PIP with no doctor?

[pinkleopard]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone has any advice.

I was diagnosed at age 8, I underwent occupational therepy for a few years and the moved area. When we moved everything just stopped, I have basically been treat like I should be 'over it' just been called 'Lazy' by people ever since.

2 years ago my son was refered to speach therepy because he cant be understood when he tries to talk, he has been assesed by the speach team 3 times each time they say he seems like he could be dyspraxic like me (I could always talk fine though). Through researching for him I have learned that treatment was never suppose to have just stopped and I actually should be able to get PIP for all the things I struggle with.

I phoned the PIP line today but they want the name of my 'medical professional' who deals with this, well I havent had one since I was a child and my GP said they dont refer adults and she wouldnt even know how.

I have been trying for 2 years to get my son into assesments and help and also to figure out a way to get myself back in too (although my son is my main priority, he just keeps getting bounced around) but we just always come up against a brick wall. My son has seen 19 specialist for assesment in the last 2 years and all say he has a problem (most likely dyspraxia) but then just fob us off by refering him to someone else.

I havent had any luck at getting refered back either, I dont even know how as everything seems to be set up for children.

Does anyone know where Im suppose to go or what Im suppose to do?

[Tom fod]

Have you spoken to his school for support and referral to support him in education. They may have more success pushing from their direction. The Dyspraxia Foundation and/or other organisations who support parents in getting Special Educational Needs provision may also be able to help.

Most PIP Assessors know little or nothing about Dyspraxia amd the names of conditions you have are not automatic qualifying criteria. You need to be able to convey to DWP Decision Makers and those involved in assessing your claim that your difficulties have a substantial impact on your ability to carry out day to day activities. The process is torturous so it is essential to have support in completing the forms, the likely need to seek a Mandatory Reconsideration and if necessary to take it to a Tribunal. I'd recommend Citizens Advice Bureau as your first port of call.

Good Luck

[FrankieSoup]

I’ve not tried to access support for myself outwith education so not much help in terms of adults, but I might be able to shed some light on things for your son?

We’re in Scotland so things now differ, but when I applied for financial support for my eldest, people under 16 were still being granted DLA rather than PIP so it’s possibly worth reading up on that? When we applied, we were asked to list all of the appointments that our child attended in the process of diagnosis and this was then taken into account for transport costs etc, and we were asked a series of questions about abilities relative to age. If you’re doing anything like speech and language therapy or toddler singing groups in your own time and finding them yourself, or doing Makaton classes or anything else be sure to mention that you’re funding these things as these show where you would be spending the money granted.

As Tom says, citizens advice is definitely a good place to start. If you have specific questions, I’ll try to answer them as best I can

[pinkleopard]

Hello, thank you both for your replies.

My sons school dont seem to know what to do, they keep asking me what Im doing but as we never seen the same assessor twice (they keep quiting or disappearing) I cant give them the names/contacts they want to 'chase' it up.

My son did attend sign language classes before starting school but had to stop as they clashed, he also mostly uses his own invented sign language and the sign teacher told us not to confuse him by changing it.

I think I do class for PIP from things I have seen, like they ask if you can feed yourself but then give examples like 'can you use cutlery' and I can't, I eat with my hand etc... but thats just one example, there where loads when I went through the list of assesment criteria.

I also can't seem to get a job which is why the money will really help us. I have tried for years but nowhere wants me, the longer it goes on the bigger the 15 year gap of no job get and the more no one is interested. I did go to uni to study medcine (I'm not stupid) but had to drop out in year 4 of 7 with a 'certificate' (which seems to not be taken seriously, as someone put it the other day 'that only proves you failed') as I was in hospital so much with my week immune system that I kept missing winter exams (I get sick worse in winter and working in medicine with exposure to infected patients didn't help).

I have done a fair few college courses (including job training and interview prep) but they dont help either. I have tried self employment but never made more than £1000 in a year which is not enough to survive on (and running costs often cost more).

I have self refered for CBT and have an appointment in 3 weeks but no idea if that will be soon enough for PIP or even help, its the only thing I could find that I can self refer too though. The PIP assessor asked it my GP has my childhood records to prove my diagnosis but I dont think so, I have only had this GP since 19 (when I moved here) and wouldnt know how to get my old records.

[Tom fod]

I feel for you as it really seems like you're caught in a fiendish maze of catch 22 in your efforts to get support for both yourself and your son including the financial support you need to help meet the costs of living.

A potential option for a Dyspraxia Assessment might be via Job Centre /Access To Work since it is a barrier to your finding lasting employment. I strongly urge that you do not say to them you want the assessment to get PIP. It doesn't work that way. You have to convey how your collective disabilities/health conditions impact your ability to lead a 'normal' life.

CBT can be helpful in helping you to challenge your self-defeating beliefs about your worth. Regrettably, in itself it's not a 'diagnosis' or single thing that can be used alone as a compelling reason for why you should qualify for PIP.

What you disclose in the forms and say to them in interview has to build a compelling case with a collective weight of evidence as to why you need the help and why you should not be dismissed as lazy or trying it on. It's a brutal and torturous process so it's really important you persist and stay focused in seeking support from as many avenues as necessary.

Dyspraxia is classed as a Specific Learning Difficulty and does seem to fall into a hole between Special Educational Needs provision and Clinical provision that is too often limited to the paediatric sphere and fiendishly difficult to navigate a path through. Your current GP should have requested your records from your previous GP, though what is digitised on computer may be just a summary of your patient record from birth. Your GP practise or PALS service will be more informed about this.

The DWP and their PIP Assessors/Descision Makers are not medical professionals so the condition summary your GP might provide is only a part of the information used to assess the validity of your claim and the level of PIP they decide to offer.

Count on having to appeal their first decision and/or taking your claim to Tribunal for a Judge to scrutinise their decision making based on the info they used to make a decision (NOT the validity of your struggle/degree of disability).