Should we be entitled to benefits ?

Sid_Cowans

My teenage daughter suffers from a severe anxiety and eating disorder that she was diagnosed with over five years ago.

She did not attend school after age 14 because of the impact it had on her physical health and she is now 18 and unable to work. She continues to need medical support.

She is on a very expensive high calorie diet and obviously generates no income so should we - as parents - be entitled to support and/or should she be entitled to support ?

Any advice appreciated.

SailorSam

When you say she's unable to work, i presume 'cos she's sick. Has she got a note from your Gp, she could be getting Esa i think.

densol_2

Sid_Cowans wrote: »

My teenage daughter suffers from a severe anxiety and eating disorder that she was diagnosed with over five years ago.

She did not attend school after age 14 because of the impact it had on her physical health and she is now 18 and unable to work. She continues to need medical support.

She is on a very expensive high calorie diet and obviously generates no income so should we - as parents - be entitled to support and/or should she be entitled to support ?

Any advice appreciated.

Im so sorry to hear of your daughters suffering. I would say ESA - income based ( that based on her income / savings as opposed to yours ) and non means tested PIP ( personal Independence payment )

someone else may have more ideas / advice about the high calorie diet as well ( like grants/direct payments ) - Ive no experience in that area

GlasweJen

There won't be much help for the diet unless your daughter also happens to have coeliac or PKU.

At first glance the ESA and PIP forms might not seem to ask relevant questions. For ESA I would focus on the psychological effect going out to work would have on your daughter, for PIP imagine what she would be like if you weren't there. Example she might be physically able to feed herself but would she if you didn't prepare the food and hang around to make sure it got eaten. Do you have to monitor to make sure food isn't being hidden then binned or eaten then expelled later? Does getting dressed upset your daughter? Do you have to deal with melt downs when clothes don't fit or hang a certain way?

Topcat1982

It would be your daughter who applies in her own right for ESA.

Perhaps an eating disorder charity would guide you through the application, you could check the website.

Sid_Cowans

GlasweJen wrote: »

There won't be much help for the diet unless your daughter also happens to have coeliac or PKU.

At first glance the ESA and PIP forms might not seem to ask relevant questions. For ESA I would focus on the psychological effect going out to work would have on your daughter, for PIP imagine what she would be like if you weren't there. Example she might be physically able to feed herself but would she if you didn't prepare the food and hang around to make sure it got eaten. Do you have to monitor to make sure food isn't being hidden then binned or eaten then expelled later? Does getting dressed upset your daughter? Do you have to deal with melt downs when clothes don't fit or hang a certain way?

She is a diagnosed Emetophobic AND a diagnosed Coeliac. Her weight has been dangerously low and she is prevented from any physical calorie burning activity until her weight has increased substantially.

Big problem may be that she doesn't like talking about her illness and would almost certainly shy away from any interrogation on the symptoms.

densol_2

Sid_Cowans wrote: »

She is a diagnosed Emetophobic AND a diagnosed Coeliac. Her weight has been dangerously low and she is prevented from any physical calorie burning activity until her weight has increased substantially.

Big problem may be that she doesn't like talking about her illness and would almost certainly shy away from any interrogation on the symptoms.

You would be able to complete the forms for her ( or get a charity / CAB to help ) and you could of course also attend any appointments for assessment and supply medical evidence too. All this would assist to show her care needs and how she meets the descriptors. When my son applied for ESA - they took identity / security details from him, but were more than happy for me ( who cried and had panic attacks on the phone- as Im ill too ) to give over the details for the initial claim.

GlasweJen

If she's a coeliac diagnosed by biopsy she should be on prescription bread/pasta/flour/biscuits. If she's paying for prescriptions it would be much cheaper to get a pre-payment certificate.

If she gets income based ESA she will become entitled to free prescriptions.

Detroit

GlasweJen wrote: »

If she's a coeliac diagnosed by biopsy she should be on prescription bread/pasta/flour/biscuits. If she's paying for prescriptions it would be much cheaper to get a pre-payment certificate.

If she gets income based ESA she will become entitled to free prescriptions.

Excellent advice here.

Try https://www.adviceguide.org.uk benefits for people who are sick and disabled for an overview of the criteria for PIP to see if you think your daughter may qualify.

Strongly recommend you get help with completing the forms for PIP from CAB or eating disorder help agencies. It's important to the success of the claim that the form is completed to fully reflect the difficulties she has.

If she gets PIP daily living at enhanced rate, you might be able to claim Carers allowance depending on the hours of care you provide and your own earnings. The website above also has information on this.

soolin

GlasweJen wrote: »

If she's a coeliac diagnosed by biopsy she should be on prescription bread/pasta/flour/biscuits. If she's paying for prescriptions it would be much cheaper to get a pre-payment certificate.

If she gets income based ESA she will become entitled to free prescriptions.

This is no longer the case across all prescribing authorities. COeliac UK state that currently only 70% of authorities allow GF on prescription, and those that do often limit the amount and the products. More and more authorities are consulting on pulling out of gf prescribing or at least limiting to under 18s only.

With gf items become more and more available and getting cheaper year on year the need for prescriptions is decreasing.

I've been diagnosed as a coeliac now for around 24 years .