Atos, absolutely sick!

fin7

After surgery at the end of last march I was claiming ESA, then I went to the atos medical and scored a grand total of 0, I'm not even sure I was in the same room as the person that took the medical cause quite frankly what they'd wrote was a load of lies!Anyway, I sent off an appeal and won, that came through a couple of days before Christmas, today I've got all the forms to start the whole thing over again! I'm absolutely sick to be honest, I'm going in for surgery on my left leg in a few weeks and once that's sorted they're going to operate on the right leg, all the letters regarding the ops, physio and everything else went to the appeal and yet here we are a few weeks later starting the whole rigmarole again.
Is this normal? I'm struggling with depression on top of everything else and I can't believe that all the weeks of worrying, then wining the appeal, are going to start again and the way I'm feeling just now I don't think I can cope with it all again.

HB58

Yes, I am afraid that this is normal. ESA, even in the Support Group, can be awarded for as little as 3 months. The date starts from when the first decision was made, not the tribunal decision, and forms are sent out several months in advance.

I do hope that the process goes well for you this time round.

speedyturtle

I would suggest you go to your local MP and ask for their help. Rather than DWP/atos bothering you i think your MP should bother them. Those MP's are their to help you so its in there job.
PS. this circle will keep going forever where you gonna fill the forms than fail the medical and win the appeal every year unless or until the whole system is changed.

satarical

speedyturtle wrote: »

I would suggest you go to your local MP and ask
for their help. Rather than DWP/atos bothering you i think your MP should bother
them. Those MP's are their to help you so its in there job.


PS. this circle will keep going forever where you gonna fill the forms than
fail the medical and win the appeal every year unless or until the whole
system is changed.[/QUOTE]

But then wasn't IB like that with many not even having to complete an IB50 and many not being regularly re-tested?

Surely you wouldn't want to go back to that regime of sitting down watching TV for years on end with no one checking if you are still entitled?

Isn't it better to be safer than sorry and maybe have one too many assessments than none at all?

speedyturtle

satarical wrote: »

But then wasn't IB like that with many not even having to complete an IB50 and many not being regularly re-tested?

Surely you wouldn't want to go back to that regime of sitting down watching TV for years on end with no one checking if you are still entitled?

Isn't it better to be safer than sorry and maybe have one too many assessments than none at all?

I am sorry to OP as i dont wanna take this thread somewhere else but do me a favour and watch this video.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/21035307

I know its 3 hours long but after watching this can you tell me that this system is working?


SPEEDY
enjoy

satarical

speedyturtle wrote: »

satarical wrote: »

I am sorry to OP as i dont wanna take this thread somewhere else but do me a favour and watch this video.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/21035307

I know its 3 hours long but after watching this can you tell me that this system is working?


SPEEDY
enjoy

Thanks I have seen it and to be honest it is a load of hot air with nothing resolved. Well that is politics I suppose.

If you had a choice of the two systems IB or ESA which one worked better and why?

speedyturtle

satarical wrote: »

speedyturtle wrote: »

Thanks I have seen it and to be honest it is a load of hot air with nothing resolved. Well that is politics I suppose.

If you had a choice of the two systems IB or ESA which one worked better and why?

If i had a choice than i would certainly not choose ESA as i can see the pain and suffering people are going through. I am not disabled and it might be very easy for someone like me or you to say ohh they making it up or they can work but there is a huge difference between picking an empty box and picking up boxes for 8 hours straight.
P.S. if anyone thinks that the current system is of ESA is working than i just hope and pray that you never need any kind of help ever in your life cause that would be the time you will open your eyes but by that time it would be too late.

mazza111

ESA in itself is not the problem. The WCA is the problem IMO, it doesn't take into account varying conditions. ATOS are also the problem imo when they don't take into account what the applicant is telling them.

To have ESA working properly we need honest and fair WCA, not the lies that are spouted at the moment.

I do believe in having WCA but not the way it's working at the moment.

HB58

mazza111 wrote: »

ESA in itself is not the problem. The WCA is the problem IMO, it doesn't take into account varying conditions. ATOS are also the problem imo when they don't take into account what the applicant is telling them.

To have ESA working properly we need honest and fair WCA, not the lies that are spouted at the moment.

I do believe in having WCA but not the way it's working at the moment.

ESA is the problem, leaving aside the failings of ATOS and the WCA. The descriptors are draconian, and the administration of them is going to get even worse from the 28th of this month

JS477

satarical wrote: »

But then wasn't IB like that with many not even having to complete an IB50 and many not being regularly re-tested?

No



..........

miduck

HB58 wrote: »

ESA is the problem, leaving aside the failings of ATOS and the WCA. The descriptors are draconian, and the administration of them is going to get even worse from the 28th of this month

You're right, whilst ATOS are inefficient, sometimes to the point of negligence, they are seemingly blamed for everything, when the reality is that they do not make the rules, they don't even make the decisions - the is the role of the DWP.

JS477 wrote: »

No



..........

As much as I hate to agree with andyandflo (or whatever he is calling himself this week!), he is right - many IB claimants were left for years without review. There needs to be some middle ground, as the current system is at the other end of the scale.