This is difficult

This is excellent news.  I am very pleased for you.  Thank you VERY much for putting my mind to rest - I do find myself inexplicably "invested" in the well-being of certain posters here.....you are one of those.

I navigated my own "coming out - to myself" journey without the help of this place and those within it.

Once I had found this place, I found it much easier to stay sane and to suppress the self-loathing.

I "lurked" on here for ages before I started posting [I have zero internet / social media] and was intimidated.

The multiple messages and threads can be overwhelming at times.....but people here understand that and you don't get push-back irrespective of how you "perform" on here.

I wish you the very best of luck with your onward journey from this point....and please know that you are very welcome to dip-in here whenever you so choose.

Kindest regards

Number.

That's good to hear it turned out well.

The council should be ashamed for all the unnecessary stress they have put you through 

If there is one positive that has arisen from the situation it's that you have started to embrace your diagnosis. It is not uncommon to experience denial and you are not alone in that respect. 

https://aucademy.co.uk/2022/01/20/six-common-reactions-during-autistic-discovery/

Thank you everybody for all the helpful suggestions and good wishes. It is all appreciated.
Today I went to court with a letter explaining everything. I finally decided to embrace my diagnosis (I can't make it go away) and try and at least get something useful from it. I told the court usher I was autistic and from then on everything went much better than I expected. The Council (who were taking me to court) read my letter (which put them in a very bad light) and decided to drop the case and to let me continue on my previous arrangement. They even gave me £5 to pay for the parking! The whole experience with the weeks of dread and the intimidating scenario of the court house (so that I was so stressed I forgot to take money to pay for parking and got lost etc.) has been awful. But now for the very first time my diagnosis has actually proved useful.
I now need to learn who I really am and try and navigate away from the mess I'm in. Thank you for offering your support when I was most afraid. I may return to these forums in future but I find it very hard to manage these multiple messages at the same time.

That's understandable. I've also had a bad experience in the past when trying to seek help from CAB. I believe they're staffed by largely well meaning volunteers but unfortunately that means competence can vary.

I hope attending court goes well for you. That is a good idea to write everything down in a letter. They should be making reasonable adjustments in court, to allow you to be able to communicate effectively. Make sure you make them aware that you need those adjustments.

Do you have an email address for the court, so that you could email your requirements in advance. I know there is not much time now for them to process it but it's worth a try.

Hello Potterpaul.

Just wondered if your Sunday is panning out satisfactorily for you? I do hope you are well and OK.

Number.

If you live in Shrewsbury I was going to suggest trying a4u (never used but heard good things)  but I see the autism hub comes under their umbrella so there may not be any point depending on how they are organised I.e. can you get help from them separately from the autism hub or would they just pass you to the autism hub if you are autistic?

Good point

If you are on a low income/benefits you would qualify for council tax reduction. Have you applied for this or asked you local authority about it? 

Bless you. This has got to be though.

Sounds like you fought the diagnosis, but you are here and not fighting it now.

The housing, tax, executive function issues are common. Speak to your GP. A social prescriber or CAB advisor or advocate is needed to get you through the immediate practical crisis and they can refer, thereafter we can help answer your questions and give you some support to plot a path forward. Don't be afraid to keep telling officials you are Autistic and require reasonable adjustment.

You have a long journey ahead, but there is hope. I was 56 too when I had my diagnosis. Life began at 56.

The organisation step change are good. They will look at your income and expendature and will draft letters on your behalf to companies etc. to explain your situation. If you have debts they can arrange to freeze interest on these. I hope you find some help soon x

As many times as it takes my friend....I think it's a different number for all of us.

Oh bugger...you poor old soul.  I'm in my 50's and have faced more than my fair share of s#*t of the ilk that you describe.

The hopelessness that you describe is no mystery to me either.  Been there.  Didn't like it.  I know it well.

Don't panic too much about Monday.  You can't pay.....it's not that you won't pay = courts can be sympathetic...and at the moment, they have little desire to f#*c people off out of their homes.  This are bad for more people than "people" realise.

You strike me as bright and capable.....just a bit f#*cd at the moment.  Although it feels like an endless stream of disasters...we haven't survived into our 50's without being able to "cope.". I do appreciate that, right now, you simply can't cope. . . . But you have to!

Your writing above is very resonant with me.  Do not hesitate to send me a message if you want a chat (out of public.). I don't know if I can help you, but I do want to if I can.  I know how dreadful it feels....but also know that things can and will improve for you.

Please stay sane.

Kindest regards

Number.

Drop not so subtle hints about legislation concerning discrimination on the grounds of disability.

Yes, when it comes to housing problems I would suggest contacting Shelter over CAB

Thank you.
Part of the reason I am in such a difficult position now is because I went to the CAB and followed their advice. It turned out to be the worst possible advice which made my situation massively worse. I now do not trust them at all and will not contact them again.
I am now resigned to attending court on Monday morning without any advice or help. I will write a letter and hand it in to the court if they will let me. But I've given up hope of being treated fairly by this society. The sooner they do their worst the sooner my situation will change. I cannot continue like this, better or worse, it needs to change.
I will look into turn2us, thank you for the advice.

Thank you.
I told the council on the phone and in writing by email about my diagnosis. The only reply I received was 7 days later a court summons dropped through my door.
I also contacted the Autism Hub in Shrewsbury for help. They lost my email and I had to follow up with a message on their answer machine. Today they finally replied to say they were too busy to help.

There's also useful advice here about where to get support and contact details for the debt charities who can help:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/debt-help-plan/

Have you tried contacting CAB for help?

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/chat-service-money-and-debt/

There is some specific advice about council tax here:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/help-with-debt/dealing-with-urgent-debts/dealing-with-council-tax-arrears/

Note in particular the part about letting your council know if you're vulnerable. That includes you as an autistic person, as autism is classed as a disability. It could potentially give you more rights regarding being allowed extra time and force the council to take your vulnerabilities into account. It might not be too late for them to suspend the court action.

You could also try contacting https://www.turn2us.org.uk/ who might be able to help with debt issues and ensuring you are claiming everything you are entitled to.

If you rent privately you can only be forced to leave if your landlord goes through the legal process including giving you normally two months notice and going to court and getting an eviction order from the court. It’s important though not to fall more than 2(?) months behind on your rent though if you possibly can as this would make it easier for your landlord to get an eviction order.

With an autism diagnosis you most probably (you may need to be assessed on how your autism affects your daily life) qualify as disabled. This puts you in a different category from the non-disabled. Discrimination legislation may offer you some protection and benefits like PIP could give you more income. I would write formal letters, perhaps enclosing your diagnosis, or get a letter from your GP, to all the organisations - such as your local council - involved in your present situation, let them know that you are autistic and ask for help.