How do you say you have AS without a diagnosis?

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Exactly.

I'm about two years into getting a diagnosis...
Originally referred to mental health team who agreed AS was likely and found that the shrinks I had seen in my teens had determined I was likely AS too, the mental health team then referred me to the autism team, but after a year waiting to find out what is happening the NHS have refused this and sent me back to the mental health team. I apparently have to have a senior member of staff assess and refer me again before NHS will even consider sending me to autism team. Until the NHS play ball, I can't get the DWP to play ball.

The fact is that if you're disabled you're disabled, diagnosis or not, but it's a problem trying to show this to DWP.

That's true, but it would be very easy to FAKE a disability on a piece of paper if you didn't need to talk to a doctor. If your doctor puts they suspect you have ASD and you're on a referral list, but it could take up to 2 years, that's showing a doctor feels you are disabled. Do you see the difference? There are SO many people trying to make fraudulent claims all the time, that they need to make it hard to actually get. It sucks for the honest people, but it would suck even more if budgets were cut even more because there just wasn't enough to go around since so many people were claiming and getting disability without actually having a diagnosis.

If you've been accepted for social anxiety disorder before, why can't you just go that route again?

I understand that, thus the problem.

I could in this specific case say I have social anxiety disorder - although it wouldn't cover the real issues I have.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding here... Would you get a different amount of money for ASD as opposed to social anxiety? If not, what does it matter right now if you are getting the money you need? If there's no difference in the amount you'd get for either one, just because you got accepted on it for social anxiety disorder doesn't mean you can't keep pursuing the ASD diagnosis. Even if there is a difference- Being on it for social anxiety disorder is "a foot in the door" for when you do finally get diagnosed with ASD.

No, there's no difference in money.
The point is that it's VERY DIFFICULT to get on ESA - lying about why I need to be on ESA and excluding the real difficulties I have that would be the reason for needing to be on ESA would mean I'm less likely to get on ESA.

But wouldn't the GP just write that you have xyz symptoms? I was told that's what was written on mine. Despite the fact that I have excess brain fluid can cause major issues, it was decided that I have no problems in that area. I'm lucky now if I can actually remember certain things.

It's unfair on those of us who are in the crap situation of having some stupidly rare medical disorder which no-one can seem to diagnose. That seems to be the situation I'm in at the moment - no-one can diagnose me and I've been told it's harder due to having multiple diagnosed disabilities.

Bloodheart: I wasn't saying you would have to lie about it. I didn't realize social anxiety disorder was something you could get over completely. I also never told you to exclude anything. I'd already put you should have your doctor point out that you're in the middle of trying to get an assessment, and that it could take up to however many years to actually get one, because you have to go through seeing a senior staff which takes time. I'm sorry for not making myself more clear before.

Wandering_Stranger: Yes, if you're applying for just one thing, they'll only put the one thing down. Your doctor could have put multiple reasons for needing to be on disability.



Right now, the reason I absolutely need to be on it since I haven't been able to work for 2 years isn't something I have a diagnosis for yet, all they know is I can't keep food or drinks down, among other things such as severe abdominal pain. However, I'm also waiting for genetic testing for a few other possible things that have absolutely nothing to do with that, plus I have PTSD, ASD, Elhers- Danlos syndrome (something you're born with but I was just diagnosed this year) etc. All of them are being put down, every symptom that can interfere with a normal life, both physically and mentally, regardless of whether or not it has to do with my stomach problems because all of them can be considered a disability or something that can make finding and keeping a job hard/ requires expensive medication I can't afford while unable to work which is why I suggested anything I did. It's something you can try, I'm not saying it will work, I'm giving ideas to you because you don't have a diagnosis yet (But you're waiting for a diagnosis, right?) We put that we don't have answers for some of my ailments, but tests are underway to figure it out, and there could be up to 2 years on the waiting list for some, and as little as a week for others- The point was have your doctor state they feel you have it and that you're waiting for a diagnosis. Again, sorry for not being more clear.

You can't. Well, you can, but it's not the AS that's defined by the medical community, which they give you when you see them (or they don't if they think you haven't got it).

Any allowances will need a doctor's signature to it.

For something legal (particularly criminal) you'd probably get assessed by a psychologist/psychiatrist for both the defence and prosecution (i.e. twice) if you alleged ASD as why you aren't culpable. I think this would even be the case if you were diagnosed because legal people do things differently.

That does sound about right. I know they do that for people who claim that their mental illness made them do it.

Sadly, it also weeds out those who lack the energy and/or resources to fight their case. Where I'm at, getting the primary services isn't (normally, there are some cases though) a problem if you have a formal diagnosis, but additional services (at least the more expensive ones), higher payments due to being disabled at a young age etc. are usually denied the first time. I currently have an appeal going for higher payments, because they're especially strict when on temporary services (disability scholarship/occupational support). It is withheld, except for the "most severe cases of AS". I've had to get a letter from the specialist who diagnosed me, stating I'm more severe than I look to an untrained occupational counselor. I also had to point out the law differs from their established practice (it says "severe diagnosis" at a young age or of a condition that has been there since young age, not "the most severe cases of a severe diagnosis". AS is by definition a severe diagnosis, period.). I have no idea what the result will be (they've spent eight months doing nothing about the appeal), but if I didn't have my family to back me up and help me handle it, I probably would just have accepted my lower payments due to lack of energy, executive dysfunction and fear of phone calls.

DWP is a system with paper-shufflers following rules that someone else has written. They can't just agree with you even if unofficially they believe you. You have to follow the rules and give them the info and documentation they need.
As has been said above, if anybody could just get benefits on the basis of own diagnosis, then anyone could just fake a disability and claim.
Claim based on your current diagnosis... and just point out the ongoing diagnostic process for AS if you want.

DWP is a system with paper-shufflers following rules that someone else has written. They can't just agree with you even if unofficially they believe you. You have to follow the rules and give them the info and documentation they need.
As has been said above, if anybody could just get benefits on the basis of own diagnosis, then anyone could just fake a disability and claim.
Claim based on your current diagnosis... and just point out the ongoing diagnostic process for AS if you want.

They don't even always agree with a patients consultant. I've been seeing various consultants since I was 5 months old (I'm now 23) and someone has decided I don't have problems communicating. Consultants and GPs state otherwise.