PIP refusal

There is one big problem with all these discretionary awards such as PIP.  The money does not go to the people who need it but to the people who make the best case for needing it.  Unfortunately the people who really need the money are not capable of making a good case.  

Some kind of financial security without the stress that comes with it.

The pip application form has a list of questions asking you how your disabilities affect you in different situations.  You need to answer each one giving a relevant example and provide proof.  The big problem is the proof because often it's just your or other people's opinion.  And not hard medical evidence.  For example I have great difficulty recognising faces and telling people apart, a form of face blindness.  It causes great difficulty at work.  But I cannot prove it.

Due to being Autistic I have a fear of doctors and I don’t go and so they don’t know how I struggle cos I dont tell them. I have seen an Occupational Therapist so have a sensory assessment so would that be evidence I’m just so confused. 

What would be yopu best xmas present ?
I meam materialy ?

The evidence they want is how your autism and other conditions affect your ability to function in normal life from a practical point of view.

It doesn’t help before I only got diagnosed in April so hadn’t seen anyone about my autism until then cos I didn’t know I was autistic. So what medical evidence do you send in? 

Auto correct by the system.  I understand

CORRUPT not flipping correct

Robert i get you.
I understand.
The whole system is correct anyway.
My last appeal was about why the assessor was " shuffling " points.
Adding by subtraction.
My appeal letter clearly stated  that i do not appreciate being muggeg-off and appeased.
Personally, i dont give a Damn about the money, but i wont be treatet like a Melt ! 

Proof, medical evidence!

That's just it.  It is very difficult to get proof of mental or social disabilities, physical disabilities are obvious, but mental ones, they think we are just making up our problems.

At my pip application I submitted evidence from my previous employer who dismissed me at a formal disciplinary hearing making the point that my communication and behaviour problems were so severe making me unemployable.  I still received zero pip points.  All evidence was ignored.

If you could get pip without any medical diagnosis we would all be on it wouldn't we ?
Have been on it 7 Years,i  know how it works.
Have been to numerous assessments.
Have provided proof from my G.P , O.T and CMHT.
No disrespect, but stop trying to teach me how to suck eggs.
Do your research.

What do you mean by medical evidence? You can get PIP without any medical diagnosis (although I accept it’s more difficult) and be turned down for PIP despite having multiple medical diagnoses. Supporting evidence certainly helps but it can be from friends, family, carers etc as opposed to a medical professional. I managed to get the basic care component of PIP with just my diagnosis letter and no other supporting evidence. Where I will agree is you have to be specific and say that you can’t do the things that you get points for not being able to do. You can’t just supply a diagnosis and expect DWP to realise that because you are autistic you can’t do x,y and s. The forms are also biased towards physical disability and can take a bit of creative thinking to show ‘ explain why you can’t do some of the tasks you get points for.

I went through the process three times. The third time it went to tribunal and still rejected.

I gave up. It's way too much stress. Yes I could have asked CAB but that time had passed.

Everything you write when you fill in the pip form has to be backed-up with medical evidence.
Supporting evidence is needed as we could all write write anything on the form.
They award points based on proof.

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.