Benefits how come people know about these things

[weekendgirl66]

Just a little annoyed with myself, i have a son with Learning difficulties which means he is unable to go and get a job like a person without needs,, he has reading skills of a 8 year old and his maths is as bad ( dyslexic and dycalcula as well as a speech impediment ) we have just found out he could maybe claim a PIP ( personal independent payment allowance which he has been entitled to for the last 6 years!!! We have never claimed a bean before so im wondering HOW on earth do people know what they can claim and how its a minefield just wanted to say that's all

did his school / social worker / health support not mention it?

Aren't PIPs fairly recent? Surprised none of your professionals have suggested anything .

We were told by an early intervention specialist at a local childrens centre when DS was first diagnosed as autistic.

The way most friends have known to apply is school/social workers/ health workers but more usually from friends and family who either have 1st hand experience or know a friend of a friend with the same condition.

LIZS PIP is replacing DLA for over 16's so he would have been eligible for DLA the last 6 years. If you are over 16 now they will put you straight onto PIP which is why OP mentioned it.

I think many health professionals just assume you are claiming it

We were told by an early intervention specialist at a local childrens centre when DS was first diagnosed as autistic.

The way most friends have known to apply is school/social workers/ health workers but more usually from friends and family who either have 1st hand experience or know a friend of a friend with the same condition.

LIZS PIP is replacing DLA for over 16's so he would have been eligible for DLA the last 6 years. If you are over 16 now they will put you straight onto PIP which is why OP mentioned it.

I think many health professionals just assume you are claiming it

We were told by an early intervention specialist at a local childrens centre when DS was first diagnosed as autistic.

The way most friends have known to apply is school/social workers/ health workers but more usually from friends and family who either have 1st hand experience or know a friend of a friend with the same condition.

LIZS PIP is replacing DLA for over 16's so he would have been eligible for DLA the last 6 years. If you are over 16 now they will put you straight onto PIP which is why OP mentioned it.

I think many health professionals just assume you are claiming it

OOps Sorry for multiple posts

A good place to start for benefits is the calculator at www.turn2us.org.uk.

It's ridiculously pot luck.

I could have claimed for quite some time before I did - and then was on a lower rate than I should have been for a long time.

Discovered I might be eligible by chance.

Pretty much the only information sent without me demanding it was a letter from the Jobcentre (with whom I had no dealings) saying "Since you're too sick to work, perhaps you'd like to look for a job."

Which was helpful.

I know exactly what you mean - years ago i was seriously ill, was told I could no longer do my normal job, wasn't predicted to get much better etc. I had a disabled badge for my car. I was lucky that I would be paid full pay by my former employer for a few months (long story).
Before I was released from hospital there was talk about a social worker - not sure if I even saw them or maybe I did but they knew I was fine in the short run - I never got any other advice etc....
I found myself (after never claiming before, always working from a young age, paying tax) in the job centre claiming unemployment benefit and getting a hard time about not 'wanting' to get a job in my normal field....I still wasn't well and by that stage was suicidally depressed - no position to fight my corner. Luckily things got better and I could go back to work part time/casual in my normal job and earn enough to just support myself whilst I retrained in another field.
However years later I was talking to someone who had a long term disability and was an activist and they said no way should I ever had been in that position, I would have been eligible for DLA, should have had more help. (I do wonder if that would have been a good thing for me personally in the long run - as desperation was a great driving force...I doubt I would have continued working in so much pain -crying sometimes- if I didn't have to but the forcing myself to do it actually helped it improve)
The one thing I did learn is that it can be complicated - and genuine people who don't know how it all works can get treated really badly...not get the help they really need.
(A few years later I was working a couple of different part time/casual jobs whilst studying ...I was still signing on for security but usually earning enough so I didn't get any benefit money. I wanted to cut my hours just whilst I did my exams. But someone was depending on me...so I decided to do the right thing and to keep working the same hours in that job. I was still eligible for unemployment benefit (had paid in enough) but if I worked the hours I planned I would be worse off than if I was eligible for income support (hadn't paid in). The guy in the job centre told me to ideally stop working all together or at least drop a couple of hours...)

My son had a full education statement for 15 years and at no stage has anyone ever mentioned assistance of any kind.. I just decide to call the CAB to see if he was entitled no idea why but im glad i did i do regret not doing it sooner and i shall be telling anyone i know with a young adult who has problems

Make sure you apply as soon as possible because they'll backdate it to the day you apply and at the moment it takes about six/seven months at least to process.