PIP discrimination regarding PIP and Medical Evidence

Hi Carol I am experiencing something similar as in they continue to cite the same thing at me as the reason for refusal "lack of specialist input". I have M.E. Fibromyalgia ADHD and Autism (awaiting confirmation on the Autism, but I believe this is just an exercise I have to go through to have something in black and white).

My issue is that with my ADHD/Autism and the fatigure/brainfog combined I am literally not able to access specialsts. I am unable to plan appointments, follow through with appointments due to my executive functioning processing issues and disorganisation, inability to fill in forms, complete multi-step tasks and so forth - basically I just dont Compute and get the blue screen of death if I try and I do try.. combined with the inability to communicate due to shut downs, melt downs and slow processing speed which means I am unable to respond in the moment and - you get the idea.

On top of that, planning journeys is another momentus task and it takes me 3 or 4 times longer than a non-disabled person to do such a task and I am unable to drive (due to undiagnosed dyspraxia my GP thinks) I cannot go to unfamiliar places alone which limits my ability to travel and it takes me around a week to plan one journey with multiple checks, and the need to stick to certain routes.

combine the two issues above and its literally almost impossible for me to make an appointment, follow through and plan the journey to get to that appointment. So, whilst I may be able to do that after a huge effort with the inability to do anything else - it leaves me with a bit of a problem... access to anything.

cue my assessment: The HP focused almost entirely on my lack of specialist input and about 90% of the questions I was asked focused on this in particular.

I have begun an MR and this is how I am handling it - I will share a few excerpts of what I am sending or have already sent. I would please ask that anyone using these do not directly copy and paste them and I cannot take any responsibility if you choose to use anything like this. This is simply what I have done and am doing. Use at your own risk.

1) The assessment focused on my lack of recent specialist input. However, this is a direct result of my primary functional impairment: my profound difficulty with executive functions related to planning, organisation, and task initiation. This functional barrier prevented me from organizing and attending the necessary appointments to gather that specific evidence.

2) The assessor’s use of my inability to organize specialist input as evidence against my needs is circular reasoning and exemplifies the very systemic failures that have created these barriers in the first place.

3) I have consistently experienced barriers in communication, understanding, and participation due to my ADHD, autism, and physical conditions. Rather than making reasonable adjustments, the process has often penalised me for the effects of my disabilities — for example, difficulties with communication, executive function, and accessing appropriate support.

4) The PA4 report and decision appears to penalise me for the barriers created by my disabilities, rather than recognising the support I need.

I have liberally scattered points from the Equality act and their own Equality guidelines throughout and I have reiterated and repeated these points more than once to get my point across, if they will not accept what I am saying the first time, then I will continue to press harder and harder on this particular point.

It is inhumane to weaponize the functional impact of a persons disabilities against them and I have used those actual words! I am not allowing them to get away with this. I am not angry I am just Done with the excuses and the abelism and them disregarding the law.

Hi LL26 Thank you This is not the opening of my MR it is some references from it and my complaint letter as well, just to give people some idea of what I have said in response to the "lack of specialist input! I don't want to hijack someone elses thread here but I have included evidence to back up what I have said, including statements and letters and evidence I used in a tribunal for DLA in 2003 and past gp records outlining the functional problems I had then as a child through to adulthood even though I was not diagnosed with ADHD/Autism etc. They have recieved my first pack of statements and evidence and I will be posting my next pack tomorrow, the final pack will be done when I recieve my SARs which I have requested from the psychologists I saw over the course of a decade or more and then my most recent supporting letter from my private psychiatrist from last month. I am hitting them hard! with both barrels - I am completely hyper focused on this and have been for 18 months or more and I am and have been pre-empting them as I am now on medication and finally have the capacity for some sort of focus, although its killing me - but the justice sensitivity is overriding everything now and I am not doing this just for me, but for all of us. <3