Benefits for Dyslexic Girlfriend

TJB24

Hello All,

I hope you can help us. My partner (22) and I (24) are seriously discussing us moving in together, into a flat that I own and pay a mortgage on. We've agreed that she will help contribute towards the bills (excluding the mortgage), however she currently works 16 hours part-time and has a net income of about £580pcm.

My partner is chronically dyslexic and also has dyscalcula. This means on bad days she is rendered functionally illiterate, which impacts everything from texts and emails to recipes, household bills, transport time tables etc. It also has a slight impact on her speech, and a major impact on her employment. Fortunately she currently works with a good team and a great (also dyslexic) boss, which is really helping her confidence. However long term she is concerned what the impact will be on her earning potential, since her disability impacts almost all jobs. Cut a long story short she was discriminated against and bullied out of University after the first year (before she met me).

She is however, simply amazing and one of the most creative, kindest people you can meet. Fortunately in money matter we were also brought up with the same values and are both strict savers, not spenders.

We are both small-C conservatives and resistant to the idea of claiming benefits. However, we also appreciate the need to accept reality and figure if we're paying into the system all of our lives, we're also entitled to them if we follow the rules.

So the practical question, is what benefits might she be entitled to? My understanding is she might be able to claim Personal Independence Payments (PIP) on the Daily Living Part (Basic), which is about £240 a month.

Does anyone have experience of claiming for benefits for this invisible disability, or any advice or other options?

Many thanks in advance - we really appreciate it.

Tom & Hayley.

pmlindyloo

perhaps the most important question is 'has your girlfriend got an official diagnosis of both dyslexia and dyscalcula?'

Have a look at the PIP descriptors here:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf

From what you have said the most relevant ones appear to be:

Daily living
8. Reading & understanding signs, symbols and words.
10. Making budgeting decisions

Mobility
Planning and following journeys.

Get some advice from CAB or a welfare advisor.

w06

As above re benefits.

As general advice ( I know that’s not what you were asking for but it might help career wise) I genuinely think that being dyslexic confers as many advantages as disadvantages, it changes the way we think and see things. Learning to embrace the advantages and finding a niche in which they can be harnessed might help your girlfriend to regain her confidence and build a career that she enjoys and thrives in.

TJB24

Thanks both, greatly appreciate your replies and suggestions. She went to CAB with her mum but was told she couldn't claim Universal Credit (seems like PIP wasn't mentioned - not sure the info is being relayed to me wrong or if the CAB advisor was incorrect).

w06

For UC the combination of your girlfriend and your income would mean it would be a nil claim (I think, might be worth checking on entitledto.co.uk)

Nothing to be lost in applying for PIP. it's a phone call and then a long form to complete. Mine was barely legible but it was fine, the assessor re-asked the questions she couldn't read in person and picked out words from others. https://www.gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim

Worth her looking at the PIP descriptors https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf and thinking how things affect her, she can gauge whether likely to be entitled from those. It isn't a pleasant form to complete, because you have to think about what you struggle with, but it's a means to an end - I sat down and did it start to finish in an evening to get it over with.

My PIP claim is for other disabilities but, especially given how much she struggled to read my application form, the assesor probed a bit as to how my dyslexia affects me, I played it down because for me it's quite a minor issue, but if it's not for your girlfriend perfectly legitimate to make a claim and see what the DWP decide.

Alice_Holt

Pmlindyloo has identified the 2 Daily Living activities that are likely to apply.
The difficulty is that 8 points are needed for an award of PIP.
To gain 8 points from just two descriptors may be difficult.

Have a careful look at the what the PIP assessment guide says about these activities:
Pages 103 and 107.

8. Reading & understanding signs, symbols and words.
Note that complex written info is defined as "Complex information is more than one sentence of written or printed standard size text e.g. “Your home may be at risk if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other debt secured on it. Subject to terms and conditions.”

To get 4 points the following descriptor applies "Needs prompting to be able to read or understand basic written information."
Basic written information is "Basic information is signs, symbols or dates e.g. a green exit sign on a door"

10. Making budgeting decisions
"A simple budgeting decision [to get 4 points] are those that are involved in activities such as calculating the cost of goods and change required following purchases."

I'm afraid, I think it will need a very detailed PIP2 form with compellingly illustrative examples around these descriptors to get an award.

However, she may experience difficulties in other activities such as preparing food - e.g. ability to read a recipe, and get measures of ingredients right. Be sure to fully explain this on the form.