personal independence payment, first time applying.

Cheeky_Monkey

cliffandsue wrote: »

No need. Cars today are fitted with automatic parking. My daughters' car parks itself. She drives past the spot she wants to park in and the car does the rest.

What a ridiculous thing to say - how many people have actually got one of those cars

cliffandsue

10pence wrote: »

You can't use that to pass the driving test though. All manoeuvres have to be manually completed.

I never said it is. I was referring to the poster who said that they still can't park a car even though they have passed their test. I pointed out that there are many manufacturers today that market cars that park themselves. Ford, Volvo, Mercedes just to name three.

cliffandsue

Cheeky_Monkey wrote: »

What a ridiculous thing to say - how many people have actually got one of those cars

Mine is and my daughters' is.
If you are a Motability customer, there is a good selection of that type of vehicle.
If you aren't then spend 10 mins on your computer researching all of the mainstream manufacturers.
Most cars today are 'drive by wire' I can't remember when I last drove a car that had a fixed accelerator cable from the pedal to the engine as an example.

GlasweJen

Ours has all sorts of gadgets that help line the car up and beep if you're reversing into something but my OH assures me that you can't have any of that during the test, you have to park the car using a couple different techniques.

cliffandsue

GlasweJen wrote: »

Ours has all sorts of gadgets that help line the car up and beep if you're reversing into something but my OH assures me that you can't have any of that during the test, you have to park the car using a couple different techniques.

I agree, in the test you must park manually. After passing, then you can do what you want.
Like you say, most cars now operate on a 'drive by wire' basis. Most don't have a direct mechanical connection from the steering wheel to the front wheels, or from the accelerator pedal to the engine. It is all carried out electronically. When driving on say a fairly clear motorway, the only mechanical connection the car has with me (the driver) is the foot brake, even the parking brake is electronic, just a little button you press to put the brake on.
It keeps to a set speed, changes gear when appropriate to maintain that speed. My only input is holding the steering wheel which will along with the foot brake carry out a manouvre to stop, turn the car to avoid hitting the car in front. The car won't allow me to get any closer to the car in front if it thinks that the distance is too small.
It's a whole new game now owning a car.It's more computer than mechanical.

Kitty777

Umm okay...I CAN park...what I meant was that I struggle too...I was never able to do the bay park bit in my driving lessons...but as I could do everything else I was put in for my test and hoped it didn't come up..I was lucky...

Anyway, that is going off the subject :P

Thanks for all the other advice!!

jr1985

Kitty777 wrote: »

Hello!!

I am hearing about personal independence payment for the first time, after a friend of a friend said that they get it (a long with other things I guess) and it pays for their living costs..

I suffer from severe dyslexia, anxiety (diagnosed with psychologist reports) and also autism (although I can function to an acceptable level a lot of the time).

I have been through the 'check list' of things they score online, and I scored 19 on the daily living part and 10 on the mobility section. I am unsure what this means, and I understand that is me marking myself but I do struggle day to day...just never knew this was there to help!!

My questions are this :

I do work full time, in a job I enjoy and I am good at it...however, many things bring stress that probably wouldn't cause stress to someone else. Would working full time be an issue for this benefit?

Also, my partner lives with me and helps me daily. He does all of the budgeting of the household, prepares a lot of the food (as I have a habit of almost slicing fingers off...) he helps with the timings etc too, but most importantly he helps with any journeys that I take on the bus, car and train...I don't think I'd be able to go out the house without him!! Would he be able to have an input in the assesment?

Has anyone else been on this benefit for the same conditions as myself?

Also, we have just recently moved house and not yet changed doctors surgeries, will this be an issue as they ask for my doctors address? Will they need to contact them?

Thanks!

Hello, Kitty, I too have autism (Aspergers Syndrome) plus ADHD, depression and anxiety. I was able to get DLA, so you might be entitled to PIP.

Like you, I function well under certain conditions but it doesn't take much to cause everything to fall apart. I couldn't cope with university and left after a month, got therapy for 2 years and went back. Everything seemed to be going well during first year but it fell apart in second. I had massive anxiety, tried everything, got support, etc but nothing worked and I left after a suicide attempt.

People will tell you, you look fine, there's nothing wrong with you. There's an analogy that we're like swans - appearing to glide gracefully across the surface of the water but underneath we're kicking like mad.

Anyway, someone with your conditions can apply, even if you work full time. I was the only person in my AS support group, who wasn't receving DLA. No doubt, someone will come along to post how we don't deserve it blah blah - don't listen to them, if you meet the criteria then the government says you do deserve it! Also, don't listen to whoever said how come you can drive if you can't use a knife. You know, like I do, that fine motor skills are impaired in autism. I also understand how you need your partner to go with you some places but not others. Work is familiar to you. I am similar in that I don't mind going to things like doctors appointments alone, but I can't cope with social situations (like at a pub or party). Sensory issues are also distressing in those places.

I also have "time-blindness" - trouble perceiving the flow of time. I don't know how long things take and I tend to bring things up in conversation that happened years ago, as if it happened yesterday. Multitasking and short-term memory are also poor, so cooking is an issue.

As for your GP, they are clueless when it comes to autism, so you should make an appointment and tell them exactly how it impacts you (include what you've said here). You could also get in touch with the National Autistic Society, as they can help you fill in the forms. Good luck.

Kitty777

@jr1985, thanks for your comment and help. I can relate so much to what you say. I always say that there is a fine line between me being 'okay' and not able to cope...something simple can push me over that line...someone banging into me in the street, a train being cancelled, mis counting the price of shopping etc...

Like I said I am working full time, but the thought of getting a job elsewhere terrifies me and I am not sure how I would cope there...my work have been ever so good with me and my quirks.

I hope you have found some support, take care. x