Since When is a physio a doctor? When he's an ESA Assessor

Never been asked about my sex life at an ESA assessment, I'm sure even that's taboo!!! I think this assessment opened up a can of worms , and has made me think about the abusive sex that has happened. Tho I do think about the good  sexual relationship I did have , until I had a run of women's problems, that ruined that side of it. I know when I went for my assessment for Aspergers I went alone rather than taking my mum, as she doesn't know about my older cousin, and after the incidents   with the boysgot out,  I;d felt I;d get the blame, as I asked why I was being sent to a child psychologist her reply was"To see why you behave as you do" Maybe my mum didn't have the best way with words so I took it to mean "It must be my fault"
I know with the psychiatrist who did my initial ASD assessment I did touch on bullying at school and the abuse,but didn't feel or want to go into any great detail, also my immediate manager in my last job (last year) was a bully, great for an organisation that supports adults with learning disabilities and those with ASD conditions.     

Didn't realise it was a performance sport! 

If an autistic person applied for the benefits is it expected that the person should have sex?
Do they ask this? Do they give less points then?

Yes the pip and ESA assessments and medicals do stir everything up within us because whilst trying to be positive on a daily basis you have to look at worst case scenario and it's not a pretty sight. As is happening to me just now. It makes you feel exposed and vulnerable. You are very brave to talk about the abuse and trust issues. I think you have spoken about something which is usually covered over. I do think there is a lot more confusion with sexual relationships ( in this community) just as with any relationships. How do you explain the effect that has as you grow up or problems and effects in later life to an official person who is a complete stranger ticking boxes just wanting to get to the next set of boxes and go home. 

I think there's a discount rate available  for parking to frequent visitors to hospitals, tho then again should be free or low cost, OK I can understand that hospitals want to dissuadethose who aren't patients or visitors from parking there, but surely there has to be a better way if you can show an appointment letter you park for free!!!  
I've not seen the film I Daniel Blake, but know the rough plot. I wonder if I would get more for less if I took out an Amazon or Netflix sub. I want to watch get DVDs for A Game Of Thrones. Tho I prefer to watch programmes on a big screen rather than on a computer, I've got M=Virgin Media package, tho not sure if I'm tied in still as renegotiated and got faster broadband for 50p less a month tho Virgin are putting their prices up by £3.50 a month in November, so do they have to honour my lower price or not. I stay with Virgin as they're pretty good, if I've had a fault with my service they send an engineer out the following day, or even the same day, and I can't be bothered with a change of e-mail address or phone number. I know when I've been looking for work potential employers have those details too, and if I do change for any reason there's usually someone I forget to tell!!!

No perhaps not, but I just thought mentiooning sexual problems might be, tho most women get gynae probs at some stage in their lives. It's just once I got over my fears I knew I could trust my veteran friend, and I know one day we were looking after his son's dogs , and he made a joke about tying me to the bannisters, and I know if he and I wanted to take it further I could trust him.  Whereas my ex boyfriend/fiance and then husband , If I wasn't keen on something I'd say "Lets talk about this" and he took it as a green light to proceed. 
After the incident with the gang of boys when I was 11, then an older cousin, I started work and met some predatory men, and then my ex. It was like fresh air when I did meet my veteran , and things got sexual with him. I realised that I was allowed to say no if I didn't want to go further, not that saying no often happened, as it was usually YES YES YES!!! 
I did find out that those on the autistic spectrum are more likely to suffer abuse than those not, for years I thought there was something wrong with me, but it wasn't me at fault, tho I did realise later on I'm not the only one to have been abused by different men on different occasions, and most unrelated to other incidents. I can only gather maybe I was looking for love, but seemed to get men after sex in the main, and somehow I seemed to get a reputation for being a "slapper" at work. It was only reading accounts by other women and reading about some of these grooming gangs in Rochdale, Rotheram , and other places, the most recent Newcastle, how these teenage girls were passed around gangs like pieces of meat!!! I'm thinking perhaps this DWP assessment and this Nwwcastle case has stirred feelings up , and I feel even more *** than I would normally, thanks DWP!!! An American friend commented on my Facebook that I was putting up more posts than usual about rape/grooming/abuse, and asked if I was OK. I replied on my page "Am I?" as I didn't seem to notice it was more than usual. Tho I did PM her and say you#re probably right, and said that this medical was making me feel *** too, I said that I scored 18/22 on an online PTSD questionnaire. I know that doesn't confirm a diagnosis, but might be worth speaking to a doctor about it.     

Have you seen the film I, Daniel Blake (it is available on Amazon Prime at the moment)

my step daughter is in a similar situation at the moment with her mum being in hospital for the past six weeks....issues of benefits being cut even though there are children (including a minor in the house)....all of that when you have enough on your plate to deal with,

my step daughter has now spent £300 on hospital car parking as well but has now hopefully found some who is trying to fight her corner,..

we're are back to bureaucratic rules and a lottery of support again.....but don't give up fighting...

