Introduction

If you are living with an anxiety disorder, the chances are that you will have additional needs. Your anxiety may have had an impact on your ability to work and consequently you may have suffered a loss of income. There are a number of welfare benefits and other entitlements in existence which as an anxiety disorder sufferer, you may be able to access.

Welfare Benefits

Benefit rules are frequently complicated and often the forms you need to complete in order to claim such benefits can be difficult to fill in. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you obtain help and advice from either a Welfare Rights Officer (usually these people are located within Social Services Teams, or based at your local council). There are also many advice centres in operation throughout the county. These centres can offer you independent advice.

Organisations & Websites

The following organizations/websites also offer helpful advice and information:

Neath Mind

www.benefitsinmind.org.uk

This website has some really useful information on claiming benefits if you have a mental health problem. Neath Mind also produce a book called the ‘Big Book of Benefits and Mental Health’ which is an extremely useful resource.

The site has sections on:

  • Identifying benefits you might be entitled to
  • Claiming benefits because of being unable to work (this section contains information on the IB50 form and medical interviews)
  • Claming Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance (AA) which is specifically geared towards those claming as a result of a mental health problem

Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH)

www.samh.org.uk

SAMH operate a Welfare Benefits Advice Service is dedicated to providing specialist advice to people living in Scotland with mental health and related problems. You can contact their Benefits Advisers by telephone on 0141 568 7000, or by e-mail: benefits@samh.org.uk

The website also contains some very useful sections on benefits and mental health.

Citizen's Advice

www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Citizen's advice bureaux offer free independent benefits advice. Many bureaux also run specialist mental health projects.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

www.dwp.gov.uk
Tel: 0800 88 22 00 (Free)
Textphone: 0800 24 33 55 (Free)

The DWP run a Benefit Enquiry Line which offers confidential advice and information for people with disabilities, their carers and representatives, about social security benefits and how to claim them.

Dial UK

www.dialuk.info Tel: 01302 310 123

DIAL UK is a national organisation for a network of approximately 130 local disability information and advice services run by and for disabled people.

Mental health in the workplace

www.mindfulemployer.net
Website that provides information on work and mental health and which aims to increase awareness of mental health in the workplace.

click here to download a copy of the 'Mindful Employer' pack

Disability Alliance Rights Advice Line

www.disabilityalliance.org
Tel: 020 7247 8763 (minicom available on same line)

Disability Alliance provide information on social security benefits and tax credits to disabled people, their families, carers and professional advisers.

General points about claiming benefits when you have an anxiety disorder

  • Don't delay when claiming - some benefit claims can't be backdated and there are time limits for returning forms, and asking for revisions and appeals.
  • Don't miss interviews without phoning the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) or your support/welfare rights worker.
  • Tell the DWP about any changes - including when any of your benefits stop or start.
  • Take someone with you if you are going to see, or be visited at home by, a DWP doctor.
  • Ask the DWP to give you their decision in writing.
  • Keep copies of forms if you can and take notes when you contact the DWP.
  • Don't be put off if your claim is initially turned down. This is particularly true for DLA (Disability Living Allowance) claims. We are aware that many individuals affected by agoraphobia and other anxiety disorders are routinely turned down on their first application for DLA, however subsequent appeals are often successful. If you are a member of ANXIETY UK, we can provide a letter of support to assist you with your claim.

Other Entitlements

The Blue Badge parking scheme

Those affected by agoraphobia may be entitled to apply for a Blue Badge to assist them with getting out and about via assistance with parking. The Blue Badge replaced the previous orange disability badge and can be applied for in certain cirumstances by those affected by anxiety disorders. Whether your application is successful very much depends on where you live in the UK as each council seems to adopt different criteria when assessing applications. In ANXIETY UK magazine “Anxious Times” we have carried a number of articles on this subject which you may find interesting to read. You can purchase back copies of the magazine through our on-line shop.

You may qualify for a Blue Badge if you:

  • Receive the higher rate of the Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance
  • Receive a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement
  • Use a motor vehicle supplied by a government health department
  • Are a registered blind person
  • Have severe disability in both upper limbs and drive a motor vehicle regularly but cannot turn the steering wheel by hand even if that wheel is fitted with a turning knob
  • Have a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking (*)
  • Those with agoraphobia may qualify under the last point (*)
If you are a member of ANXIETY UK and are affected by agoraphobia, we can provide a letter of support to assist you with your claim.

For further information on the Blue Badge parking scheme visit: www.direct.gov.uk and search under ‘Blue Badge’