Been called for medical - not happy

sparkycat2

heartbreak_star wrote: »

Mara's right. The aim of these things is to get people back into work that they can do, not keep them at home.

My mum had to attend an ATOS medical - she said they were very friendly and clear about what was going on, they didn't try and ask her anything to "trip her up". As it was, she was 3 months from her pension anyway, so it was a bit silly calling her in!

OP - you might find work helps your anxiety, and admin work doesn't require too much walking.

HBS x

I assume she was a new claimant claimng ESA having a ESA assessment.
Because those on IB due to reach retirment age by March 2014 are exempt from assessment under the ESA assessment system, they are not being migrated on to ESA. So if she was not a new claimant the assessment she experienced may not have been a ESA assessment.

heartbreak_star

I really have no idea, my experience of the entire benefit system is 2 weeks of JSA in between jobs.

I just know, bar a few gaps here and there, that she worked until it was physically too painful (after a hip replacement and a knee replacement), then took slightly early retirement and had to claim a bit of help until her pensions kicked in.

My whole family are crazy for hiding ailments!

HBS x

Muttleythefrog

MUMZ2BEE wrote: »

Yes very sorry for the confusion!!

I shall keep this thread up and running whilst my dreaded medical approaches.

I just thought I would ask one more questions before the medical; if I fail at the medical do they stop my money immediately!!??

I've got a phone call today coming from my GP, and I will be asking her to refer me back to adult mental health services so I have some support whilst this is going on.

Many thanks everybody; sorry for being a pain!!

After your medical it may take the DWP many weeks to take their decision... even though they may do nothing more than rubber stamp the ATOS medical report. They should advise you at that time when your money will stop... but that will be pretty swiftly. You could get assessment rate ESA if you appealed under cover of sicknotes thereafter. It sounds to me as an outsider you are convinced you will fail the WCA... have you looked at the descriptors and determined if you should (theoretically) qualify?

WRAG descriptors.. 15 points or more needed to qualify
http://www.tameside.gov.uk/esa/wca
Support group descriptors... any one required to qualify
http://www.tameside.gov.uk/esa/lcwra

Mara69

MABLE wrote: »

You know your disability is genuine so you have nothing to fear.

Unless, of course, it is not then she does.

Of course, getting extra help and support from the MH team will certainly help.

KiKi

MABLE wrote: »

You know your disability is genuine so you have nothing to fear.

I'm not an expert, but surely it's not about whether her disability is genuine (disability / medical condition).

It's about whether or not it actually prevents her from working...isn't it?

sniggings

KiKi wrote: »

I'm not an expert, but surely it's not about whether her disability is genuine (disability / medical condition).

It's about whether or not it actually prevents her from working...isn't it?

wrong on both counts, it's about meeting the descriptors, which have very little relation to being unable to work.

MUMZ2BEE

I have just spoken to my GP on the phone and because of my mental health issues, and the stress of going for this medical, she is going to refer me back to the adult mental health services so I can have some support.

I haven't been for a medical before and don't know what to expect; my doctor knows I am unfit for work mostly due to my mental health problems, but also because of my heart condition, which is my worse by the under active thyroid.

I have to say a big thank you to everyone on here for behind very kind and helpful and I have certainly taken on board what everyone has said.

I will keep you posted when I attend the medical; I am not looking forward to it but I know that everyone is being assessed at the moment not just myself.

Again, many thanks to everyone on here for being so helpful!!

sniggings

MUMZ2BEE wrote: »

I have just spoken to my GP on the phone and because of my mental health issues, and the stress of going for this medical, she is going to refer me back to the adult mental health services so I can have some support.

I haven't been for a medical before and don't know what to expect; my doctor knows I am unfit for work mostly due to my mental health problems, but also because of my heart condition, which is my worse by the under active thyroid.

I have to say a big thank you to everyone on here for behind very kind and helpful and I have certainly taken on board what everyone has said.

I will keep you posted when I attend the medical; I am not looking forward to it but I know that everyone is being assessed at the moment not just myself.

Again, many thanks to everyone on here for being so helpful!!

try and stop thinking of it as a medical as it really isn't, the chances are you will not even see a doctor but someone "trained" to see if you meet the descriptors, you need to tell them why you think you meet a certain descriptor and be ready to make your point as they may not ask a question that is designed to allow you to make your case.

They could use the fact of you just being at interview as you not having any problems meeting new people etc so may not ask that question, try before you go to read the descriptors and see which you meet and make sure you talk why you meet those, even if the question doesn't come up.

sparkycat2

Mara69 wrote: »

Unless, of course, it is not then she does.

ESA is far from perfect. Blatantly unfit for purpose in design and flawed in implementation I would say. So I do not see how being genuine means someone has nothing to worry about.

KiKi wrote: »

I'm not an expert, but surely it's not about whether her disability is genuine (disability / medical condition).

It's about whether or not it actually prevents her from working...isn't it?

ESA is so flawed people can be found "fit for work" by ESA yet be not work capable to the point they are ineligible for JSA. Some are due to the level of incapability recognized in the ESA assessment blatantly not capable of even turning up every fortnight to sign on and undertaking at least two activities to get a job which they need to do to meet the conditionality of JSA.

ESA WRAG is also flawed in that people who will never be work capable are placed in the group, some are incapable of pretty much any work related activities even friendly chat work focused interview, and contributions based ESA WRAG is time limited to 12 months.

MUMZ2BEE

Thanks!! Muttley gave me a link to the descriptors, so will read them before I go for medical!!

I feel a bit calmer now, and especially as my doctor is referring me back to MH for support.

Thanks everyone!!