Atos medical on Monday 19th May - please help!

geriann

*i wasn't sure if i should post this in Disability & Dosh or Benefits & Tax Credits*

I used to be on the disability rate of Income Support.
i got an ESA50 form on 19-4-12 to apply for ESA. i sent that back on 17-5-12.
on 19-7-12 i was accepted into the Work-Related-Activity-Group of ESA. i appealed that, by filling in forms & getting my GP to send a letter saying i need to be put into the Support Group.
On 25-10-12 i was excepted into the Support Group of ESA...the letter also said i may need a review on/by 25-11-13.

On 27-9-13 i got my 2nd ESA50 form to fill in...which i didn't expect because i'd only been on ESA 14 months & in the Support Group only 11 months. even though it was a hassle spending days filling it in, i did it & sent it back on 23-10-13.
i waited to a letter from ATOS or DWP, but i never heard anything! my ESA [SG] payments came as normal, so i assumed they'd decided to keep me in the ESA Support Group.

on the 7th of May 2014 [exactly 28 weeks after i sent the ESA50] i got a letter [dated 2nd May] from ATOS saying...
"We have been asked by DWP to carry out an assessment in relation to your benefit claim.
We have arranged an appoinment for you at 2.35pm on Monday 19th May.
If you don't attend, your benefit may be affected.
If you would like more information about why you need an assessment please contact the DWP office that deals with your claim."
Is this sudden assessment the very slow reaction from the ESA50 form i sent last October? or some other reason?
i've been unable to work for the same reason since october 2006, so getting forms/assessments this often seems a waste of everyones time!
the only medical i ever had was on 9-5-07...which was 5 months after i started getting Income Support.
I suppose i was lucky i wasn't asked for a medical when i changed from IS to ESA.
I have various physical issues that cause me pain, but alot of my disability claim is due to mental illness. either way i look at it a physical exam [or whatever they're going to do] will not tell them what's in my head or what pain i feel!
I couldn't tell you how many months it's been since i last went on a bus or to town. just the thought of shopping or seeing my parents in town is daunting, let alone this medical!
I can't lose my benefit money, so i'm guess i can't get out of having this medical?
the fact i only got 12 days notice of the medical isn't great...no time to get an appointment with my GP...although i guess that wouldn't help. it also didn't help that i got this letter on the 1st day of being ill with some kind of "bug", which is why i'm only posting about this now.

i should mention i photocopied the 1st & 2nd ESA50 forms & the "evidence" i sent with them. should i take that with me to the assessment?

the ATOS medical appointment letter came with the WCA AL1C [07/13] Face-to-Face Assessment leaflet. that raised some questions i hope someone on here can help me with.

it says take current medications with me to the assessment. i'll obviously take my Antidepressants, anti-anxiety pills & painkillers, but i'm guessing things like anti-histamines for Hayfever aren't required?

i'm abit worried about my anti-anxiety pills dosage. on the pill box it states the dose i'm meant to take...the minimum dose for that medication. however i have to take alot more than that dose in stressful situations...like a medical. that's not because i've grown tolerant or/& abuse my med's...it's simply that the minimum/low doses don't work on me. [btw i have told my gp, but he just tells me to "try & stick to the perscribed dose"] :O so should i be honest at the ATOS medical about that?
surely if they know anything they know i'm on more than the minimum dosage because i'll have to take enough to calm me that it makes me drowsy, etc. i really don't know how much sense i'll make at this assessment due to medications!

the leaflet says i can claim travel expenses for public transport to/from the assessment.
i'd usually get a £3.90p Dayrider, but i wondered will they want to keep the bus ticket?
because i'll obviously need it to get me home again.
i could get a Single to town & then another Single to get home, but that costs more.

it says they can only pay travel expenses into a bank/building society, so i'll have to give them my building society's name, sort code & account number. i don't know about anyone else but i don't like the idea of giving them that stuff. seems dodgy for such a small amount of money!
the leaflet says they can't pay into a Post Office account [which i don't have but many people do] or pay cash. why?

the leaflet says to contact ATOS "if you would like to request an audio recorded assessment or would like to audio record your assessment yourself. Please contact ATOS asap to allow arrangements to be made."
should i have my assessment recorded?
if i should, will phoning ATOS on Thursday 15th or Friday 16th be enough notice for them to sort audio equipment for my appointment on Monday 19th? if it's not enough notice should i re-book so i can get it recorded?
if ATOS do the audio recording do i get a copy of it to keep?

i know i can take someone with me, but if i don't will that affect thier assessment of me?
my parents will be on holiday & i don't trust anyone else. should i just tell ATOS that?

there's a small chance i could get a lift to [& maybe from] the assessment. i know that would mean no travel expense refund, but would getting a lift to or/& from the appointment sound better, even if the person who gives me a lift doesn't come into the assessment building?

the leaflet says i can get a copy of the report ATOS will do [at the assessment] from my Jobcentre Plus office.
i'm guessing it's a good idea to get a copy to see what ATOS have said about me?
the leaflet doesn't say when to contact Jobcentre Plus. i assume after i've seen ATOS, but when? on the ae day? or later?

last of all i wondered what happens after the ATOS medical. how long will it be until i get a letter [or phone call] from DWP or ATOS to say whatever the medical results are?

if you've read my whole post i'm very grateful.
i'm sorry for the long post, but i'm really worried & keep thinking of questions.

any answers/advice via this thead or via Private Message are gratefully received.

