ASD and Appointee

w06

That is good news.

Are you comfortable seeing how you get on managing it for now?

You sounds pretty smart you probably will manage it, just need to put safeguards in place to make it hard to overspend - things like setting up a savings account and transferring money between the two so that you've limited what's available readily to spend

MyLonelyWorld

I have an appointment at the doctors next week for Social Prescribing. Does anyone know what that will entail?

Ames

MyLonelyWorld wrote: »

I have an appointment at the doctors next week for Social Prescribing. Does anyone know what that will entail?

I don't know for sure, but social prescribing means getting help and support in the community. Where I live it's about joining social groups and finding hobbies. It could be different where you live.

It's something that will probably be good for you, be honest and open and give it a try.

If you google your area and social prescribing there might be lists of what's available for you to find something you'd like to try.

w06

Hi OP, I had a glance at 'social prescribing' and it seems as Ames says, I found a few interesting descriptions of what it might involve, I'll try to have a proper read and post the useful bits here at the weekend (bit bogged down in work this week).

How are you doing? Did your money come through to you?

MyLonelyWorld

Thanks.

I'm good, no longer ill. I should be expecting my next ESA payment on Tuesday. PIP is still suspended - I haven't actually heard back from them yet.

w06

that's good, glad you've got rid of the flu.

Don't forget to help your nan with buying food and household things from your ESA

MyLonelyWorld

My Nan asks for £50/w which I've given her, I would prefer to pay extra but my Nan isn't the kind of person to accept anymore without a justifiable reason.

w06

that's ok, so long as it's what your Nan is happy with. £50 will cover your food and any extra water and power costs I'd have thought. If you'd like to be giving her more you could give it 'in kind' by doing things for and with her, helping around the house (which I presume you are anyway), cook for her etc.

maryspecial

I haven't posted in the forum for a very long time but have come back to it recently as I have been going through the pips process for my son. I have been getting lots of help and advice from those who have posted in different threads.

I have been following this thread particularly since it appeared and as I was reading it tonight I really felt that I had to post a message. As the mum of a 16 year old boy with autism my heart goes out to you and what you have been going through. However my reason for posting tonight is to say how proud you should be of yourself and how well you have handled everything that has been happening to you. What a wonderful young man you are, your manners and maturity shine through each of your posts. I hope, with your Nan's help and with all the relevant services now involved, that this is a new start for you. You really deserve it and I will continue to follow your thread.

Also, to all those in the forum providing excellent and knowledgeable advice to this young man, I would like to thank you. It really restores my faith to see someone who is suffering and in need getting such good support on here.

[Deleted User]

Sorry I have only just seen this post.

You can have the appointee rescinded on the basis that they haven't been acting for your benefit. I will try to give you a few links and summaries which might help you explain why you want the appointeeship changed. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/578275/part-05-appointee.pdf

This says

Revoking an appointment

5400 There are four circumstances where an appointment can be revoked:
• if the appointee does not act appropriately within the terms under which the appointment was granted, an officer acting on behalf of the Secretary of State can revoke their authority
• if there is sufficient evidence that the customer is capable of acting for themselves and does not need an appointee to act for them – see also 5402 below.
• where the appointee himself becomes incapable. The Secretary of State should take normal action to appoint a replacement.
• where the appointee no longer wishes to continue. Hopefully he will provide a replacement otherwise we will have to contact social services.

I found one service that provides financial appointeeship, there may be others http://www.moneycarer.org.uk/services/appointeeship

I am afraid having a Care Assessment takes a little bit of time. I had one (for ASD as well), that took a few weeks to happen, then it took about 2 half months to be appointed a specialist social worker. I phoned fairly frequently to remind them I was still waiting and needed urgent support, so it wasn't as long as it could have been.
I am still waiting to get a support worker to help me with practical things. The care system is severely overwhelmed, unfortunately.

But they have helped me with other things I need, including put me in contact with an advocate service who has already helped me achieve more with my Diabetes Care than I have in my entire life (I don't tend to talk too well and give up too easily, they made sure I saw the appointment through and got the care I needed for the very first time). They provide support with meetings and things, make sure your voice is heard if you find these things difficult.

I think you can contact them and self refer, might be worth a try http://www.seap.org.uk/im-looking-for-help-or-support/

Well done for completing what you have. It will improve but unfortunately not as quickly as you need right now, but it will happen. You won't need to reapply for PIP, you can easily prove you have the same needs whatever your mother says.

My older son (who also has ASD) is now using a budgeting app that he swears by - and managing his finances very well so I will be revoking the appointeeship I hold for him very shortly. It may well be not that you aren't capable of handling your finances, but that you aren't used to it. However, I do agree that it is more difficult to deal with the day to day admin and phone calls with benefit things. If you get the wrong person, its very easy to hit a brick wall. With any organisation, if you don't get help the first time, try again. And again. Until you get the help you need. I don't always say thiings right and hit brick walls so I just wait til I am calm again and phone again. Usually I get there in the end!

Do you have a local Autism group? Mine is Kent Autistic Trust. They help a lot, even helped me fill in a PIP form that I found completely impossible to do.

Have you contacted MIND or the National Autistic Society. I tend to avoid the phone and email them. http://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/about-us/contact-us.aspx

Sorry if I have given too much information. Just read it bit by bit.

I was only diagnosed last year.., my son (who is 22) was rediagnosed by the Royal Maudsley Hospital. Because we have had this done we have been able to get out of borough funding for some specialist CBT therapy that will help with coping skills. It has taken well over a year, but well worth doing for our future lives. I wonder if your GP could refer you to be reassessed? They found (after years of CAHMs telling me I didn't have ASD, and my son only had aspergers) that I did, and my son had not only aspergers but ADHD, Anxiety Syndrome and a few other things. All of which help him get appropriate support and understanding.