Terrified - Atos & transfer from IB to ESA Mental health

Justanother1

Hi, I don't know where to start. I just found this forum and needed to get this all off my chest. I guess I just need someone to say to me everything is going to be ok in the end, but I don't think they can.

I haven't always been on benefits, I worked for about 10 years before things finally got the better of me after pushing myself and I had a breakdown, after that I was diagnosed with depression and a personality disorder which makes it difficult for me to form working or personal relationships face to face.

Over the past year or so my mental health has deteriorated and am waiting for another referral to a mental health team, I suspect that I have an additional 1 or 2 personality disorders, nothing that would cause me to harm anyone else as i'm not dangerous or anything like that, but it's something that's been there for all these years and so far has not been properly diagnosed I don't think.

Anyway, my condition means that my moods change on a hourly, and daily basis, i'm typing this now while i'm in one of my better moments, but i'm absolutely terrified after reading about others with similar problems of having to go through the Atos medicals, or what they claim are medicals, they don't seem to be accurate at all according to everything i've read and seen and all the people who win on appeal , why are they putting people through all this?

Sometimes i'm feeling paranoid that people are spying on me and that i'm not worthy of getting this money and just a scrounger, I lie awake at night and I have to convince myself i'm not a bad person, and i'm not trying to fiddle the system, and eventually I do genuinely want to work again, but the whole process just terrifies me.

I'm sorry for going on, I haven't had 1 of the dreaded letters about going for one of those so called medicals yet, but i'm terrified of receiving one, and how it may affect me.

I know there's probably not much anyone can say, but I just wanted to get all that off my chest, there are probably a few things i've missed out there, and i've probably rambled a bit as well, but I just had to write it out.

Bye

rogerblack

While people do have bad experiences - it's not everyone.
Speaking of my claim for ESA, so far, all the staff I've directly come into contact with have been helpful, polite, and apparently doing the best they can in the system they are in.

Justanother1

Hi, thanks for the reply Roger. Have you been for a medical yet? That's what i'm most worried about, because of overlapping symptoms my conditions have been difficult to pin down to get a diagnosis on the other things I suspect. I am concerned after reading others reports that the Atos employee won't be qualified to take this into account, and if the real qualified people and specialists are convinced I do have overlapping conditions yet the Atos employee doesn't understand this where does that leave me?

Justanother1

Also I just read that people from the post office are opening all the forms you have to fill in. How is this right? If Atos have a contract to provide these medicals and receive all this very personal information we have to fill out on our forms why isn't Atos responsible for opening their own post? I don't like the idea of going into detail about my conditions knowing that some postie is going to open that very personal stuff, and probably have a laugh about it!

sooperb

"Sometimes i'm feeling paranoid that people are spying on me and that i'm not worthy of getting this money and just a scrounger, I lie awake at night and I have to convince myself i'm not a bad person, and i'm not trying to fiddle the system, and eventually I do genuinely want to work again, but the whole process just terrifies me."

You are not alone, I know people who through no fault of their own are having to live on benefit and suffer exactly as you do, it's unpleasant and debilitating. What is worse is other people's attitudes, mental illness is not visible and accordingly they judge that there is nothing wrong with you. It's hard to come to terms with as you are doubly damned, you take yourself to task and have to put up with other people also pointing the finger. It's not an easy one to deal with but you must reassure yourself that benefits are there to help people such as yourself. They aren't particularly generous but at least you have that support, exactly as intended. Making yourself feel better isn't easy but as you say, telling yourself that you aren't a bad person and that one day you will hopefully improve and then be able to take care of yourself may help. Meditation is a useful tool for calming anxiety but takes a bit of practice so if you try it don't expect instant result

Don't let the fear of what may happen in the future impact on you today. It may never happen so save your worrying. If it does, come back to these forums, they are a mine of information and experience.

Justanother1

Thank you Sooperb.

rogerblack

Justanother1 wrote: »

Also I just read that people from the post office are opening all the forms you have to fill in. How is this right?

The postal system of the DWP is pretty slow, and designed to be the lowest cost, most efficient possible.
(I suspect it's not, they've lost 10% of letters from me)

While in principle, you'd like only well qualified staff to read your letters, in practice, this won't happen.

The letters will be received, scanned, and the originals filed away by someone on not much more than minimum wage, and then sent on to the appropriate department.

They simply don't have time to read all the post that passes through their hands, as they will be expected to work at speed.

As to 'What if the healthcare professional does not understand' - this is where it is very useful to have medical or other letters in support of your application.
A daily diary, anything that would help someone that does not know you understand your condition.

Justanother1

Thanks Roger. The idea about keeping a diary sounds like a good idea.

Apparently it isn't some postal room at the DWP where all the forms are being opened, it's a Royal Mail sorting office sub contracted to open the letters! I don't like that at all, i'm not willing to have my personal life which we have to go into great detail about looked over, and possibly joked about by a member of staff at the Royal Mail. Seems to me like a serious breach of privacy, banks or hospitals aren't allowed to do that under regulations and some of this information is just as personal.

This is from the comments section of that article I quoted earlier:

"The Royal Mail website stated that the details of the redirection were confidential, so it did not provide where the post was being redirected to. However on telephoning Royal Mail they stated that the redirection was to the Royal Mail 'South London Mail Centre Mail Opening Unit'. They said that the Royal Mail has a contract to open the post from the above address; to sort the opened mail; and then to distribute the contents, presumably to ATOS etc. They said that the company with the redirection did not have the capacity to sort their own post and Royal Mail were doing it for them. And they said that all post was sorted 'in a secure environment'.

The Royal Mail also said that the post that is being redirected to this Royal Mail 'mail opening unit' is being sent in bulk and that any post that requires a signature such as special delivery etc, is therefore not being signed for. It is obvious that there is no one from ATOS or the DWP to sign for the post, and that the 'mail opening unit' are not doing so."

That is why so many forms are going missing, and items aren't being signed for! This is a disgrace!

sooperb

Justanother, here's a link that explains it all for you. http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/dwp_and_atos_healthcare_use_of_r

sooperb

From the same correspondence (well done Mr. Wilkinson!):

"Under the new
contract, Balfour Beatty Workplace’s service delivery model uses Royal Mail, as a
subcontractor to open DWP and ATOS post at Royal Mail Opening Units and to deliver
opened and pre-sorted post to offices. Mail to individuals marked private and
confidential is sorted and delivered without opening. "

Maybe this is the way to go with anything you may have to send in the future.

Justanother1

Thanks once again Sooperb. By the sounds of it then people should mark correspondence with "private and confidential", however there still seems to be an issue with "signed for" mail, which isn't getting signed for apparently.