Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello, everyone. I am new to this community. I have been on the waiting list for an ASD assessment for a year and a half and it is finally set for Tuesday morning. Despite my mother insisting I am on the spectrum for a number of years, so far I have been in the mental health system and have a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder. This appears to be fairly common in females. I like to be prepared for things like this and to know what I'm up against. However, I haven't seen two stories of an assessment that are the same! My experience in applying for PIP where I was accused of lying about literally everything and awarded 0 points has scared me. The assessment is to be held at my home and last for three hours. Supposedly it will be conducted by a consultant psychiatrist. Does this align with anyone else's experience? What happened? What should I expect? How will the meeting be structured? If anyone could give me any information or links at all about their assessment appointment, I would be most grateful. Thank you so much,
Well, they're different beasts. ESA is for people who can't work because of ill-health. It's often temporary, but can be long-term. People, if they've been working, usually go into the work-related activity group - where they have to, as it says on the tin, do 'work-related activity'. The difference is that they're allowed to look for work that is best suited to them and their condition, which can include part-time work. If you're on JSA, you have to look for any suitable job, and it needs to be full-time. There's also a support group, for people who don't have to look for work. But they still get periodic reassessments. PIPs, as I understand it, are more for people who have long-term health problems and need more help and support to live.
This is the best place to go for advice and information...
Benefits and Work
Is it easier to get one of them - PIP or ESA?
Or it is equally difficult for both of them?
Hi there,
Interestingly - as a 50-something male - it was first thought that I had BPD, as I exhibited all the major symptoms. Mental health services were hopeless though, and eventually - with the support of a therapist, who first identified what she thought were ASC traits instead - I insisted on a direct referral to the county autism unit.
Firstly, I had a home visit from an assessor from a local autism trust (now, as it happens, my employer!), and he thought it was definitely worth pursuing. At the final diagnostic assessment, I was interviewed for about an hour. Then my mother was interviewed separately, and was asked about my childhood and how I managed with my developmental milestones. Her interview took about 30 minutes. The final diagnosis came through a few weeks later.
Interestingly, too... since my diagnosis, my mental health problems have improved. No longer am I anxious and depressed 'for no apparent reason'. My panic attacks can now be explained, as can my frequent (though becoming much less frequent) feelings of emptiness.
I've never applied for a PIP, but I've been on ESA a couple of times. Each time, I've scored '0' on work capability assessments, and been bumped back onto JSA. The first time, I took it to tribunal and won. The second time, I gave up. The system is designed to fail people - especially, I think, those with mental health disorders. The system itself is deeply sick. The presumption is always 'well until proven sick.'
Good luck with it all. Just be yourself.
Tom
That's no problem. I got my diagnosis on the day but had to wait a couple of weeks for the full report. What surprised me the most about the whole day were the amount of ASD traits the assessor picked up on that I hadn't even noticed, so they definitely know what to look for!
Re PIP, I've heard from a few people that it's really common for an application to be rejected and then the outcome is much better after an appeal. It sounds like a horrible process, but the outcome of the assessment on Tuesday might help.
Thank you very much for your response, Patch! Particularly for the link you sent me. That's very helpful reading. I had heard some of the assessment was task-based but hadn't heard any details about it. You also have a good point about the assessor. Did you receive a diagnosis on the day or was there a waiting period?
I think it depends who is doing the assessment but mine was in two parts. The first half was an interview which was quite general and covered things like school, interests, friendships etc. For this part it can be helpful to have a parent / guardian with you to share some of those experiences. The second half was the ADOS assessment where I was given an number of activities to complete, like reading a story or completing a puzzle. The tasks weren't difficult and I don't think the psychiatrist was interested in how well I did in the activity, more how I responded to different prompts in that time.
I understand that it can be a very anxious time because of not knowing what to expect. It might be worth e-mailing your assessor to ask for a timetable to help you to prepare, or you can take things with you to help you feel calm, I took a colouring book and my headphones and even though they stayed in my bag the whole time, I felt better knowing they were there.
I hope it goes well for you, try to remember that the difference here is that the consultant psychiatrist will actually have some understanding of ASD, whereas the PIP assessor is not a specialist in this area. Here is a link to some ADOS information if it's relevant https://research.agre.org/program/aboutados.cfm