Hello all, I've been agoraphobic for years but managed to get by at home with the kids until recently when my coping mechanisms just failed and my partner has been off work for the past two months (on sick leave himself for stress) because I'm incapable of functioning without his support at the moment and we have three children to look after. When he is home I am reasonably well, but I struggle whenever I am alone, in the past two months he's left me for three brief periods (5mins ish)and I've been a panicky mess for the whole time. I can't really fathom getting well enough to enable him to go back to work and I am researching possible benefits we might be able to get which might allow me some respite from the hell the recent past has been.

So, I am applying for ESA and PIP, in the hope that if I am successful this will be a huge support for my family (when my partner is in work I spend about £50 per week on taxi fares just taking my kids to and from school, and it's only around the corner ). I have read the descriptors for both though, and it seems that as I am able to go out accompanied and do not suffer from social phobia, I would be deemed able to work and unable to get PIP. This bewilders me, I am certainly not able to work, I would love to be, but I am not. Am I unlikely to qualify for benefits because of this do you think? If I do manage to qualify for benefits, would my partner be able to claim carer's allowance for me?

If there are any others out there in a similar situation I'd be thrilled to hear from you, this feels horrible and I'm putting my family through so much I feel awful. I would be so grateful to hear any relevant stories (or even irrelevant ones if anyone feels like sharing), just so I can prepare myself for what the future might hold for us. Thanks for listening