URGENT - can you reply in next 30 minutes? please?

Autist said:

SOrry for the title and urgency but I just really need some advice. Maybe I should call NAS. I don't know. Anyway I am going to open a new bank account today, and I don't know if  I should tell them about my diagnosis. I now have the letter confirming diagnosis - do I tell? Or not? Is there something you can get that says you have ASD but doesn't include all the personal stuff about hobbies and interests and difficulties with relationships and other things? Can I get something like a statement to show to banks?

But anyway the real question is do I tell the bank or not?

Dear Autist,

I am sorry to have not responded to your original message in time.  

I carry the following item around with me:

www.autism.org.uk/.../autism-alert-cards.aspx

www.autism.org.uk/.../asperger-cards.aspx

www.autism.org.uk/.../autism-cards.aspx

...Available from the NAS shop.  

You are not obliged to tell them about your diagnosis if you do not want to.  It is not necessary to open an account.  However, if you do ever want to explain to somebody about your Autism/Asperger condition, you may find the aforementioned cards and wallet to be helpful.  

If you are opening a bank account, then you must keep a close eye on your income and expenditure, what bills you have to pay and when, how much, etc.  Also only have a debit card, NOT a credit card.  Also you may wish to discuss with the bank staff an overdraft limit.  The bank staff should be able to explain all this to you, but you may wish to ask somebody to attend with you (such as a CAB volunteer, a NAS volunteer, a local NHS mental health staff member who may be willing to accompany you to the bank, etc).  

There are pre-paid debit cards available, which allow you to put a certain amount of money on them.  Sort of like one of the old BT phonecards from the late 1980s.  

www.visa.co.uk/.../visa_prepaid.aspx  

In short, what I am saying is you do not want to overspend and get into debt, either by going into overdraft or running up a debt on a credit card.  

* * * * *

Over a year ago, I was shopping in my local W H Smith and my debit card got rejected at the till.  Knowing that I did have sufficient funds in my account to pay for the items, I asked them if they could put them aside for me and I'll be back in about half an hour with cash to pay for them.  

I went into Natwest and I explained the card was rejected but that I did have sufficient funds.  As it turned out, my card was put on temporary hold as the bank thought there was a suspicious transaction on my account and froze the card to protect me from fraud and theft (i.e. if my card had been cloned or stolen).  They were able to unblock my card, I got some cash and went back to W H Smith and paid for my items.  

When I was explaining the problem to the Natwest staff, I told them that I am a neurologically disabled person, i.e. Autism, and that I can get panicky and anxious and forgetful.  I asked them to please be patient with me, which they were.  They helped me through the process of getting the issue resolved.  I did not show them my Autism awareness cards on this occasion, but they could have been used if I needed to.  

Autist said:

SOrry for the title and urgency but I just really need some advice. Maybe I should call NAS. I don't know. Anyway I am going to open a new bank account today, and I don't know if  I should tell them about my diagnosis. I now have the letter confirming diagnosis - do I tell? Or not? Is there something you can get that says you have ASD but doesn't include all the personal stuff about hobbies and interests and difficulties with relationships and other things? Can I get something like a statement to show to banks?

But anyway the real question is do I tell the bank or not?

Dear Autist,

I am sorry to have not responded to your original message in time.  

I carry the following item around with me:

www.autism.org.uk/.../autism-alert-cards.aspx

www.autism.org.uk/.../asperger-cards.aspx

www.autism.org.uk/.../autism-cards.aspx

...Available from the NAS shop.  

You are not obliged to tell them about your diagnosis if you do not want to.  It is not necessary to open an account.  However, if you do ever want to explain to somebody about your Autism/Asperger condition, you may find the aforementioned cards and wallet to be helpful.  

If you are opening a bank account, then you must keep a close eye on your income and expenditure, what bills you have to pay and when, how much, etc.  Also only have a debit card, NOT a credit card.  Also you may wish to discuss with the bank staff an overdraft limit.  The bank staff should be able to explain all this to you, but you may wish to ask somebody to attend with you (such as a CAB volunteer, a NAS volunteer, a local NHS mental health staff member who may be willing to accompany you to the bank, etc).  

There are pre-paid debit cards available, which allow you to put a certain amount of money on them.  Sort of like one of the old BT phonecards from the late 1980s.  

www.visa.co.uk/.../visa_prepaid.aspx  

In short, what I am saying is you do not want to overspend and get into debt, either by going into overdraft or running up a debt on a credit card.  

* * * * *

Over a year ago, I was shopping in my local W H Smith and my debit card got rejected at the till.  Knowing that I did have sufficient funds in my account to pay for the items, I asked them if they could put them aside for me and I'll be back in about half an hour with cash to pay for them.  

I went into Natwest and I explained the card was rejected but that I did have sufficient funds.  As it turned out, my card was put on temporary hold as the bank thought there was a suspicious transaction on my account and froze the card to protect me from fraud and theft (i.e. if my card had been cloned or stolen).  They were able to unblock my card, I got some cash and went back to W H Smith and paid for my items.  

When I was explaining the problem to the Natwest staff, I told them that I am a neurologically disabled person, i.e. Autism, and that I can get panicky and anxious and forgetful.  I asked them to please be patient with me, which they were.  They helped me through the process of getting the issue resolved.  I did not show them my Autism awareness cards on this occasion, but they could have been used if I needed to.