ATOS Assessment

[silverback12345]

Re: ATOS Assessment

You have more chance of flying to the moon. Atos from what I know will never come out to a claimant. My Brother's mother in law has Diabetes type1 and has been in hospital on a constant dialysis machine. She cant walk as the bones in her feet are crumbling and she has constant ulcers because of it. She is also blind in both eyes and she cannot get a home visit. When I went for my assessment my assessment room was upstairs and supposedly the lift wasn't working. The guy at reception literally had to carry me up 2 flights the pain was unbearable so I took 2 tramadol which didn't help as I spent the whole time up and down. In my opinion the reason they rarely if ever do home visits is to see how you are in a different environment and if you refuse to go they cut your benefit.

ATOS do carryout home visits I have had one IB and three DLA home visits all carried out by ATOS HCP's. I provided evidence from my GP and two consultants as to why I could not attending a WCA at one of their centers.ATOS do say if you can make hospital and doctors appointments you would probably be expected to attended but if your hospital and doctors are only a short trip you can use this against them I did.Trick questions like do you go shopping or tend your garden are used against you if you answer yes as is walking a dog.
The lift being out of order is one of their tricks as is toilets being out of order it's funny how poor the building maintenance is where their WCA's are held.People have also been denied the use of lifts because of health and safety in the event of a fire.
Using uncomfortable chairs and always running late so claimants behaviour can be observed while they wait are another favourite.As is changing appointment times at very short notice.With my last DLA assessment they made an appointment for the Friday and three days before called and changed it to an afternoon appointment that day. With the correct supporting written evidence I do not see how they can refuse your brothers mother in law a home visit

[IsItRequired]

Re: ATOS Assessment

Our letters to our MP`s are finaly having some effect.Keep sending them and change will happen, I hope.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26615853

[bluebottle]

Re: ATOS Assessment

Our letters to our MP`s are finaly having some effect.Keep sending them and change will happen, I hope.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26615853

People need to maintain or, better, increase the pressure on MPs to dismantle the insidious and blatantly cruel system IDS and other assorted hard-right nutters are trying to promote and establish. The government would save money if it relied on reports from NHS doctors and healthcare professionals and not private companies using dodgy computer software who are milking the taxpayer for what they can. I have little doubt it would transpire that if the DWP relied on NHS medical records, which provide a clearer picture of a claimant's medical history, the cost to the taxpayer would, I suspect, be far less than employing the likes of ATOS and Capita.

[IsItRequired]

Re: ATOS Assessment

Had my PIP assessment today...1 hour 15 minutes it took...And ,I am pleased with the event...I was so drugged up on my meds that I couldnt be bothered to be all rebel like ,I just was this is how it is mood...The lady who questioned me was so nice and friendly I couldnt even be assed to ask her weather she was qualafied to judge me...She knew nothing much about neurological conditions...and I basicly dictated the interview, she just wrote what i said with no remarks against anything I said...I in fact believe we should have discussed more but as the obvious was so evident there was no need...I made the point of saying numerous times that I am still not fit enough to be asssed and I think she agreed by saying that if any award was given it would be reviewed in a year from it given sort of thing...all in all I never felt intimadated or as if she was against me or did not beleive anything i said...I have to post this as so many just slag off this assessment it scares ya...Where as mine was in fact nice, nice to talk to someone who listens ,but hay...thats my sorry lonely sad butt whos in need to get a lot of his shoulders thing experiance...for others i know its tuffer...and of course I have to wait for that (told in a few months) DWP letter about points...but from today I reckon I will get it all

[wales01man]

Re: ATOS Assessment

My wifes went well she had no problem with the Doctor if you tell the truth and have the evidence in medical records letters etc there should be no problem.
Having said that I still think a persons medical history should suffice to decide not a Computer program .

[IsItRequired]

Re: ATOS Assessment

Glad to hear that Wales01man...there is so much scary talk out there that people worry needlessly...fair enough atos are not fair in many ways but a few positive storys helps the still to be assessed.It would seem from what I saw today that if you clearly cannot work then your treated fairly...hate to say it, but they played a fair game today,with me at least...and nice to hear that there are others.

[IsItRequired]