Horseunderwater

Ring them up & state that you need a home visit & want to have the WCA recorded. Then you need to get an urgent appointment with GP to get a statement telling ATOS just jow hard/difficult you find going out to be.

Morglin

It may be best to attend the meeting they have arranged, if possible, as getting them to agree to home visits, at the moment, is pretty murderous, and they are very reluctant to do them, but you can certainly phone and tell them you want it recorded (they may postpone the appointment, if they have no recording equipment available for Monday).


You don't necessarily need to take the actual medication with you, many people just take their prescription lists. (take copies of your repeat prescription print out)


Take all and info/proof you have, as although the assessor doesn't have to read it, and should have information anyway, it never hurts.


Your bank account details should be pretty safe - after all, the DWP must have details of your account to pay your benefit into.


You don't need to take anyone with you, and it won't affect any assessment. It's just for support really, and if a claimant can't communicate properly, it obviously helps with that.


The 'slow reaction' by the DWP is probably due to the backlog, and nothing else - which is why they have suspended some reviews. You first sent your form back last September, so are caught in the log-jam.


Decisions, with timescales, after assessment are varying hugely, so it's impossible to say, but you will get your normal ESA payments, in the meantime.


Yes, obtain a copy of the ESA85, after assessment, from your ESA office, as it will give reasons for decisions, prognosis, and suggested review time, and is useful if you needed to appeal.


Good luck.


Lin

Anchoress

Firstly I'd phone ATOS and explain that you can't attend the appointment because you can't travel due to anxiety/panic attacks and that you need a home visit.

They should allow you to postpone the appointment so you can get a supporting letter from your GP or give you a fax number so your GP can send a letter directly to them.

Then you need a supporting letter from your GP explaining the difficulties you have with travelling that they can either fax or you can collect to post to ATOS.

I hope you have a good doctor who will support you with this, but I think your first call should be to ATOS to see if you can get a postponement and a home visit.

geriann

just a quick post...

is there a letter/form i can get for my GP to fill in to give ATOS as supporting evidence?

NYM

geriann wrote: »

just a quick post...

is there a letter/form i can get for my GP to fill in to give ATOS as supporting evidence?

I doubt there is a letter/form template available. Your GP will be aware of ATOS and their requirements.

Indie_Kid

I've not heard of them. I know that my GP was sent a form to fill in from ATOS.

Anchoress

As I don't see my GP very often these days I wrote her a letter and gave it to her at my appointment. I explained that I wasn't trying to tell her what to write but rather it was a reminder of the issues I have if she would find it helpful.

She actually appreciated it as it saved her a lot of time looking through my history and she agreed with what I wrote as she was aware of my situation. She then wrote a letter putting in the salient points and faxed it to ATOS.

You could do the same if you have a good realtionship with your GP and either give it to them if you have an appointment or leave it at the surgery for their attention.

If your GP does do a letter for you make sure you get a copy for your records. If posting it to ATOS remember to send it recorded delivery.

Anchoress

NYM wrote: »

Your GP will be aware of ATOS and their requirements.

My GP wasn't. She had no idea of the complexities of applying for ESA and was appalled that they wouldn't take her word on my health issues or that it would take so long - 18 months from the initial application to tribunal.

I'm very lucky that she was so supportive and went the extra mile for me.

Crazy_Larry

Good luck with your interview in the morning. Remember that the WCA is not a job interview - I say this because we humans have a default setting that makes us try to impress. Atos will try and trick you into appearing more capable than you are. The assessor will read a statement at the beginning saying that their questions and your answers should relate to a 'normal' day for you. But he/she will then go on to trick you by asking more and more questions in the tone of "Can you ever...?" When you confess to being able to make yourself a cup of tea sometimes, the answer goes down on record that you can stand in a cafe 6 days a week, 8 hours a day making cups of tea!
You will lose points if you make your own way to the interview by public transport or car or even walking. I could go on but the evil of Atos has to be experienced to be believed.

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

My GP sent the DWP a fax saying that it would be bad for my mental health for me to have a medical so I didn't have to have one. She also sent a fax saying she believed I should be in the support group and they listened & put me in the support group for 2 years.

Having a supportive GP can make all the difference.