PIP - Planning and Following a Journey

Hi All,
My partner is submitting her first PIP claim. It is an online PIP claim and needs to be in by this Saturday 25th Jan.

My partner has suffered many years with mixed anxiety and depression. It was diagnosed by her GP in 2007 and is ongoing, this is stated on her medical records. She has been taking GP prescribed medication for this since that date. As part of her anxiety and depression she gets overwhelmed if she is in contact with people she doesn’t know and she doesn’t like to leave the house unless accompanied by a close friend or family member (People she is familiar with). She has also suffered with Asthma for the past 5 years (Diagnosed by her GP and on her medical records) She also uses an inhaler for her asthma which was prescribed by her GP.

On her online PIP application for Question 13 - Planning and Following a Journey the statement below is what she is considering submitting. Would you think this would be acceptable under this question please? From her statement what possible points do you thing she could possible achieve? I know any amount of points you may state would only be a suggestion and it would be up to the assessor’s discrimination. She is also going to submit a very similar reply to the Question 11 – Mixing With Other People

Q13 Planning and following a journey

I suffer with social anxiety. This is due to my mixed anxiety and depressive disorder. It has affected me most of my adult life. The thought of having to go out on my own and engage with people whom I haven’t met before terrifies me. I hate having to go out alone and avoid it wherever possible because of the physiological distress it has on me. I get really anxious about going places, especially ones I’ve not been to before. Due to my disorder I find it too emotionally challenging to travel on my own on public transport because of my disorder and the claustrophobic conditions and proximity of strangers been near to me. The possibility of coming into contact with people I don’t know on a journey or when getting there and what they might say to me stresses and unnerves me. I try not to make eye contact with strangers as I fear they may try speaking to me. I feel incompetent and worry about saying the wrong things and been criticised or showing myself up. I get an intense and persistent feeling as though I’m been watched and people are judging me, and talking about me. In these situations I can feel pressure building inside me, I suffer panic attacks, I start sweating, shaking, feeling sickly, nervous and panicky, my breathing becomes quick and I get short of breath, this triggers me into an asthma attack, wheezing, and struggling to breathe. I cannot concentrate and become dysfunctional and disorientated of where I am going because I become so overwhelmed.

My partner, family, and close friends are aware and supportive toward me with my disorder. When I need to leave the house to take a journey, they will try calming my anxieties and encourage me to leave and undertake the journey. On most occasions my partner, family member or friend will take me where I need to go and also accompany me at my destination and bring me back home afterwards. Most of these journeys will be made in my partners, family members or friend’s cars. Where possible these journeys are made at times when the roads and places been attended are expected to be quieter and less busy to help with alleviating my fears. Having someone I know and trust with me helps a little with my fears and anxieties. I find I can cope a little better with their encouragement and supportive influence. Without their supportive influence and encouragement I would very rarely leave the house. I am affected by these social anxieties each and every day including all times I need to take a journey.

Kind Regards

RHJ