Re: ATOS Assessment

A fair game the other day but not today...My ESA medical was for 10:15 am "get there 10minutes early " the letter said...So I got there at 10am...and was told there is a wait...I informed them that I should be at home resting on the advice of a nurse,neurosurgeon ect so could they speed it up please...I am currently on anti-biotics that give you diahrea and make you feel like being sick,so i didnt take them this morning, just max dose on opiate pain killers...
Anyway I sat there and waited,for 1 hour ...at 11:15 am my name was called, thankfully as I was so uncomfotable and desperate to get home and rest...I was led into a room and told ..."sorry but you need a Doctor to assess you, and there is not one here today so we cannot assess you...Just like I predicted in past posts, they rubber stamped my form after my MP got involved,and without checking my health history they stamped me an assessment.
They were very apolagetic and I now have an appointment for the 17th April at 9am...first in theysaid, which makes me wonder why the hell I had to wait an hour today when I must have been 2nd in...This was in Burnley , they have CCTV on you at all times I should warn...and the bank like security windows you have to talk to reception staff through are not there because of the recent death threats to there staff,so I was told...was also told dont believe every thing you read...but after today ,if I was not so "chilled out" on my meds I would have kicked off...they bring it on them selves...And now I ask how I was assessed the other day for PIP because I am 100% sure the women who assessed me for that was no Doctor.
Anyhow...I now really want to sue them for causing me pain and discomfort,my symptoms have got worse and I am forced to take pills my own GP said to try to stay off for a while due to bad side effects...I am already sueing the NHS and with the funds recieved frrom that I will pursue Atos,one day...But havent I heard court cases before on behalf of many people ? not just a lone one but a group seeking compensation? Does that happen in the UK?

[bluebottle]

Re: ATOS Assessment

At risk of being shouted down, once ATOS bow out, ALL WCA and DLA/PIP assessments should be reviewed, using claimants' medical records and, where it is clearly evident ATOS have fabricated reports, the fees they have been paid for related assessments should be clawed back, along with any benefits the claimants affected were wrongfully denied. There is no way the taxpayer should bear the cost. And on top of that, ATOS should be banned from operating within the UK, as a number of Mainland European countries and US states have already done.

[wales01man]

Re: ATOS Assessment

Wishful thinking will NOT happen ATOS will when this one ends get another big fat Government contract.

[bluebottle]

Re: ATOS Assessment

Don't be too pessimistic, Wales. ATOS has made enemies within the Palace of Westminster. The only muppets likely to award them further contracts are corrupt civil servants. Perhaps it is these corrupt civil servants who need investigating and their contracts of employment being torn up and then being handed a P45 that is what is needed to put a stop to the likes of ATOS fleecing the public purse and causing misery.

[wales01man]

Re: ATOS Assessment

Corrupt Civil servants think you hit the nail on the head we have a chance to confront a MP but not a faceless So called civil servant

[silverback12345]

Re: ATOS Assessment

IsItRequired the situation you describe at your ESA WCA is unfortunately all too common and is done deliberately to see how you cope.When they told you "sorry but you need a Doctor to assess you, and there is not one here today so we cannot assess you" is cobblers.A WCA and PIP assessment can be carried out by a doctor,nurse or physiotherapist in other words an HCP we all know this so their statement is as I said cobblers.
Even though ATOS are an awful company everyone knows their strings were being pulled to a certain extent by the DWP and whoever else takes over will probably be as bad.Its the WCA test itself and the fact a NON QUALIFIED HCP often with little understanding of a claimants medical conditions can carry out the assessment that's the real problem not ATOS.DLA was always biased towards claimants with physical problems now it could be argued PIP has gone the other way especially after the 50m to 20m reduction.
I wish you the best for your next WCA and don't let them grind you down.

[wales01man]

Re: ATOS Assessment

We are all critical of ATOS and these asessments but if they did not as you say deliberately engineer a system as you describe every tom dick and harry will be able to pass IF a person is genuine and has medical evidence to prove this they will be OK .
I 100% disagree with a private company doing the work but it is and we will not stop them if ATOS pack up who next G4s or Serco?

[silverback12345]

Re: ATOS Assessment

We are all critical of ATOS and these asessments but if they did not as you say deliberately engineer a system as you describe every tom dick and harry will be able to pass IF a person is genuine and has medical evidence to prove this they will be OK .
I 100% disagree with a private company doing the work but it is and we will not stop them if ATOS pack up who next G4s or Serco?

Unfortunately too many genuine people fail the WCA,DLA and PIP even with medical evidence so the system currently used is unfit or the HCP's carrying out the assessment are unfit.Over 75% of WCA appeals are won with representation.
I am genuine and had masses of medical evidence from three consultants including a Neurosurgeon and my GP but still failed two DLA assessments.I passed the third time with exactly the same conditions and evidence as I had with the first two.I was awarded low rate care high rate mobility indefinite.
The difference was my last DLA was carried out by a retired GP who had the knowledge needed to make an informed assessment.The first two were both doctors who were not native born and didn't have a clue. So even if you are genuine and have lots of medical evidence you can still fail and this is what places extra undue pressure on claimants.The system will never be perfect but it could be a lot better than it is at present.There will always be fraudulent claims within the benefit system but thanks to the press fraud is blown out of all proportion.JSA fraud is much higher than disability fraud JSA fraud is 4.7% yet you hardly ever see stories about JSA fraud.

[wales01man]

Re: ATOS Assessment

you case highlights the problem but with any system there will be failures if we read on here from someone who has no disabilities getting DLA would we congratulate them or condemn them.