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Claim PIP for ASD?

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  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,348 Disability Gamechanger
    An online benefit calculator is only as good as the information you put into them. They won't tell you what you can claim. UC is a means tested benefit and is the only means tested benefit available for anyone to claim because the old benefits no longer exist unless you're claiming a severe disability premium in another benefit, which you're not.

    As you're waiting for a work capability assessment once the decision's made on the if you're placed into the LCWRA group then you'll receive an extra £336 per month from the 4th month of your claim.

    As you currently own your own home then you won't be entitled to claim any housing element of UC. This means the Standard allowance is all you're entitled to for now.

    A benefit calculator will not tell you whether you're entitled to PIP because that's not means tested.

    Do be aware that once you sell your home if you have any savings of more than £16.000 then you won't be entitled to anymore UC and that will stop. Savings of between £6.000 and £16.000 then your UC will be reduced by £4.35 per month for every £250 over £6,000.

    If you plan to buy another home once you sell then then savings from selling your current home can be disregarded for 26 weeks, while you find another house to buy but this only applies if you plan to buy another house.

    A benefits calculator won't tell you want other support you can receive. For this you'll need to refer yourself for a needs assessment with that link i posted above.



    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    @poppy123456
    Once I sell here the house over there will prob eat up every penny. Tried to move in 2017 and this place did eventually sell only to fall thru a month later. Its valued at £125000 or it was then. 
    Thank you for all this info. Our benefit system really is so complicated. Good to know of someone who knows their way around in it.
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @Franstrahan   you mentioned support, financial and so on.


    There is the links I provided for you.  Mental Health Charities.

    All you have to is contact them, all free. All lovely People.  

    Also one other final point lots of the staff are many of them joined charities as clientele work for them the charities.

    To reassure further give you some self esteem you not alone , like being on your own.

    You mentioned moving to Preston.  Some one I knew joined Mental Health Charity.

    Told floating support wished to move, as this one had branches all over UK.

    Rang up Branch where the clientele wanted to move to.

    Got help, support, assisted living.  All the reassurance to move, guided and advised .

    Now works for that charity.

    Please think about contacting any of the links, I gave.

    Yes it is all scary, frightening, so I say best wishes.

    You will succeed the first steps are the that road  Small ones to start with then larger as this time you achieving.  

    Happiness and solace.

    Always in prayers.

    That helps as well.  Your faith.


    @thespiceman





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  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    @thespiceman
    Yes thank you I have the links. I'm going thru all the info starting this weekend. Moving will be stressful I guess, but thought 3 years ago and still think I need to get nearer to family, however distantly related they are, and nearer to a city. So trying again, come springtime to sell up. 
    I did email Rethink over something or other a month or so ago and they got back to me. Just cant remember what I asked them now!
    Thank you for your help. There are so many knowledgeable people on Scope; I picked the right forum to join! x
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    Started my claim for PIP this morning, on the basis that the worse thing that can happen is they'll say no.
  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 10,821 Scope online community team
    edited December 2019
    Best of luck @Franstrahan. When it comes to filling in the form, be sure to ask as much as possible or see if you can get face-to-face help to fill it in.
    Community Manager
    Scope
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    @Adrian_Scope
    Thanks Adrian. Not really sure how to approach it as I live alone and not working, so who to ask for help filling it in, not sure. Been told they need to know how my disability affects me on a daily basis, and also to take that as being on your worse day. That's a start, I suppose.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,348 Disability Gamechanger
    . Been told they need to know how my disability affects me on a daily basis, and also to take that as being on your worse day. That's a start, I suppose.

    Who ever told you that has given you the worst ever advice, sorry.

    Never ever ever fill out any form based on your worst day. Doing this can lead to all sorts of problems in the future and also could go against when attending a face to face assessment.

    PIP isn't about your worst day. It's how your conditions affect you at least 50% of the time over a 12 month period. You need to tell the truth and explain exactly how your conditions affect you all of the time and not just the worst times. Then add the real life examples for each descriptor that applies to you.

    If you filled out the form this way and when you attend your assessment it's one of your better days then the HCP will likely see straight through that and think "if that's your worst day then you can't be as bad as you stated" that will definitely go against you.




