PIP O points

I think a major flaw with PIP ,as it was with DLA, is that it's more about how well you,or someone on your behalf, presents your case rather than how much things actually affect you. This is why someone who is good at presenting their case with moderate needs may do better than someone with greater needs who is less able to present their case.  Ironically with regards to those of us with a mental illness this means that many with significant needs are the most likely to lose out.

Fightback4justice website.

• We have just been for a PIP review for my daughter today. She was diagnosed aged 22. She is 25 now and was awarded PIP 3 yrs ago after mandatory review. Initially scored zero to!! We are expecting t same this time dispute the fact her situation is worse e. G she has started self harming again. Has been diagnosed with depression. Is in a serious amount of debt as she is unable to manage her finances . Has just been assessed and its been agreed by social services that she requires a support worker to help with daily living tasks like cooking and budgeting. When she told them she self harmed thassessor asked her when she last self harmed. My daughter said last Sunday and the assessors reply was.... "WAS IT DELIBERATE?".... Really  We are expecting a big fat Zero again. Watch this space 

I can prepare a meal, but I don’t as I get distracted and I only eat when food is cooked for me. I can shower but will go a week without because I get distracted or lack motivation too. I can dress myself but will wear the same pair of underwear for days on end. I can brush my teeth but don’t for days on end. For same reasons above. Reading is difficult if there stuff going on around me. Socialising is difficult due to anxiety and I very rarely leave my room. But I’m intelligent and make eye contact and I also scored zero on everything. 

My cab rep already prepared me for a no, but I wasn’t expecting zero points. He also said he’s seen so many autistic adults being denied because dwp have ZERO knowledge of autism and how it affect us. He also told me it’ll most likely go to appeal/tribunal. I’m phoning him Monday to arrange this. 

Good luck if your doing the same. 

Thank you , very useful information.

That is awful . Sorry the system is failing you .

Well unless you know the system really well, it's hard to be successful without support.  I did everything you suggested, even showed them my medical reports and tablets.  People were fond of saying wait until the tribunal but it didn't even get that far and when I asked for support, people either were too busy, not bothered or even rude.  So I just carried on regardless without much support.  However I did get ESA due to the fact I had been to A & E with raised liver functions, stress and had both Coeliac disease and incontinence. 

Sorry to hear this. Like others have said PIP is based on a strict set of criteria. I have numerous qualifications and work 4 days a week as a teacher but I still receive enhanced rate daily living as being autistic severely impacts on my life in a number of ways.

If you feel you meet the criteria, do you have independent  examples of this that can support your application, such as GP notes, Access to Work reports etc? I believe that sending this evidence has been the key to my successful claims. As per the example below when filling out the form I state how I meet the criteria then highlight where the relevant evidence can be found

Communicating verbally

As an autistic individual, I struggle immensely with communicating verbally. Firstly, I have an overwhelming fear of phones and will not answer unless I know what the call is about. Due to this, I do not plug in my phone at work and use email instead, as demonstrated in the email from xxx on the 3rd September 2018. Secondly,xxx

The email on the 3rd septwas from a colleague explaining how she knows 'I don't do phones' so did I want my email putting on a staff contacts list instead

I have been told twice that everyone is a little bit autistic, once by a DWP advisor and also by a woman who came to do a social assessment face to face.. 

• Well I shall try and I'll be also wearing my rainbow hand knitted shawl which my GP actually admires and my black triangle T shirt.  At least it will brighten their day and provide me with some comfort... 

PIP is scored only on how your problem impacts upon daily living. Can you feed yourself, wash yourself and manage the toilet yourself? Can you sort out your own meds? Can you get to the shops & buy food/clothes etc.

If so, you score zero.

To score any points you need to have quite serious problems managing day to day activities.

I have no idea how a lot of people qualify these days - I'm Aspergers, I have a brain injury, CFS, chronic pain, terrible ulcerative colitis, memory problems, co-ordination problems etc. and I scored zero too.

I've been told that they are rejecting everyone this year - maybe to sort the wheat from the chaff - those who are seriously ill will have to do without money so they might die and save the country a lot of money and those who are fakers will get a job - and save the country a load of money.

Criminal.

The usual reply to that one is 'No they don't - just as everyone isn't a little bit pregnant.'

Make the invisible viable and oh another cliche the DWP use is that everyone has a bit of autism within them... really then per haps you would like to cuddle my bear for comfort. 

Take a Teddy bear or soft toy next time you see the advisor and say Teddy wants a job.  If someone said that to me that's exactly what I would do.  I have been known to walk around jobs fairs with 'I Daniel Blake'. The next time I have a DWP Health assessment I shall cuddle my soft toy, then we will see what they will do... 

Oh Robert I had a job until diagnosis as a teaching assistant and had held down other jobs with difficulty over the last four decades of my life.  However this all changed with a label of autism and this year as a fifty two year old woman have come through a crisis with very little support from any organisation except the RVS.  Citizens advice were unhelpful, Community Action Leicester dint want to know etc. I have never felt more isolated and lonely except for family, friends and a lovely former student from the school where I worked.  She's a volunteer and I am helping her to find work as she supports me. 

I appreciate how you/we feel.

I've often been told that my behaviour, speech and body language makes me unemployable.

But when I tried to apply for ESA and PIP.  The advisors laughed in my face and said I didn't stand a chance in getting either.

I had the same results and they wouldn't let it go to a tribunal either and yet the authorities can discriminate against us as people, lock us in asylums and we can also loose our jobs as I did.  So next time I am interviewed for PIP, teddy will accompany me.  I was told exactly the same thing that 'I am too high functioning to get PIP but can get ESA support... 

Which I did but my face to face was awful .

• preparing or eating food
• washing, bathing and using the toilet
• dressing and undressing
• reading and communicating
• managing your medicines or treatments
• making decisions about money
• engaging with other people

PIP is assessed on a strict list of criteria of what a person struggles with in real life in practical situations.

Just stating autism is NOT enough.

You need to give explicit examples and independent proof of what you cannot do and need help with.

CAB will help.