What I want to talk about are the 2 claims that I have applied for and in the process of claiming: ESA (Employment Support Allowance) and PIP (Personal Independence Payment) and whether or not I am fit for work.
I've applied to both, completed the necessary forms and will be waiting for assessment for ESA where I have done it in PIP already.
I have just recently received a call saying that my PIP application/claim has been disallowed, which means I didn't meet the requirements or eligibility criteria. Or they did not get enough information about my mental illness (HFA, Aspergers, social difficulties, cognitive delay). The real worry is that it has been viewed as an invisible illness, some days are bad, some days go unnoticed, this doesn't go down well with the DWP and they think it is a shortcut into getting a disability benefit.
On the other hand I have ESA which I started a bit later than PIP, it has only been 9 weeks since I started the claim. I haven't given any fit-notes in yet because they failed to tell me until recently, and I went to the doctor and they asked that I have a medical certificate verifying that I have the above conditions, except it isn't on their database and they most likely put me forward for another assessment to see if I still have the condition.
At least it will be assuring whether or not I have aspergers, whether I was misdiagnosed as a child or not. Until the GP has the medical certificate, he won't issue me the fit-note which in turn will close my ESA claim and will have to go back to the Jobseekers Allowance and to the dreaded work programme which I really don't belong in.
Is there anyone I should contact? do the citizens advice bureau help with this sort of thing or am I on my own?
