Boyfriend has just been diagnosed with autism (age 19)

We have been together nearly 3 years and my boyfriend has dyspraxia and dyslexia, recently he received his confirmation that he is also autistic. We are starting our second year at uni in September and we live together so I am with him 90% of the time. I wondered what help is accessible, I have read about PIP, but I didn't know whether I would be acceptable as a carer (I feel like it would be something I needed to justify as he means a lot to me and 'carer' makes it sound like a job). Any information would be appreciated as I really don't know what I can do to make his life that little bit easier.  

Parents
  • PIP is dependant on how your boyfriend's label effect him across as a certain number of descriptors (see link below). If he meets enough points across these board he'd be awarded either standard or enhanced rate. As a university student, he's likely to have lots of relevant evidence to send off with his application increasing his chances of sucess. This could include his a needs assessment for the Disabled Students Allowances (if he applied), as well as his diagnostic report for autism.

    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf

    http://www.awp.nhs.uk/media/825665/guide-to-pip-20-april-2017.pdf

    I like how your already cautious about the impact of having to be his 'carer' may have. If you don't need the income I'd think long and hard about this might impact his self-esteem and self-image. As someone whose autistic, dyslexia and ADHD, I'm very much aware that there's nothing I'm unable to do and its mainstream society that put barriers in place to disable me. I see your boyfriend in the same boat and that he's not disabled, although society disabled him. Hopefully that makes sense

    If he is successfully awarded PIP this would make him eligible for bogof tickets for many things, such as the cinema through a CEA card, theatre tickets. 

Reply
  • PIP is dependant on how your boyfriend's label effect him across as a certain number of descriptors (see link below). If he meets enough points across these board he'd be awarded either standard or enhanced rate. As a university student, he's likely to have lots of relevant evidence to send off with his application increasing his chances of sucess. This could include his a needs assessment for the Disabled Students Allowances (if he applied), as well as his diagnostic report for autism.

    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf

    http://www.awp.nhs.uk/media/825665/guide-to-pip-20-april-2017.pdf

    I like how your already cautious about the impact of having to be his 'carer' may have. If you don't need the income I'd think long and hard about this might impact his self-esteem and self-image. As someone whose autistic, dyslexia and ADHD, I'm very much aware that there's nothing I'm unable to do and its mainstream society that put barriers in place to disable me. I see your boyfriend in the same boat and that he's not disabled, although society disabled him. Hopefully that makes sense

    If he is successfully awarded PIP this would make him eligible for bogof tickets for many things, such as the cinema through a CEA card, theatre tickets. 

Children
  • Thank you, he is happy for me to help him with his PIP claim, strangely he isn't worried about how it affects him, hes still the same person he has always been so he doesn't see anything change. I have trouble with my mental health and so this is also why Im a little conscious about it, I think hes proud to have me as his 'carer'. His sister is highly autistic but was diagnosed when she was young and so I confident about the eligibility of things! 

    thank you so much for your comment, I just didn't want it to become an obstacle in our relationship.