Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
I am new to the forum as my daughter was only diagnosed with Austistic Spectrum Disorder last summer, after a year and a half of assessments. We applied for PIP last April (I am her appointee) and have just been sent a letter saying she will not receive it, despite never going out alone and not being able to cope with communication with people other than her immediate family, and that is limited. She scored 4 points for 'engaging with other people face to face' and 4 points for 'planning and following journeys'. Zero points for everything else, despite a face to face assessment where I explained that she goes out on average once a week, sometimes less, and is always accompanied. She has lots of sensitivities, particularly with food.
Has anyone else experienced this? I am preparing an appeal. It says on the covering letter ' I realise you have a disability or health condition and receiving this decision isn't the news you were hoping for'. It's a joke.
Hi doglady, I am 18 and I am also autistic, I also have depression and anxiety, hypermobility, asthma and multiple allergies to foods; i rarely ever leave the house and find it difficult socialising and talking to new people, i can never read there expressions or tell of they even like me. Theres been a few times i thought people where trusting but really they were just taking advantage, Making friends is something thats never happened places like school was a traumatic experience. My dad has to manage all of my medication for me because i have over dose before, also i forger to take it , he manages food for me as im allergic to so much we have to be careful, alot of the time i dont want to eat so he is always prompting me too, manages my appointments, he trys his best to help me live a structured life because if left alone i let everything go bad the way it shouldnt be, im not allowes to cook because i forget the cooking times, end up burning my self and forget that ive left the oven or hob on. the exact same thing has happened to me, I had to transition from DLA to PIP, I have been diagnosed since being a child by three psychologists and yet they have still done this. I myself dont know the full ways autism affects me, i am just me, ny mam abd dad have expkained to me before but i dont know how to voice my needs to people. The woman didn't listen atall, to me or my carer (my dad), she also scored me a 4 for communicstion and only a 2 for going places evem thoug I need help getting places because I can't remember a travel route and I get very anxious around people apart from close people like my mam dad and siblings.. My dad is helping me appeal because I don't know how to, hes got my gp to write letters, even though the woman had medical reports, my sick note, and other evidence like hospital letters, she's not wrote about any of my problems. She had the cheek to say because my depressent tablets are 15mg that im not depressed, it really upsets me because they are belittling the fact that i am and i do need help which ive finally got the corage to do after years of bad experiences with CAMS workers, i have alot of anixietys surrounding talking to these people. everything that has been written in the refusal report hasn't considered any of my daily living needs one bit. It makes me feel like a lost cause and more sick of my life because if I'm not allowed the help then what kind of freak of nature am i all I've ever wanted is to live a normal life and be able to socialise and do things my self. No one wants to have these issues and yet the athos people make out as if your lying. Even though these problems have been ongoing since being a child. since the money has stopped we are financially struggling as I have no income atall I have to ask my mam tor buy me women's things and borrow money and it makes me feel so low that I have to depend even more on people because I cant afford anything, it also annoys me the pip person we went to see has disregarded everything and it really has took its toll. For the appeal my dad has got further letters from my doctor, and workers who are printing all of my history off , we are sending these off. All I can suggest to you is to get as much evidence as possible like my dad has been, and try explain in detail how your daughters condition affects her daily living needs. these people don't believe mental health is a disability even though it does greatly affect the person, I read an article about pip being put in place purposely to discriminate against mental health, even if your circumstances are worse they try and find loop holes to refuse the decision. I hope your appeal goes well and that your daughter is awarded PIP.