Personal Independence Payments application (PIP) waiting time?

By sound of things I'd encourage a change college or something. Something doesn't seem right having read what I just did. Maybe I'm just not aware that this stuff happens everywhere. I wouldn't even know what many drugs look like and certainly haven't seen any ever. Seems that he might be drawing himself somehow close to negative and dangerous crowds.

Definitely try to talk and get through in a grown up way. With right advise and support I'd say he should develop a better awareness of avoiding people who pose a threat and avoid them as he gets older. The adult world is a massive and scary thing for all us autistics just coming into it. It never becomes not scary. But hopefully things become a bit less scary. It's a long road but we do the best we can.

I guess I'm slightly less unfortunat being on the milder end of spectrum but every single one of us is different. I can't speak to worrys of a parent either I don't have kids. I'm pretty sure my Mum has worried much about me and probab still does. I worry about myself. I had many issued growing up thats for sure and still do today. I hope it gets at least a bit better. And it may get a lot better god willing. 

Do not apologise for ranting, there are lots of parents on here who have the same worries. I try to take each day as it comes, but I too can be overwhelmed by what will happen in the future, as I am a single parent, in my 60's to a 19 year old. You are not alone, so take care

Hi,

I ask for help from the Citizens advice, they wrote the application out on my behalf. I had to explain how I struggled which was incredibly hard as I struggle verbally. I could never of done it by myself.

I waited nearly 7 months and was refused, citizen’s advice appealed the decision, I was refused again then requested it be taken to a tribunal then out of the blue I received a phone call and was asked if I would accept lower care element and no mobility to which I agreed only because I could not have faced a tribunal. 

It’s unfortunate the wait times but if you appeal and it’s accepted the claim will be backdated to the original application. 

Hope you get the outcome your looking for. 

Thank you everybody for your kind responses. The whole application process sounds like a massive ordeal and I’m already getting sensory overload and stress just thinking about it (I’m an Aspie Mum!). I do worry about my son’s future when we’re gone. We are ‘older’ parents too. I don’t know how he will cope in the big bad world. He’s only been in college since September and has already been threatened with having his throat slit, co-ersed into taking drugs, stalked, threatened with being stabbed, beaten up, ‘cancelled’, had alcohol poisoning twice and had paramedic treatment, accosted by complete strangers on the street and abandoned by (so-called) friends -  the list goes on. It’s horrifying and we don’t even live in a big city. He is incredibly trusting and naive and people have taken advantage of his sweet nature as well as bullying him and back stabbing him. He doesn’t pick up on social cues which leaves him open to ridicule and misunderstanding. There are some truly awful predators out there. We are having to chaperone/escort him everywhere. People seem to sense somehow that he is a victim. He looks completely normal (to me), a handsome young man with the world at his feet… But there must be something about him that makes him stand out. I’m worried sick about him being out on his own. That’s why PIP would help. He would be able to afford to take taxis, maybe we could pay for an enabler? At the moment, he gets nothing. Anyway, sorry about ranting and thanks for listening. X

To a great extent I can appear generally normal and even very healthy on my better days. On a so called better day I may appear almost unautistic I guess, whatever that may mean. Some days I might feel I can talk a bit more, other days I feel immensely drained and I really don't want to talk to anyone. I can be quite formal and I work hard to mask my abnormal tendencies and it's almost something that I do by default, a learned sort of behaviour. But I have real issues anxiety. At home when no one is around I'll very much retreat into my quite weird behaviours. Like how I choose to eat, or my binging issues, or anger issues stemming from frustration and stress and other things. Possibly my peculiar body language would give the game away or my eye contact might do so but otherwise I'd probably be seen as normal and not needing any support, let alone extra money. I don't know. Fundamentally I've always wanted to be as normal/typical as possible so I try hard to put on that front in public/at workplace. 

Its very difficult for assessors to assess someone with autism, who may seem fine externally, they can only ask questions and get an idea - they may not ask the right questions, or may not believe valid answers to right ones.  Its very much the case of relatives or parents having to talk for them, get across their difficulties, and fight on their behalf.

Its been this way a long time, under DLA and incapacity benefit, and as autistic people have difficulties gaining employment or keeping it then earning an income to be independent is difficult and can isolate them or keep them dependent on family/parents, if they don't qualify for social care.

We claimed for PIP and after the assessment, received 0 points. The assessor at the interview decided there was nothing wrong with him, even with a diagnosis of autism.

I appealed and went through and challenged each comment the assessor had made. It was stressful and took a while. But the end result was we got more points, and qualified for PIP.

It is a disgrace that parents, already stressed and worried about their child, have to go through this. 

Its always taken a long time, but it varies depending on staff levels and the number of applications being processed at any time.

Very much a black hole process, you claim have to wait - eventually the seriously brown envelope should arrive.

Citizens Advice and other places that help with benefit claims sometimes know of delays or roughly how long its taking at that time, but generally its a unknown thing - you don't get an apology letter saying its taking longer than normal, and may take several months more.

Its frustrating and in many cases lives are on hold until the PIP is awarded, especially if they need a mobility vehicle or pay for assistance or equipment to be more independent.  This is how it is, designed this way which says a lot.

Do you think it would help to write to the local councillor or MP to get help? 

I have no idea about current time frames.

There is chaos everywhere in the government and civil service.

When political pressure is applied, resources are moved there from other areas and these 'other' areas become neglected and worse.