Why are ADHD benefits in the firing line?

[FunStork]

I've been seeing this a lot recently.

Feels like the media is very much against ADHD benefits claims.

Why is that the one that seems to be getting all the focus?

Another one from BBC Verify tonight:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c24ym9yd8p6o

Is this an orchestrated campaign?

Because they want a diagnosis to make them feel better about their shortcomings, as a means of accessing accomodations at work, or to support claims for disability benefits.

I don't get why people think having a diagnosis means you get PIP. You still have to go through an assessment process, no? I suspect a lot of these my friend's friend stories are nonsense tbh.

Agree

But then my mate said her daughter also got benefits for his hearing loss. And has done since she was a child. She said she's got similar loss to me but I've looked up the requirements for hearing loss and it doesn't seem like something we'd get. So I can only think they've exaggerated. And I know she doesn't need any extra coats either

It’s very hard to get benefit for ADHD alone . There is usually a co-morbid condition. The benefit is not awarded for the condition but the level of care needed . Unfortunately some people offering a private diagnosis are not medically qualified. They just want the money . ADHD alone is not a disability just a difference in the way the brain works . Just look up the number of very successful people who have ADHD. Richard Branson, Steven Bartlett for example . An ADHD brain can be very creative. I speak from experience as my son has ADHD with traits of autism. He has always worked and was good at his job but lost his apprenticeship because he was unable to pass the exam at the end ,even with reasonable adjustments, as the format and length (2 days) was just too much for him. He has never claimed benefit .

The U.K. is not the only country seeing a drop in school attendance.

as this article from a European newspaper shows, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands are also having significant issues.

https://europeancorrespondent.com/en/r/when-school-becomes-impossible

Of course they have a full assesmrnt my son wont be hsving a face to face interview because he cant speak at all.

My DS is like this. He can be clumsy & is careless and forgetful & entirely normal. He doesnt need a diagnosis.

He is her husband, not hheroener or captor. Her best interests should be prioritised above his desire to control the purse strings.The house and savings belong to both of them. She is entitled to her share, and that's what the cost of her care should come from.

At this stage of her life, the priority should be the quality of her care and her quality of life. If better care, activities or enrichment would improve her wellbeing, that should come before protecting assets.

Yep its always a friend or a cousin
And posters slways know the ins and outs
And know its fraudulent ..

I have ADHD. It has meant I have always done very basic admin roles despite on paper being very bright but I certainly don't need anyone else's money.

I’ve changed the details. It’s someone much closer to me.

It helps. Going through a diagnostic process produces a bank of "evidence" in the form of medical reports, psychologists notes etc, that then also supports a pip claim, and carry much greater weight than what would otherwise just be self reported symptoms.

@pinkyshirtya totally agree. I work with someone who has recently been diagnosed. After 25yrs working with no issue he’s suddenly too affected to be able to cope with his (very easy) job and is quite frankly taking the piss. Says he can’t come into the office anymore, can’t do X task, can’t do Y task. The list goes on.

I also know someone who insisted her bf claim benefits for his ADHD (which she then took for his board when he stayed at her house as she claimed she was ‘caring’ for him 😮). He was a fully competent member of society with a full time job that was not affected by something he’d been aware of and dealt with most of his life.

Piss takers are always the reason the rest of us suffer.

My cousin is the opposite and works this sort of job. Honestly just never very academic at school, slow etc, but not struggling enough to be classified as learning disabilities. But very organised and diligent and has always worked.

On such a frequent regular basis that its impacting his education? DS's teacher says he forgets important things on a daily basis at school, like his school books or his homework. He even forgets to get dressed to go to school and goes in his pyjamas. He is not a normal scatterbrained child, definitely beyond that.

Frankly the amount of benefits they get is a piss take and I'm not even talking about financially. They get to skip queues, get priority treatments in school. What's more is any one accompanying them gets to enjoy these benefits too. You telling me that an ADHD kid can't wait in line but a autistic or someone with cerebral palsy or an epileptic can? At this point I've seen ADHD used as an excuse for shitty behaviour so much I don't even believe it's a real condition.

In the end though all those reports are a regurgitation of what the professional has been told by the person/ informant and in this day and age of chat GPT it’s pretty easy to know what to say and find some convincing examples. Not to mention that I am regularly asked to provide exact qs in advance in my clinical practice these days as a ‘reasonable adjustment’. People already know what label they wish to have affixed and are looking for a validation rubber stamp of their own opinion. Not a game I am interested in playing.

The awareness of ADHD has grown significantly too which has caused many people to realise that they may have it.

How far back do you want to wind back tbe diagnsostic criteria? Pre 2008, it was not possible to diagnose an adult. Before the 1990s girls were rarely diagnosed.

Actually you'd be surprised - certain issues open the door quite quickly to a SEN school place and school refusal is one.
I know of two young people who i was flabbergasted to see quite quickly get very costly SEN school places due to school refusal. Both are perfectly able bodied, or normal academic ability, can read and are do academic work speak normally, have friends etc... But are screen addicted and refuse to attend a normal school. They will attend the SEN school because they get to do more of what they enjoy such as baking, crafts, computer/screen based activities and things like animal care.

Meanwhile a friend with a child who is non verbal at age 8 with significant global developmental delay who has very challenging behaviours, can't get her son a place in a SEN school at all.

In recent years an increasing amount of the SEN budget has gone on SEMH and school refusal issues.

It goes off how it impacts a person
So somone who is able to mansge their lives independently in spite of their disgnosis are unlikely to get an award
Someone eho needs a substsntisl amount of help ( with proof)
Maywell get an award.

You need an ehcp to get into a sen school. I know this as my son is at one. Ehcps are not easy to get.

Yes and some people exaggerate these symptoms like my “cousins” daughter

I think its because the awareness of people having has increased. People who got on perfectly well before get a label that then "entitles" them to money,. It's not means tested so there is no assessment of whether they are actually need to the money - they are just entitled to it.

By contrast people rarely discover later in life that they only have one leg and can start to claim for that.

ChatGPT could write an ADHD assessment report. I’ve seen loads of them and they run to many pages but essentially it’s putting ‘evidence’ ie anecdotal tales against each diagnostic box and saying why it meets the impairment criteria. If I was going for an assessment I’d obviously mug it up in advance especially if I am coughing up a couple of grand.

He was much worse but has improved with age. Firm consequences worked, he has learned to build in a lot of reminders etc. Theres a sign on the cereal cupboard reminding him to check his uniform, a PE timetable on the fridge.

Lots of kids are like this, they tend to naturally prioritise habits that help as they age & care more about the consequences.