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?

"No thanks since i still manage to do all of that with my actual wage rather than rely on tax payers money. No wonder this country is fucked".

100% this, sadly.

Why should your standard of living have to drop because you are disabled? PiP is there to prevent this.

I get full rate and spend most of it on cleaners/ people to do laundry/ prepare meals / taxis. I’d be 700 quid out of pocket every month if l didn’t get help.

But feel free to pay out of your wage. Although I’m too ill to earn a wage. But you keep doing what you want to do….

@Budalest has your husband looked into Access to Work. Can provide grants to cover things like taxis to work

Except they do support people with a terminal illness as long as their death can reasonably be expected in a year .

I also receive pip and use it to pay for help with cleaning. If I didn't my lungs would be even more fucked than what they are now.

And that isn’t a standard of living that the majority of people have. End of story.

The majority of people can do that themselves. A cleaner isn’t a luxury if you can’t clean your own house!

I have a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome and was refused PIP when I applied (probably about 3 or so years ago). I don’t think I said the right things in retrospect.

I clean our house. My husband can not. We also can not afford a cleaner.

No, because someone who is not disabled can clean their own house, cook their own meals and drive themselves around or walk or take public transport. The money is to help bring some parity to their quality of life. Or are you just assuming they are lazy?

I agree. It’s spread too thinly due to too mainly claimants and therefore does not properly support people who are truly very disabled or incredibly unwell. Sorry, I wish I could wave a magic wand that would give everyone want they want, but I can’t, the money is finite (and dwindling).

Can they? Most people I know working 40+ hours a week with dependants struggle to do all that, and they’re paying for benefits for other people. I claim nothing, you should see the state of my house during a stressful week.

Autism doesn’t prevent you from cleaning your house.

Therefore, imagine how much worse it would be for someone disabled.

@Dewdilly My DH can not clean the house, can not use public transport, or walk very far, and can not shower without help, but has been turned down for PIP several times. I see people who can walk far better than him but have fatigue from ME, who seem to get PIP much easier.

It can do, depending on how it affects executive functioning.

I think that's where the arguments are getting confused and unhelpful.
A cleaner maybe essential in one scenario and a luxury in another.

My DH can’t and nor can many people who have illnesses and disabilities that are in no way severe enough to qualify them for PIP.

It’s totally unrealistic to expect the state to pay for cleaners for every person who is too tired after work to do a full house clean.

Want to swap? And you have to take all the shit that comes with being disabled.

Do you have ASD?

My Dd is in full burnout. Too exhausted to even wash her hair.

It's a spectrum

But l can do nothing. I can’t even walk up stairs.

How am l supposed to clean/ go to hospital appointments/ do laundry?

You can get PIP for autism more easily than physical disabilities. So you may be eligible.

Yes I do.

Also I never questioned what you can and can’t do as yours isn’t due to autism

OP I think you could qualify for standard rate care under Socialising 9. Engaging with people face to face,

9d. cannot engage with other people due to such engagement causing i) overwhelming distress to the claimant. (8 points)

I think you could appeal and just argue for this section, I get points in this one for mental health as well.

You could do a paper appeal if it would be too stressful for you, this might even back up this area because you could say how stressful such a thing would be. I did a paper appeal and said this and scored points in this. I got the points for needing social support.

Stress after the event does count. Benefits and Work is a useful site as is Pipinfo online. Good luck

A lot of posters don't understand (but OP does!) that PIP and work entitlement are entirely separate. You can work and be entitled to PIP. You can be unable to work and not be entitled to PIP. The point of PIP is to pay for the additional costs inherently associated with being disabled - care, equipment, taxis where transport is inaccessible etc. You can be a CEO on a 6-figure salary but still entitled to it. It's not supposed to be a replacement for income. That is meant to be covered by ESA.

That's the principle but of course in reality neither are enough to live on so many disabled people are (rightly) battling to get both. I have every sympathy for OP but it's not helpful wrap up her inability to work with PIP, it has no bearing on entitlement.