dwpexamination forum now available at http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/
Well folks I’m back, as promised. Today I have for your information the score sheets used by alleged ‘Doctors’ to stop our benefits. It is indeed wise to give precise and detailed answers to their questions, oh and by the way, ask them if they can read your answers back so you can correct any inconsistencies. When they refuse and condescendingly tell you that you can get a copy of their report from your local Jobcentre, do so, as soon as possible. I got one within 24 hours of my alleged medical. Remember to take someone with you who can take notes or better still record the whole thing on a digital recorder, as I did. Well then, without further ado her are the scores. If you spot any descrepancies tell me, and I will double check against the master list, but I reckon this is it folks……
Activity 1 Walking on level ground with a walking stick or other aid if such aid is normally used.
Description Points
1a Cannot walk at all 15
1b Cannot walk more than a few steps 15
1c Cannot walk more than 50 metres without stopping or
severe discomfort 15
1d Cannot walk more than 200 metres without stopping or
severe discomfort 7
1e Cannot walk more than 400 metres without stopping or
severe discomfort 3
1 Cannot walk more than 800 metres without stopping or
severe discomfort 0
1g No problem 0
Activity 2 Walking up and down stairs
Discription Points
2a Cannot walk up and down one stair 15
2b Cannot walk up and down a flight of 12 stairs 15
2c Cannot walk up and down a flight of 12 stairs without
holding on and taking a rest 7
2d Cannot walk up and down a flight of 12 stairs without
holding on 3
2e Can only walk up and down a flight of 12 stairs if he goes
sideways or one step at a time 3
2f No problem 0
Activity 3 Sitting in and upright chair with a back but no arms
Description Points
3a Cannot sit comfortably 15
3b Cannot sit comfortably for more than 10 minutes without
having to move from the chair 15
3c Cannot sit comfortably for more than 30 minutes without
having to move from the chair 7
3d Cannot sit comfortably for more than 1 hour without
having to move from the chair 3
3e Cannot sit comfortably for more than 2 hours without
having to move from the chair 0
3f No problem 0
Activity 4 Standing without the support of another person or the use of an aid except a walking stick
Description Points
4a Cannot stand unassisted 15
4b Cannot stand for more than a minute before needing
to sit down 15
4c Cannot stand for more than 10 minutes before needing
to sit down 15
4d Cannot stand for more than 30 minutes before needing
to sit down 7
4e Cannot stand for more than 10 minutes before needing
to move around 7
4f Cannot stand for more than 30 minutes before needing
to move around 3
4g No problem 0
Activity 5 Rising from sitting in an upright chair with a back but no arms without the help of another person
Description Points
5a Cannot rise from sitting to standing 15
5b Cannot rise from sitting to standing without holding on
to something 7
5c Sometimes cannot rise from sitting to standing 3
5d No problem 0
Activity 6 Bending and kneeling
Description Points
6a Cannot bend to touch knees and straighten up again 15
6b Cannot either bend or kneel as if to pick up a piece of
paper from the floor and straighten up again 15
6c Sometimes cannot either bend or kneel, or bend and kneel
as if to pick up a piece of paper from the floor and straighten
up again 3
6d No Problem 0
Activity 7 Manual dexterity
Description Points
7a Cannot turn the pages of a book with either hand 15
7b Cannot turn on sink tap or the control knobs of a cooker on
with either hand 15
7c Cannot pick up a coin which is 2.5 cms or less in diameter
with either hand 15
7d Cannot use a pen or pencil 15
7e Cannot tie a bow in laces or string 10
7f Cannot turn o sink tap or the control knobs of a cooker on
with one hand but can with the other 6
7g Cannot pick up a coin which is 2.5 cms or less in diameter
with one hand but can with the other 6
7h No problem 0
Activity 8 Lifting and carrying by the use of upper body and arms
Description Points
8a Cannot pick up a paper back book with either hand 15
8b Cannot pick up and carry a 0.5 Litre carton of milk with
either hand 15
8c Cannot pick up and pour from a full saucepan or kettle of
1.7 Litre capacity with either hand 15
8d Cannot pick up and carry a 2.5 Kg bag of potatoes with
either hand 8
8e Cannot pick up and carry a 0.5 Litre carton of milk with one
hand but can with the other 6
8f Cannot pick up and carry a 2.5 Kg bag of potatoes with one
hand but can with the other 6
8g No problem 0
Activity 9 Reaching
Description Points
9a Cannot raise either arm as if to put something in the top
pocket of a coat or jacket 15
9b Cannot raise either arm to his head as if to put on a hat 15
9c Cannot put either arm behind back as if to put on a coat or
Jacket 15
9d Cannot raise either arm above his head as if to reach for
Something 15
9e Cannot raise one arm to his head as if to put on a hat, but
can with the other 6
9f Cannot raise one arm above his head as if to reach for
something, but can with the other 0
9g No problem 0
Activity 10 Speech
Description Points
10a Cannot speak 15
10 b Speech cannot be understood by family or friends 15
10c Speech cannot be understood by strangers 15
10d Strangers have great difficulty understanding speech 10
10e Strangers have some difficulty understanding speech 8
10f No problem 0
Activity 11 Hearing
Description Points
11a Cannot hear sounds at all 15
11b Cannot hear well enough to follow a T.V. programme
with the volume turned up 15
11c Cannot hear well enough to understand someone talking
in a loud voice in a quiet room 15
11d Cannot hear well enough to understand someone talking
in a normal voice in a quiet room 10
11e Cannot hear well enough to understand someone talking
in a normal voice on a busy street 8
11f No problem 0
Activity 12 Vision
Description Points
12a Cannot tell light from dark 15
12b Cannot see the shape of furniture in the room 15
12c Cannot see well enough to read 16 point print at a distance
greater than 20 centimetres 15
12d Cannot see well enough to recognise a friend across the
room at a distance of at least 5 metres 12
12e Cannot see well enough to recognise a friend across the
road at a distance of at least 15 metres 8
12f No problem 0
Activity 13 Continence (other than enuresis)
Description Points
13a No voluntary control over bowels 15
13b No voluntary control over bladder 15
13c Loses control of bowels at least once a week 15
13d Loses control of bowels at least once a month 15
13e Loses control of bowels occasionally 9
13f Loses control of bladder at least once a month 3
13g Loses control of bladder occasionally 0
13h No problem with continence 0
Activity 14 Remaining conscious other than for normal periods of sleep
Description Points
14a Has an involuntary episode of lost or altered consciousness
at least once a day 15
14b Has an involuntary episode of lost or altered consciousness
at least once a week 15
14c Has an involuntary episode of lost or altered consciousness
at least once a month 15
14d Has had an involuntary episode of lost or altered
consciousness at least twice in the 6 months before the day in
respect to which it falls to be determined whether he is incapable
of work for the purposes of any entitlement to any benefit,
allowance or advantage 12
14e Has had an involuntary episode of lost or altered
consciousness at least once in the 6 months before the day in
respect to which it falls to be determined whether he is incapable
of work for the purposes of any entitlement to any benefit,
allowance or advantage 8
14f Has had an involuntary episode of lost or altered
consciousness at least once in the 3 years before the day in
respect to which it falls to be determined whether he is incapable
of work for the purposes of any entitlement to any benefit,
allowance or advantage 0
14g No problem 0
Mental Disabilities
Activity 15 Completion of tasks
Description Points
15a Cannot answer the telephone and reliably take a message 2
15b Often sits for hours doing nothing 2
15c Cannot concentrate to read a magazine article or follow a
radio/television programme 1
15d Cannot use a telephone book or other directory to find a
Number 1
15e Mental condition prevents undertaking leisure activities
previously enjoyed 1
15f Overlooks or forgets the risk posed by domestic appliances
or other common hazards due to poor concentration 1
15g Agitation, confusion or forgetfulness has resulted in
(potentially dangerous) accidents in the 3 months before the
day in respect to which it falls to be determined whether he is
incapable of work for the purposes of any entitlement to any
benefit, allowance or advantage 1
15h Concentration can only be sustained by prompting 1
Activity 16 Daily living
Description Points
16a Needs encouragement to get up and dress 2
16b Needs alcohol before midday 2
16c Is frequently distressed at some time of the day due to
fluctuation of mood 1
16d Does not care about his appearance and living conditions 1
16e Sleep problems interfere with his daytime activities 1
Activity 17 Coping with pressure
Description Points
17a Mental stress was a factor in making him stop work 2
17b Frequently feels scared or panicky for no obvious reason 2
17c Avoids carrying out routine activities because he is
convinced they will prove too tiring 1
17d Is unable to cope with changes in daily routine 1
17e Frequently finds there are so many things to do that he gives
up because of fatigue, apathy or disinterest 1
17f Is scared or anxious that work would bring back or worsen
his illness 1
Activity 18 Interaction with other people
Description Points
18a Cannot look after himself without help from others 2
18b Gets upset by ordinary events and it results in disruptive
behavioural problems 2
18c Mental problems impair ability to communicate with other
People 2
18d Gets irritated by things that would not have bothered before
he became ill 1
18e Prefers to be left alone for 6 hours or more each day 1
18f Is too frightened to go out alone 1
And that dear readers is how they do it. Surprised? well I wasn’t, these narcissistic fools dont know any better. So the next time you are summoned, take a close look at the questions you are asked and see how they compare to the ones I was, which I have reproduced here for your perusal
I’ll be back
Great help thanx again xx
Comment by loz — February 1, 2010 @ 2:58 pm
Thanks. I have one coming up and I am terrified. I gave severe depression and psychotic episodes.
