We have been trying to get my 9 year old son diagnosed for the last 4 years. It has been agreed by both an ADHD support specialist and a very experienced social worker that he exhibits all the traits of a child with Autism spectrum issues.
Our original visit to the Gp, followed by another to a Child phychiatric therapist was over 4 years ago and to the present date we are still awaiting an "official" diagnosis!
Best of all we have just been turned down for DLA ( Disability living Allowance) for the second time in 10 months as we don't have the afore mentioned "official" diagnosis and our son is therefore not on any nescessary meds!....chicken and egg/ catch 22!.
Mid 2012 i had several financial knockbacks. Firstly my wifes salary was halved and then in August,as my eldest child turned 18,we lost £180 per month Tax Credits and £40 per month child benefit.....this resulted in us having to arrange an IVA through our local CAB office and thus our better than average credit score lies in tatters.
In July my gas boiler was comdemned so we no longer have central heating and we have a leaking radiator in the living room...neither of which i can afford to get repaired or replaced!
I have not had a pay increase at work in almost 3 years yet our electric/gas is going up by £120 in 2013. My daily commute to work is now costing me £10 per day and the grocery bill is over £120 per week to feed our family of 5.
We had hoped to be awarded the lower rate of dla ( about £20 per week) to help keep us going...but that hope has now been dashed, although it appears that this descision made in Oct 2012 was not communicated to us until we made an inquiry about its progress on 3rd Jan 2013!.... well, why should they tell us....why would we be at all interested!.
To say i am a lttle p*ssed off would be putting it mildly. I AM REALLY P*SSED OFF!
I served my country for 12 years in the RAF and i have worked in the NHS for 17 years since demob....and i feel like my life is a sham right now because it is dominated by meetings, phone calls, forms and dealing with a VERY DEMANDING son....but the people at the DLA dept think it is just a ruse to make money.
Its not....its a desparate attempt to try and make ends meet, and if i am currently "treading water" and trying to keep my head above it, then the mental health services and the beaurocrats at the DLA are the ones who are standing on my face trying to drown me!
I have to ask myself...What is the point?
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