What Benefit should my autistic son be claiming now that he has finished college — Scope | Disability forum
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

What Benefit should my autistic son be claiming now that he has finished college

Options
Lilac14
Lilac14 Community member Posts: 1 Listener
edited June 2017 in Benefits and financial support
my son is 20, has autism and is due to finish college next week and I am a bit confused as to what benefit he should claim.  He could work with some support, in fact he does some voluntary work at a local charity shop.  An advisor at college has said that he could claim ESA but I thought that was for someone that was off sick and would need a sick note.  I don't think our GP would sign him off.  Does anybody know if there is any work capability assessment in JSA for disabled people.  The benefit calculators are confusing.  They advise that because he has a limited capability for work he should claim ESA but then advises that he needs a sick note.  We haven't got full service for universal credit is our area yet so I am thinking he should be claiming JSA but does anybody know if they give any extra support for autistic Job Seekers.  Be grateful if anyone had experience of this.
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • steve51
    steve51 Community member Posts: 7,153 Disability Gamechanger
    Options
    Hi @Lilac14.
    It's great to have you here & I do hope that we can help in anyway ???
     Have you seen our Benefits Section where there is plenty of info on ESA + other Benefits??? Do you want me to help you with this??? I have been on ESA since I had to take early retirement due to ill health at the age of 50. Please let me know if I can help you further with this???
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MikeBroderick
    MikeBroderick Community member Posts: 235 Pioneering
    Options
    Hi @Lilac14:

    Welcome! 

    It certainly sounds like there a lot of factors at play in terms of your son's benefit situation, so I am going to repost your question in our Ask a Benefits Advisor section.

    But please also see our Benefits overview and also our discussions in What Benefits am I entitled to, our ESA section, as well as our Parents and Carers, and ASD sections.

    We're glad you're here, and you should find helpful information and advice.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dedus
    dedus Community member Posts: 25 Connected
    Options
    I have a autistic stepson , he is 29 , and used to do one day a week at the odeon handing out tickets and things , me and my wife his mother , claim Eas and pips for him , because he is autistic and his condition will never change , he is learning disabled ! Their is assessments to go to , so it depends on if your son can go to them with you or another adult, some autistic people would just find it too stressful ,we asked for a home visit and got one , hope this helps :)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
    Options
    Hi @Lilac14


    There are a number of potential options which hopefully you have managed to explore through the links provided by Mike above.

    You son could claim JSA and restrict his availability for availability for work. This means that because of his medical condition he could say that he can only look for certain work and for work of a certain number of hours. He would need medical support for this, but this is different support to a 'fit note' (new name for a 'sick note'). I wonder if there is any supporting information from your son's college about his condition which you could share with your GP so that they are updated on his condition and how it affects him?

    From this discussion with your GP you can decide whether you think medical evidence for JSA or a 'fit note' for ESA would be more appropriate. It may be worth looking at the criteria for ESA also to see if he would pass the work capability assessment.
    http://https//www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/help-with-your-esa-claim/fill-in-form/

    In addition, your son could consider applying for PIP if he is not already in receipt of a disability benefit. If he already on DLA then he maybe asked to transfer to PIP shortly. PIP is paid to reflect the daily living and mobility needs that a person has, not whether they can work or not. Therefore, this may be worth pursuing alongside which ever JSA or ESA you decide is best for your son. You could look at the following link  http://http//www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-self-test to see if he might qualify. Again touching base with your GP will also be good for this benefit so that you can supply additional supporting evidence.

    Hope the information helps.

    Laura


    The Benefits Training Co:

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Brightness

Categories

Do you need advice on your energy costs?


Scope’s Disability Energy Support service is open to any disabled household in England or Wales in which one or more disabled people live. You can get free advice from an expert adviser on managing energy debt, switching tariffs, contacting your supplier and more. Find out more information by visiting our
Disability Energy Support webpage.