Comment by Chris — February 25, 2010 @ 1:16 pm
Youre welcome, keep us posted.
Comment by dwpexamination — February 25, 2010 @ 11:04 pm
Hi
Just need to point out this is NOT the score’s you get for ESA this may be for DLA as there are no scores below 6 points in ESA
Cheers
Comment by darrel — March 4, 2010 @ 4:35 pm
I know, its for IB, if you have the score sheet for ESA email it to me and I will publish.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 5, 2010 @ 12:00 am
Thanx for the points guide no points for paranoia I see,thats I assume that’s because they really are “out to get us!”
Comment by John — March 9, 2010 @ 2:06 pm
Mmmmm smacks of a conspiracy, doesnt it. I doubt it though, they are just using all of the tools they have available to cut the number of benefit claimants. If you have recently been through the process please tell us about it and above all, appeal, appeal, appeal. They hate it when we do that because ATOS get a kicking when they are wrong. They wont admit it, but they do, aomeone somewhere in the annals of Government will be counting…….
Comment by dwpexamination — March 10, 2010 @ 8:34 am
I am kacking myself because I didn’t put in a lot of detail on my ESA50, I just talked about how long I have been depressed, not why. Do you think that will harm my appeal (which I fully expect to have to do)? Any help would be gratefully received.
Comment by Jackie — March 20, 2010 @ 2:38 pm
To be honest, I think its best to give as much information as possible, however, if you that sure you are going to have to go to a tribunal be sure you have your ducks lined up properly and give them as much info verbally as you possibly can. Remember, these people do not know you either, they are simply there to judge if you have been given an unreasonable amount of points by the cardboard cut out down at the local assessment centre. The ATOS “Doctors” are not generally interested, all they want to do is declare you fit for work at the earliest possible opportunity and add you to thier statistics so they can get thier hands on the cash the Government is paying them. So dont beat yourself up about it, just remember, appeal, apeal, appeal……..
Comment by dwpexamination — March 20, 2010 @ 10:56 pm
dwpexamination, I think if I wanted to set myself up for a fall, I couldn’t have done a better job with that damned ESA50 form. I fell into the ’2 questions with same meaning’ trap, I didn’t give enough information, I declared myself unfit for work by saying that my depression was intractable, but it’s a reasonable assumption when you’ve been suffering from it for 20 years, wouldn’t you say? But thanks for your words of encouragement, I intend to fight this to the bitter end.
By the way, did you find out about whether or not you can still claim IB while under appeal?
Comment by Jackie — March 21, 2010 @ 8:09 am
I suppose its easy to make mistakes like this when the form is clearly designed to be self contradictory forcing you into a position of giving two different answers to the same question whihch is cleverly repeated in a different form. Dont beat yourselt up, just go with it. I am sure one day someone will get one of these fools infront of a magistrate and get thier revenge. I didnt find out if I can claim when on IB, but will as my medical is now overdue, I am expecting the IB50 to hit the doormat any day now. I’ll ost on the subject if I am successful or I get confirmation. Good luck and keep us informed.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 21, 2010 @ 3:22 pm
I think this whole thing is meaningless. There’s always going to be people who are scamming who pass the medicals because they know how to play the system. I simply wasn’t looking for any traps, so fell into them. I didn’t put in a lot of detail because I felt it was pointless, as the ESA50 form is geared entirely towards physical, not mental illness. And I was simply being honest about my difficulty in getting over my depression after 20 years of it. Frankly the only reason I’m still around is because I’m not having to deal with the stress of work. I would love to be able to, but I just can’t. Simple as that.
Comment by Jackie — March 21, 2010 @ 7:33 pm
I think ATOS fail everyone they possibly can, even the scammers, and not because they have good medical judgement, more because they do not know what they are looking at, cant tell the difference between scammers and genuine claimants and because they are above all respondoing to Government targets. Like I say, its not you, its everyone who comes into contact with the cardboard cut outs from ATOS, only very few make it past thier gate keepers. Lets just keep on attacking via the appeals process, our MP mand with the help of the CAB or Welfare rights officers. Next time you have to fill in a form, especially if you do have to appeal, get help. Do not attempt it on your own if your defences are low, you wont do yourself justice. Use your vote at the next election to tell Labout and the Tories you wont take it anymore, take thioer cash cow away from them, remember we have the power…….
Comment by dwpexamination — March 22, 2010 @ 8:03 am
It’s also not so easy to bare your soul to people who you know don’t give a sh*t about you, who you know only care about saving money and meeting targets. This whole situation is abhorrent. How can the Government justify treating the ill this way? I worked for 12 years while feeling like absolute crap every day, I fought so hard to keep my job, and would have done ANYTHING not to have to give it up.
There’s no way I’m voting Tory or Labour. I’ve recently had a back-and-forth email situation with the chap who’s hoping to take over from Douglas Hogg (MP for where I come from) and wouldn’t trust him as far as I can throw him. Neither Labour nor the Conservatives give a damn about the ill and disabled. In the online newspapers, whenever an article regarding this subject appears, the ignorance of the general public as demonstrated by their comments is astounding. As far as they are concerned we are ALL swinging the lead. It’s just too depressing for words.
Comment by Jackie — March 22, 2010 @ 2:40 pm
You dont have to bear your soul, just keep to the facts, say how your disability effects your ability to work, remember, work also includes day to day tasks like being able to focus on what you are doing, being able to concentrate, being able to move or sit comfortably. Dont digress, thats what they want you to do, my impression is that they have selective hearing ahich is in the off position on moost accasions. Lobby your M.P. demand an investigation if and when you win at tribunal, lets make thier lives a misery. I agree its time th epress ind the BBC in particular started presenting articles and programmes that hightlight the plight of those who are on disability benefits and how they are cheated out of them, maybe we could call it “Real Doctors” or “Diagnosing ATOS”, it would frighten the S**T out of the Governemnt.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 23, 2010 @ 8:10 am
Hi dwpexamination,
My medical’s taking place this afternoon, 7th April. Will let you know how it went (as if I need to). Many thanks again for your support.
