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Alicia Cartwright blogs about her Bipolar Disorder diagnosis and her work on the Turn2us PIP Helper as a co-Production Partner:
I was officially diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder at the age of 25, on my third inpatient admission. It had been fairly clear for a few years before then, but the diagnosis confirmed that the symptoms I had been experiencing had a name. I will have this disorder for the rest of my life, and so it is important that I learn to manage it and live with the effects.
The defining aspect of bipolar is instability, and the key to staying well is to try and keep things as stable as possible, while still enjoying life. I take 3 different mental health medications, which I try my best to remember to take properly. They do keep me well enough to stay out of hospital and to live my life safely and mostly happily, but they have side effects which can cause more issues. They also don’t get rid of all the symptoms of bipolar entirely.
I struggle to hold down work and haven’t been able to work in a traditional full time job for a long time. I manage through a combination of short-term part time work and welfare benefits - money is tight but I and my two children still have a good life.
Not only does my condition stop me earning as much, it also brings extra costs - from taxis when I don’t have the energy to walk or catch a bus (I’m not allowed to drive currently as my condition is too unstable) to convenience food for when my anxiety and fatigue stops me from being able to cook. I also struggle with budgeting as bipolar can make me very impulsive, as well as affecting my memory so I forget about bills.
I receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP) which makes a huge difference - it is that extra bit of money that helps cover some of the extra costs of my disability. The payment is different depending on how severely you are affected and if it affects your daily living, your mobility or both. Rates currently start at £28.70 a week and go up to £184.30 a week for the more severely affected. If you get the daily living part someone can also get carer’s benefits for looking after you, and if you get the higher mobility part you can choose to exchange it for a mobility aid or car.
PIP is not means tested - you can still get it even if you work or have other income - and it doesn’t reduce any other benefits you might get.
PIP is not just about the money either - it also opens the door to other things, such as the disabled persons railcard and a free ticket for a carer to accompany me to many events. I think the biggest plus for me though is that I feel that my difficulties are officially acknowledged.
At first I felt weird calling myself disabled and claiming a disability benefit - my illness is invisible and I find that I often blame myself for the symptoms, which is something I think a lot of sufferers of mental illness do. However, if your illness is expected to affect your life for 12 months or more - which many mental illnesses do - you could be entitled to PIP.
Many people are intimidated by applying for PIP - there are forms to fill in and often an assessment by phone or in person. It can feel overwhelming to have to list all your difficulties for a stranger to read and often the whole process can cause mental health difficulties in itself. Sometimes people have more than one issue so that can make things seem even more complicated.
I was in hospital when I had a face to face assessment booked for one of my renewals a few years ago and I ended up discharging myself so I could attend as that was more stressful than the admission! If I had more help with the process I would have felt less stress and more able to concentrate on getting better.
There is help out there, and I am very proud to have helped with the creation of an amazing new tool - the Turn2us PIP Helper. This is a website with an easy to understand step by step guide to claiming PIP, with loads of wellbeing tips. It has been created with the help of disabled people like me, who have shared their experiences to help Turn2us make the helper.
The Turn2us PIP Helper includes tips on how to describe your symptoms, and is designed to help people with all different disabilities to claim, so is perfect if you have more than one condition. It also takes you step by step through what happens as you get your decision and what to do if you disagree. If you would like extra help, it can signpost you to people and organisations that can take you through the process.
Turn2us are a wonderful charity, and they also make a great Benefits Calculator, where anyone can put in their circumstances and find out what they are entitled to. I also use this calculator when I am considering how a change of circumstances may affect my finances. Turn2us also have lots of information on other sources of help such as grants, so I highly recommend that everyone has a look at their website.
The Turn2us PIP Helper is new and already I’m hearing from friends that it has really helped them get what they are entitled to. I used it to help me with a recent review and so I’m hoping to receive good news soon. Even if you feel that you know what you are doing with the application itself, the wellbeing features are very useful. It is entirely confidential and independent from the government, so it is definitely a good thing to use and share with anyone who may need it.