Woman with MS who fought the DWP for PIP payments thought about ending her life

A woman with MS has admitted she considered ending her life after being refused the government benefit PIP. Charlotte Hargreaves-Wright made the frank admission as she spoke about a health battle that left her feeling "like a prisoner in my own home".

She was forced to quit work and plunged into a depression. But she decided to fight the Department for Work and Pensions ().

That decision changed her life. But she is now worried about the impact of new changes to the PIP system the government is making after Work and Pension Secretary Liz Kendall announced plans to cut £5 billion from the UK welfare bill.

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It has been a long journey for Charlotte. At first, she experienced 'strange episodes' which involved waking up feeling sick with a strong sense of deja vu during her teenage years.

She was initially diagnosed with anxiety and sent home with antidepressants by her doctor. Charlotte, now 30, from Bolton, recalled: "He'd say 'you're just having panic attacks' and give me some medication. When I got back home I'd put it in the bin."

But, after a seizure in 2014, Charlotte was finally referred to a neurologist, where an MRI scan revealed lesions on her brain. The following year, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), reports .

"It was a relief to know that I was experiencing symptoms and that other people could at last understand," she says. MS is a neurological condition that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves, leading to a wide range of symptoms.

While studying nursing at university, Charlotte found herself grappling with an increasing list of issues including vertigo, brain fog and a loss of sensation in her face. She was forced to abandon her studies and took up a job at KFC, followed by several other roles before landing a position at HSBC.

However, her memory began to deteriorate and her mobility worsened to the point of needing a wheelchair. Eventually, she had to quit work.

"By this point I felt like a prisoner in my own home," she says. "I became very depressed, was reliant on my then boyfriend Adam's wage, and I didn't know what to do with myself. I'd applied for Personal lndependence Payments (PIP) and when I was refused, I considered ending my life. However, the thought of Adam coming home and seeing my lifeless body, and how he'd react made me determined to think of another way to get PIP."

Charlotte sent her medical records, including images of her brain scan, to the Department of Work and to challenge the decision. It was overturned and when the backdated money hit her bank account, she was ecstatic.

The funds enabled her to transform her life. She installed a stair lift so she no longer had to drag herself up and down the stairs, added extra steps and grab bars outside her house and fitted accessibility aids in the bathroom.

Charlotte and Adam are now happily married and live in Bolton. She can move around independently and says she is much happier.

However, the government's proposed changes to the benefits system are a source of worry. And she fears that her PIP payments may be impacted.

Charlotte shared her concerns: "I know many people receiving PIP are worried, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it. I'd like people to understand that there will come a time when we're not able to look after ourselves properly, or even get out of bed without help. That causes great sadness, especially when you can't stop yourself from remembering what you were like before diagnosis."

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She also highlighted the uniqueness of each person's experience with MS, saying: "No journey starts out the same for us, and none of us knows exactly how the others are feeling. MS isn't terminal; it's a disease, not an illness. Like other conditions that are lifelong, or considered chronic, we are able to keep going if we put our minds to a task."

Lucy Taylor, CEO of the MS Trust, said: 'People living with MS rely on their benefit payments to enable them to fund essential living costs, such as travel to and from medical appointments. Removing this lifeline will be extremely detrimental to both their physical and mental wellbeing. We urge the Government to reconsider its approach."