Comment by Jackie — April 7, 2010 @ 8:14 am
OK, here’s how it went. I talked to a woman who had a very nice, pleasant manner and who put on the facade of caring about my state of mind. She asked me a lot of questions about how my depression affects me and I answered as honestly as I could. She clicked the mouse a lot and typed a lot, my mother who was in there with me also answered a few questions, it was hard for her not to because she was trying to help me. Anyway, she said I’ll hear from the DWP in 2 to 3 weeks, and I’m not expecting it to be good news because I faltered a little a couple of times and I’m pretty sure I contradicted myself once or twice as well, but it’s hard not to when you’re under the spotlight.
I’ll let you know when I get the (bad) news. TTFN.
Comment by Jackie — April 7, 2010 @ 4:25 pm
First, well done for attending, given your circumstances that must have been difficult. Glad you took someone with you, if you need backup later it may be useful to have a second persons perspective on the “examination”. Make notes as soon as you can on how the “medical” went, you may need to rely on them later at a tribunal so its best to get it on paper whilst its fresh in your mind. Use the form on the assesing ATOS page to help you recall todays events. Keep us posted.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 7, 2010 @ 11:26 pm
my son helped me look at sites like this to help, as i am 54, and have an examination on april 21 2010, i have suffered from depresion for years, and it runs in my family.i also i severely broke my knee.and cannot walk far and am on high dose pain killers,that have side effects,short term memory loss etc, and i am very scared of what these people will do, it as made me ill with worry,sadly your site as made me more fearfull, of this degrading test. but it is better to know what will happen. many thanks and good luck to the others.
Comment by rob — April 21, 2010 @ 7:03 am
I am sorry you feel that way, however, this site is read and commented upon by those people who are victims of this cruel and biased system. I welcome comments like yours with open arms and know there will be people who are made a bit more fearful or wary of going into one of these awful “examinations”, weather or not sites like this and many others exist. All I can say is be truthful, take any evidence to support what you are saying in your ESA form or IB50 from as a backup and of course details of any medication you are taking for your pain. I hope all goes well for you and you take someone with you for support and if possible to take notes, these will serve as a useful reminder of the events if you find yourself in a position where you have to appeal. Remember, not every case is the same, the examples on this site are mostly negative, but thats the way the readers feel. If you read more you will begin to get a sense of the frustration the victims have, of ATOS and thier uncaring downright careless “examinations” by has been “Doctors”, who are either to old, have had thier authorisation to practice removed, resigned or otherwise and are now in the process of selling themselves and thier honourable profession for 30 pieces of silver. Try taking a look at the assessing ATOS page, there is a form there which you can fill in when you get home, it will help you to remember the events at your medical. Good luck and I wish you well today, please keep us informed of how you get on.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 21, 2010 @ 10:45 am
Hi dwpexamination, me again. I got 9 out of 15 points. To be honest I wasn’t expecting to get that. I’m seeing my new doctor tomorrow, hopefully he’ll give me another sicknote and if he does, I’m going to Citizens Advice on Friday to start the appeal process. The 9 points was for ‘most of the time you feel very anxious or scared when meeting and mixing with new people or going to new places’. So if they acknowledge that that is a problem for me, how am I supposed to start another job? Madness. I’ll keep you posted. Once again, thanks for all the support.
Comment by Jackie — April 21, 2010 @ 2:59 pm
You’re welcome, and thanks for keeping us posted. Thats a bit of a surprise,I too am amazed that you scored so highly, as you say, there clearly is a serious medical issue here. Why not contact your Local Authority Welfare Rights Officer, they are usually pretty good and are usually willing to attend tribunal hearings, staff availability and workload permitting of course. Maybe they have realised that giving people low marks results in a Tribunal overturning thier decision and have decided to try the middle ground to see what happens. Lets wait to see how others get on so we can make a comparison. It will be interesting to see if the number of points awarded is on the increaseacross the country. Good luck
Comment by dwpexamination — April 22, 2010 @ 6:37 am
Hi again – sicknote acquired, appeal lodged. Will keep you posted as promised.
Comment by Jackie — April 23, 2010 @ 11:13 am
Excellent, take your time, look at the “Doctors” report carefully, identify what you feel is incorrect, what is assumed and then work on the lies and fantasy comments. Once you have identified them stop and dont look at it again untill the next day. This will give you time to calm down, gather your thoughts and then you can begin by adressing the three diferent catagories one at a time. By the time you get to the tribunal you should be well versed in your plan of attack and hopefully will win your case. Keep us in the picture.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 23, 2010 @ 1:35 pm
1c Cannot walk more than 50 metres without stopping or
severe discomfort 15
Who is the best person to know that you are in severe discomfort? YOU, YOURSELF and just because you’re not pulling a face like you’re in a competition to see who can pull the ugliest face does not mean you’re not in severe pain.
Comment by Dean — June 15, 2010 @ 10:09 pm
One of the main problems with pain is it can not be seen by those not suffering from its effects. I your face is contorted with pain at your examination then the ATOS cardboard cut out will interprate this as acting and dismiss it. That is why we need to have fair assessments, Well done for selecting this point to raise, we tend to neglect observations like this.
Comment by dwpexamination — June 16, 2010 @ 7:47 am
Exactly dwp and how can the so called HCP even notice someone in pain when they are typing away on a PC keyboard, or stood behind someone? If they are using video evidence after you have left the room then any of the report that is written using evidence that you are not given should be questioned especially if after they use the video the evidence is deleted, would a court of law allow the police to destroy part of the evidence like on video and take only the written statement of someone? I THINK NOT
Comment by Dean — June 16, 2010 @ 1:13 pm
If they are recording the “Examination” I think we should be informed of this before it commences, afterall, they dont like it when we record them?
Comment by dwpexamination — June 18, 2010 @ 6:19 am
I’ve had a DWP medical and the results are now in. Apparently I scored 15 and so have ‘passed my medical’. I always assumed that to pass a medical meant that you are fit for work. Not so in this case. To ‘pass a medical’ in the case of a dwp medical means that I have been deemed not fit for work. Does anyone know where my score (15) ranks me on the ladder of fitness (or not) for work? I feel a bit deflated by this result! It’s ok my GP writing a sick note but to me written off by the DWP is a downright insult! My illness is depression.
Comment by Matthew — July 22, 2010 @ 2:35 pm
I had a chat with a guy at ATOS, got his name. He suggested to me that although the points system used by ATOS seemed clear. the DWP are putting very strict rules on ‘who passes a medical’. I was speaking to this guy whilst waiting for a telephone call from a decision maker.
I then received the call from the decision maker, now I wonder if this conversation was taped? because if it was it is alarming.
Three categories for being put in the support group.
1.) Qaudripligia
2.) Mentally disabled to the point that you would be unable to pick up a pen from a desk. ( AS described to me from the decision maker in my case) I’d not be able to telephone her since I’d not be able to speak nor hold the telephone.
3.) People with cancer, BUT! only people who have written documentation saying that they have six months to live.
The decision maker who’s name I got seemed to melt a bit when speaking to me and mentioned that they have a friend who is having chemo and has been put into the back to work group based on the fact that this person is due a third course of chemo and the outcome could be good.
DM is telephoning me on Monday since I have asked for my score sheet and medical ‘ which by the way under the data protection act you are entitled to have! ‘ for appeal. I am going to do a u turn here with technology, will explain later. Then with my evidence I hope to have will forward it to Panorama.
I have never received any payments of ESA since I returned to the UK disabled in 2008. I had previously worked for many years before having my disability. My NI stamps are no longer valid.
I have PTSD DSM1V, incontinence caused by my PTSD, asthma, and wet the bed three times a week since when I manage to fall asleep which is rare I lose all control and my bladder empties fully. I have agoraphobia, so need assistance to go anywhere. I am in the back to work group
yet appealing.
