I'm sure this subject has been discussed to death, for that I can only apologise.
For a couple of years now, doing a little research on my own, I think that I may have what a Work Psychologist I saw 01/2012 called a neuro diverse condition. I thought it might be Aspergers, it might be ADD possibly Dyspraxia. I'm by no means an expert nor a diagonistician. I could be completely wrong and, as i suspect my GP thinks (but doesn't say), lazy!
When I first saw the Work Psychologist (a dwp person, i don't know much about the specific role as I'd never heard of them before) I was on JSA. Since then I started on the Work Programme which I am still on. She claimed she could test for Aspergers but relented to saying she could do some kind of test to see if I might have ADD. I realise that makes no sense, but it involved answering a load of puzzles like remembering number sequences backwards and spotting patterns and stuff. From what I could understand she said it was highly likely. I have yet to get an official diagnosis as such facilities are not local to me and I find travelling around cities rather scary. There is now a chance the local CMHT might do one.
However the Work Programme treated me badly. They ignored the information regarding my mental health (even though no formal diagnosis) and refused to accept even the possibility of such problems - of any kind. I was told that without a support worker present they wouldn't countenance any such possibility. I made a complaint and have since changed advisers. Though the replacement is better they still admit they can't do anything. Basically the WP is rubbish. I was told that the main problem was because I was on JSA and that I should claim ESA.
To cut a long and predictable story short that's what I did, six months later I have, unsurprisingly, failed the WCA. I've sent the GL24 form back to lodge an appeal. I'm not sure how that will work but I'm told that doing so reinstates my benefit until such time as they decide whether to change their mind (I doubt it, let's be honest). In the meantime I have to persuade my GP I need help.
I suppose my point in posting is just to hear what other people think. I haven't found my GP to be terribly helpful or sympathetic and the system certainly isn't. ESA should be employment support, but it seems to work on the basis that, in order to get into the WRAG (my stated goal, i don't claim to be deserving of the support group) you need to also qualify for the support group. This doesn't make much sense to me. As a result I feel guilty as if I'm swinging the lead. But on the other hand, I just can't cope with the DWP. I find life difficult and I find dealing with society at times very hard. All the stuff you've heard before no doubt.
I can't say for certain I'm an aspie/add/whatever, so I could be wrong. But just trying to get support and be taken seriously is horrendous. It's enough to make you ill even if you aren't. If anyone has any advice I'd be grateful, thanks.
If your difficulties do not meet the eligibility crieria, then you, most probably, will not win the appeal.
Don't worry about what diagnosis you may, or may not, have, it is not relevant, it just makes explaining the difficulties easier.
That's the problem. They don't meet the criteria - the descriptors used by the WCA, which I presume the tribunal will also use to judge eligibility. Those descriptors are terrible and certainly don't really help my case. So i haven't got a chance and I suspect only very severely affected neurodiverse people will be affected (how such people would cope with a tribunal is another matter entirely).
It all comes down to interpretation, wishface.
The DWP, when they look at the WCA report err on the side of interpretting the criteria in a way that reduces the numbers of people getting the benefit.
The appeal hearing however is not done by the DWP it is done by an entirely independent appeal hearing organisation and they tend to intrepret the criteria in a much fairer way that favours the applicant a lot more.
If you like, they, at the appeal hearing, look more at the spirit of the law, not the letter of it.
And let me repeat, and emphasise, what I've said numerous times already:
I am not a "very severely affected neurodiverse" person. Most people wouldn't have a clue I have Asperger's unless I told them. And yet, I won my Appeal.
And I'm not unique. I don't have the exact figures, but, again, as I've already stated multiple times, a very high proportion of people with AS/ASDs that go through the ESA caim process fail the WCA but win the appeal. Precisely because the WCA is weighted against us, but the appeal is not.
If your difficulties do not meet the eligibility crieria, then you, most probably, will not win the appeal.
Don't worry about what diagnosis you may, or may not, have, it is not relevant, it just makes explaining the difficulties easier.
That's the problem. They don't meet the criteria - the descriptors used by the WCA, which I presume the tribunal will also use to judge eligibility. Those descriptors are terrible and certainly don't really help my case. So i haven't got a chance and I suspect only very severely affected neurodiverse people will be affected (how such people would cope with a tribunal is another matter entirely).
It all comes down to interpretation, wishface.
The DWP, when they look at the WCA report err on the side of interpretting the criteria in a way that reduces the numbers of people getting the benefit.
The appeal hearing however is not done by the DWP it is done by an entirely independent appeal hearing organisation and they tend to intrepret the criteria in a much fairer way that favours the applicant a lot more.
If you like, they, at the appeal hearing, look more at the spirit of the law, not the letter of it.
And let me repeat, and emphasise, what I've said numerous times already:
I am not a "very severely affected neurodiverse" person. Most people wouldn't have a clue I have Asperger's unless I told them. And yet, I won my Appeal.
And I'm not unique. I don't have the exact figures, but, again, as I've already stated multiple times, a very high proportion of people with AS/ASDs that go through the ESA caim process fail the WCA but win the appeal. Precisely because the WCA is weighted against us, but the appeal is not.
