Son refused PIP with a diagnosis of aspergers from age 15

Sammi78

Hi. My son was refused a PIP after the initial assessment and we have not had any further support or anything at all.
Just concerned that he is going to need extra support whilst at uni in Sept. What can I do as a parent he will soon be 19. 

wilko

@Sammi78, hello and welcome to the community, many people maybe to many people feel or think they or their family members are entitled to claim certain benefits and PIP being one of them. PIP is awarded to help the claimant with their daily live activities and mobility issues. When claimants apply for PIP the form give very detailed of what information in needed required to send in with the application form. Having got this far must be enough to give you an indication that you are rightly or wrongly applying for PIP for the right reasons knowing that you meet the criteria of the PIP descriptors. Having had your assessment and hopefully requested a copy of your assessment report you can apply for an MR to be done within 30 days of receiving your award notification letter this can be done initially by phone then followed up by a written request given examples of what happened the last or every time the PIP descriptor you are contesting is tried or attempted, be prepared for disappointment as only a few MR get upheld and you may have to go to a tribunal hearing which are more successful when you attend in person but the down side is the time frame from requesting a tribunal hearing to actually getting one can be and usually a 12 months wait. 

Earlysound

Hello @Sammi78 - I'm going to try offer you some more practical and kinder advice. You're concerned about your child attending University, as he will be 19 soon. I attended University at that age, and I needed extra support to help me complete my studies, and I was told to apply for https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas/eligibility - You can apply for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) to cover some of the extra costs you have because of a mental health problem, long term illness or any other disability. It can be used to help with costs of specialist equipment, non-medical helpers, extra travel because of the disability and other disability related costs of studying.  If he has already applied for student finance, he should be able to login to his student finance account https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-register-login and make the application for Disabled Student Allowance. I would also, make a call to his University and ask to speak to their student support team - and you can raise your concerns, and they'll be able to advise you on what support they can offer him, and how they've assisted similar students in the past - they may even suggest applying for Disabled Student's Allowance. 

Eligibility

You can apply for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) if you live in England and have a disability that affects your ability to study, such as a:

• learning difficulty, for example dyslexia or ADHD
• mental health condition like anxiety or depression
• physical disability, for example if you’re partially sighted or have to use crutches
• long-term health condition such as cancer, chronic heart disease or HIV

You must also:

• be an undergraduate or postgraduate student (including Open University or distance learning)
• qualify for student finance from Student Finance England
• be studying on a course that lasts at least a year

wilko

@Earlysound, Well done for your advice and bringing it to the attention of the wider community this will go a long way to help a lot of people with learning disabilities who want to further their education.