ESA Medical Assessment - Anxiety Disorder Questions

cit_k

tottybum wrote: »

What the **** has ATOS got to do with it?

The comment was that the assessor should read the forms in detail, and believe you!!!

As if.

If that were possible, everybody would pass and we would have a 100% guarantee, to tell Joe Public, that everyone that is now on ESA is genuine, with genuine reasons which have been vetted vigorously.

The assessor does not have to 'beleive' you.

But, if they wish to comply with legislation, and ethical regulatory bodies rules, they *MUST* explain in the report, why their own opinion counters the claimaints opinion., they must state what the claimaint stated (if verbal evidence given at assessment), and must explain exactly how their own medical opinion discounts the claimaints evidence.

The decision maker is then meant to decide on the balance of probabilities (taking into account any other evidence, and possibly requesting more evidence where possible) who is telling the truth.

In reality, I find ATOS either ignore what you write/say, or lie and put down the opposite, or twist things, and draw innacurate conclusions from what is said/presented to them.

I then tend to find the decision maker just rubber stamps the atos report.

chirpychick

goodness you lot have scared me silly.
i posted earlier on another thread asking if i was entitled. i need to sort out my mortgage and iva first but wanted to research as i believe i would be entitled to make a claim as i suffer from severe depression and agoraphobia but it has scared me witless! i think i will carry on struggling going without a lot of everyday things.
people keep telling me to tell me friends and family about the depression and agoraphobia so they will understand what im going through and not just think im being unsociable when i dont leave the house but now im scared that they will all turn around and say "people with mental health problems are exaggerating their problems and need to get out and get a job" as thats was half of you seem to be saying. its really quite shocking and sad.

bobajob_1966

chirpychick wrote: »

goodness you lot have scared me silly.
i posted earlier on another thread asking if i was entitled. i need to sort out my mortgage and iva first but wanted to research as i believe i would be entitled to make a claim as i suffer from severe depression and agoraphobia but it has scared me witless! i think i will carry on struggling going without a lot of everyday things.
people keep telling me to tell me friends and family about the depression and agoraphobia so they will understand what im going through and not just think im being unsociable when i dont leave the house but now im scared that they will all turn around and say "people with mental health problems are exaggerating their problems and need to get out and get a job" as thats was half of you seem to be saying. its really quite shocking and sad.

The main person that was saying that is a well known troll, he has now been banned (again!). There is a lot of stigma attached to mental health. You need to do what is right for you, what anyone else thinks is irrelevant.

gokuaiba

Have you not been prescribed anything for your anxiety?

evolution200

Many thanks everyone on here for so much useful info. I've got the assessment on Monday (dreading it) but feel a bit better now I know what to expect.