Ask Atos Healthcare disability assessment questions

Raksha

I was receiving contributions based ESA on production of my GPs fitnotes, my entitlement to this stopped in January. In the May of 2012 I applied for (I think) DLA, but accordingbto DWP my ATOS medical has been rejected and returned to ATOS. They couldn't explain why, or how it affects me. All I know is I am no longer receiving anything and I qualify for the support group, if only somebody would get around to looking at my notes.

schrodie

Raksha wrote: »

I was receiving contributions based ESA on production of my GPs fitnotes, my entitlement to this stopped in January. In the May of 2012 I applied for (I think) DLA, but accordingbto DWP my ATOS medical has been rejected and returned to ATOS. They couldn't explain why, or how it affects me. All I know is I am no longer receiving anything and I qualify for the support group, if only somebody would get around to looking at my notes.

ESA and DLA are two entirely different benefits.

I still don't understand what you mean by "according to DWP my ATOS medical has been rejected and returned to ATOS."

However I'd be inclined to telephone Atos and ask what's going on and also telephone the JCP office that dealt (or dealing with your claim for whatever you think you claimed for).

Without knowing your personal circumstances other than someone more experienced here being able to help, you should seek advice from either your local CAB or your council's welfare rights office.

I would say however if you think you should be in the Support Group of ESA then put in a claim for ESA. If you have supporting medical evidence then that can only help your case.

Pippin12

I have received a favourable decision from Atos first time so have no axe to grind against them. BUT you simply can't refute the sheer number of people who are falling foul of the WCA. It indicates that the present system needs root and branch reform. Fridge - you're defending the indefensible I'm afraid. And I think you know it too.

Fridge3

schrodie wrote: »

I very much doubt that the fact that you are a ignorant disabled bashing troll is an opinion held by only one person.

Opinion nonetheless. And consensus of such opinion by a clique of a few irate claimants doesn't make for facts. Facts supported by stats from millions that a small clique disapprove because they have a vested interest in being bias.

DrJones35

In July 2012 Official figures show that 38 per cent of appeals against decisions not to award Esa are overturned in the claimant's favour, I believe this has now gone up to 40% as of this year.

DrJones35

Right I found the actual success rates for Esa at appeal.

In 2010/11, the success rates were:

ESA - 37%
DLA - 38%

In 2011/12, the success rates were:

ESA - 39%
DLA - 40%

For Quarter 1 2012/13, the success rates were:

ESA - 42%
DLA - 42%

Richie-from-the-Boro

The appeal discrepancies are easy facts to explain, to have an outcome and be statistically counted by any government department you must first have the assessment that leads to the appeal. The interesting exclusive for those that do facts is (1) in the MOJ statistics which are not subject to political laundering, they count the real number of appeals processed and (2) just how many people are awaiting assessment .. .. going round and round the revolving EAS assessment call-back.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

The Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP, Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts, today said:

“The Department for Work and Pensions is getting far too many decisions wrong on claimants’ ability to work. This is at considerable cost to the taxpayer and can create misery and hardship to the claimants themselves.

This poor decision-making is damaging public confidence and generating a lot of criticism of the Department’s contractor for medical assessments, Atos Healthcare – but most of the problems lie firmly within the DWP.

The Department’s view that appeals against decisions are an inherent part of the process is unduly complacent. Nearly 40 per cent of appeals are successful, with a third of those successful appeals involving no new evidence.

The Work Capability Assessment process hits the most vulnerable claimants hardest. The one size fits all approach fails to account adequately for mental health conditions or those which are rare or fluctuating. While the Department has started to improve, the process is still too inflexible and too often is so stressful for applicants that their health simply gets worse.

A key problem is that the Department has been unable to create a competitive market for medical assessment providers, leaving Atos in the position of being a near monopoly supplier.

The Department is too often just accepting what Atos tells it. It seems reluctant to challenge the contractor. It has failed to withhold payment for poor performance and rarely checked that it is being correctly charged. The Department also cannot explain how the profits being made by Atos reflect the limited risk that it bears.

There needs to be a substantial shake-up in how the Department manages this contract and in its processes for improving the quality of decision making.”

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmpubacc/744/744.pdf



http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2013/02/08/public-accounts-committee-report-on-the-dwp-atos-contract-management-of-medical-services/

Atos_Healthcare_representative

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Ping the ATOS rep.

Can I ask two questions :

.1. When Personal Independence Payment goes 'live', is it the intention of ATOS to remove the word Care from the Job Title of Health Care Professional employees undertaking PIP assessment contracts ?. Such that Health Care Professionals becomes a Care Professional [CP's] ?

.2. The / that HP assessor then reports his findings to his decision maker, the Case Manager, can you confirm that the role of Case Manager will be undertaken by lay people, who do not have any healthcare background or training of any kind ?

Hi Richie-from-the-Boro

Personal Independence Payment processes are outside of the remit of this thread, but both of your questions would need to be directed to the DWP rather than Atos Healthcare

JS477

As you say "The remit of the thread is questions about the Work Capability Assessment process" (not that you've answered any of them properly) so given that Atos "doctors" and "HCP" are involved in the WCA process how many "doctors" and "HCPs" have been reported to the GMC or Regulatory Bodies for carrying out sub-standard WCAs?