Don't Write Me Off Launches in Northern Ireland

Charity accuses Government of writing off people with autism

A new report by The National Autistic Society (NAS) has accused the Government of writing off people with autism and condemning them to a life of financial hardship and even poverty. The report entitled Don’t Write Me Off reveals a third of people with the condition currently live without a job and without benefits. Many are forced to rely on family and friends for the basic means to live, some for over a decade.

Regina Cox of the National Autistic Society Northern Ireland said; “ People with autism say their experiences of the employment and benefits system are marred by anxiety, confusion, delays and discrimination. It is absolutely vital they are able to access the right help and services if seeking employment and are supported financially when they cannot work. It is scandalous, therefore, that thousands of people with this serious, lifelong and disabling condition are being consigned to poverty by a complex and counter-productive benefits system.

The Don’t write me off report reveals that the majority of the over 300,000 working age adults with autism in the UK want to work but are being held back by a lack understanding amongst employment and benefits advisors and a dearth of specialist employment services. Only 15%* are in fulltime paid employment.

Research for the Don’t write me off report found:

Almost 80% of people with autism on Incapacity Benefit want to work.

Half of people with autism have spent time with neither a job nor benefits with over three quarters of those forced to rely on family and friends as a result.

Over 82% needed some kind of help to apply for benefits, but few were made aware of their right to an advocate. In the worst cases parents were actively blocked from helping.

The report also exposes the common difficulties experienced by people with autism applying for the new Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), which replaced Incapacity Benefit. It is clear the system is not working for them with many experiencing a multitude of problems including getting a sick note, filling in complex forms, poor medical assessments, being misdirected to the wrong benefits and not even being asked about their disability. As a result people with autism often experience inadequate job-seeking support, unnecessary and distressing delays in payment or are being denied essential benefits altogether. This is a growing and urgent issue as the Government plans to move thousands of existing Incapacity Benefit claimants onto ESA in the next few years.

Paula Wharmby, an adult with autism, said of her experience applying for ESA; “I applied thinking I would be able to get the extra support I need to look for work due to my disability but found the process completely inflexible and intimidating. As long as they can tick a box they don’t care. It was clear nobody knew anything about autism and a report from my psychiatrist on my difficulties was completely ignored. I was denied the benefit and had to go to a tribunal to have the decision overturned. The system just isn’t working for people like me.”

The National Autistic Society Northern Ireland is campaigning for a number of measures to make the employment and benefits system fair for people with autism including scrapping the need for a sick note and a better understanding of autism across all Social Security/ jobs and benefits staff who determine eligibility for benefits or provide employment support.. The charity is also calling for the Department of Employment and Learning to produce an employment Strategy for people with autism in Northern Ireland.

Regina Cox from the National Autistic Society says “we have met with officials from the Department of Social Development and the Department of Employment and Learning who have been open to discussion with regards to these issues and a constructive dialogue is under way”

Dr William McCrea from the DUP who is an MP and MLA said:

“It is very distressing to hear that people with autism are not getting the support they desperately need. What the National Autistic Society Northern Ireland is asking for is small practical changes to the Benefits System which will make it fairer for people with autism. I will be speaking to my colleagues in the Department of Social Development with regards to this as well as supporting their calls for an employment strategy for people with autism. This is an issue that affects people across the UK and I will also raise this issue in Westminster ”

For more information about the campaign and to download copies of the Don’t write me off report, visit www.autism.org.uk/dontwritemeoff.

ENDS

For more information Contact Shirelle Stewart Mobile 07789941239

Email: shirelle.stewart@nas.org.uk

Notes to editors:

We can offer someone from the National Autistic Society for Interviews and also we have a 21 year old woman with autism who is willing to be interviewed about her experience in the workplace and how a lack of understanding from colleagues resulted in her been unable to work due to extreme anxiety. 

* Statistic comes from a 2007 survey of 1787 people affected by autism 

Other statistics come from 323 respondents who completed benefit and employment related surveys; in-depth interviews with 39 people who had spoken to Disability Employment Advisors and ten people going through the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) system, all in 2009.

Although Benefits policy is set by the UK government, the department for Social Development in the Northern Ireland Assembly can make some of the changes we are asking for. The Department of Employment and Learning can also produce an Employment Strategy for people with autism. 

ESA replaced Incapacity Benefit in October 2008. It is a new benefit for people over 18 who cannot work, or find it hard to work, because of their disability. From 2010 onwards the Government intends to move everyone on Incapacity Benefit to ESA. 

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them. It is a spectrum condition, which means that, while all people with autism share certain difficulties, their condition will affect them in different ways. Some people with autism are able to live relatively independent lives but others may have accompanying learning disabilities and need a lifetime of specialist support. People with autism may also experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours. 

Asperger syndrome is a form of autism. People with Asperger syndrome are often of average or above average intelligence. They have fewer problems with speech but may still have difficulties with understanding and processing language.

The National Autistic Society is the UK's leading charity for people with autism and their families. Founded in 1962, it continues to spearhead national and international initiatives and provide a strong voice for all people with autism. The NAS provides a wide range of services to help people with autism and Asperger syndrome live their lives with as much independence as possible.

The NAS relies on the support of its members and donors to continue its vital work for people with autism. To become a member, make a donation or to find out more about the work of the NAS, visit the NAS website www.autism.org.uk.

For more information about autism and for help in your area, call the NAS Autism Helpline on: 0845 070 4004 10am-4pm, Monday to Friday, (local rates apply).

The NAS Autism Services Directory is the UK’s most comprehensive directory of services and events for people with autism. Visit www.autism.org.uk/autismdirectory to find autism services and support networks in your area .