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DSA no good for Mental Heath at Uni-any other suggestions?

Dawn248
Posts: 111 Forumite

I'd love some help from anyone who can be bothered to read this..:)
My daughter has a place at Uni from September but she has depression and PTSD. She's been getting ESA (support group) for a year after having to drop out of education. NHS was hopeless so we pay for private EMDR therapy. I've found a therapist near her Uni so she can continue getting treatment when she's there, but it's expensive and she won't get ESA to help pay for it once she's there.
The Uni said she should apply for DSA so we've been through the process and had an assessment today BUT it only pays towards equipment rather than treatment; not much help for mental illness then.
The assessor is drawing up a report to go to the uni so she can have a mentor but we'll struggle with costs of therapy. Is there anything else she might be eligible for? The Uni have scrapped bursarys so no hope there.
Obviously I'll help all I can but I'm a single mum and don't have a ton of disposable income.
Thanks for reading.
My daughter has a place at Uni from September but she has depression and PTSD. She's been getting ESA (support group) for a year after having to drop out of education. NHS was hopeless so we pay for private EMDR therapy. I've found a therapist near her Uni so she can continue getting treatment when she's there, but it's expensive and she won't get ESA to help pay for it once she's there.
The Uni said she should apply for DSA so we've been through the process and had an assessment today BUT it only pays towards equipment rather than treatment; not much help for mental illness then.
The assessor is drawing up a report to go to the uni so she can have a mentor but we'll struggle with costs of therapy. Is there anything else she might be eligible for? The Uni have scrapped bursarys so no hope there.
Obviously I'll help all I can but I'm a single mum and don't have a ton of disposable income.
Thanks for reading.
0
Comments
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Might she be eligible for PIP at all?All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
Pedant alert - it's could have, not could of.0 -
My son will be going to uni and we are asking for a lot of support. It might not be therapy but they do have people who will support your daughter. They will have mental health support services, so it might be wise to ask about that.
Normally therapy is given with an end point in mind. What is the plan with your daughter's therapy? Would it be better to delay your daughters start at university until she is better able to cope if she isn't at that point yet?
As suggested above PIP could be applied for but I'd advise getting some help with filling in the forms from a charity that represents the conditions your child has.
You can also contact Disability Rights UK to ask for information on what you can do.
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/how-we-can-help/helplines/disabled-students-helpline0 -
If PIP is in payment ESA can be paid to full time students.
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/how-we-can-help/individuals/education/frequently-asked-questions-students
HB may then also be a possibility - talk to the DRUK helpline.
I would suggest getting a PIP claim underway asap - https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-pip-claim/how-to-claim/
- as it will take several months for a decision.
Make it as strong as you can. This site is a useful resource -
https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip
- as if you need to appeal it will delay the process even further.
Start now to gather as much evidence as you can to support a claim.
These are the PIP descriptors:
http://www.mybenefitsandwork.co.uk/pip/indexxx.php
And this is how they should be interpreted at assessment:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/547146/pip-assessment-guide.pdf
Pages 86 on.Alice Holt Forest situated some 4 miles south of Farnham forms the most northerly gateway to the South Downs National Park.0 -
Hi, thanks for the replies.
Deannatrois, my daughter's therapist had her do a time-line of the incidents that caused her PTSD and they have been processing this. She's made good progress but will definitely need ongoing help because you can't 'fix' PTSD.
I agree it would be better to wait until she is stronger but she's taken a year out of study and doesn't want to wait any more. I assured her she would have a therapist in the area as you can't rely on the uni to provide adequate support and it would make her feel safer.
We'll certainly look at applying for PIP and get advice from Disability Rights UK as advised.
Thanks Alice Holt for all the links. I really appreciate it.0
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