Comment by LJ — August 8, 2010 @ 10:01 am
Hello .I have just received my Points score and I scored 7 points. I did not fill in an ib50 form Before going for the medical is this normal now.
Comment by Anonymous — September 10, 2010 @ 9:45 am
Never heard of that happening before, did they just ask you to attend out of the blue? have you recently (IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS) completed an IB50 or ESA80 form?
Comment by dwpexamination — September 10, 2010 @ 1:31 pm
I was sent a letter, telling me to arrange a date for a medical.Filled in IB50 18ths ago but didn’t have to go for a medical.
Comment by Anonymous — September 17, 2010 @ 10:57 am
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/794/contents/made
Link to the score sheet for the new assessments. Expand the headings by clicking on them. You need to score 15 to be incapable of work.
Comment by maddie — September 20, 2010 @ 3:20 am
hi there i went 4 a medical last year i got thrown off there has i have sufferd deppreson 4rom the age ov 16 tho losing my daughter an have been left with really bad legs i find it really hard to walk an the medical doctor said 2 me pepole lik u sould be working but it ok 4 all the drugys an alicolics out there who can be on there i think if ur doctor thinks ur to ill to work that sould be it
Comment by mel — September 20, 2010 @ 10:11 pm
My daughter told me that the HCP said my back problem was all in my mind if I had heard her say that in the room I would have smacked her and also done the same if I had heard a male HCP say it. Some HCPs think they can say what they like and claimants have to sit there and take it
Comment by Dean — September 21, 2010 @ 12:20 am
It is obvious that the term “all in the mind” is a standard mantra drilled into these fraudsters and chalatans during thier training. I bet if one of these so called HCP’s got thier hand jammed in a vice they would soon know where the pain was! Of course its in the mind, thats how the brain works, its how our bodies function. When you burn your fingers its your mind that tells you your fingers hurt! It the ultimate in spin…….
Comment by dwpexamination — September 21, 2010 @ 6:47 am
I have just had a DWP medical and dispite having Chronic Heart Disease,and am diabetic Being unable to control this condition, I scored 0( zero ) points and was told i was fit for work and should go to my local jobcentre plus to claim jsa immediately as my incapcity was stopped and i should start looking for work.
Comment by S SMITH — September 21, 2010 @ 12:49 pm
The answer is simple, appeal, do not give in read this blog for further information on how to appeal and join our sister forum http://www.dwpexamination.myfreeforum.org where you will find many other people in a similar situation. We are here to support ypu by providing information on how we personally challenged the decisions made by the DWP and thier wnforcement arm ATOS Origin.
Comment by dwpexamination — September 22, 2010 @ 6:54 am
You missed a trick there IMO, when the doctor said HIV positive and full blown aids isn’t a reason not to work you should have asked “doing what?” Then ask them to name employers that employ people with the conditions they know of and to name them. This would have turned the tables on the doctor putting them under pressure. I would put money on that the doctor would say that they will answer any questions at the end to deflect you from wanting an answer there and then and hope you forgot the question(s) while they asked you further questions.
Maybe people should answer some of the questions that they are asked at a medical “WHAT AS THAT GOT TO DO WITH MY CONDITION(S)?” as ATOS seem to ask questions that are irrelevant to the person in front of them and the first question they normally ask “What are your conditions” and “how did you get there”
Personally I think that everyone who fills in the forms to claim ESA or DLA should state in bold print on the forms that all verbal communication will be recorded and don’t give them any phone numbers on the forms either to stop them calling you and should indicate to them that you intend to record your medical, so they should have plenty of warning of what you intend and the HCP should be told BY ATOS that you will be recording. Always use anything you can to put these scum on the back foot.
Comment by Dean — September 26, 2010 @ 3:33 pm
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[...] arising from mental illness. From the ‘mental disabilities’ checklist reproduced here, it would be possible to be suffering from crippling depression, for example, and still be found [...]
Pingback by Thoughts One Month Before Heartbreak « Los the Skald — January 14, 2011 @ 2:05 pm
I was an HGV long distance driver i had a heart attack in 2004 and 2005 and 2008 i have servea angina i am on beta blockers blood thinners and a G T N spray for when i get pains in my chest which is nearly everyday all the tablets i take are now for life with out them i will die although i have tried to return to work 6 times and been admitted to hospital each time i was taken ill the D.V.L.A. have now taken my licence away from me on medical grounds my last angiogram which i have had 3 and a nuclear scan showed there were more narrowings occuring in my smaller artires of my main artire yet the job centre say i am fit for work how does that work then it takes me all my time to walk and i can’t do that unless i have my walking stick to help me so if you are taking a test form IB to ESA if they say i am fit most of on here have got no chance and i do have medical papers from the hospital confirming my illness so i can’t wait for my letter to tell me i have to go for another medical with the D.W.P. this will be 3 in 6 years so if anyone wants to give me a job get back to me maybe i could do a very light job like shovelling coal all day because those are the kind of jobs they send me for till i tell the employer what’s wrong with me and they just laugh and say no mate i can’t set you on not with your medical history although i can see what Mr Cameron is trying to do he is attacking everyone this is wrong all my medical records are open for the D.W.P. to look at and they can contact my doctor they have copies of the letters from the hospital yet i still have to go for a medical it is so ironic it’s funny so if i pass i will get my licence back that means i can drive trucks that can haul up to 200 tons and more remember when i have my next heart attack and the truck goes out of control and it kills someone family they need to write to Mr Cameron Prime minster of England 10 Downing Street London because his doctors followed his policies the buck stops with Mr Cameron.
Comment by woody — April 5, 2011 @ 12:29 pm
I have had a letter to attend a medical. I have permenant double vision after a failed attempt to repair a fractring of my eye socket many years ago. I was even offered the chance for the surgeon to have another attempt at repairing the damage ….. That is if I went private and paid for him to ‘Have another bash’ …. You only get ‘One shot’ on the NHS as his secratery informed me at the time.
I have been unable to work for some years now. The double vision is quite severe and it is hard to cope. It means concentrating on almost everything I do. And makes venturing out almost immpossible … stairs, kerbs etc are a nightmare. Simple things like cooking are an eventfull, if dangerous expeirience.
Anyway as mentioned, I have been unable for work that is except when I failed a medical three years ago ( after 5/6 passes ) and was made to look for work. Until I passed an appeal.
Now with this new system. If I do fail and am deemed fit for work. With my eye condition not being what aI would call ‘Safe’. Would I be within my rights to ask the department of works and pension for a letter of guarentee for any future employers insurance.
I am a barber by trade….. but with double vision would you let me loose on your precious little ones locks ….. I am thinking of the sound of screaming on seeing the bottom half of ones ear …. sitting in your lap !
Mind you. I have allways yearned to be a Bus Driver …. What fun that would be …. well, more exciting than fun !
Please advise. Thanks Tom
Comment by Tony — April 7, 2011 @ 12:48 pm
pls can you answer this question for me for all those people that are sent bk too work but are still disabled and will not recive dla what will happen too there housing intitlement…even though they still disabled does it mean they will loose their house becaue they dont get the intitlement or right too apply for housing …worried this will leave thousands homeless
Comment by sky — April 18, 2011 @ 11:48 pm
ps….who do you ask for help to fight with appeals,and is it normal practice too be told you can do appeals over the phone,
Comment by sky — April 18, 2011 @ 11:53 pm
Yes you have every right to be worried, the whole plan is to control us and deny our basic rights, that’s all going to be done away with.
That’s why Cameron keeps banging on about the big society, which basically means ‘YOU WILL WORK FOR NOTHING, JUST CHEAP LABOUR’ and if you don’t comply, then it’s a three month sanction, and for a further offence in not complying then it’s a six month sanction, and yes that means exactly what it say’s, no help whatsoever, no rebates for rent etc.
And homeless.
