Adult Disability Payment - Teenager

[Pootle40]

I am dealing with a really frustrating scenario. My teenage son (16) has dyspraxia so the fine motor skills, memory and timekeeping are affected. He is still in school full time. He knows of many other peers (similar to him) who are receiving Adult Disability Payment. I’ve explained to him that while he has the condition he lives at home with us, has everything he needs and doesn’t have ‘extra costs’ associated with his condition. He thinks we are being blockers. He went ahead and made an application behind our backs. We received three follow up letters requesting further evidence and I put them all in the bin as I morally disagree (of which he is aware). I grew up with a severely disabled single parent who could not work and had two children so I have a very clear view of what I think the purposes of these payments are. My son, I think, sees this as pocket money. I asked him to name one extra cost he incurs because of his dyspraxia and he can’t. He simply thinks he’s entitled to it and no explaining is helping. So frustrated. I don’t think I am being harsh but surely he can’t just claim money because he has a life long disability?!

Thats not how gov spending works.

Why are people being given money? What is the purpose of not to help them manage their disability.

This whole thread neatly shows why we have a £5bn black hole coming down the line and also why cash handouts need to be binned and replaced by state supplied goods and services.

can’t be bothered to get a job

ADP isn’t an out of work benefit.

It absolutely is! In the words of the previous head of the institute for fiscal studies, if you want to increase spending in one area you have to borrow more, grow the economy , raise taxes or cut elsewhere. State spending does not come for free!

Yes but giving people this much free money allows them to completely and utterly bypass the workplace. He that’s no costs whatsoever. Why get a Saturday job when the SNP gives you free money.

This has got to stop. 16 years old and with his hand out. Who does he think is going to be paying this.

That is why welfare reform needs to be a priority and yet it’s pushed onto the back burner presumably because there are plenty of people with the mindset of your son.

Whether or not he qualifies for it is not your issue, that’s for the DWP to decide. Binning his mail is out of order. He’ll be an adult soon enough and you’ve no idea how transitions into the workplace, further or higher education are going to affect him and it’s easier to do all this and get it sorted when you’re not in full stress or burnout mode.

You’re gatekeeping something that could help him manage his finances and life. Driving lessons will be in the horizon that will support his future independence, that’s the goal really, to allow him to be independent. Mummy and daddy won’t be around forever to lift and lay him and when that safety net is gone (if he moves away to uni for example) you don’t know yet how that will go. He’s using initiative it’s not fair to intervene because of your own personal views. That’s regardless of what I think of the system.

I didn’t say ADP couldn’t be used by someone to help them manage their disability. What I actually said was entitlement isn’t assessed based on someone’s costs.

ADP is nowhere near what someone could receive if they worked full-time or even many part-time jobs.

It is Social Security Scotland rather than DWP.

You don’t have the right to bin his mail.

he’s entitled to apply, truthfully. And you don’t have the right to frustrate that.

He’s entitled based on his disability - not on his expenditure

and you shouldn’t be interfering. He’s an adult for the purposes of this.

Assessment is based on his disability.

Not what he spends money on.

He doesn’t need to spend the money on anything though. Can’t you understand how damaging him and others getting this money is for society?

I am all for state support for people who need assistance, but surely this is ridiculous?

ADP criteria is based on ordinary everyday activities which you need someone to help you with. This could be getting dressed, cooking a meal, finding your way to a familiar place.
Usually the person applying will be involved with health professionals who can provide evidence of what additional help the disabled person needs.

It’s not based on having a diagnosis. If your DS does not need additional help with everyday activities he won’t meet the criteria

That’s a matter of opinion and doesn’t change his entitlement to apply for the money. Nor does it warrant the OP’s interference.

its actually quite difficult to meet the criteria. If he doesn’t meet it he won’t get it

and if he does then he’s entitled to it

If he meets the criteria then he meets the criteria; if he doesn't, then he doesn't. So long as he doesn't lie on the application, morality doesn't come into it.

Noone ever has to say what those "extra costs" are though. If you get therapy through the NHS you don't really have any extra costs and still get PIP.

It’s not a matter of opinion. It’s economic fact!

The reality is that it's awarded based on diffiuclties he has rather than any extra costs incurred. Ridiculous really but that's the way it is. The system seriously needs to change.

Just because you use exclamation marks doesn’t make your opinion a fact.

Yes this is the scandal. You have no extra costs but you can still apply to get money to help to pay for these non existent extra costs. And it gets paid out with no proof of costs. And the person says hey thanks SNP for the free money, I’ll vote to keep you in next time. And schools and hospitals get even more badly resourced.

My daughter has autism and we have lots of caring responsibilities but physically she looks ‘fine’ but the amount of work and cost behind the scenes is ridiculous I left it for years but recently applied and was very very honest and I was surprised that she’s entitled I use it entirely for her therapies which we could not access before. It will hopefully help her for the two years we have it.

No but the fact that giving people cash for costs which they don’t incur is a waste of state money is just that. A fact.