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Asperger Diagnosis

wishface

Hello, I am posting here as someone unemployed with problems that may or may not be on the autistic spectrum, specifically Aspergers. I have the chance to get a diagnosis next month, though getting there will be problematic. This has caused me to re-evaluate the purpose of this. Specifically is it worth it? What will getting a diagnosis (if at all) achieve? What doors does it open? As someone out of work I can’t see it enabling a successful ESA claim, and there’s no way I will get through the WCA.

The whole purpose of this isn’t to get a label; I know the issues I have so that means nothing to me alone. The point is really about money: about securing an inecom somehow. I find it difficult dealing with full time work (not that there is any) and having to deal with JSA is a nightmare. I am on the Work Programme but that is no help at all and they have admitted they have nothing to offer and no experience of dealing with mental health issues of any kind. So where does that leave me?

ESA is supposed to exist to help people like me that have some problems, but instead the WCA is used to keep the claimant count down. The end result is that you are either too ill to work (if you’re even found as such) or you are perfectly OK. If you fall inbetween you are ignored. That’s not what’s meant to happen. My GP supports that I should be on ESA, but is dead against writing a sick note. He doesn’t understand the benefits system, unsurprisingly, and really isn’t much help at all.

I don’t want to dismiss the appointment out of hand (and I doubt he’d be happy if I did), but the purpose of getting it is to enable support. So the question is what support does it enable?

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  • Scorpion0x17 said:

    [quote]With respect it's entirely the GP's choice to write sick notes. He isn't obliged to do so on the patient's say so alone.[/quote]

    Not on the patient's say so, no. On the DWP's say so, yes. That's important bit - the DWP demanding that you to send in sick notes.

    Again, no. I appreciate your responses but GPs are not obliged to write sick notes at all if they don't feel the patient needs one. The idea is that when you claim ESA you are meant to be assessed ASAP (ie, the GP shouldn't need to keep writing notes) and it's taken out of their hands. That's part of the problem. But there is zero compulsion on the GP to continue to provide notes or to provide them at all. Complaining about this won't change anything except to affect your relationship with the GP which isn't to be taken lightly. So the bottom line is: if the GP doens't want to write a note there isn't much the patient can do.
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  • Scorpion0x17 said:

    [quote]With respect it's entirely the GP's choice to write sick notes. He isn't obliged to do so on the patient's say so alone.[/quote]

    Not on the patient's say so, no. On the DWP's say so, yes. That's important bit - the DWP demanding that you to send in sick notes.

    Again, no. I appreciate your responses but GPs are not obliged to write sick notes at all if they don't feel the patient needs one. The idea is that when you claim ESA you are meant to be assessed ASAP (ie, the GP shouldn't need to keep writing notes) and it's taken out of their hands. That's part of the problem. But there is zero compulsion on the GP to continue to provide notes or to provide them at all. Complaining about this won't change anything except to affect your relationship with the GP which isn't to be taken lightly. So the bottom line is: if the GP doens't want to write a note there isn't much the patient can do.
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