They are telling everyone what is going to happen, they are revealing their plans up front, some people are just not listening to their message.
If you are appealing then you must get help from the CAB or Welfare rights, don’t do anything with the DWP or ATOS over the phone if you can avoid it, write them a letter and explain you wish to appeal and could you send on a GL 24 appeal form, and the IB 85 or ESA 85 (whichever one applies to you) medical report.
Join our sister site for help from real people with experience on the DWP/ATOS and their plans for our future http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/index.php
Comment by dwpexamination — April 19, 2011 @ 6:43 am
hi could you please help me i had an appointment before christmas when we had the bad snow there where travel warnings and buses werent running so i wasnt prepared to get there by walking which woukld of been 20 mile so i phoned the medical place to explain which they were ok about it we will send you another appointment out in the post that was just before january now come march i hadnt received a letter from them so i didnt let it woirry me to much then a letter came saying i was found fit for work because i failed to turn up for an appointment and that my income support would stop on the 18 feb bearing in mind this letter was sent out from them on march 24th my money was stopped and i was told to apply for j.s.a which i wouldnt be able to with the mental state of mind and the things i was on the sick for as of this date 13 may i have not been payed any proper money as i was in receipt of around 180 pound every fourtnight now i was going to appeal as many phone calls later i was told i was not entitled to any money untill around ten phone calls later i spoke to some one from income support the office not the call centre to which i was told i can apply foe esa now i was applying for crisis loans to which i found the answers really hard to answer i was asked exactly how much i would need and what it was going to cost per day any way i received around 70n pound to last 2 weeks and at one stager had to wait three weeks before i could get one now i am told i cant get any more and i have to wait at least 8 weeks before i will hear about esa i have no ne to rely on for hand outs i am bearly able to get by a day wit out feeling that low i could end it all please tell me if i can do any thing about my situation as i am desprate for money have been for 10 weeks and another 8 weeks is a long time with out any money in the past i have received letters saying that the law says you need x ammounts to live on a week now they are contridicting there selves by the recent paments of 4.50 per day to live on thank you
Comment by neil millican — May 13, 2011 @ 10:29 am
Good God what a mess, look Neil I was once like you, I put my trust in these bastards, and they deprived me of any income for three and a half months, and they made me homeless as well, I learned from my mistakes, and now you must learn, your very existence depends on it.
As soon as you received that letter informing you that you were found fit for work, your only option was to appeal immediately by requesting a GL 24 form and get it sent off to the DWP, you also write on there that you wish to be paid at the assessment rate while waiting for the appeal to be heard. That way you could have got on with the appeal and in due course got the assessment rate (which is the same as JSA). And you can still do it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they tell you it’s too late now.
This is why we have started this Blog and the forum at http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/index.php to stop people like yourself from falling in to their cruel traps.
If people don’t catch on fast and join us then there is no hope. Look don’t rely on phone calls (OR ANYTHING THEY SAY) from these assholes, and that is for anybody who reads this.
THEY DO NOT HAVE YOUR BEST INTERESTS AT HEART, THEY DON’T GIVE A TOSS IF YOU LIVE OR DIE, PLEASE LISTEN TO WHAT I’M SAYING.
Look let me put it this way ”The DWP and ATOS are like a big spiders web, you go in there all innocent, thinking they are nice people (nice spiders) yes it’s dark and gloomy in there, it may even look inviting, and so you go headlong in to their web, and once you are trapped in there they chew you up and spit you out.
To get money now to live, arrange an appeal, it’s almost certain they will try and find an excuse not to pay you the assessment rate (citing as an excuse it’s to late), in that case you may have to do the unthinkable and sign on to get cash.
The system is out to deprive us all of our rights, start now and like I did LEARN FROM IT. And never ever let these bastards do this to you ever again.
Comment by dwpexamination — May 13, 2011 @ 2:07 pm
Hi Neil.
Could you please send your story to John Domokos (e-mail address is below, he is a Journalist from the Guardian newspaper, your story is appaling and should be told to the public.
Hello,
I am a video journalist at the Guardian, and am looking for case studies to follow through the process of WCA testing.
I have recently done a number of articles and films around the practice of targets and benefit ‘sanctioning’ on Jobseekers Allowance, and want to broaden this to look at this assessment process. I am interested in all stories, but hidden disabilities are one area I am particularly looking at.
Please feel free to contact me in confidence if you are due to go through a test, or want to talk about your experience already.
Many thanks,
John Domokos
07798 717775
john.domokos@guardian.co.uk
Comment by dwpexamination — May 13, 2011 @ 3:38 pm
is there a certain amount of points you need to get to qualify for a pass on ESA ???? just curious
Comment by poppy — May 25, 2011 @ 3:49 pm
Hi.
To pass the functional assessment and be found unfit for work, one has to be granted 15 points minimum.
Very few people attain 15 points, in fact it’s not unknown that people with brain tumours, cancer, serious heart problems have been found fit to work by ATOS healthcare (I wish they would refrain from using the word healthcare in their logo).
The whole point in not giving one points is to force one to appeal, and of course that saves them (the DWP) money because when appealing to the first tier tribunal one doesn’t receive full benefits, but have to ask (beg) to be put on the assessment rate (same as job seekers).
The whole exercise is a farce and a con, and it’s all to improve the figures on behalf of the Government, the only way they can do that is to lie and cheat and write bogus medical assessments and pass them on to the DWP, it’s just not possible to do the assessments fairly and still improve their Government inspired figures.
In 2008 the then Labour Government decided to… with the collaboration of ATOS invest in to the business of corruption, they have been getting away with it all that time, and the present Government have seen this and decided to carry on with the corruption on a larger scale.
About time they were stopped, and we are exposing these evil people here and at http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/index.php so every one join us and beat them.
Comment by dwpexamination — May 25, 2011 @ 4:10 pm
I am a 58 year old lady and recently went for a medical assessment as I suffer from osteoarthritis on my knees and find it difficult to walk very far.. a week later I received a letter from them telling me they were stopping my ESA as it had been decided I do not have any limited capability for work…. In spite of just recieving another 12 weeks sick note… Hmm Im a bit lost here does this mean they are over-riding what my doctor is saying and if my money stops then who pays me Im told I can appeal but that still means I am without money in the meantime, I was told I could re-apply for jobseekers but Im not able to do work where I am on my feet and im not qualified for office work, who is gonna employ someone like me at my age with my medical condition im still in shock as I was not expecting this !!!!
Comment by poppy — May 29, 2011 @ 8:30 pm
Hi Poppy.
Yes, they are over-riding what your GP is saying, they don’t care if you have a serious brain tumour or terminal lung cancer, they will still say you are fit for work.
This is the purpose of this site and our sister site at http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/index.php which is to get together and fight these people before it’s too late.
It’s true you can appeal, and what you should do is phone them up (The DWP) and request a GL 24 appeal form and your ESA 85 medical report, that’s the report ATOS sent to the DWP decison maker.
Go over the report and identify what you believe is wrong with the ATOS Doctors opinion of your health, then fill in the GL 24 form and appeal.
As for money, you can apply for the assessment rate (It’s the same as job seekers allowance) whilst waiting for the appeal to be heard.
For the moment that’s all you can do except one last thing, get in contact with your nearest welfare rights office and let them know you are appealing, and they will help with representing you when the appeal is heard.
Comment by dwpexamination — May 29, 2011 @ 10:22 pm
Thank you for your speedy reply and the help… I will certainly do as you suggested first thing tuesday morning, I was most concerned when they told me my money had been stopped as it would affect my housing benefit as I was only recieving the basic amount now which as you say is exactly the same as job seekers.
I was also going to contact my doctor and see if I can get some medical information to help my appeal.
Once again Many Thanks
Comment by poppy — May 29, 2011 @ 11:05 pm
Morning.
