PIP for high functioning autism?

[Saramia]

The specialist who diagnosed me with autism told me to apply for PIP. I struggle with social situations and people exclude me because they don’t like me. This makes it difficult to get a job because employers also don’t like me. When I have managed to get work, I’ve been sacked for being “weird”, eg sitting in the cupboard on my lunch break because it’s dark and nobody can talk to me.

I applied for PIP but got 0 points because I’m functional and independent. I have no physical disabilities. I can cook, eat, wash and dress myself. I can drive and with the help of satnav I can get around (going to unfamiliar places makes me anxious but I have ways to cope with that). I can read and I’m qualified to postgraduate level. I can express and understand verbal information - I don’t like talking to people and it makes me anxious and they dislike me, but the PIP criteria are focused on whether I CAN do it, and I can. To get even a single point you have to use an aid or appliance to communicate, or receive support with communicating, and I don’t.

There’s nothing in the PIP criteria which covers “I can force myself to talk to people for a short period and we can understand each other, but afterwards I’ll be shaking and possibly have a meltdown, and I certainly can’t cope with being exposed to people for an 8 hour shift every day”. PIP is only focused on the first part - ie I CAN do it. It makes no provision for the meltdown I have after forcing myself to do it, or the constant anxiety I feel if others are around and might try to speak to me.

I went back to my GP and she said “but you’re unable to work due to autism so you should get PIP?” But it seems that PIP doesn’t actually cover my difficulties. It’s for people who CAN’T function - it’s not for people who can force themselves to function but experience great anxiety and panic whilst doing so. It’s not for people who can function but get discriminated against by others and that’s why they don’t function. PIP is to pay for care needs - it’s not for people who don’t specifically need care but are excluded from work due to their disability, and it’s not for people who need money to live on because they’re not working due to their disability.

I have the option to appeal the decision and they’ve booked me in for a face to face meeting, but I’m considering cancelling because I don’t feel like I can show any evidence that I’m unable to function. Because I can function. Maybe only for short periods, with a lot of anxiety, and I frequently get discriminated against and blocked from what I want to do, but in the most basic sense I CAN function. Which seems to indicate that I’m not entitled to any benefits?

I hope one day you understand the realities of being disabled and how expensive and isolating it is and we are not spending high rate pip on holidays

Who is saying that they are? One poster gave an example of the things that they do with theirs. No one tells people what they must spend their awards on. I do not think that just because one poster said that is how they spend theirs, that all disabled people with PIP are living the high life. That would be ridiculous.

I agree totally with this. We simply can't afford to pay PIP to the 25% of the population who are recognised as disabled, let alone other people managing difficult health issues.

To some extent we have to accept that we will all be disadvantaged in some way because of the way that our body and mind function. Even relatively trivial things can impact daily life and become expensive. Something as trivial and routine as poor eyesight or having weak teeth can cost thousands over someone's lifetime and cause all sorts of restrictions to their lives that people without these issues wouldn't even consider. The amount of friends I know with bad backs, chronic migraines or depression etc is unbelievable. All of these things impact day to day living but none claim PIP.

We are realistically in a place where the NHS is so short of money that it is rationing services and will probably start charging for more and more things. There simply isn't enough money to think that we can cushion everyone from the physical and mental health conditions. It just isn't viable when you have so many people struggling and not enough cash to go round.

It’s 10 points if you need help to go somewhere unfamiliar but DO NOT need help to go somewhere familiar.

If you need help to go somewhere familiar it’s 12 points. Regardless of whether you are able to go somewhere unfamiliar with help or not.

I am not sure why you are finding this so hard to understand!

Yes so going somewhere unfamiliar with help like a holiday would be 10 points which is low rate pip

We don't pay pip to 25% of the population:
You can't get pip if under 16 and you can't apply after pension age. But if you were receiving it before pension age you can carry on receiving it.

I know people with disabilities who don't qualify because they don't meet the criteria.

This thread has gone totally off topic so I’m bowing out. I’m not going to spend PIP on holidays or theatre trips. I’d just like some support and maybe to afford counselling or a work coach to help me cope with re-entering the workplace.

I hope you get it, op, good luck

Yes, but if you ALSO need help to go somewhere familiar like the local shops it’s 12 points. You can need help to go to the shops and still go on holiday.

