- Joined
- Jul 8, 2017
- Messages
- 1,428
I am so fucking grateful. Alongside my government payment package for autism and PTSD now I actually have enough money to survive and afford my new apartment while focussing my time and energy on therapy and capacity building instead of work, with the goal of eventually going back to law.
I was told over and over by people that there was no point applying as I work 10 hours a week - I'd never get it. But the welfare agency don't consider me chilling on a couch playing animal crossing work, funnily enough.
They weren't able to deny my level of support needs - they had a copy of a report which states I require 1-1 support 30 hours a week, minimum, alongside 15 different therapies and appointments.
I submitted every report I had, the 25 page autism assessment, a sensory profile, social work reports, Psychiatrist reports, hospital discharge summaries. Probably around 200 pages.
But the biggest factor was the woman doing my job capacity assessment. You need to get assessed as having a partial capacity to work of under 15 hours a week. She put complex PTSD and bipolar both under mental health obviously, then started asking me about autism. I got confused because everyone I know in real life who got diagnosed the time I did tried for disabilty payments but got rejected for not being 'fully treated and stabilised'. She asked how it affected me and I asked why she wanted to know because it wasn't fully treated or stabilised since I only got diagnosed last year (4 months prior). She went 'Eli I'm really trying to help you here. I'm putting this under mental health too instead of a seperate category and I think it'll get you over the line. Consider all the therapy you've already done, is occupational therapy going to change you from a level 3 to a level 1 in 2 years?' and I was like 'well, I doubt it'
So then I just told her all the ways it impacts me and she was like 'yeah based off this alone you should be on disabilty, the fact that you're managing to work at all is downright commendable'
At the end she said she could not tell me the outcome, but 'there is only one clear decision to make based on the evidence and she made hers' so then it's back to the assessing team.
The assessing team had already done a file review on my evidence and marked it as 'disability pension recommended, pending job capacity assessment' according to the social worker I had, so it seemed straightforward. But then it got massively held up for like a month and a half.
Eventually, I got a text to have my final disabilty medical assessment done with a contracted third party psychologist. It went for 5 minutes.
Then at 6pm this evening I got a text saying my claim was assessed and checked my account and it was approved.
This is basically the single greatest news I have had in over a year. It's taken a huge weight off my back.
I could feasibly afford my new apartment without having to rely on an abusive parent to help me pay for it. Life changing.
I was told over and over by people that there was no point applying as I work 10 hours a week - I'd never get it. But the welfare agency don't consider me chilling on a couch playing animal crossing work, funnily enough.
They weren't able to deny my level of support needs - they had a copy of a report which states I require 1-1 support 30 hours a week, minimum, alongside 15 different therapies and appointments.
I submitted every report I had, the 25 page autism assessment, a sensory profile, social work reports, Psychiatrist reports, hospital discharge summaries. Probably around 200 pages.
But the biggest factor was the woman doing my job capacity assessment. You need to get assessed as having a partial capacity to work of under 15 hours a week. She put complex PTSD and bipolar both under mental health obviously, then started asking me about autism. I got confused because everyone I know in real life who got diagnosed the time I did tried for disabilty payments but got rejected for not being 'fully treated and stabilised'. She asked how it affected me and I asked why she wanted to know because it wasn't fully treated or stabilised since I only got diagnosed last year (4 months prior). She went 'Eli I'm really trying to help you here. I'm putting this under mental health too instead of a seperate category and I think it'll get you over the line. Consider all the therapy you've already done, is occupational therapy going to change you from a level 3 to a level 1 in 2 years?' and I was like 'well, I doubt it'
So then I just told her all the ways it impacts me and she was like 'yeah based off this alone you should be on disabilty, the fact that you're managing to work at all is downright commendable'
At the end she said she could not tell me the outcome, but 'there is only one clear decision to make based on the evidence and she made hers' so then it's back to the assessing team.
The assessing team had already done a file review on my evidence and marked it as 'disability pension recommended, pending job capacity assessment' according to the social worker I had, so it seemed straightforward. But then it got massively held up for like a month and a half.
Eventually, I got a text to have my final disabilty medical assessment done with a contracted third party psychologist. It went for 5 minutes.
Then at 6pm this evening I got a text saying my claim was assessed and checked my account and it was approved.
This is basically the single greatest news I have had in over a year. It's taken a huge weight off my back.
I could feasibly afford my new apartment without having to rely on an abusive parent to help me pay for it. Life changing.
as much as i despise "what it is is what is what it is" i gotta say it. s'wat it is.
sorry couldnt help it. If/when I get disability I would probably get on mfs nerves from posting too much.