Not disabled enough

We currently have two university places on offer to my son.  That is a sentance I never thought I'd ever type.  But it's completely true.  "To be a good bass guitar player you must practice for 4 hours a day" is what it says in my sons bass tuition book. And so he does.  For 4 hours, no more, no less, every day.  For the sake of our sanity we bought one of those cabin things and put it way down at the bottom of the garden, next is the sound proofing.  He sits with ear protectors on and the bass amp up all the way "because I like to feel it Mum" and practices studiously.  His amazing memory means he retains all the informtation which is then cemented in with the continued overlearning he does.

At my sons recent ESA (Employment Support Allowance) assessment, the last question the assessor asked him was to take 10 from 100.  He couldn't do it and refused to answer.  We left with my son calling himself an idiot and reeling from the experience.  The assessor sat in front of his computer, asking each question.  My son didn't understand the questions and the assessor looked puzzled at my sons responses. The assessor looked at me for an interpretation but I refused, he was there to assess my sons ability to function without support. All I explained to him was that my son has difficulty understanding complex verbal questions due to receptive language difficulties which is part of his Autism and perhaps if he thought about wording his questions differently it might help.

Due to a broken heart, my son was dreading Valentines Day this year  (he's considering The Undateables)   I was dreading it too as it was assessment result day. I was laying out my sons clothes for the day and cleaning the bathroom up after him when my phone rang.  "unfortunately your son does not qualify to continue to receive ESA"  Apparently you need to "score" 15 points at the assessment to qualify, my son somehow scored nil point. So no more ESA and no Mr DWP he can't get universal credit as he's still in full time education and yes heading towards University.

I am beginning to feel like all my knowlege and all the professional assessments of my son are worthless.  I am still waiting for an updated EHC plan from our SEN department, nothing I seem to say has any impact and is ignored.  The lack of support at college recently led to a huge meltdown which his father experienced for the first time.  It shook their relationship and both are dealing with the fallout of it.  The college are now being supportive and putting in as much 1to1 staffing as they can afford.  They are not a specialist college but have a general ethos of tolerance and understanding towards difference. He will hopefully now be better able to cope because of the support they have put in place and the understanding he gets. So why does the DWP think these are things he won't need in the work place???

Unless the DWP or the employer are prepared to put support in place the chances of failure in the workplace are huge.  I can confidently say this because I've been the one that's had to pick up the pieces and fight for support for him for the last 13yrs.  But right now I don't feel like anyone believes me.  I've made it all up in order for my son to get 50 quid a week.  Scrounger, benefit monkey, fraud, lazy etc etc are all the things I feel myself and my son are being labelled right now.  Perhaps I should just step away, withdraw my support, stop fighting and let the system take over.  George Osborne and Ian Duncan Smiths great vision was to empower disabled people into work.  Maybe I should let them take the reigns and empower my son, anyone got their number?

Meanwhile this sketch is the only way I can explain the system to my son, its visual so it helps.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMVu-dXX5JA