Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi I was just wondering how other autistic adults have found the PIP experience? Has anyone been successful in getting PIP? How did you explain your struggles? I got my decision today and they said I don’t qualify. Any help would be appreciated thank you
What can I say?
Been through it twice. No points for anything including managing healthcare, which is my one reason for applying and the evidence is overwhelming that I cannot.
Apparently, the vast majority of applications are dismissed. But if you get Citizens Advice involved for the appeal, most of them succeed.
Gross waste of tax payers money to stress people out having to go through appeal. Cheaper to give folk what they need in the first place.
Sigh!
These things are assessed by people who know nothing about autism and are in any case employed to prevent anyone getting help.
Book a CAB appointment
Yeah I got 2 points and nothing for anything else apparently being formally diagnosed as autistic doesn’t count as evidence cos I apparently don’t have any problems with relationships and sensory issues and so many other things which if they just looked at the qualifying criteria for an autism diagnosis then they would clearly see that these are the things that every autistic person deals with every single day.
Mind blowing. But let's remember the govt doesn't want anyone 'helped'
Thank you so much for your advice I will book an appointment
If you don't have other support, like social worker to help you fill it in or challenge the decision, book a CAB appointment. They know the right language to use.
And document EVERYTHING. Get loved ones who have had to help with this or that to write detailing what they do for you and why you struggle to do it for yourself.
It’s just so hard to explain exactly how much it does affect me cos I only got my official diagnosis in April this year I’ve had to struggle my whole life 47 years not knowing what I know now and I just want them to see that but I think I definitely need help to do it.
It's all about "impact" not the condition, per se.
You can be autistic and have no or few needs which cost more to get through life and therefore merit PIP.
You can be autistic and have a shed load of "impacts" which can get expensive and need funding.
I have loads of little impacts, which to be honest would never even have me think about PIP, ...and one big, fat hairy one which in one way or another keep costing me money: access to my health care!!!! But no, despite a pile of paper you could use as a door stop in a gale which proves otherwise, apparently I can manage my health care "unaided".
NO, I CAN'T!
You need to prove how you autism means you can't do certain things.
I don’t understand why though cos to be formally diagnosed means that a qualified professional has clearly seen that we meet the criteria so we do struggle in lots of different ways.