PIP eligibility for panic attacks

Yes, you can potentially claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for panic attacks, though the outcome depends on how your condition affects your daily life and mobility rather than on the diagnosis itself.

How PIP works in this context:

PIP is not awarded based on having a particular condition. It is awarded based on how your condition affects your ability to carry out specific daily living and mobility activities. The assessment looks at what you can and cannot do reliably, which means safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, and within a reasonable time period.

Panic attacks can be relevant to several of the PIP descriptors, including:

1. Preparing food, if panic attacks make it unsafe for you to cook.
2. Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition.
3. Washing, bathing, and dressing, if anxiety prevents you from managing personal care.
4. Communicating verbally, if panic attacks affect your ability to speak or engage with others.
5. Engaging with other people face to face, which is often a key descriptor for people with panic disorder.
6. Making budgeting decisions.
7. Planning and following journeys, which falls under the mobility component. This is particularly relevant if panic attacks prevent you from travelling or mean you need someone with you.

Practical steps:

1. Get supporting medical evidence from your GP, any mental health professional, therapist, or counsellor involved in your care. A letter setting out the frequency, severity, and impact of your panic attacks is valuable.

2. When completing the PIP2 form ("How your disability affects you"), describe your worst days in detail. Explain what happens during a panic attack, how often they occur, how long they last, and what you cannot do as a result. Do not understate things.

3. Keep a diary of your panic attacks noting the date, duration, triggers, and the impact on what you were trying to do at the time.

4. If you have someone who helps you or who witnesses the impact of your condition, ask them to provide a supporting letter or offer to attend the assessment with you.

5. At the consultation, be honest and detailed. Many people instinctively downplay their difficulties. Focus on what you struggle with, not on your best days.

6. If you are refused or given fewer points than you expected, you have the right to request a mandatory reconsideration within one month of the decision, and if that is unsuccessful, you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber). A significant proportion of PIP appeals succeed, particularly for mental health conditions.

Organisations such as Citizens Advice, Mind, and Scope offer free help with completing the form and preparing for assessments. It is well worth getting that support if you can.