When you appeal, you can write on there somewhere, that you wish to be paid at the assessment rate whilst waiting for the appeal to be heard (I usually write it at the end).
Your housing benefit and council tax benefit will carry on as normal, so it’s imperative that you tell them that you wish the assessment rate, this means you get some money rather than be forced to sign on.
You will have noticed that the bastards don’t tell you anywhere that you are entitled to the assessment rate, they deliberately don’t tell you, they try to give the impression you are entitled to nothing but Job seekers, hoping you will sign on and they can say AH HA another scrounger caught, and another one of the books,
We must conceed nothing to these people because they will conceed nothing to us, all fairness (instigated by them) went out the window starting away back in 0CT 2008.
Comment by dwpexamination — May 30, 2011 @ 6:21 am
Well I finally got a copy of my medical assessment today and it comes as no surprise I scored zero points… but after reading through it a few times the doctor seems as if he contradicted himself and now after reading through the questions on your page I should have at least scored some points as Im not able to walk more than 400 metres without stopping also unable to walk up and down 12 stairs without holding onto a rail and taking a rest cannot stand without having to hold onto something and the funny one he writes saying I am able to walk around a supermarket for 800 metres where the hell he gets that from amazes me.. I felt it was me who was not as bad as I thought these people sure have a way of making you feel the guilty one, I told the doctor I needed to use my grab rail to get in and out of the shower in the bath but he states I can get in and out of it ok but takes me 15 mins, the list goes on.. I was told to re-apply for J/S or appeal which I am in the process of doing whether it will do me any good is yet to been seen..
Comment by Anonymous — June 2, 2011 @ 8:37 pm
Hi Anon.
Yes, you can see it’s a con, so you must appeal, and don’t forget to mention on the appeal submission (That’s the GL 24 Part) that you wish to be paid at the assessment rate, otherwise they will not mention it, and you will be left without money. Get more advice here at http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/index.php
Comment by dwpexamination — June 2, 2011 @ 10:06 pm
i have sent in my ib50 and waiting for the atossers to end my life ,as i am disabled and not fit for work , i was given my dla and stuff for life now they drop this on me when they fail me i will end my life on you tube with a copy of my medical and i bet that and only that will protect many in this position .
Comment by Anonymous — June 14, 2011 @ 5:17 am
Don’t do that anon, besides ending your precious right to live, you will be sending a clear message to ATOS that bullying, breaking the law and victimisation works, the best way to defeat them is to play them at their own game, appeal and win.
That will hurt them more than anything, just giving up and letting them beat you without a fight is just not an option.
AN APPEAL… WITH A ONE FINGERED SALUTE WORKS BEST. And that’s what we are doing at http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/index.php
Comment by dwpexamination — June 14, 2011 @ 11:00 am
Limited Capability for Work
Descriptors and scores for each physical activity
Activities
1. Walking with a walking stick or other aid if such aid is normally used
Descriptor Points
a) Cannot walk at all 15
b) Cannot walk more than 50 metres on level ground without repeatedly 15
stopping or severe discomfort
c) Cannot walk up or down two steps even with the support of a handrail 15
d) Cannot walk more than 100 metres on level ground without stopping 9
or severe discomfort
e) Cannot walk more than 200 metres on level ground without stopping 6
or severe discomfort
f) None of the above apply 0
2. Standing and sitting
Descriptor Points
a) Cannot stand for more than 10 minutes, unassisted by another 15
person, even if free to move around, before needing to sit down
b) Cannot sit in a chair with a high back and no arms for more than 15
10 minutes before needing to move from the chair because the degree
of discomfort experienced makes it impossible to continue sitting
c) Cannot rise to standing from sitting in an upright chair without 15
physical assistance from another person
d) Cannot move between one seated position and another seated 15
position located next to one another without receiving physical assistance
from another person
e) Cannot stand for more than 30 minutes, even if free to move around, 6
before needing to sit down
f) Cannot sit in a chair with a high back and no arms for more than 6
30 minutes without needing to move from the chair because the degree
of discomfort experienced makes it impossible to continue sitting
g) None of the above apply 0
3. Bending or kneeling
Descriptor Points
a) Cannot bend to touch knees and straighten up again 15
b) Cannot bend, kneel or squat, as if to pick up a light object, such as a 9
piece of paper, situated 15cm from the floor on a low shelf, to move
it and straighten up again without the help of another person
c) Cannot bend, kneel or squat, as if to pick up a light object off the floor 6
and straighten up again without the help of another person
d) None of the above apply 0
4. Reaching
Descriptor Points
a) Cannot raise either arm as if to put something in top pocket of a 15
coat or jacket
b) Cannot put either arm behind back as if to put on a coat or jacket 15
c) Cannot raise either arm to top of head as if to put on a hat 9
d) Cannot raise either arm above head height as if to reach for 6
something
e) None of the above apply 0
5. Picking up and moving or transferring by the use of the upper body and arms (excluding all other activities specified)
Descriptor Points
a) Cannot pick up and move a 0.5 litre carton full of liquid with either 15
hand
b) Cannot pick up and move a one litre carton full of liquid with either 9
hand
c) Cannot pick up and move a light but bulky object such as an empty 6
cardboard box, requiring the use of both hands together
d) None of the above apply 0
6. Manual dexterity
Descriptor Points
a) Cannot turn a ‘star-headed’ sink tap with either hand 15
b) Cannot pick up a £1 coin or equivalent with either hand 15
c) Cannot turn the pages of a book with either hand 15
d) Cannot physically use a pen or pencil 9
e) Cannot physically use a conventional keyboard or mouse 9
f) Cannot do up/ undo small buttons, such as shirt or blouse buttons 9
g) Cannot turn a ‘star-headed’ sink tap with one hand but can with the 6
other
h) Cannot pick up a £1 coin or equivalent with one hand but can with 6
the other
i) Cannot pour from an open 0.5 litre carton full of liquid 6
j) None of the above apply 0
7. Speech
Descriptor Points
a) Cannot speak at all 15
b) Speech cannot be understood by strangers 15
c) Strangers have great difficulty understanding speech 9
d) Strangers have some difficulty understanding speech 6
e) None of the above apply 0
8. Hearing with a hearing aid or other aid if normally worn
Descriptor Points
a) Cannot hear at all 15
b) Cannot hear well enough to be able to hear someone talking in a 15
loud voice in a quiet room, sufficiently clearly to distinguish the words
being spoken
c) Cannot hear someone talking in a normal voice in a quiet room, 9
sufficiently clearly to distinguish the words being spoken
d) Cannot hear someone talking in a loud voice in a busy street, 6
sufficiently clearly to distinguish the words being spoken
e) None of the above apply 0
9. Vision including visual activity and visual fields, in normal daylight or bright electric light, with glasses or other aid to vision if such aid is normally worn
Descriptor Points
a) Cannot see at all 15
b) Cannot see well enough to read 16 point print at a distance of 15
greater than 20 cm
c) Has 50% or greater reduction of visual fields 15
d) Cannot see well enough to recognise a friend at a distance of at 9
least 5 metres
e) Has 25% or more but less than 50% reduction of visual fields 6
f) Cannot see well enough to recognise a friend at a distance of at 6
least 15 metres
g) None of the above apply 0
10 (a) Continence other than enuresis (bed wetting) where the customer does not have an artificial stoma or urinary collecting device
Descriptor Points
a)(i) Has no voluntary control over the evacuation of the bowel 15
a)(ii) Has no voluntary control over the voiding of the bladder 15
a)(iii) At least once a month loses control of bowels so that the customer 15
cannot control the full evacuation of the bowel
a)(iv) At least once a week, loses control of bladder so that the customer 15
cannot control the full voiding of the bladder
a)(v) Occasionally loses control of bowels so that the customer cannot 9
control the full evacuation of the bowel
a)(vi) At least once a month loses control of bladder so that the customer 6
cannot control the full voiding of the bladder
a)(vii) Risks losing control of bowels or bladder so that the customer 6
cannot control the full evacuation of the bowel or the full voiding of the
bladder if not able to reach a toilet quickly
a)(viii) None of the above apply 0
10 (b) Continence where the customer uses a urinary collecting device, worn for the majority of the time including an indwelling urethral or suprapubic catheter
Descriptor Points
b)(i) Is unable to affix, remove or empty the catheter bag or other device 15
without receiving physical assistance from another person
b)(ii) Is unable to affix, remove or empty the catheter bag or other 15
collecting device without causing leakage of contents
b)(iii) Has no voluntary control over the evacuation of the bowel 15
b)(iv) At least once a month, loses control of bowels so that the customer 15
cannot control the full evacuation of the bowel
b)(v) Occasionally loses control of bowels so that the customer cannot 9
control the full evacuation of the bowel
b)(vi) Risks losing control of the bowels so that the customer cannot 6
control the full evacuation of the bowel if not able to reach a toilet quickly
b)(vii) None of the above apply 0
10 (c) Continence other than enuresis (bed wetting) where the customer has an artificial stoma
Descriptor Points
c)(i) Is unable to affix, remove or empty stoma appliance without 15
receiving physical assistance from another person
c)(ii) Is unable to affix, remove or empty stoma appliance without 15
causing leakage of contents
c)(iii) Where the customer’s artificial stoma relates solely to the evacuation 15
of the bowel, at least once a week, loses control of bladder so that the
