Ask Atos Healthcare disability assessment questions

isolation

volintier wrote: »

I'm sorry, I have just fallen off my chair due to laughing too much!

A DM is actually going to re-evaluate which descriptors apply and what points are awarded in contradiction to what ATOS advise?? Come on, you aren't being serious?

For the first time I am going to defend an ATOS rep here.
The DWP *do* make the decisions and not ATOS.
However when ATOS present the DWP with ridiculously erroneous reports, this makes an easy decision for the DWP.
( eg here: wp.me/p2JYS9-37 )

But by adding this thrid party, the DWP can blame ATOS (which they have in our case) and ATOS can blame the DWP (which they have in our case) and this leads to a circle of no resolution.

Dee

JS477

isolation wrote: »

For the first time I am going to defend an ATOS rep here.
The DWP *do* make the decisions and not ATOS.

That isn't in dispute. However for this person representing Atos to suggest that Atos is not involved in the decision making process is at the very least misleading.

Richie-from-the-Boro

clouty wrote: »

The way the HCP fills in the LiMA form impacts directly on the information sent to the decision maker, and the ATOS LiMA programme scores the claimants. 15 points gathered from all of the questions should be a WRAG decision, 15 points scored on a single descriptor should be a Support Group decision - so how the ATOS rep can say they have no say in decisionmaking is beyond me. It's a very convenient fudge - the DWP let ATOS take all the flak, and ATOS respond by saying (wrongly in my view) that

I agree ATOS has no input into appeals after the assessment process, but the ATOS assessment report (the ESA85) (which is not nothing, after all) is part of the appeal papers bundle sent for the consideration of the First Tier Tribunal.

If LiMA is a fair and reasonable [ accurate at finding the truth ] assessment, why is it that so many appeals are upheld ? The figures below are from the Governments own HM Courts & Tribunals Service.

Employment & Support Allowance

---

1T

---

Upheld

---

%
Q1 - 09/10 --- 1,200 ---- 330

---

27%
Q1 - 10/11 --- 26,200 --- 10,300 --- 39%
Q1 - 11/12 --- 40,900 --- 15,400 --- 38%
Q2 - 11/12 --- 41,900 --- 15,700 --- 38%
Q3 - 11/12 --- 41,700 --- 16,200 --- 39%
Q4 - 11/12 --- 43,500 --- 18,100 --- 42%
Q1 - 12/13 --- 44,400 --- 18,700 --- 42%

Put conversely, the current rate of close to 50% failure and its associated financial, and by definition the shameful treatment of its citizens who are indeed entitled to this benefit after appeal. This of itself suggests its not fit for purpose.

Not fit for purpose if indeed its actual purpose is to find the truth. Its becoming much more difficult over the last year to find the truth by looking for official statistics, they are being made to disappear at at an alarming rate .. .. almost as quickly as my 6 disappeared posts in this thread.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

The ATOS rep said on the phone to me the other day "we are phoning to make sure you get the right amount of benefit" i said "you don't have a say in how much,if any,benefit i may or may not get, that is up to the the DWP". the rep said "oh yes we do,we have a lot of influence on what you get or don't get" on informing them that the phone call was being recorded they soon changed their info.Like i said earlier,they are sneaky and underhanded.

nogginthenog

volintier wrote: »

And without any evidence being presented or offered by the claimant - who do you think that the DWP will believe? ATOS or the claimant?

The same thing as would happen in a court case is my answer.

However unlike a suspected criminal most of whom are given a solicitor by right Most people suffering from a disabling condition will have evidence of one sort or another

The problem then starts with the claimant in the first place acquiring the evidence. and then their is the problem of advice.

Being ill does not make things easy!

photomad1975

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

No, none of our health care professionals are on commission.

Are the HCP on peace work?

cw345

a very eye opening video . go to youtube and search
Britain's workshy "disabled" being caught by new tests

Atos_Healthcare_representative

clouty wrote: »

Does ATOS suffer any penalty for assessments that find a person fit for work, which are then overturned on appeal?

Does ATOS have a target or targets for the percentage of claimants to be found eligible for the support group?

Hi clouty

We are not informed of the final outcome of the claims that we are involved with. We also only provide information on capability, which DWP will use to come to a ‘fit for work’ decision. The Tribunal Service have reported that very few decisions are changed due to issues with the report that we produce, and in many cases there has been additional evidence presented at the Appeal that was not previously available.

We do not have any targets based on the percentage of people the DWP find eligible for the support group.

sicknotethefirst

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

Hi clouty
and in many cases there has been additional evidence presented at the Appeal that was not previously available.

Could this be because many HCP's do not read them ? or do not have a great understanding of the English language? I only ask because I read of many cases where the HCP isn't interested in medical reports that are provided at the time of the assessment by the claimant.

schrodie

clouty wrote: »

Does ATOS suffer any penalty for assessments that find a person fit for work, which are then overturned on appeal?

Does ATOS have a target or targets for the percentage of claimants to be found eligible for the support group?

Atos are granted impunity from any financial penalties that result from their many substandard WCAs. The taxpayer has to pick up the bill which runs into £millions.

As for targets the Panorma programme certainly pointed towards a target driven regime as so called "healthcare professionals" are "spoken to" should they be found to be finding too many SG eligible!!