I'm sure most council employees are decent enough folks, tho working re claims of housing or council tax benefit I couldn't do. I know a neighbour of working age  a number of years ago had heart problems and had his housing benefit stopped whilst he was in hospital, OK so he's in hospital, but he'll need a place to live when he came out. Anyway the housing association evicted him. The poor bloke was on his mobile phone in hospital trying to resolve the situation. Yep like he deliberately made himself ill. Anyway I think he ended up living at his brothers home, I don't know if he had a proper room or was sofa surfing. Surely it must cost more for councils if they have to put people up in emergency accommodation than it would to just pay housing benefit for those weeks!!!  

It is not a brazen post but a very honest one and I am pleased that you have found trait this community helps to facilitate that.  I am sorry to hear that you have been abused in the past....and hope you are able to enjoy a more positive past.

there are quite of lot of posts here that highlight just have vulnerable we can be and how easily we can be exploited by others when we just want to be accepted and loved....to feel less alone and isolated. 

I have a friend who used to work in housing benefit, council tax etc. He'd worked in call centres for years and his focus on customer service is second to none. Working for the council broke him because of the unfairness, the targets and the impossibility of it all. Some are rotten I'm sure but most feel they are pissing into the wind I think.

I do feel that I must apologise to any Christians on here, just I feel I've slated you all, but that's not how it was intended , just when I went to the initial assessment my friend knew the nurse, just they both went to the same church together at some stage. The nurse, who I believed to be a good Christian lied, as she said that I'm best assessed by a doctor, and when I did go back to see the doctor he was a physiotherapist!!! If she was knowingly setting me up with a physio then she lied!!!!  
At least the advisor at the jobcentre seemed pleasant enough, I think even she could see I'm not fit for work, and any interaction with her is on a voluntary basis.  I've got a very dear veteran friend going through similar, or no doubt he will be soon. I know he did tell me about his military service sometime after we'd started a relationship, as I was sure he was a veteran, I think by something he said and I think veterans seem to appear straighter than civvies when they walk, by that their posture isn't hunched or slouched. Anyway that's what started me collecting for the Royal British Legion. I know he was the first and possibly only one to notice that there was some  possible PTSD when the relationship first became sexual ,I know in my past , there's a history of abuse, rape and domestic violence. I know he picked up on it when the relationship first turned sexual. Just my rotten luck to get a run of women's problems, tho after seeing various gynaecologists , there was nothing wrong, not physically , tho I would get pain that wasn't normal for me, and seemed to have more than my fair share of thrush and water infections, some of the pain could be psychosomatic, or maybe I'd got this expectation it would hurt, I'd tense up so it did. I just wish the gynaecologists had thought of referring me to a psychosexual counsellor  back then , as I'm close to resolving it, I would say that this relationship is been brilliant. I know we're right for each other so does he, I just wish the physical side hadn't become so fraught at times. I know this is perhaps rather brazen a post, but I need to let off steam. Oh yes and my veteran friend has combat related PTSD, maybe it takes one to notice another. I've not been diagnosed, but on an online  PTSD questionnaire I ticked yes to 18/22  questions!!!
OH sorry this assessment has brought out much of the negative crap, even when I'm trying to progress, resolving issues with counselling , and also seeking voluntary work in a museum (in the hope of eventually  finding paid work in such a setting),  speak about putting the knife in, just that assessment has made me feel like poo, or possibly less than *** on your shoe.

I do wonder what the turnover rate for DWP assessors is, how long do they stay in their jobs, have some got a consience, have any been driven to the point of attempting or actually committing suicide, like so many of the people they assess have. I know they themselves don't make the decisions, but I believe many lie. The ironic thing is it must cost the government more in appeals than it does to continue paying the £30 odd quid a week.

I know this song sums up how I feel right now www.youtube.com/watch      

It's a good thing to offer. Thank you

I can quite understand that it would completely undermine any progress you might make, it's an aggressive and persecuting flawed system.  I do wish you luck, it feels crap that that is the best I have to offer.

Thank you Spotty. It is really scary and traumatic. I've been through some very bad times with it and have been out of the radar for a while but they don't leave you alone and one phone call or letter is enough to set my anxiety racing again. I wanted a home visit but I had to chose between the anxiety of setting that up and waiting or accepting the cancellation which is only a couple of days away and going to it just to get it out of the way. Plus I concur with most of what KillerQueen said. The effect destroys all the effort you put into trying to stay stable. 

I just want to scream reading all this, it's so upsetting and cruel and unjust. I haven't been on the sharp end of this system, though it's likely I may be at some point, just had brushes with it in the past so I recognise the fear and trauma it causes.

