21, aspie and trying to claim the right benefit

Funny how officials seem to have it in their heads that somehow, before diagnosis, you hadn't got it, and something had changed meaning you'd suddenly developed it.

I met up with a lot of this idiocy when I was diagnosed. There really needs to be more done to educate and train, but as I've found out the £500,000 the Government allocated to develop training and awareness packages came to naught. We still don't have any decent training and awareness material.

And NAS was one of the 8 recipients of this fund and they still haven't explained what happened to their training and awareness package.

IntenseWorld said:

The trouble is, that even if a policy is written to address it all, unless staff are up to the job and trained adequately you will always get idiots fobbing off and being unhelpful when people try to get the assistance.

This is the problem I had. I'd emailed my "adviser" at the work programme to inform her that I'd been diagnosed with Autism and she said "ok, we'll discuss it when I next see you". It ended with her telling me it can't be that bad because I'd just been diagnosed. Would anyone really just get a diagnosis for the sake of it? I was getting a diagnosis because I was struggling. I had to constantly fight to get reasonable adjustments which never happened. There was even a notive up saying that their role is to help disabled people back into work.

After 2 months of trouble, I'd had enough and went to my GP. I was told they're happy to write me a letter and sign me off if that's what I feel needs to happen. I was then given the letter and got signed off with no trouble.

The job centre left me alone; but the work programme didn't. Not long after being placed in the support group, (this means I'm not required to do anything) I was informed they'd received a letter stating I was put into the work group and would I like to come in and see them? Um, no thanks. You made my life difficult and now expect me to come in and see you? No thanks.

The job centre had to twice tell my former adviser to leave me alone. They weren't happy with the way I'd been treated.

The trouble is, that even if a policy is written to address it all, unless staff are up to the job and trained adequately you will always get idiots fobbing off and being unhelpful when people try to get the assistance.

The big issue is the invisible disability side that is not given enough publicity and awareness is virtually nil.  It's not about tick-boxes and it should never have been.

Please can I draw the attention to the moderators to this thread. This is a clear illustration that Disability Confident isn't working.

With all the difficulties described above, with young people on the spectrum trying to find work and struggling to get the right benefits, it is clear that the Disability Employment Advisers scheme isn't functioning, and nor is the Disability Confident scheme reaching the people it is supposed to help.

Can NAS do more please to flag up to Government that DWP and Jobcentre Plus are actually undermining this new strategy.

Thx for the post Longman and i'll look into the UKCES. It's like having children running the country with this coalition, there's no compation for there fellow beings, as long as there lining there own pockets there happy, anyway, they won't get me down, i'll plod on. At the moment i'm waiting for an appointment with CAB, they are going to help me fill in the PIP form, they must be busy though because my appointment is'nt untill 12/12/13. Meanwhile i'm in the middle of trying to claim ESA for my daughter because she couldn't cope with the demands from JSA and CAB advised me to. At the moment I'm at the stage where they want a fit note so i've made an appointment with her GP for tomorrow 27/11/13, I could do with some advice/help on how best to explain to the GP her prodicament. Are aspies usually successful when asking a doctor for a fit note.

Huge THX to all

It is also sad that she has graduated and not found a job. I wish that universities would include greater careers guidance support for the disabled students they take on, because it doesn't seem to be appreciated that job finding will be harder for a disabled student. Let's face it the fees are high enough for it surely to be a right of passage to get better careers help.

Trouble is a lot of graduates are out of work after a year. With so many people doing a degree nowadays the uniqueness of a degree is much less powerful than thirty or forty years ago, when there were fewer universities and fewer places.

Consequently a lot hangs on value added. Students with a good sports or volunteering or work experience component on top of the degree do succeed more readily. Its just those things are hard for someone on the spectrum - team work and coordination being barriers on the sports angle.

Games Art ought to open up opportunities, but it just depends ion how many students have done similar courses. In the 70s the TV series "All Creatures Great and Small" gave rise to a huge surge in students doing veterinary science, but there just weren't that many jobs for vets, so a lot of graduates had to find other careers.

It also depends on the grade - whether it was Honours and whether it was a Lower Second or an Upper Second/First or conversely a third or pass. A third or pass isn't necessarily a barrier, as it potentially shows you had a good time and developed as a person even if at the expense of good grades, and you would be amazed how many students with thirds do better career wise than their higher scoring peers. But it can be very different if you are disabled.

If she has a II-2 or better, she may be able to get on a postgraduate course, if you can afford it. While in one sense it is delaying the need to find a job, having a second qualification often gives that extra edge over the bog standard graduate in getting jobs.

Finally look at the UK Commission for Employment Skills UKCES and the Federation of Industry Sector Skills and Standards FISS. The Government has folded the original Sector Skills Council lists and I'm baffled by the new arrangements, but somewhere in there will be guidance on arts related careers.

Sad thing about this mostly tory coalition government is that it is very good at meddling but pathetic at producing anything workable.

