Good Week

They do happen – not that often but...

Firstly my son's benefits. 1 week short of a year his DLA is finally more or less sorted. The appeal has gone through and the care component has been rightly put back up to the top rate, although we will be appealing the mobility section as they have, with no reasoning, left that at the minimum rate. The care component is the more important of the two but after all the trouble they've caused for us I won't give up until we get every damned penny that he's entitled to. Before I gave up work to look after him I was pretty much always on a high tax rate and I also didn't claim (for myself) for the first few years as I had ample savings so whilst I don't think that entitles us to anything extra it bloody annoys me that after trying to do things the right way we've had to go through hell to get anything.

Also we found out about a pop-in centre in a local church hall for mental health service users. Last Thursday we went for the first time and frankly I wasn't hopeful that he would want to go again. It's virtually impossible to tell what he's thinking when we're out as his mutism and social phobias make him seem totally locked into himself, even though he is actually incredibly attentive to what's happening. He can communicate with me when we're out, but it's only really basic and through tiny, almost imperceptible hand movements. Anyway, we stayed about half an hour whilst I chatted with the woman that ran the group and then left as I didn't want to be there two long and for him to get stressed. When we got back to the car I asked him if I'd got anything I had said on his behalf wrong (a check we go through after every appointment as whilst I can answer most questions regarding him I do like to make sure that I haven't got anything wrong) and he said there wasn't. I then asked him what he thought of going again and was pleasantly shocked when he said he'd be willing to go again. Little things like this will be so important to him as every step to be able to cope with society face on is a massive step for him. Hopefully this could be a start (yet again).

So all in all a good week!

xxx