customer cannot control the full voiding of the bladder
c)(iv) Where the customer’s artificial stoma relates solely to the evacuation 9
of the bowel, at least once a month, loses control of bladder so that the
customer cannot control the full voiding of bladder
c)(v) Where the customer’s artificial stoma relates solely to the evacuation 6
of the bowel, risks losing control of the bladder so that the customer
cannot control the full voiding of the bladder if not able to reach a toilet
quickly
c)(vi) None of the above apply 0
11. Remaining conscious during waking moments
Descriptors Points
a) At least once a week, has an involuntary episode of lost or altered 15
consciousness, resulting in significantly disrupted awareness or
concentration
b) At least once a month, has an involuntary episode of lost or altered 9
consciousness, resulting in significantly disrupted awareness or
concentration
c) At least twice in six months immediately preceding the assessment, 6
has had an involuntary episode of lost or altered consciousness
Descriptors and scores for each mental, cognitive and intellectual function assessment
12. Learning or comprehension in completion of tasks
Descriptors Points
a) Cannot learn or understand how to successfully complete a simple 15
task, such as setting an alarm clock, at all
b) Needs to witness a demonstration, given more than once on the 15
same occasion, of how to carry out a simple task before the customer is
able to learn or understand how to complete the task successfully, but
would be unable to successfully complete the task the following day
without receiving a further demonstration of how to complete it
c) Needs to witness a demonstration of how to carry out a simple task, 9
before the customer is able to learn or understand how to complete the
task successfully, but would be unable to successfully complete the task
the following day without receiving a verbal prompt from another person
d) Needs to witness a demonstration of how to carry out a moderately 9
complex task, such as the steps involved in operating a washing
machine to correctly clean clothes, before the customer is able to learn
or understand how to complete the task successfully, but would be
unable to successfully complete the task the following day without
receiving a verbal prompt from another person
e) Needs verbal instructions as to how to carry out a simple task before 6
the customer is able to learn or understand how to complete the task
successfully, but would be unable, within a period of less than one week,
to successfully complete the task the following day without receiving a
verbal prompt from another person
f) None of the above apply 0
13. Awareness of hazards
Descriptors Points
a) Reduced awareness of the risks of everyday hazards (such as 15
boiling water or sharp objects) would lead to daily instances of or
to near-avoidance of:
(i) injury to self or others; or
(ii) significant damage to property or possessions,
to such an extent that overall day to day life cannot successfully be
managed
b) Reduced awareness of the risks of everyday hazards would lead 9
for the majority of the time to instances of or to near-avoidance of:
(i) injury to self and others; or
(ii) significant damage to property or possessions,
to such an extent that overall day to day life cannot successfully be
managed without supervision from another person
c) Reduced awareness of the risks of everyday hazards has led or 6
would lead to frequent instances of or to near-avoidance of:
(i) injury to self or others; or
(ii) significant damage to property or possessions,
but not to such an extent that overall day to day life cannot be managed
when such incidents occur
d) None of the above apply 0
14. Memory and concentration
Descriptors Points
a) On a daily basis, forgets or loses concentration to such an extent that 15
overall day to day life cannot be successfully managed without receiving
verbal prompting, given by someone else in the customer’s presence
b) For the majority of the time, forgets or loses concentration to such an 9
extent that overall day to day life cannot be successfully managed
without receiving verbal prompting, given by someone else in the
customer’s presence
c) Frequently forgets or loses concentration to such an extent that overall 6
day to day life can only be successfully managed with pre-planning, such
as making a daily written list of all tasks forming part of daily life that are
to be completed
d) None of the above apply 0
15. Execution of tasks
Descriptors Points
a) Is unable to successfully complete any everyday task 15
b) Takes more than twice the length of time it would take a person 15
without any form of mental disablement, to successfully complete an
everyday task with which the customer is familiar
c) Takes more than one and a half times but no more than twice the 9
length of time it would take a person without any form of mental
disablement to successfully complete an everyday task with which the
customer is familiar
d) Takes one and a half times the length of time it would take a person 6
without any form of mental disablement to successfully complete an
everyday task with which the customer is familiar
e) None of the above apply 0
16. Initiating and sustaining personal action
Descriptors Points
a) Cannot, due to cognitive impairment or a severe disorder of mood 15
or behaviour, initiate or sustain any personal action (which means
planning, organisation, problem solving, prioritising or switching tasks)
b) Cannot, due to cognitive impairment or a severe disorder of mood 15
or behaviour, initiate or sustain personal action without requiring
verbal prompting given by another person in the customer’s presence
for the majority of the time
c) Cannot, due to cognitive impairment or a severe disorder of mood 9
or behaviour, initiate or sustain personal action without requiring verbal
prompting given by another person in the customer’s presence for the
majority of the time
d) Cannot, due to cognitive impairment or a severe disorder of mood 6
or behaviour, initiate or sustain personal action without requiring
frequent verbal prompting given by another person in the customer’s
presence
e) None of the above apply 0
17. Coping with change
Descriptors Points
a) Cannot cope with very minor, expected changes in routine, to the 15
extent that overall day to day life cannot be managed
b) Cannot cope with expected changes in routine (such as a 9
pre-arranged permanent change to the routine time scheduled for a
lunch break), to the extent that overall day to day life is made
significantly more difficult
c) Cannot cope with minor, unforeseen changes in routine (such as an 6
unexpected change of the timing of an appointment on the day it is due
to occur), to the extent that overall, day to day life is made significantly
more difficult
d) None of the above apply 0
18. Getting about
Descriptors Points
a) Cannot get to any specified place with which the customer is, or 15
would be, familiar
b) Is unable to get to a specified place with which the customer is 15
familiar, without being accompanied by another person on each occasion
c) For the majority of the time is unable to get to a specified place with 9
which the customer is familiar without being accompanied by another
person
d) Is frequently unable to get to a specified place with which the 6
customer is familiar without being accompanied by another person
e) None of the above apply 0
19. Coping with social situations
Descriptors Points
a) Normal activities, for example, visiting new places or engaging in 15
social contact, are precluded because of overwhelming fear or anxiety
b) Normal activities, for example, visiting new places or engaging in 9
social contact, are precluded for the majority of the time due to
overwhelming fear or anxiety
c) Normal activities, for example, visiting new places or engaging in 6
social contact, are frequently precluded, due to overwhelming fear
or anxiety
d) None of the above apply 0
20. Propriety of behaviour with other people
Descriptors Points
a) Has unpredictable outbursts of aggressive, disinhibited, or 15
bizarre behaviour, being either:
(i) sufficient to cause disruption to others on a daily basis; or
(ii) of such severity that although occurring less frequently than
on a daily basis, no reasonable person would be expected to
tolerate them
b) Has a completely disproportionate reaction to minor events or to 15
criticism to the extent that the customer has an extreme violent outburst
leading to threatening behaviour or actual physical violence
c) Has unpredictable outbursts of aggressive, disinhibited or bizarre 9
behaviour, sufficient in severity and frequency to cause disruption for
the majority of the time
d) Has a strongly disproportionate reaction to minor events or to criticism, 9
to the extent that the customer cannot manage overall day to day life when
such events or criticism occur
e) Has unpredictable outbursts of aggressive, disinhibited or bizarre 6
behaviour, sufficient to cause frequent disruption
f) Frequently demonstrates a moderately disproportionate reaction to 6
minor events or to criticism but not to such an extent that the customer
cannot manage overall day to day life when such events or criticism occur
g) None of the above apply 0
21. Dealing with other people
Descriptors Points
a) Is unaware of impact of own behaviour to the extent that: 15
(i) has difficulty relating to others even for brief periods, such as a
few hours; or
(ii) causes distress to others on a daily basis
b) The customer misinterprets verbal or non-verbal communication to the 15
extent of causing himself or herself significant distress on a daily basis
c) Is unaware of impact of own behaviour to the extent that: 9
(i) has difficulty relating to others for longer periods, such as a day
or two; or
(ii) causes distress to others for the majority of the time
d) The customer misinterprets verbal or non-verbal communication to the 9
extent of causing himself or herself significant distress to himself for the
majority of the time
e) Is unaware of impact of own behaviour to the extent that: 6
(i) has difficulty relating to others for prolonged periods, such
as a week; or
(ii) frequently causes distress to others
f) The customer misinterprets verbal or non-verbal communication to the 6
extent of causing himself or herself significant distress on a frequent basis
g) None of the above apply 0
Comment by Anonymous — June 17, 2011 @ 4:24 pm
Hi,
I got my letter yesterday giving me 6pts and therefore a “pass” ( in their eyes)
I, Like many of you are scared witless and angry as hell about what they do to us.
