In the 'real' world of SP IFR autopilots are used a lot. Why knacker yourself if you have George handy? Besides, it lets you do paperwork, brief approaches, eat a crew meal etc. without the a/c constantly having to be returned to S&L flight. Pax don't like it when the a/c isn't steady.
However, for training for the IR, I feel you'll do yourself a disservice if you use the a/p a lot instead of using the handflying opportunity to maximise your workload capability & multi-tasking skills. Still make sure you're thoroughly comfortable with the a/p. You'd be stupid not to use it during the test!
NB: Not all countries require an a/p for SP IFR.