nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

First PIP Application: Autism

jacqpott

Hello.

I am Autistic and am considering submitting an application for PIP due to a deterioration in the quality of my life as I get older around my neurodiversity and comorbidity such as Dyspraxia, Depression and Anxiety.

I do work full time from home however over the last few years I am having 6 months periods off work due to struggling.

All I have read online states how difficult and negative an experience it is to apply for PIP.

I wondered if there was anyone in a similar circumstance who could provide me with any advice and guidance?

Thank you.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

66Mustang

You will hear a disproportionate amount of bad stories on the internet because people who have a good experience rarely have reason to share this experience

I have autism and other mental heath conditions, and have applied for PIP and renewed my application a handful of times due to changes and also just due to the award running out and all but one experience has been good, and even the bad experience wasn't a complete disaster as it was quickly rectified

I just told it how it is, don't try to big things up but do take into consideration that what is normal for you might still be relevant ... when I filled the forms out I realised that I was having to think twice about daily life because a lot of the things I do I am so used to that I forgot they were in fact a relevant issue!!! (e.g. spending an hour in the shower or washing my hands several times)

Albus_Alumni

Heya @jacqpott and welcome to the community.

I'm also autistic and this will be my first re-assessment with a formal diagnosis. Previous attempts meant jumping through some hoops, but I was awarded PIP twice.
As @66Mustang has said, you tend to only hear about the bad experiences, hardly ever the good. The key thing is making sure you fill the forms in correctly. And we're all here to support you if you need it.

Moana

I have been diagnosed as autistic and have applied for PIP and have been refused so am now waiting for a Tribunal date. It’s honestly been so hard to try to know what to do and how to fill in the forms to explain how hard days can be. I haven’t had any help from anyone and have tried to fill in the forms but it’s been hard. I contacted citizens advice when I first got refused but the lady I spoke to didn’t really know what she should do or say so had to asked someone else and then she said no i wouldn’t get it anyway. Has anyone got any advice that you could share with me please?

poppy123456

Moana said:

I have been diagnosed as autistic and have applied for PIP and have been refused so am now waiting for a Tribunal date. It’s honestly been so hard to try to know what to do and how to fill in the forms to explain how hard days can be. I haven’t had any help from anyone and have tried to fill in the forms but it’s been hard. I contacted citizens advice when I first got refused but the lady I spoke to didn’t really know what she should do or say so had to asked someone else and then she said no i wouldn’t get it anyway. Has anyone got any advice that you could share with me please?

What advice would you like exactly? I see you were given a considerable amount of advice in your other thread last year.

Moana

Hi advice about the tribunal and what is going to happen and also if there is anything that I should take with me and do I need to write anything to take and if so then what sort of thing should I write cos do I have to read anything out to them?

poppy123456

You will need to make sure you take the bundle with you. At the moment you need to make sure you've sent any extra evidence you have to support your claim.

If you haven't already given a couple of real world incidents of exactly what happened the last time you attempted each descriptor that applies to you then you can do that for your submission and send that to HMCTS before the hearing date.

There's some advice here on what happens at the hearing, please see link. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/appeals/your-hearing/#:~:text=This%20is%20what%20you%20can,do%20on%20an%20average%20day

Have you received a hearing date yet?

Moana

Thank you so much I am going to write a few examples down to send to them before thank you. I haven’t got a date yet so think it’s probably going to be a long time to wait. Thank you so much for replying.

honestjon

jacqpott said:

Hello.

I am Autistic and am considering submitting an application for PIP due to a deterioration in the quality of my life as I get older around my neurodiversity and comorbidity such as Dyspraxia, Depression and Anxiety.

I do work full time from home however over the last few years I am having 6 months periods off work due to struggling.

All I have read online states how difficult and negative an experience it is to apply for PIP.

I wondered if there was anyone in a similar circumstance who could provide me with any advice and guidance?

Thank you.

I would advise you to get help from someone who understands the pip system.
You can do it on your own if you don't want or need help but it's less stressful when someone can guide you through the process from application

Moana

Citizens advice the lady said I wouldn’t get it and then I got given an a place to email to ask them but they couldn’t help cos I had already got to the tribunal stage so I don’t think there is anyone else who can help. Thank you for your help

poppy123456

This link will help you find an agency that's local to you. I'd advise either Welfare Rights or a law Centre. welfare-benefits

Moana

Thank you so much I will get in contact with them and see what they say.

poppy123456

Did you check the link I posted above? It will tell you if there's any other advice agencies local to you. You need to put your postcode into the link I provided.

Moana

I did and it came up as citizens advice is that the same as Welfare Rights cos when I typed that in it came up as citizens advice?

poppy123456

Welfare Rights is not the same as CA. It's a totally different advice agency.

Moana

Ahhh ok thank you I’ll have a proper look tomorrow.

jacqpott

@66Mustang Thank you for such a helpful reply. Sorry I haven’t replied sooner, life!

Like you say a lot of things I do daily I am used to but it’s only outside influence that makes me realise that my my daily life is more difficult than say a more neuro typical. Plus equally it’s knowing what is relevant.

It’s mentally taxing just thinking about it.

jacqpott

@Albus_Scope Thank you for such a lovely response.

I think my main fear is having to actually verbalise my difficulties to a stranger who may have no understanding of what being in the Tism family is like.

I wish there was a tick boxes and I can just tick which apply and which don’t 😂

I think the more I read online the more afraid I am of initiating a process that could mentally cripple me.

I definitely agree with you and @66Mustang that people are more likely to air their negative experience. I feel like I go down a rabbit hole reading them all and it is most definitely not super helpful to me.