    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • cristobal
    cristobal Community member Posts: 984 Disability Gamechanger
    @Franstrahan

    Have a read through so you know what the different ‘activities’ are - (search under DWP + PIP + assessment guidelines if you haven’t got the link)

    Tackle each one individually.

    For example Activity 1 is ‘preparing food’  - cooking a meal for one using fresh ingredients. Doesn’t include using an oven below waist height, nor serving the food up.

    If you can’t do this, for example you can’t chop vegetables or it’s not safe to use the hob because you constantly leave it on, then say why and give examples of what how you manage. 

    Do you need aid, or help/supervision? Or maybe you can’t do this at all?

    Do this for each of the activities.

    I found it useful to keep a diary so that you are clear in your own mind what you can and can’t do.

    To be able to complete an activity you have to be able to do it the majority of the time and ‘reliably’ - safely, to an acceptable standard, timely and as frequently as is normally required..

    Don’t tell them your life story…

    Good luck…

  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    Thanks @pollyanna1052. That was someone on the phone this morning.
    I think when the form arrives I'll have to get help then, but who from is the problem. The autism badly affects any social interaction for one thing, be it in a job, friendship, church etc. If I'm basically on my own that side of things wouldn't count. Also I like a routine, dont like changes or surprises. The current depression and anxiety always there to some extent.
    This isn't going to be easy.
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    @cristobal
    When I looked at the descriptors only number 9 seemed to be the one. And the budgeting one maybe. I have ASD, SAD, depression and anxiety. I have good days and bad days, like anyone.
    Will refer back to all the advice I've been given in this thread when I get the form, for starters.
    My ex-counsellor seemed to think I'd qualify, if I could contact her when the form arrives.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,348 Disability Gamechanger
    The only person that will know exactly how your conditions affect you is yourself. Even with help to fill out the forms, there's never enough of time to tell that person exactly how your conditions affect you. There's no specific wording to use, just tell it how it is without giving your life story. They will only need to know the relevant things, if it's not relevant to the descriptor then leave it out.

    I believe i posted this link previously, but here it is again my advice is to have a good read through everything and you maybe surprised what descriptors may apply to you. Just reading the descriptors as they are doesn't always help.

    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • cristobal
    cristobal Community member Posts: 984 Disability Gamechanger
    @Franstrahan  I agree with Poppy, only you know whether you will qualify because only you know how your condition affects you.

    If only No 9 applies then give evidence of this, don't try to 'bend' other categories to fit if they don't...

    Be aware though that you need 8 points to get an award - so you would have to be incapable of engaging with others, even with support - to get the necessary points.

    Obviously I don't know you but it can include motivating yourself to do things such as showering, cooking getting dressed etc.

    Good luck...
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    @poppy123456
    @cristobal
    Thanks, both of you.
    When filling out the form are you allowed to continue on separate sheets, give as much info as possible? 
    @cristobal, it isn't that I cant engage at all socially, it's the effect it has on me and the ongoing problems that causes. This has been a lifelong problem.
    Think I have a lot of stuff in my aq50 forms that's probably relevant and would help.
    Thanks again, both of you.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,348 Disability Gamechanger
    Yes definitely use extra paper because there's never enough of room on the form to put everything down. Remember to put your name and NI number to everything you send.

    I'm not sure what an aq50 form is, sorry.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Community member Posts: 16,007 Disability Gamechanger
    @Franstrahan - Yes, you can add more sheets....just reference the question you're continuing, & put your National Insurance number on each separate sheet. Keeping a diary has been mentioned; as I didn't have much relevant medical information, I included an 8 day diary. I kept it short, but mentioned problems I'd had as they occurred.
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    @poppy123456 The aq50 is the forms they send out originally for the autism test. I sent a load of extra pages back with them. So can probably use a lot of the stuff from those pages in this claim, shortened down a lot.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,348 Disability Gamechanger
    Ah thanks for that. My daughter went through the ASD assessment fairly recently but can't remember the name of the forms or anything that i filled in.

    If you have a copy of the ASD assessment report then that will be a good thing to send as evidence. My daughters reports goes into a huge amount of detail, which is very relevant to quite a few of the PIP descriptors, for her at least.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    @poppy123456 Great I might well have everything I need right here then!
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    @chiarieds
    That's a good idea, the 8 day diary. I'll do that. Thanks for that.

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