When is support unsupportive?
State support failing at first step…
This is going to be a very short entry because the point I want to make doesn’t need many words. Perfect for autists to follow. Short and to the point.
The UK has a financial support package for those with a disability, it’s called Personal Independence Payment (PIP). As you will see from the link it’s designed to help people with “a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability” or has “difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition”. Both of these apply to me.
Obviously, being a Government scheme there’s hoops to jump through. I won’t go into detail about all the other problems associated with the scheme and the hassle people have with their claims. I will focus on a single aspect which underlines my personal issue with accessing the scheme. This requirement to start a claim…
“Call the ‘PIP new claims’ phone line.”
I hate phones and talking with new people. From what I understand most autists do. It’s using my executive functioning issue to stop me claiming.
Very Kafkaesque.
Oh, if I want to apply by post then I need to write to them. They will send me a form asking personal details. I must return that and, only then, they send me a form to make my claim.
So, two forms just to start my claim. You know the second one will ask the same questions as the first, but apparently it’s not possible to combine them into a single form.
“There comes a time in the history of all bureaucracies when they must inevitably parody their own functions.” — Robert Zelazny