I found that, scaredwoman... The forms I filled in the first time were really not tailored towards mental illness, just either mobility problems or severe mental functions... like "can you turn on a washing machine?". The first time I tried for ESA, I was turned down with the reason "while we acknowledge that you have a mental disability, you do not qualify". The second time I applied, I had letters from my GP, care coordinator and a psychiatrist. They turned me down again, this time accusing me of not sending them a completed claim form (which I did) and then refused to explain what they were talking about. So I'm wracking up debt with people because I can't work and the government isn't interested!

Its very hard to claim the benefits, the forms are hard to fill in and Asperger Syndrome doesn't seem to fit into any neat disability catagory, Asperger people seem like normal people until we have meltdowns then everyone just calls us nutters and say "you need help" and "you need locking up", its very very very hard

thx stranger thats a big help

There's nothing to stop your daughter from claiming ESA and looking for jobs. To claim ESA, you don't need to be completely unable to work. You just need to have a health condition which affects your ability to work.

I claimed JSA for about 18 months. I had a lot of problems. I was sent on the work programme who ignored my disabilities (I have Autism plus a load of physical issues) and someone went through my job seekers agreement and removed everything relating to my health. This meant I got in to trouble because I wasn't looking for full time work.

After months of trouble from the work programme, I went on to ESA. I waited about 4 months and was then put into the support group.

hi, i,ve been to cab, theyv'e told me to claim for pip and they will help me fill the form in, they also asked me to claim esa only if my daughter agrees, this is where it gets tricky because she wants a job and she could maybe do some sort of job under supervision with understanding employer but i dont think she'd cope with the majority of jobs and definetly not some of the job jsa would put her in for, she' s inbetween esa and jsa, so i've cancelled her jsa and claimed for esa but she's not happy because she wants a job, i've still got to get the fit note off the doc though and i'm not sure she will get one because she could do certain jobs as long as a pc is involved and she doesn't have to deal with people, its doing my head in now and i dont know what to do, i'm thinking maybe claim jsa again and ask them to go easy on her, but she only really wants a job in games art because thats what she got her degree in. thx again for reply and i'll let you know how i go on sap  

PIP is paid due to care and /or mobility needs. To get PIP, your daughter needs to have had these needs for at least 3 months and expect them to last for at least 9 months. PIP isn't counted as income for other benefits.

ESA is paid if your daughter has a condition which affects her ability to work. To get ESA, your daughter needs to send in fit notes. She will then be sent a form called an ESA50. In this form, she has to answer questions which will then decide whether she can carry on claiming ESA or they stop her claim if they find her fit for work. If successful, your daughter will either be put into the support group o the work related activity group.

Depending on her situation, your daughter will either be paid income based or contribution based ESA. Income based ESA ignores PIP as income; but will count savings above £6000 and any other income she may have. Income based ESA entitles your daughter to full housing and council tax benefit for her area, free eye tests, free prescriptions, etc. Contribution based ESA doesn't entitle her to these things and if ESA is her only income, she'd have to apply for housing and council tax benefits seperately.

ESA and PIP may require your daughter to undergo an assessment (not a miedical) if they need more information.

huge thx to all of you for your speedy replies, i will look into your suggestions and let you know how i go on, she has been diagnosed and has the paper work to prove it from cahms, and no she isn't getting pip, thx again its nice to know you guys are there for support, see you soon

To get ESA, your daughter needs fit notes from her GP.

ESA is the one my 22 year old son claims and also he has DLA.I would personally take her to your GP and explain with her the anxiety as at least then it is on record.I did that with my son.Lots of aspies go to Uni but it is the life afterwards which can be so stressing espcially as you say with job applicants.Uni is much more structured.It could be possible I woudl think for you to act for her if she consents. You need to check that out but my oldest son with HFA wants me to do it all for him as he would get too stressed and money paid into my account and I get his clothes etc. I am his apointee.He has money paid into his account also from me.

The more anxious your daughter gets it will be like a vicious circle.These forms are very steressing and job applications also.People who claim JSA and not have AS I know have been very stressed and been put under allot of pressure:-( Places like The Shaw Trust help with getting a job.My cousins son got one trhough them and also when problems arose in the job with him not taking inatitiative etc the Shaw trust were able to speak to the employer and he has now been at that job for some years.He started off voluntart for about a day and it built up and offered a paid job and now works five days a week.

Hi - either ring the CAB for advice or check things out on line.   If you're not used to filling in these forms then it's best to get CAB or your council's Welfare Rights dept to help.  It goes make a difference as they're used to it.  Do not presume the DWP will be kind enough to tell you your rights.  Benefits are changing.  In my opinion those on benefits are under attack by the government as never before.   It is also my opinion that the government should, at a minimum, be totally ashamed of itself.  I cd go on but I wont.   My son, who's been on benefits for a number of yrs is presently on :  incapacity benefit (which at some time will change to ESA), disability living allowance + income support.  ATOS (better known as "couldn't give atoss" look at what a claimant can do, rather than what they can't do, unless they're :  getting cancer treatment, terminally ill or very seriously mentally ill.  Therefore you need to marshal your resources by getting the best help you can.  Sorry this sounds so negative.  Blame the politicians + the unthinking public who jump on the bandwagon of stereotyping claimants.

delete (sorry I misread your post).

is she getting PIP (personal independence payment)?