How do you explain difficulties for PIP? (UK)

Post Reply New Topic

This is about applying for benefits such as PIP in the UK. I had difficulties all my life but wasn't diagnosed as having Asperger's until my 40s. I knew there was something wrong with me but as nobody told me what, I thought that maybe I just wasn't making enough effort to be normal. I've never had any success in life and never had any children due to finding life difficult with no support.
After my recent diagnosis I now go to a social group where young people who already get lots of help from their families, get even more help because of their families helping with that.
I applied for PIP on my own with no help, but they twisted things so much in the assessments, I had the lower rate of daily living, but think I should have had more as I find travelling difficult too, with having anxiety sitting on public transport.
As I was always getting into trouble for my disability and blamed for the symptoms so thought it was my fault, I don't really understand how to explain what of being autistic needs extra support.
Such as I've only recently found out that many of my problems are due to bad executive functions. I didn't know what executive functions were before.
Hope I'm making sense, but could others help me to explain what the difficulties are called and why there is a need for support with them?

I was encouraged to apply several years ago in the benefis office and the problem I had was the issues that effected me were not a constant, so trying to write forms that were not designed to address what I was expericncing, along with the PIP assessment process not set up for this in its entirity, I did not get a single point.
I did not expect to get it as I have not been diagnosed (I was on the list to be assessed.I have not long now started the first part of the assessment. So it was around four years ago, as I have n
been on the assessment list for four and a half years).

I was told I should have taken someone else in with me. I couldn't at the time as no one was available and my Mum was ill and the date was not flexible at short notice without being peanalized so I had to go on my own which I didn't want to do.
So I don't know what to tell you. Was told "Alwaysput the worst case senario, but ifI did that I would be in a full out shutdown unable to move,see or hear on the floor, where it would be obvious if I attended ad was speaking to them, that I was not in a full ojt shutdown so tney would think I was lying if I wrote just that down! (And I would if I was not in a full out shutdown,ad if I was I would not be able to be interviewed at all!)

Bring someone with you such as a charity worker from.Mind (My Mums friend works for them and she told me after to always take someone like she was into the interview, or at least a family member that knows you).

Finally. They did ask me an obvious question that I totally was unprepared for, and to be honest, I saw the ladys point who iterviewed me whenI gave her the answer and why she said what she said.

She asked "If we gave you the money, what will you use if for?" I had not thought about it so sheelaborated and said "Ok. Supposing you were to use the meney to employ someone when you had difficulties and could not get out?"(In my case it would be from what I described to her, when I was in a full shutdown). She said "Would you be able to write a list so they could go shopping for you?" I had to honestly say that if I was in a full shutdown "No" and I explained "Because I would be on the floor not able to move, see or speak".
She said "Then how do you expect to employ someone to go shopping for you if you were in a shutdown? The government wouldn't pay out if you were not able to write a list!" Fair point! I had to conceed!