Autistic people may face cuts to PIP benefits

[When In Rome]

Picked this story up from Network Autism - I had heard that a bill to oppose the cutbacks in PIP had been thrown out recently and the changes are due next month. I belong in the support group and may not be affected but I don't know.

The Independent reports on the Government’s response to legal judgements that advised them to widen the reach of Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The Government has stated that it will now clarify the assessment criteria for PIP, which campaigners say will mean 160,000 disabled people losing out on benefits.

This may be of interest to others here.

 

[Suzanne]

I live in France, so hope it does not occur here.

From the uk though.

 

[When In Rome]

I live in France

How lovely. Northern or southern?

 

[xudo]

It's been suggested that I apply for PIP and ESA. However, having seen the trouble that my Mum was put through (she's physically disabled due to arthritis) with ESA and the state they got my HFA friend in over ESA and PIP, I'm very wary.

 

[Suzanne]

How lovely. Northern or southern?

Not really lovely, to be honest. My heart is still in a little village in England, but there you go.

Northern part. Too expensive and too hot in the southern part.

Lived in France for 15 year's now.

 

[When In Rome]

--

Not really lovely, to be honest. My heart is still in a little village in England, but there you go.

Northern part. Too expensive and too hot in the southern part.

Lived in France for 15 year's now.

Yes, I was curious because I have holidayed in the north, taking in St. Romain and Deauville and ferrying back out of Le Havre.

 

[When In Rome]

It's been suggested that I apply for PIP and ESA. However, having seen the trouble that my Mum was put through (she's physically disabled due to arthritis) with ESA and the state they got my HFA friend in over ESA and PIP, I'm very wary.

I'm a survivor of all tests and interviews (although to be fair with my HFA I practically interview them lol) I don't think it should put you off.

 

[xudo]

I'm a survivor of all tests and interviews (although to be fair with my HFA I practically interview them lol) I don't think it should put you off.

Part of it I think is feeling like I don't deserve it to be honest. There are many people out there with more problems than I have. How much of this is down to being made to feel like there's nothing really wrong with me and that I should just get a grip, I don't know.

 

[DudBomb]

Sometimes, I get the fear that getting benefits will be an incentive for me to not try to better myself. To keep from losing the few benefits I do get. Which is food stamps and mental health insurance. I feel this pressure in interviews. That the interviewer won't understand things like, when I have a "good day its bad and when I have a bad day its worse. I get really paranoid about it.

I was denied Social Security benefits. They told me I could be a janitor, but I would probably have to move to get a job. I thought I was going to have a breakdown. My arms were bleeding, where I dug my fingernails in during the hearing. It was on the backsides the only one who noticed it was my advocate. I got up and left before I lost it.

I think a big part is because I was 32 before I was diagnosed with anything, and I have learned to fake normal just enough to get by.