Need assessment

Welcome to the forum,

It sounds like you're stuck in place that lots of autistic people find themselves in. Technically, local authority social services should support autistic people, but way they organise things, autism doesn't quite fit the responsibilities of any particular department, so we fall through the cracks - it's like school all over again, no-one wants the "weirdos" in their gang, and it's not unusual to be brushed aside if you happen to speak to the wrong person.

The first thing I would do is to get in touch with your local Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB). A lot of them have a disability specialist you can speak with if you ask when you book. They can't always do anything directly, but their knowledge of how local services are set up is usually excellent - so if there's any other way to approach the local authority to try getting what you need, they will know it, and they can sometimes negotiate a little bit on your behalf. They're also good for finding out about local disability support charities and advocacy organisations. They are very busy these days, though, so do be prepared for a bit of a wait to see someone (and yes, I know going to see someone isn't always easy, but it's worth it just to see them cut jobs-worths down to size over the phone!)

The second route, if you haven't tried it already, it to claim the PIP benefit from the DWP, which is intended to cover the additional expenses of living with a disability. However, I'll warn you now, it is not easy to claim - very likely you wil be rejected at first and have to appeal, and that can take months. Again, the CAB is a good place to start for getting a bit of help with the mind-boggling application process.

And, while we can't help you with the practical stuff, there's us lot here on the forums to give you a bit of moral support in the mean-time!

Best wishes.

Welcome to the forum,

It sounds like you're stuck in place that lots of autistic people find themselves in. Technically, local authority social services should support autistic people, but way they organise things, autism doesn't quite fit the responsibilities of any particular department, so we fall through the cracks - it's like school all over again, no-one wants the "weirdos" in their gang, and it's not unusual to be brushed aside if you happen to speak to the wrong person.

The first thing I would do is to get in touch with your local Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB). A lot of them have a disability specialist you can speak with if you ask when you book. They can't always do anything directly, but their knowledge of how local services are set up is usually excellent - so if there's any other way to approach the local authority to try getting what you need, they will know it, and they can sometimes negotiate a little bit on your behalf. They're also good for finding out about local disability support charities and advocacy organisations. They are very busy these days, though, so do be prepared for a bit of a wait to see someone (and yes, I know going to see someone isn't always easy, but it's worth it just to see them cut jobs-worths down to size over the phone!)

The second route, if you haven't tried it already, it to claim the PIP benefit from the DWP, which is intended to cover the additional expenses of living with a disability. However, I'll warn you now, it is not easy to claim - very likely you wil be rejected at first and have to appeal, and that can take months. Again, the CAB is a good place to start for getting a bit of help with the mind-boggling application process.

And, while we can't help you with the practical stuff, there's us lot here on the forums to give you a bit of moral support in the mean-time!

Best wishes.