Denied PIP - can I get my treatment treated as tax deductible expense?
I (39m) have ASD and ADHD.
I have not had a formal diagnosis as the waiting list for the NHS services in my area was too long and I was in a bad place so opted to go private.
Due to limited budget, I chose to focus on treatment rather than formal diagnosis, and eventually found a good clinical psychologist and psychiatrist. I’ve managed to make progress but the cost of treatment is high. The NHS is still not an option for the foreseeable.
While my job enables me to be able to afford treatment, it is also the greatest cause of my problems. I like my industry and I am good at my job, but my working environment is extremely mentally unhealthy in addition to my condition. I have just gotten a new job and am working my notice, but I will still need therapy and medication for the long term.
Last November I got hit with a large tax demand from HMRC. After spending time looking into the calculations I realised I had missed a change which happened in the midst of the burnout period, which caused my tax deductions to be wrong for most of the year. After looking at my accounts in more detail I noticed how much I had spent on therapy and psychiatry including medication (Elvanse/vyanse which is a life saver).
Following this I decided to apply for PIP. Having applied in January and gone through the process, in late April I was given 0 and denied PIP.
I instead completed a tax return in order to treat my therapy as a an expense. HMRCs requirements seem to make these admissible, as they were a necessary cost for me to do my job and the guidance available did not exclude this. Given that DWP do not rate my disability serious enough to warrant support, I am viewing the necessary costs arising from condition as an expense as I cannot do my job without support. My work situation is such that i cannot ask and my employer would not give any support.
At this point HMRC have sent me the same guidance document twice, but have still not told me how it applies to exclude therapy as an expense. The language available is imprecise.
This is still on going and due to HMRC insisting on using the post to communicate, progress is very slow. Most recently I asked for more specific direction and guidance reverting to the Equalities Act in order to request an accommodation to provide a proper and detailed explanation in a way I can understand.
I wondered if anyone has tried a similar approach in order to support their therapeutic treatments. Is there any route I have not thought of?
Thanks in advance.
TLDR denied PIP and trying to get my therapy treated as tax deductible.
EDIT PIP is the personal independence payment which is a non means tested benefit intended to enable those with disabilities to be able to get the support they need. ASD = Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD = Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.