ESA claim for my son

Options
124

Comments

  • Ames
    Ames Posts: 18,459 Forumite
    Options
    My decision was a couple of weeks after the F2F. They didn't send a letter explaining the decision though, just one explaining how they worked out the amount of money.
    Unless I say otherwise 'you' means the general you not you specifically.
  • poppy12345
    poppy12345 Posts: 17,950 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
    Options
    kingfisherblue wrote: »
    UPDATE:


    My son has a face to face assessment on 29th June, so he will miss his last day in college for this school year (they finish at lunch time, and with the timing of the appointment, it's unlikely that he will go in before or after the appointment). I don't know how long they will be in making a decision regarding which group he is to be placed in, but he definitely fits a few support group descriptors.


    I'll update again after his F2F.
    There's no timescales to decisions but hopefully it won't be too long after the assessment. Be sure to answer those questions with as much detail as possible. Hope everything goes ok for you both. Good luck!
  • kingfisherblue
    kingfisherblue Posts: 9,203 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Xmas Saver!
    Options
    Thanks Poppy. I'm good with detail - in the original application form, I added details of times that he could or could not do things, and why. It wasn't just a straightforward Yes or No answer. On the question about lifting an empty box and putting it at waist height, for example, I pointed out that he lacks spatial awareness, so may bump the box into someone or against the table that he is putting it on - he can't judge accurately sometimes, especially with bigger items. He also can't do it repeatedly because he tires easily and he has joint pain due to hypermobility.
  • kingfisherblue
    kingfisherblue Posts: 9,203 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Xmas Saver!
    Options
    ANOTHER UPDATE:


    Well, today was my son's ESA assessment. The assessor greeted us, and then said that she was really sorry that we had been called in for an assessment. She then went on to say that she would be asking about my son's Down's Syndrome. I pointed out that he has a number of other diagnoses which impact on him greatly, and she replied that she knows he has other problems, but this is about his DS only. She turned her computer screen to show me that she had listed his disabilities, but had grouped some together and changed the wording. For example, he has specific abnormalities of his oesophagus, and she had listed 'oespohageal problems' - despite the fact that his specific abnormalities cause choking, reflux and swallowing difficulties (so he would fit support group descriptor 16).


    Throughout the twenty minutes that we were there, she concentrated on his learning disability and the fact that he does not recognise hazards, so presumably she felt that she had enough information from those two descriptors (support group descriptors 9 and 10).


    At the end of the assessment, during which my son would not engage, she said that we should receive a letter with the result in about four weeks.
  • w06
    w06 Posts: 917 Forumite
    Options
    That sounds positive, and as though as you say she knew she'd have enough evidence from the one area to support putting him in support group.
  • kingfisherblue
    kingfisherblue Posts: 9,203 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Xmas Saver!
    Options
    w06 wrote: »
    That sounds positive, and as though as you say she knew she'd have enough evidence from the one area to support putting him in support group.


    I hope so. At one point, she asked what his learning age was, but my son's special schools no longer give a learning age. I explained that I feel his learning age is around 4-6 years old, and gave examples of why I think that.
  • Mr_Costcutter
    Mr_Costcutter Posts: 391 Forumite
    Options
    kingfisherblue wrote: »



    I did find it a bit emotional towards the end of the call. Even though my son has been disabled since birth, and will never be cured, it seemed so final to claim a benefit for him being unable to work. We all have hopes and aspirations for our children. Mine for my son are a little different to the hopes that I have for my other two children. For the time being, I'd like him to continue enjoying his SEN course at college, and maybe one day learn to recognise all of our current coins without mistakes. I'd like him to continue to enjoy travelling on his special needs bus with his friends, and for us to find a social activity that is suitable for him. I'd like him to carry on enjoying life, and eventually to be able to attend a good day provision after his college course ends.

    In the short term, I'm hoping that my son's ESA is awarded without any problems. I'm fairly confident that it will be. People tend to post more about difficulties in claiming than successes.

    A beautiful post Kingfisherblue and I hope your son's ESA award is dealt with fairly :)
  • kingfisherblue
    kingfisherblue Posts: 9,203 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Xmas Saver!
    Options
    Mr_Costcutter wrote: »
    A beautiful post Kingfisherblue and I hope your son's ESA award is dealt with fairly :)


    Thank you Mr. Costcutter.



    My son has already broken up for summer, and you might be interested to know that I have found a couple of activities that he will enjoy. Each school holidays, I take him to the disability cycling in the next town - it's run by a group of men with special needs, plus their council employed carer, so it's great for the adults who help run it, as well as for their clients. I'd love it if my son could achieve alevel where he was able to fix punctures, adjust bikes to the right height, etc, but accept that it is doubtful. Well done to Halton Council for giving some adults with special needs the opportunity though.


    I've also discovered a community cinema in a nearby village. They are showing films once a week, so I'm going to contact them and arrange to buy tickets. He loves films, and although we have the DVDs at home, it's a good chance for him to get out of the house.


    The team that deals with adults with learning disabilities have started a new Social Communication group, so he is attending that each week for ten weeks.



    I'm a member of Girlguiding, so we're going to work on a few of the unofficial badges, making things, learning about different topics, and trying oout different activities. Tonight, with his brother's help, he has made a simple cuckoo clock from a pre-cut kit. Tomorrow, he's decorating it.



    We also hope to attend some local events held by the Rangers in the local parks. Our council was going to axe them, but fortunately they did a U-turn and withdrew the redundancy notices. Ranger services are great - they often run free events, and althoough my son doesn't understand it all, he enjoys going.



    Finally, we are going to make a scrap book of his summer. Lots of gluing and sticking :D.


    As well as keeping my son occupied, it will keep my mind off the long wait for a decision (I hope!). I'll post when I know the result.
  • kingfisherblue
    kingfisherblue Posts: 9,203 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Xmas Saver!
    Options
    ESA DECISION:


    Today we received a decision. My son has been placed in the support group. It's a relief that the Decision Maker has agreed that my son is not able to work, although it's a very 'final' sort of feeling. I can relax a bit now and enjoy the summer holidays with him and my other son, without keeping an eye on the post. It's taken 13 weeks exactly.
  • GlasweJen
    GlasweJen Posts: 7,451 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Options
    kingfisherblue wrote: »
    ESA DECISION:


    Today we received a decision. My son has been placed in the support group. It's a relief that the Decision Maker has agreed that my son is not able to work, although it's a very 'final' sort of feeling. I can relax a bit now and enjoy the summer holidays with him and my other son, without keeping an eye on the post. It's taken 13 weeks exactly.

    If it's easier maybe put a "for now" at the end of that "unable to work". We have a lovely porter with Down's Syndrome. He only transfers patients from the day ambulances to the ambulance reception and from the clinics back to the ambulance reception as he wouldn't cope with the big heavy trolleys used by the surgery units because he also has heart problems like your son. That doesn't take away from the fact that he has an important job and our regular patients (we have elderly patients on fortnightly treatment) love him and ask for him if they get someone else.

    I also worked with the troublesome trio in Asda, a group of three men with Down's Syndrome who worked in Asda collecting trolleys and helping people out to their cars with their shopping. They also took it in turns to fill in for the greeter on his breaks and his days off, they were hysterical! Always up to something and again, had a loyal following of (mostly old lady) customers who would request them by name and hound you if one wasn't in. You'd also get a blow by blow account of the going's on at the day centre the three of them attended 3 days a week. The staff there must have had their hands full.
This discussion has been closed.
★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 608K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173.1K Life & Family
  • 247.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards