Disability Allowance appeal advice appriciated

RoisinDee

I applied for disability allowance last December, i had originally sent only the disability form itself filled out by my doctor and myself (silly me I had no idea how much paperwork and proof is required) anyway I heard back in February that my application had been refused as ' I am not substantially restricted in undertaking work or training for someone my age or my qualifications' now i have suffered from extreme and debilitating severe anxiety and severe depression from the age of 14, due to extreme panic attacks and constant depressive state and anxiety I do not have any formal qualifications neither my junior cert nor my leaving cert. I am 20 years of age now but since the age of around 14-15 I have barely left my mothers house, I have no friends all i have done is have extreme panic attacks to the point of throwing up and fainting every single day for six years, I self harmed for most my teenage years and was In hospital for suicidal ideation.. I constantly can not breathe i am constantly depressed out of my mind and a deep deep hatred for myself and an anxiety that isn't anything I can imagine is even normal. Once my application was refused I decided to appeal it, I got a long detailed letter from my GP stating that I suffer from severe depression and anxiety, that i have had it for years and that it seriously impedes my quality of life that i cannot function or work anywhere. that I have a severe mood disturbance that i have been to psychiatrists for years that I have on going counselling that I am waiting for a further mental assessment and that I am on the highest dose of medication etc etc... I myself typed out a long detailed letter about every aspect of my mental health issues and how it affects my every day functioning etc... I got a letter from two of my psychiatrists/psychologists (who were both not very helpful) and all they wrote was that I had been attending them for years that I had been reffered as needing mental help by doctors at the general hospital as I was admitted for having severe uncontrollable panic attacks, and also that my behaivour was concerning to a key worker that i once had and through all this I ended up going to see these psychiatrists. They wrote that I had anxiety and depression (they know its worse than that) and that i need medication and councelling and that I'm on a list for further mental assessments as I've not got Better even with years of Counselling. I got a letter from the school I used to attend saying that I had 'ongoing anxiety etc..' and that numerous attempts were made by me to attend school but I kept having panic attacks and just had to stop going, they also wrote that they reffered me for mental help. Among other letters I sent all of this off as an appeal in February including another form stating by my doctor that he expects my mental illnesses to last indefinitely and that my mental state is severe. I rang up the appeals office yesterday and they told me that my Deciding officer (who made my original refusal) had not changed his mind even with all my letters and that my form is just waiting in a queue to be seen by the appeals officer.. i have no doubt in my mind that I will too be refused by him also, it states on the form that if you are refused on an appeal that the decision is final. What can I do I am in a genuine situation I am one of the genuine cases all this stress is making me even more depressed i am going to be refused once again and that's it. Please help me I feel totally and utterly hopeless.

LegacyUser

I'm sorry to hear what you're going through. I am on disability at the moment and believe me, I know it can be really tough for a case to be accepted. Mine took about 3 months to finally be accepted.
Would you think about calling citizens advice? Obviously they have no input with the final decision of your claim but they maybe able to tell you of a better suited payment for you to go onto. Another option would be taking a trip to the social welfare office. I know going there is very depressing but it's something that may need to be done.
Have you got a good support system? It sounds like the lack of education, friends, freedom etc could be making your condition worse.
I wish you the best of luck