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Freebies and Perks

Droopy

Founder & Former Admin
V.I.P Member
I wanted to create a thread to combine a list of freebies and perks that people with Asperger Syndrome and Autism are entitled to. Hopefully these will be useful to some people. At the moment they are UK-based but if any member knows of perks available outside of the UK then feel free to add to this list.

United Kingdom

Disability Living Allowance. [more information]
Train and Bus discount passes. See your local bus/rail provider for more information.
Free cinema tickets. [more information]
Free education study at the Open University. [more information]

Other countries

None added yet.

If you know of any freebies/perks available to those with AS/Autism then please add them to this thread. Please include a description of what the freebie is and how to receive it. Include a link if possible.
 
Whaaaat!! that's awesome.

Indeed. I only found out about the free bus/train pass yesterday. Think of all the money I could have saved if I had known earlier.

Does Canada not have any freebies or perks?
 
You can get up to $1000 per month on disability here. I get nearly $800 myself. You get less if you're in school and/or work. It wasn't hard to apply either, I just had to talk to two or three people.

Oh my word, that's like more than what I get, but then again, you do live on your own place right? If so, then that would be pretty reasonable for why they give you that amount of money.

I only get like ?155 per month (been added an extra ?50) plus when I'm in college, I get about ?30 per week for EMA and if I attended through Christmas, I actually get ?100 bonus on top of it which is pretty awesome.

Although my college is expensive and I don't think I would be entitled for a free travel card since it I don't look like I have autism and my case isn't severe either.
 
Every month as it seems, I seem to get free 30 minutes of call times, I think that's actually pretty awesome.:H

Definitely a surprise when it comes to T-Mobile. :lol2:
 
Here is a free cell phone service for those in the following states:
  1. Florida
  2. Maryland
  3. New York
  4. Tennessee
  5. Virginia
  6. Louisiana
  7. Michigan
  8. North Carolina
  9. Texas

Here is an example on how you would qualify in the state of Florida.
Florida
_ Medicaid
_ Food Stamps/SNAP
_ Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
_ Temporary Cash Assistance
_ Bureau of Indian Affairs Programs (BIA)
_ Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA) or Section 8
_ Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
_ National School Lunch Program?s Free Lunch Program

OR

_ Your household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines

http://www.assurancewireless.com/Public/HowToQualify.aspx << Go there to see the other state's mention in this thread.

Here is a brief description from the website it self.

Assurance Wireless Benefits
If you qualify and are approved for Assurance Wireless, you?ll get:

_ A FREE Assurance Wireless phone
_ 200 FREE minutes each month for nationwide local and domestic
long-distance calling
_ FREE voicemail, call waiting, and caller ID
_ 911 access


There are no bills, long-term contracts, activation fees, recurring fees, or surcharges for Assurance Wireless customers.
Access to Other Offerings
If you decide to add money to your account with a Virgin Mobile Top-Up card or a credit/debit card, you can also take advantage of the following Virgin Mobile offerings:

_ Additional minutes at 10? each
_ 10? text messages
_ Messaging Packs as low as $5 for 200 messages
_ 411 service at $1.75 per call + standard airtime charges
_ International calling at great rates to over 200 countries
_ And so much more

http://www.assurancewireless.com is the main website's url.

Anyways, I know of more services, but they vary by state. Also, they are a pain in the neck to get them in general.

Also I never used that cell phone service in a day of my life, because I already have a phone. Also I would be taking it away from people that truly need it. :S

Edit: SSI is like disability income for those that don't have work experience.
 
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Oh my word, that's like more than what I get, but then again, you do live on your own place right? If so, then that would be pretty reasonable for why they give you that amount of money.

I only get like ?155 per month (been added an extra ?50) plus when I'm in college, I get about ?30 per week for EMA and if I attended through Christmas, I actually get ?100 bonus on top of it which is pretty awesome.

Although my college is expensive and I don't think I would be entitled for a free travel card since it I don't look like I have autism and my case isn't severe either.
I don't live on my own. I wouldn't be able to afford it my own place. People make more money in a week than I do in a month.
 
Oh my word, that's like more than what I get, but then again, you do live on your own place right? If so, then that would be pretty reasonable for why they give you that amount of money.

I only get like ?155 per month (been added an extra ?50) plus when I'm in college, I get about ?30 per week for EMA and if I attended through Christmas, I actually get ?100 bonus on top of it which is pretty awesome.

Although my college is expensive and I don't think I would be entitled for a free travel card since it I don't look like I have autism and my case isn't severe either.

I get ?60 a week. Well my mom gets it for me until I'm 18. I can have it now if I want but most of it is spent on me anyway. I get ?30 a week EMA also.
 
Thought I would update this thread as I recently found out some information.

If you are a resident of the United Kingdom and receive Disability Living Allowance, you can study a course at the Open University for free. The Open University allows you to study a range of courses from certificate level all the way to a degree. You work at home in your own time frame and receive DVD's and notes/tutorials in place of an actual teacher. In addition to that, you may attend a tutorial class with an actual teacher once per month if needed. It may be useful to those who cannot cope at college/Uni or have time constraints.

More information can be found here and here.
 
I managed to get a travel card and I've no mobility problems at all. I don't think you'd know by looking that I've got AS or, generally, any serious problems. I wish there was more help for what I want, which is socialising.
 
In the United States you can get:
Financial:
SSI (Supplemental Security Income) which is $674.00 per Month
Snap (Food Assistance) which is $200 per Month

Medical/Dental:
Any person who is disabled by Federal standards is eligible for Medicaid which is administered by each state and covers medical and dental costs plus if you have a developmental disability you can also receive some "level" of related treatment like a consultation with a Neuropsychologist etc.

Transportation:
Oregon - In Oregon you can get a free bus pass through your local Developmental Disabilities Office and if you have medical appointments then generally the state will cover a taxi trip (medical transportation brokerage) for all such medical or dental appointments.

Phone Service:
The Federal Goverment provides funding to each state to provide subsidized telephone service to low income and disabled persons I think the program is called Lifeline in most states.

Fishing License:
In Oregon specifically you can also receive a free annual fishing license
 
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In some states in the U.S. they do provide such assistance they call it Title XIX Waiver Funding and its called a support and they offer like community inclusion programs and behavioral services to help with such.
 
perks and stuff and money from government are all reasons i may get an official diagnosis just its annoying as my doctors are idiots and stuff and just its so much hassle.
 
Uh... Food Stamps (SNAP) varies by what you pay for and such (bills and utilities). Not everyone gets a straight $200 dollars.

As for Medicaid, some states don't cover dental at all. So you're basically stuck paying for your own dental.

Again, each benefit depends on the state and county you're in. Some offer more than others and vice versa.
 
A few things for Australia:

Financial:
Disability Support Pension: Disability Support Pension. Maximum payment per fortnight if you are single is $670.90. Eligibility criteria includes not being able to work 15hrs/week for at least 2 years.

Employment:
CRS Australia: CRS Australia Helps people with a health condition or disability find and maintain employment. Criteria: you need to have a condition that impacts on your ability to find and maintain employment, get a medical assessment filled out by your doctor, and do a job capacity assessment to show how many hours you can be expected to work per week.

Travel:
Concession card: cheaper public transport tickets for those on a pension [including disability].

Medical:
Healthcare card: For people on low incomes and pensions [including disability], leads to cheaper medicines if you require regular medication.

Education:
If you attend uni, each university will have an equity/disabilities services office for students with a disability. They can act on your behalf if you require extensions or special accommodations for assessments [i.e. oral instead of written assessments, doing exams in your own room, the ability to take breaks while doing exams].
 

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