ESA; Atos Medical Tomorrow; Very nervous;

SimIsOnTheUp

Hi,

I don't know why I'm posting this really, other than to get a few things 'off my chest'. Hope you don't mind.

I've got an 'Atos Healthcare' Medical Assessment tomorrow afternoon, and I'm getting stressed out about it.

Having had one before (February 2010), where I 'scored' nil points for mental health / addiction issues; which I subsequently appealed; had Tribunal Hearing in September 2010; Won said Hearing, I then pushed myself back into work far too early last November.

I then had to leave work in January of this year, due to not having fully recovered.

Then went back on Employment and Support Allowance in February of this year, and am now having to go through another 'Medical' tomorrow.

Feeling 'out of it' / stressed / anxious as hell about it, and most of all, I'm dreading having to go through a lot of personal stuff with a Doctor who's never met me before.

I keep getting very annoyed with myself, for having almost put myself in a corner, due to having gone back to work too early last year.

Have pretty much accepted that Atos' so - called 'Healthcare Professional' will deem me 100% fit tomorrow, and all the rest. Then, I'll have to go through all the rigmarole of appealing again.

I haven't been out in a week, and this stress isn't helping.

Sim x

SimIsOnTheUp

Had a rethink.

Am going to *try* and utilise tomorrow's Medical as something positive.

1 / It'll get me out walking.

2 / It'll motivate me to start work asap.

3 / Whatever the Doctor decides, is completely out of my hands. Worst case scenario, I can appeal. So, it's a good opportunity, to put the AA Serenity Prayer into practice.

I'm worried about it, but I'm just going to push myself to go anyway.

"God grant me the serenity, to accept the things I can not change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference."

Hope you are all having a good day.

lemontree

Good Luck!!!!!!!

SimIsOnTheUp

lemontree wrote: »

Good Luck!!!!!!!

Thank You

Muttleythefrog

Yeah good luck. Take any evidence you can.. even if they're just appointment letters regarding mental health.

SimIsOnTheUp

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

Yeah good luck. Take any evidence you can.. even if they're just appointment letters regarding mental health.

Thanks.

I've got a letter from my GP, and from the Substance Misuse team, ready to take with me tomorrow.

SimIsOnTheUp

bellidona wrote: »

I wouldn't bother worrying about the assessment. Go on the basis that you are to fail. Anything better than that is a bonus.
They can rarely be trusted to make the right decision anyhow, given the number of appeals that are overturned at the Tribunal hearing, or as is now happening, just before in order to keep the figures low.

If someone can go from failure to the Support Group and not to be tested for 5 years without any additional evidence being sent in, and without actually going to a Tribunal with only a very strong letter of appeal and telling them where they have gone wrong being sent in, then that says volumes for the quality of their decision making!

I am in the process or appealing against the latest decision and have asked for the Statement of Reasons in both instances. Quite honestly I don't know if what I have been awarded is correct or not given the previous decision.
The last thing I want is to find a large overpayment of benefit letter landing on my doormat.

I want to see what the differences are in how both of these decisions came to be. Then I will take it from there to get to the bottom of how!!

Thanks, you've got it in one.

I'm *expecting* to 'fail' the Medical, so anything else is indeed a bonus!

Your comment regarding your worry, re the possibility of an overpayment; I don't think this is possible with ESA (going by experience from last year), as while you are appealing, you are allowed to receive 'Assessment Rate ESA'.

After the Appeal Hearing, if it goes in your favour, they then pay you the backdated 'difference' - ie - the difference between the Assessment Rate, and the higher 'Work Related Activity Group Rate' or 'Support Group Rate', from the thirteenth week of your ESA up until the day of their decision.

Even if the appeal doesn't go in your favour, you don't have to pay any money back, as all you would have received, would be the 'Assessment Rate ESA', which you were entitled to.

I *could* be wrong on this, but I'm 99% sure this is correct!

Good Luck to you,

Sim.

SimIsOnTheUp

My only concern re tomorrow, is that my payment of ESA might not be paid when it's due to be - ie - this Friday (the DWP apparently action said payments, on their systems on the Tuesday, to reach my account by BACS by the following Friday.

However, with my Medical being tomorrow, the Doctor will then post off his results back to the DWP, who I'm assuming will receive them on Wednesday.

I'm worried that they will then cancel this week's payment :-/

System

Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

I was due a payment after my medical, and was worried it wouldn't go in but in the end it did.

I know how stressful and horrible it is going through these medicals, i hope yours goes ok

SimIsOnTheUp

xXMessedUpXx wrote: »

Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

I was due a payment after my medical, and was worried it wouldn't go in but in the end it did.

I know how stressful and horrible it is going through these medicals, i hope yours goes ok

Many Thanks.

Great to hear your payment went through.

I'm just so annoyed that I pushed myself back into work too quickly last year.

At my Appeal Hearing last September, they told me I'd be put on the 'WRAG' Rate of ESA for 'at least 6 months'.

By November though, I felt like I *should* be working, so I pushed myself back to work.

Come January, and I had to leave, as my stress levels were through the roof again. So because of a lapse in judgement, I've now been back on the lower rate of ESA:o

Tomorrow is just one of those days, that I'm going to have to leave in the 'lap of the Gods'!

wombles_forever

Hi, I had an assessment medical last week and was told to allow between 4 - 6 weeks for a decision to be made.

I am not sure if they tell you this to cover themselves or DWP but as I am due a payment next week I am hoping that this one goes through but am aware that the next one may not.

Best of luck for tomorrow, hope it goes well for you.