Can my mates son travel alone when on high rate mobility?

Foreveryoung99

Hi there.

My mate can’t use a phone so I’ve offered to help. Basically her son was awarded high rate mobility a few weeks ago after a diagnosis of autism. He can sometimes travel on a bus on his own by using google maps to find his way around.

My mate is wondering will this affect his high rate mobility? She’s worried that because she’s stated that he’s vulnerable (which obviously he is) that travelling on a bus on his own will contradict this. I know very little about autism except what I’ve researched. I’ve found that some people with autism are very clever and can travel alone.

Thanks for any help given.

fatbelly

Having DLA/PIP doesn't prevent you from doing anything. He's had an assessment of his care and mobility needs. Now he needs to get the most he can out of life.

I'm not an expert on autism but I work with two people who have been diagnosed and another two who probably should be! It's a spectrum and everyone is a little different but you make the allowances you have to make and it all sort of works together.

NeilCr

Is he on DLA or PIP?

Foreveryoung99

He!!!8217;s on PIP

Foreveryoung99

Thank you neil. So this wouldn’t affect his money or get his mother into trouble? That’s her main concern. She does suffer from paranoia but I understand what she means.

Foreveryoung99

Sorry. This thread is confusing and I can’t edit the post. Unsure why numbers and characters are coming up.

Thank you both for your reply. He’s on PIP neil.

poppy12345

PIP isn't about not being able to do something all the time, it's about not being able to do something 50% of the time. It really depends how many times he does this or goes out alone.

Foreveryoung99

As far as I know. It!!!8217;s not very often he gets a bus. Maybe once or twice a week. My mates concern is mostly because he!!!8217;s recently been put on high rate mobility and she!!!8217;s worried that!!!8217;s what!!!8217;s going to contradict his vulnerability and ultimately make her look like a liar (her words)

She reads far too much into a situation and thinks of scenarios that couldn!!!8217;t possibly happens. But I guess that!!!8217;s her paranoia

poppy12345

How many times a week does he go out and when he does go, how many time does he go alone. That's not just buses, i mean every time he goes out.

Doom_and_Gloom

Chances are the trip on the bus is a familiar route if autism is the problem. If it was an unfamiliar route would he be able to do this on his own? Would he refuse or break down etc? Does he break down if the bus was to deviate from it's usual route?
I'm not sure exactly how PIP works for autism, my husband is on the spectrum but doesn't claim but he can have episodes if a bus or train is delayed or cancelled and has trouble with new routes on his own. In the past I've had to write very detailed instructions on a new route for him and still he phoned me in the beginning of an episode. That is the reality I know.
The basics though is if the child is doing something they said he couldn't on the form and/or at a face to face then the claim could be seen as fraudulent. That is the biggest factor.

kingfisherblue

On high rate mobility, he may be entitled to a free bus pass. It's not necessarily expected that people don't go out, or don't use public transport - but it does depend on what was written on his application. In my area, people with disabilities are offered travel training if they are suitable.



I assume that he has been awarded on the grounds of not being able to plan or follow a journey without help, rather than being unable to walk. In that case, exactly how does he get the bus? For example, a friend of mine has a son with autism. He has managed to catch the bus with a friend a few times, but had to be walked to the bus stop and collected from it afterwards. He had practiced the route, and knew where to get off the bus because of it being near a particular shop. He's done this three times so far, over a period of about four months. In his case, I would say that high rate mobility is still appropriate.