Hope you get it and it helps you get the support you need

Weak teeth don't stop you from functioning. Until you've seen the impact of an invisible disability, you'll probably find it hard to understand.

The children who grew up with DD2 are at college, learning to drive, having part time jobs, considering their university or work options, etc., etc. DD2 is having weekly therapy and it's a big achievement to go horseriding at a SEN facility once per week.

I am absolutely not ashamed of getting her every penny that will make her life more manageable.

Don't give up I spend my pip on private therapy and hospital transport like 99% of other people and its really helps. People saying they are using on holidays are either lying to make disabled people look bad or are commiting fraud. If you have a cpn or a support worker they will be able to help you fill out the form

People can spend it on whatever they like to improve their quality of life. Your judgement is awful.

I'll try and explain it like this. If someone needs support to the sum of £800 (therapy, cleaner, transport, whatever) a month and they earn £1500 a month, they are immediately and incredibly disadvantaged by their disability. If going on holiday would improve their health, physical or mental or both, they wouldn't be able to to afford it. Disadvantaged. The person now receives pip, the person can actually afford something that improves their health or quality of life that they could not have afforded prior.

No one has to lie or be commiting fraud, it doesn't make disabled people look bad at all. Judgement does, judgement looks bad on anyone. They can spend it on whatever they like, whether you agree or understand that or not

I spend my pip on private therapy and hospital transport like 99% of other people and its really helps.

This is a rather bold statement to make, and if this is how you think, then no wonder you are having difficulty understanding certain posts.

I will never belive that the majority of disabled people are spending their high rate pip on holidays. Do you understand how severe your disabilities have to be to be awarded high rate

I disagree, weak teeth can absolutely cause you not to function if the problem becomes extreme. I have a family with weak teeth and the amount of pain and disruption that their teeth have caused is unbelievable. Frequent painful infections, multiple extractions and sometimes being unable to eat normal foods for months at a time. This has actually caused an ED in one member of the family because of the restrictive eating.

My point is that these 'trivial' weaknesses in people can place a high burden on someone and impact their day to day lives massively. Should they be eligible for PIP? No, of course not but it's just another example beyond the 25% of the population registered as disabled where genetic chance has dealt them a rough hand and they have to absorb some hardship because of this. We simply don't have enough money to cushion the lives of everyone struggling with their physical or mental health with things like PIP. Of course that sounds unkind and it is incredibly unfair but that's just how it is.

My DD scored 0 after DWP assessment. She is physically capable of doing everything but her neurological makeup means she ca't. Tribunal awarded 9 points (and it would have been more if they'd have asked more questions). Appeal and take it all the way. Make sure you log your daily life and ideally, get a good advocate for the tribunal.

*can't

I didn't say we paid it to everyone that is disabled. I was agreeing with another poster that some disabled people and others with conditions that affect their day-to-day lives will just have to absorb this to some extent. It certainly isn't ideal and isn't fair but we simply don't have the money to fund everything that people would need to stop them being disadvantaged.

There's no such thing as registered disabled

Literally no one is saying they are. And yes, it sounds like most pp do get how severe and hard it has to be. Id guess that's why we're willing to keep repeating ourselves

Sorry, I mean that are recorded as being disabled in current statistics.

Yep, I agree.

So I use my pip to pay for counselling, for bladder pads and to help towards my car and I also work . At tribunal I had to justify how I can work with my combination of disabilities and the adaptions I have . My pip is for a combination of Complex regional pain syndrome, underactive bladder, anxiety and depression. Work coaches you can often get throughUC schemes and mind tend to offer support get back into work and counselling pretty cheaply . I only pay for mine because of the amount of sessions I need and the lack of trust I have in short term services. Just be prepared for the tribunal process to be very difficult , stressful and long - it took 18 months from when I applied to my tribunal

Nobody has stated that is what is happening though. One poster said that her award goes towards such things. Why is that such an issue with you? She has a disability, she is not dead! The award is meant to be used to help the person who has it, be that therapy, taxis, pre chopped food, a cleaner, the list is endless. You use yours to benefit you, I would not presume to tell you, how you should spend your award.

You can work. You just need to find the right job. My friend's son went to a special school but worked hard in education and now works in IT and works from home. He has worked with various different companies who have been supportive of his condition.

Sorry, but I don't think you can just choose not to work because you are autistic. You have shown you are capable of work. You need the right job and perhaps to work from home.