How to get disability diagnosis

[WellINeverKnewWho]

Hello,
I'm wondering how to go about getting registered as disabled. My mental health means that I struggle with day to day tasks and have done for over 12 months. My GP is aware and has me on anti depressants and counseling but I want to be registered disabled. How do I go about this? Thanks in advance.

Registration as disabled People need to ask ( or are asked) if they want to be registered as disabled (often when they come into contact with the local authority )

Oh no!
I typed 'disabled' and it autocorrected to 'doable'

PIP is not easy to get unless you meet the criteria AND can provide evidence of this.

If you look at OPs original post she sounds to me like she would meet it, and she wants her disability officially recognised, which is why I suggested PIP.

If OP has been seen her GP, CPN, Support worker, OT or other health professional over the last few months they will be able to provide supporting evidence of how her medical condition affects her and how this meets the threshold.

Thank you all! This is all really helpful.

Sorry I should correct that

The information on numbers but not who is registered disabled is available nationally in that LAs used to use this as a way of evidencing bees in their area for service planning and applications to gov for funding but now use other measures. So others saying it is voluntary register are right. It won't necessarily get you anything as many places require PIP or AA DWP letter to evidence disability or an assessment to evidence card need

Even with pages of evidence it can still be extremely difficult.

I have just gone through ot helping my sister in law.

She has had both legs aputated. She still has been declined and is appealing

@Tiani4

Ours has no register

It seems very, very odd OP that you have supposedly done all this research on how to get and train an assistant dog (getting one that is properly bred, getting adequate training etc). I was wondering how you were planning on doing this? To train a dog to such high standards you would need phenomenal training skills, or pay for a hell of a lot of sessions with a fully qualified trainer. And even then that is no guarantee.

Best case scenario it all works out, but you have to be fully prepared for actually this probably will not work and you will end up with an average pet dog.

Have you had dogs before?

@JemimaPuddleducksWaddle that's shocking.
Absolutely appeal. Does she have a report from her physio, SW, OT, GP, hospital consultant? Just a supporting statement saying she's had both legs amputated won't be enough.
The key seems to be in submitting evidence from medical professionals who actually know how the disability affects the person's day to day functioning.

Good luck to you and your SIL

OP if this is about companies letting you enter premises with your assistance (service) dog then it is also the dog that needs to be disability assistance service dog trained and would benefit from being registered , to show others.

The Equality Act 2010 protects disabled people with service dogs in the UK from unlawful discrimination when entering places where animals are prohibited or when accompanying owners by taxi or airplane. Business owners and service providers are required to accommodate individuals with disabilities as well as grant the service dog access to publicly accessible premises and means of transport.

There isn't an official U.K. register for national assistance dogs, most companies recognise registration of service assistance dog by AGI or IGDF - guide dog for blind, hearing dogs, medical detection dogs , seizure alert (eg Epilepsy) dogs, mobility assistance dog, service dog for autism, that require specialist 1-2 year training. The laws in U.K. don't seem to currently apply to emotional assistance dogs - that is at discretion of those companies. It's expected that the animal will behave impeccably as a trained and registered service dog.

If you look at OPs original post she sounds to me like she would meet it, and she wants her disability officially recognised, which is why I suggested PIP.

I also suggested PIP but I do see an issue meeting criteria that mean you need halo with basic daily tasks whilst training a dog to a high enough standard to be an assistance animal. It's contradictory.

*help

@JemimaPuddleducksWaddle did your sister-in-law not even get awarded the mobility element?! That is truly shocking if so. If a claimant cannot "stand upright with at least one biological foot on the ground" they automatically get 12 points in the Moving Around section and thus enhanced mobility. I'm sure you have read that in the guidance if you are helping her in her appeal, but just on the off chance you haven't. A statement that she has had both legs amputated is absolutely enough!

Have you read up on assistance dogs? This is not for a physical disability so has different criteria.

The issue isn’t so much training the dog to actually be able to help you, it’s training it to be able to go everywhere with you and behave itself in all situations.

Will you be training the dog yourself?

Yes, thanks. I think I've mentioned previously that I know there is no register and indeed no criteria, I would register, train and look to pass the access test for the dog and myself for an organisation.

Exactly! The dog is an emotional aid for mental health not for physical disabilities. I think some people read assistance dog and think of guide dogs or similar.

I would be training the dog working with a trainer who works to the standard of UK assistance dogs. You work with the trainer so that you and the dog are a team.

However, again apologies, it's not information or advice about training the dog I need, I was originally asking about disabled status and now have a GP appointment booked in a month to discuss.

For those asking about assistance dogs training you can, and many people do, train their own dogs. A bit outing but this is a good example: www.recoveryassistancedogs.org.uk/about-3

I'd be a bit careful about PADS. Does anyone know them personally?
They say this which is not true "To utilise an assistance dog, regardless of the type of disability, a handler must qualify as disabled under the Equality Act of 2010." and this which is not true "We provide all the training information you need for your dog to be legally recognised as an assistance dog in the uk" as there is no "legal recognition" in the UK. I am not saying they are scammers but they definitely don't seem to know what they are talking about. While certain types of assistance dogs are generally recognised, eg guide dogs for the blind, and shops have a legal duty to make reasonable allowance for people who have an assistance dog (or other animal!) no assistance animal user has an absolute right to take their animals anywhere they choose. membership of that (or any other) organisation gives you no more rights than anyone else who has an assistance animal.

There is NO standard for UK assistance dogs. Can i ask who has told you that there is?

Just looked at your link and again I am dubious. They say "qualified trainers but don't say where they qualified or what their qualifications are....Did you know its perfectly legal for me (or anyone) to set up the eg "Razzle Dazzle School Of Dog Training", charge what I like to train people...and all the training could be by correspondence or online....and then give them a pretty certificate calling them "graduate of RDSODT" They can then call themselves qualified! and its all legal! I can even set up a course training them how to train others and they can then call themselves qualified trainers who can train trainers and hand out their own certificates!

It sounds like what you are aiming for OP isn’t actually an assistant dog that may be let into the venues you want it to help you in.

Under EA2010 establishments must allow for people meeting the definition of disabled reasonable adjustments. A fairly well trained pet might not meet the criteria of “reasonable”

that used to be the case but no longer is.

I know there's no legal criteria for the training or registration. There is however a clause in the Equalities Act that the dog must be well behaved. There are levels of training that I would want to reach in order to meet with the intention behind the law that the dog was an aid to me and did not cause disruption.

I would look to the training criteria of an organisation so that I felt I was comfortably meeting that standard.

I am aware that anyone can set up as a trainer. I am aware there is no set training in law.

No a well trained pet would not, it would need to be trained to a standard of an assistance dog.

I was asking about disability not the dog.
Thanks.