Hi Anna
I am looking at he form now. I take it is the same form found at:
www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/claimforms/sc1_print.pdf( by the way please look into DLA and working tax credit)
Part of my job as a youth worker was benefits advice, so while some of my knowledge may be out of date I did do many courses on it and I still try to keep as up to date as possible - so here is my patented advice for saying the right things to make sure you get the benefit you are entitled to!
Horrible form isn’t it by the way - I would recommend you fill in absolutely everything you can as this always looks better to have as many sections as you can filled in.
Even if a section only remotely applyes fill it in anyway
Most of it is about your circumstances and financial position.
Most of the evidence for your incapacity is got from your doctor who has singed you off work.
If you have not got him to sign you off as you were not working when you became ill, it may be advisable to go to see him and tell him you will be claiming incapacity as you do not think you will be going back to seek work for the foreseeable future. This is only if you find your GP helpful as if not it is just best to let the benefits office send him the form as your GP will have to sign it as you being ill with PNI and unable to work - it is just if he is sympathetic, it may be useful to see him about your claim.
When I said - 'tell it how it is on your worst days' I was really talking about the DLA form as I forgot that the incapacity form mostly accepts your GPs opinion that you can not work - but also if you have to go to an interview or medical - you have to tellit as it is at its worse – so this applies there too.
The place you can fill in about your illness is section 5 - About you illness and disability.
As I said you have to tell it how it is on your worse day.
Below are suggestions of things to fill in that will help your claim –
If necessary continue on a separate sheet as it is better to say too much than too little.
First of all you can say how you have been diagnosed to have PNI and that you are on medication for this – state the medication – also if you hare having or are going to have counselling this will help if you put this down, you can also say you belong to a PNI support group. (This one actually but unless asked do not mention it is an internet support group as they have not really cottoned on to how this can be as useful and effective as a face to face group) If you belong to any other support groups put these down for instance if you have a telephone counsellor from the APNI.
Say you suffer severer agoraphobia ( your worse days remember) that you can not go out at all on some days and otherwise when you do you have to have someone accompany you ie to the supermarket , for any recreational trips out and that you can not use public transport alone and do not usually have the confidence to drive.
Also that you can not be left alone in the house (this is on your worse days) for more than a couple of hours at a time and you need assistance to tackle necessary tasks such as cooking, caring for yourself children etc. ( it is up to you if you say this – only say it is it is true)
That you have intrusive and obsessive thoughts, (this will go no further than this form but it should mean you qualify on mental health grounds for Incapacity benefit or even DLA, the fact is most women with PNI qualify for both because of the nature of their illness - but so few actually claim because our illness also makes us try to minimise and deny our illness and hide it)
And you suffer from debilitating panic attacks and or anxiety which render you incapable of performing simple tasks while the panic or anxiety is going on – I think we all do.
It does not matter that you may be now getting better and happens less and you are going out more.
Just think what you would feel like if you had to go to work at 8.30 am n=on a Monday morning in the middle of a panic attack and while you had intrusive or worrying thoughts – if you could not go to work – then you qualify as you are not ready to go back in the job market yet!
Also put anything that you find is difficult due to your illness that I have not covered.
If you wanted to and do have your husband or someone else do a substantial amount of the care of your children you can actually claim for your husband, a relative or a friends time looking after your children for you.
See section 2 starting at part 10
This does not have to be full time but a substantial amount of time.
This benefit is not means tested as it relies on you having paid your stamps so even though they ask the financial situation of any one who cares for your children when you are too ill to do so – their earnings should not be taken into consideration .
But if they are not working they may be asked to attend an interview to try to assist them back to work ( a bit daft if you needed them home to look after you and/or your children full time, but the benefit system is often a bit of a mystery!
For claiming for someone who cares for your children see Part 16 for someone who looks after your children but does not live with you. You do not have to be employing them as yet as you do not have the money to – just that you would if you did get the claim met.
Anyway
That’s as much advice as I can think of – you should get it if you have paid your stamp and the doctor has certified that you are ill for at least 28 weeks.
I know you were on maternity but you will have to have been ill to the knowledge of your GP for over 4 days ti get Short-term Incapacity Benefit at the lower rate and 28 weeks for Short-term Incapacity Benefit at the higher rate. and you should be able then to claim IB for a further 26 weeks – however after this you may have to go for a medical which used to be called an ‘all work test’ basically it is designed to check that not only could you not do your usual type of work but you can not do any work at all at present – it is now called a Personal Capability Assessment (PCA) for people with mental health conditions. The PCA is the test that the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) uses to decide whether you are capable of work.
If you get through this you will get Long-term Incapacity Benefit
That’s all I can think of for the minute
All the best
Veritee