I hope you all find the help and strength to fight you corners and appeal, but talk about kicking people when they are down, it's such a broken system.  How can people do those jobs when they know full well the decisions are wrong, it must affect their mental state too.

Given a supportive environment in terms of benefits and attitudes there could be so much more productivity and achievement instead of using what little energy and resources you all have just to fight to survive the system. Now words fail me, good luck people, I'm really sorry you are being **** on from a great height.

yep, not much I can do about it. The friend who went with me to both assessments is older, just above retirement age, 69 next birthday. It turns out she knew the nurse assessor Sally her name is, apparently they both went to the same church at one point. Cindy was trying to reassure me that Sally is a good Christian lady, I know my friend Cindy  is, even tho I'm fiercely Pagan. So if this Sally is a good Christian why did she lie about me seeing a doctor, Cindy is perhaps a little naiive , not having had a WCA herself. When you read the Bible , is it any wonder some Christians seem confused all the rape, beating, slavery contained within it, and yet us Pagans are supposedly "savage" . iF OTHERS WANT TO BE cHRISTIANS i'VE NO QUALMS  with that, but if there was only Christianity and athiesm , I think many Christians I've met are more likely to turn me athiest!! Sorry I didn't mean this to turn into a rant about religion.
How can a WCA assessor be a Christian , what I thought were "Christian values" seem to conflict with her job. I'm sure most Christians are decent enough people. 

Sorry just I've Aspergers , also anxiety and depression, and can have panic attacks . I had an American friend ask if I was OK last night as she's said I've posted more than usual newspaper website pieces about rape and the grooming gangs than I usually do. I've not been diagnosed as such, and I'm not sure how to get a diagnosis, but I did an online PTSD questionnaire and scored 18/22, it could be that medical has made me feel a crock of ***, but that's not the only thing. I'm managing financially atm, it's just if I have to go onto assessment rate even if it's temporary, I'm going to get behind with bills. I've only got a car as I've got my mum's old one, and I think the worry is leading me to drink more, but I don't want to be like this, and sometimes maybe I worry about events in advance. I worked for a time last year under ESA permitted work rules, tho my manager was a bully, bad for an organisation that looks after learning disabled people, including people with varying degrees of autism/AS.     I know last appeal I submitted in 2012 the DWP  by their own admission lost the paperwork, and it wasn't until 2014/15, and the court wasn't going to allow it as my appeal was late, tho they accepted it when I proved I lodged my appeal request in the allowed time. I could really do without the possible stress of having to go to appeal. I know I don't generally answer my door unless Im expecting visitors or a delivery, times I've missed the post(wo)man as thjey've something I need to sign for, sometimes I end up chasing them in the street when I realised I've missed an item, usually it;s a frind sending me something for my birthday or Yule/Christmas. I did read if you can use a computer and do online shopping. I usually get an Asda order every so often, tho if I forget something I have to go to local Tesco store, or maybe further afield to Morrisons , if I do have to go to a supermarket in person I try and go at quieter times I can't always take a friend with me, and online shopping DWP must think you're good with computers and so are able to work in an office, the very environment that would drive me nuts. HOusework I did get a little behind as had a cold come on nearly 2 weeks ago, could never quite grasp housework as a kid, I do try and do it little and often I think there's a certain level of messiness I'll allow, before I think I must clean up , tho there are places far worse than mine. OH yes I was also asked about qualifications maybe I should've said "No I'm fick" (deliberately spelled wrong), maybe this physio thought I can't be that disabled if I can pass 3 O levels and CSEs, tho maybe he doesn't seem to realise a learning difficulty is not the same as a learning disability, tho I've met some with L Dis who are quite intelligent. I wonder would I have done better with education if I didn't have a L diff. Perhaps he thinks anyone witn Aspergers must be fick, tho it just means we're not stupid, but maybe take in and process information differently to the way it was taught in schools.                             

I've done that asking why my assessment was carried out by a physio and not a doctor!!! I know I can appeal if the outcome isn't right , tho however that will mean loosing some money, I don't know if I'll have to sign on for JSA, but I can't commit to an agreement. Even the jobcentre advisor I saw Thursday could see I was better as I am, doing work related activity with an advisor from Autism Bedfordshire on a voluntary basis. AB say if I'm going to work, they advise me to stick with voluntary atm!!! Ruth at JC agrees.      

Morning KillerQueen I hope you are feeling a bit more settled today. I just wanted to say how sorry I am that you have had this experience. 

I too had a rough time going through the assessment and appeal process. I didn't get through it the first time round and couldn't face any of it for quite a long time after that. 

But I was encouraged and persuaded to have another go about a year later and have been on ESA and Pip since for which I am very grateful.  

I've yet to meet a physio with any mental health experience...

I would lodge a complaint.