The experiences of our micro volunteers illustrate that people affected by mental health are disproportionately affected in their eligibility for and access to PIP, in particular:
People affected by mental health experience some particular challenges relating to PIP, including:
- Difficulties accessing clear information about PIP.
- Poor understanding of what PIP is for and that it is linked to the costs of the support needed rather than to the disability or illness itself, or the capacity of the client to work. Our micro volunteers indicated this lack of understanding is more prevalent amongst those with mental health conditions. This means PIP is likely to be under-claimed by this group.
- An application form which most feel is confusing and does not allow them to fully explain their illness/disability, especially fluctuating conditions.
- A process for application which many feel is off-putting, lengthy, difficult and can exacerbate conditions such as anxiety and depression
- Decisions which are hard to understand, can lead to significant financial hardship and cause problems in other areas, like debt and housing, and exacerbate conditions like depression and anxiety
- A complicated mandatory reconsideration process
You can read the report here.
Thank you to all our amazing micro volunteers who contributed to this report.
