To be nosy and ask if any of you managed to get PIP for an autistic teen?

[CarolDanvers]

Filling in forms at the moment and losing the will. Anxiety is literally stopping me from sleeping at night. I've not slept a full night since he forms came. What makes me angriest is we were awarded DLA until February next year but as he turned 16, off he goes onto PIP. I've read so many depressing accounts of turn downs, then appeals and tribunals. Anyone got any hope for me?

Not autistic but my brother has dyspraxia and received PIP age 17. It was easy enough filling out the forms and getting the DRs notes etc but did take a while for payments to come through. Surely if your sons autistic and has the relevant medical notes it's quite clear cut (to them) that he is eligible. Not sure if this helps.

Yes it helps. Thank you! Ds has dyspraxia too and two other conditions. They are all diagnosed and we have medical reports to confirm that. Just heard so much negativity and people with far worse health issues being refused

We did, without difficulty .
But it depends on may factors.. DS1 has learning disablilities (mild/moderate) too, attended special school etc so I suppose he was considered more needy .
Having said that, I typed up each question and wrote a clear picture of his daily life, what we do for him, and why, along with examples of what happens if he is not supported (eg at 18 I would expect him to be able to make a simple meal/ catch a train/ find his way to a new place..he cannot do any of these things ...and I explained why)

PIP isn't about the diagnosis but the actual care needs. He even has a part time job now, but that has been with support from MENCAP to get him started and amazing staff at the supermarket and I detailed how they have supported him.

I explained clearly how his autism impairs him in every aspect of daily life, and I repeated myself a lot.

I did include a few reports but once he left his special school , we have barely seen anyone since, so it was mostly down to detailing every bit of help he needed.

His was granted 'ongoing' (which is 10 years max now not lifetime) so it must have been sufficient. I think I bored them into submission!

Good luck, and just put in as much detail as you can!

I feel your pain. DS2's PIP forms have arrived. :(

DS1 was initially turned down. The assessor lied a fair bit but wasn't quite bright enough to lie consistently and ended up contradicting himself.

I asked for a reconsideration and pointed out all the places where the decision made no sense, eg DS1 was apparently perfectly fine and needed no help with anything as he had GCSEs .

The decision was overturned and DS was awarded both components for 5 years.

Pip is very different to DLA and a lot harder to get.

Ds is 16 autistic with adhd . He had dla rejected for pip. Nightmare as he really is going to struggle in life.

It takes ages for the forms to go through, my little sister (21) was born with downs syndrome can't talk or communicate, has heart and bowel problems totally incontinent and uses a wheelchair most days and it took my mum almost a year and a half to have the form accepted. They asked for her to have 2 medicals to make sure she couldn't work. And that was with social services help at least she got it in the end!

I receive PIP for another condition. The most important thing is to meet the criteria for 'Care needs' and/or 'Mobility needs'.

The website 'Benefitsandwork.co.uk' is really helpful when claiming PIP.

Pip is very different to DLA and a lot harder to get.

yes, I know. Very helpful. Thanks.

Thanks everyone else who posted. Sorry for those who didn’t. Are you appealing. It’s all so stressful.

Yes, but my daghter also has severe learning difficulties and requires 24/7 care. She gets PIP at the highest rate.

We did, didn't think We would. Make sure sure you write everything down, no matter how small. Luckily the person we put as a support backed up what we said.

Yes we did.
After a F2F where I refused to answer any questions unless they were directed to me specifically, we got full PIP (care and mobility) for 6 years.

Thanks for that info StillMedusa. That's what keeps me awake at nights. There is just so little provision for those middle of the road in terms of needs but they cannot cope alone.

PIP isn't about the diagnosis but the actual care needs.

This. The diagnosis itself is not enough, you have to show what help he needs and why.

PIP isn't about the diagnosis but the actual care needs.

This. The diagnosis itself is not enough, you have to show what help he needs and why.

As StillMedusa says, PIP isn't about the diagnosis but the actual care needs

This, with bells on. You have to really spell it out, assume they know absolutely nothing and explain everything carefully to illustrate why your teen cannot do the task they assume s/he can.

At the face to face assessment by ATOS or CAPITA, you may get someone who understands autism, or you may not. Make sure you get a copy of what's been said, what points have been awarded and which ones you want to challenge.
You will mostly need evidence for the ones you challenge.

The website www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip is really helpful when claiming PIP
Agreed, if you join, they have info for you to download to help with answering the questions both on the form and for appeal.

The CAB also have useful info online.

For anyone who has not been successful, do apply again using the guides above to help you.

We went to appeal and won.

Apparently there are groups on FB which give good advice, I didn't look into that but you may want to.

Sorry, we went to Tribunal and won.

Thanks for all your replies. I’ve described things exactly as they are. He’s not in school as he’s home educated. He never leaves the house alone, he’s unlikely to take GCSEs. All I can do is tell the truth and hope for the best...

Good luck with the application.

I'm dreading my ds transfer from dla to pip.

He can't even pour a bowl of cereal himself or if he does he fills the bowl so full, pours on milk so it spills everywhere, let alone prepare and cook food.

He needs to be prompted to clean his backside, wets the bed frequently and can't shower or wash his hair without major meltdowns, prompts etc.

I can still see us having issues because he agrees with what everyone says because that's what they want to hear and he wants to appear 'normal'.

I find it so frustrating that so many people on here are having to fight for support, when it is so clearly needed.

My DS got DLA but was rejected for PIP. He has ASD and ADHD. Unlike some of the people on here, he can go out and about by himself, can cook a simple meal, but is vulnerable and cannot budget to save his life. needs support taking medication, struggles with fine motor skills. He will struggle to get a job. He is now being supported by social services so I'm hoping he may get a lower rate, with their help. I really hope all of you get PIP.