Has anyone applied for pip and been refused, to find things discussed by the assessor were left out of their decision? I am just wondering if automatic refusal is the norm for anyone. Do they not recognise sensory disability or autism as a disability at all?
Hello,
I had applied to PIP and know people on PIP who despite having severe mobility limitations still get rather harsh treatment when their award is challenged every few years or so.
I have found PIP is more aimed toward physical disability rather than mental health struggles/or people like us on that end of the spectrum -autism/ADHD etc.
Universal credit has been more useful for me.
Asking Citizens advice for help to fill in a PIP application or to contest a decision is a very good idea and they can help you to word answers to help your case more.
Or could contact the national autistic society for guidance too.
Otherwise keep fighting it, seek out a support group in the real world if you can to ask for advice and support with PIP application.
Not a burden on the state then ;) It does take me a couple of hours to wake up and get dressed sometimes, again a grey area. The score felt unrelated to what I had discussed with the assessor. I only scored on one category. Must try harder.
Agreed. I am appealing it out of bloody mindedness though. I sent evidence yesterday, I have several specialist reports. They have access to records they just didn't bother to review it before making a decision. I don't think DLA or anything like that I would apply as these you cannot work, lots of people must be in this catch 22 situation. It would make sense to give a video call or meet someone in person.
I can walk to far and feed and dress myself, so no PIP for me and yet some people who are just as fit or fitter than me manage to get it, do they just pick an application out of their post bag and award them money like some kind of lucky dip or something?
It seems that it is very difficult to get pip for this kind of thing. They seem to be trained to only give pip to those than literally can't feed or dress themselves without support. Those of us with fluctuating needs or are a slight rung above what pip sets out e.g. needing support shopping seems to be completely forgotten. This is again where I think there needs to be more levels of support. Things like difficulties with shopping are not a criteria to get pip yet it is crucial in being able to feed yourself. You may well be able to appeal the decision but you will need to be able to evidence it. Do you have anything from any professionals to say that you struggle?
My first attempt at PIP was six years ago. I got zero points. I asked for a mandatory reconsideration, I still got zero points.
The report on me made explicit reference that I was well groomed, calm and showed no aggression.
They ignore Autusm diagnosis, they look at how well or how badly you manage in your daily life and what help you need.
I applied again a month ago and I'm still waiting for my assessment. This time i will go scruffy, unshaven and show myself at my worst. In my application I included as evidence a copy of my previous employers' report dismissing me because of my many autistic traits and behaviour.
The first time I applied for DLA (the precursor to PIP) I got a complete refusal and took it to tribunal and got more or less what I thought I should have got in the first place, every time I've renewed it since then I've had it reduced or removed and had it re-instated on re-consideration or appeal - I've not had to take it all the way to the tribunal since that first time.
In 69% of cases where it has been taken to tribunal the decision has been changed in favour of the claiment (DWP statistics).
If you have looked at the points you should have been awarded and it looks like you should have got some sort of award then it is definitely worth appealing against the decision.
It seems like a firewall to prevent most people receiving anything. Most of what I said was not recorded. It is for me, I have issues socially, finding work, shopping in supermarkets, for clothes etc. I don't need physical help getting dressed but everyday things are extremely challenging some days and leave me distressed and fatigued. So it can take time to recover from what other people might think are minor events. I seem to get accosted a lot because people think I am looking at them the wrong way!
I had it refused. Didn't really understand the decision. They only thing they actually gave me points for was the thing I hadn't said I had a lot of difficulty with. Since this I have come to understand that Pip is all about evidence. It doesn't matter what you tell them if you can't provide evidence. They will recognise autism as a disability but you have to be able to evidence that you can't do things for yourself basically. Some with lower support needs have been able to get by taking it to tribunal. I didn't have it in me to do that. I think there is a lot of automatic refusal in the first instance that goes on when it's not a physical disability. It also seems to massively depend on the assessor you get. I don't know how the governments recent changes have affected any of this. I gave up on the idea a long time ago.
I wish they had more rates rather than just the higher and lower rate. I don't need as much as the lower rate gives. I could just do with some help looking after myself. I am able to but I get very burnt out by it and it all gets very on top of me at times. A little bit of help would go a long way for my mental and physical help. I believe I could go down the social services route for support but I'm very wary of that and I'm not sure they'd actually fund it.
I don't know what kind of support you would feel you need - assuming it is for you.