I spent all last night reading posts on this site and I have to say I have found some comfort in knowing it’s not just me!
I would really like some help / advice on my appeal, which I am going to take all the way!
I have already done the following…
1) Called DWP and requested appeal pack and medical report (appeal pack arrived this morning)
2) I have been in contact with welfare office who have very quickly got back to me and given me a couple of things to do to help get them appeal on my behalf.
3) I have called the CAB and requested a home vist from an advisor (should be in touch after the weekend!)
So I have to ball rolling but what I want to know is…..Is there anything else I can be, or should be doing in the meantime.
The welfare rights have requested I write to tribunal services and request a duplicate of my appeal papers to be sent to them. Which I will be doing immediately.
This whole thing and ATOS is an absolute joke!
I feel ( literally ) everyones pain on this.
Look forward to hearing form somone
Chin up guys!
Dan
Comment by Dan Pickard — June 24, 2011 @ 1:11 pm
Hi Dan.
Your doing all the right things, and it’s good to see you are not under any illusions, just a couple of things Dan, make sure you tell them (DWP) in writing that you wish to be paid the assessment rate while waiting for the appeal to be heard, because if you don’t then they assume you are fit and ready to sign on and will pay you nothing and tell you nothing.
Also contact your GP and request a medical examination and a written report to present to the appeal panel to help prove you have genuine health problems.
For more advice Dan, check out the forum http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/index.php and get more help to get on top !!.
Comment by dwpexamination — June 24, 2011 @ 2:34 pm
Hi Dan…Your right it is a real joke what these people put you through to prove your medical condition the fact that the doctor says your unfit for work seems to mean nothing in that case why do we even bother to go seek medical help when we suffer from such illnesse’s sounds like they are making a mockery of the whole medical profession… I myself suffer from Osteoarthritis on my right knee and find it very painful and hard to wak at times but yet when I went for my medical assessment I scored zero points and was told I was fit for work in spite of sick notes I was told Atos overrided these and my money was stopped, After contacting them and telling them I intended to appeal my benefit was reinstated from the date it stopped… I have since found out from the Specialist at the hospital I do need to have a knee replacement so am awaiting that so much for the fact I was told I should start looking for work…
Comment by Nadine — June 24, 2011 @ 3:11 pm
Many thanks for replies guys and your support.
I am ready to fight this tooth and nail to the bitter end!
I hope, like you Nadine, they take one look at my letter where I have highlighted their mistakes and the fact that I have CAB and Welfare rights on my side that they just reinstate my benefits straight away. But somehow I doubt it!!
Comment by Anonymous — June 25, 2011 @ 1:34 pm
Does anyone know how long you normally have to wait before your appeal is heard ??? Also when I went to the doctors recently to ask about some medical evidence to back my claim he told me they would write to him but I thought you had to collect medical reports yourself beforehand !!! I dont know one person seems to tell you one thing and others tell you different.
Comment by Nadine — June 25, 2011 @ 2:22 pm
Hello Nadine.
They ?… will write to him…somehow I don’t think so Nadine, and just shows how out of touch with reality some of these GPs are, trust me, ATOS or the DWP under no circumstances will be writing to your GP for a medical report to help your claim.
They want to take your benefits from you, not give them to you on a plate, after all that’s the whole purpose of lying on your ESA 85 in the first place, which is to force you to appeal so if you want a medical reort from your GP then you have to arrange it yourself.
Waiting for an appeal to be heard can take up to nine months or even longer Nadine, so you can get a medical report during that time, somehow you will need to find a way to convince your GP to give you a medical examination with a report to follow.
That costs money, yes they want extra payment for doing their job, as far as I’m concerned they should be writing reports when the patient asks, not have to beg the bastards for one, these GPs are earning an absolute fortune as it is.
Comment by dwpexamination — June 26, 2011 @ 6:30 am
Well well well !!!! I received a letter a few days ago about my appeal disagreeing with the decision for Employment & Support Allowance and I was quite surprised when they told me they were going to look at my decision again to see if they could revise it in my favour so I would not have to attend a Tribunal.. I was asked if I had any further evidence which helps support my appeal to send it to them, and as I am due to collect a copy of a recent medical I had from the hospital where it will states I need to have a knee replacement…
I was amazed how helpful the letter from them appeared to be and am now I am just hoping this report will be proof enough that I am not fit for work and my benefit increases… fingers crossed…
Comment by Nadine — July 3, 2011 @ 10:37 pm
Hello Nadine.
Fingers crossed and good luck, let us know how you get on.
Don’t forget to help us stifle ATOS/DWP corruption here at http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/index.php
Comment by dwpexamination — July 9, 2011 @ 9:11 am
Hi,
I just had my IB tribunal today (almost a year after I failed the medical).
I won the appeal.
I was just wondering:
1. Am I entitled to claim back the 20% reduction I was losing during the appeal period. And if so, how?
2. How long till I am forced to go through another medical assessment? Or will they leave me alone now?
Comment by Anonymous — July 19, 2011 @ 8:43 pm
Congratulations on your victory….. Im still waiting for my tribunal but I know it could be many months before I hear anything, you must be thrilled the wait is finally over !!!!!
Nadine
Comment by Nadine — July 19, 2011 @ 8:48 pm
Hello Anon.
Well done on winning the appeal, when you lose an appeal you hear from them (DWP) almost immediately, and they tell you that you have lost your appeal and need to sign on etc,
But when you win an appeal, it can take a couple of months or more before you hear from them.
The best thing to do is send a letter to the DWP and let them know that the appeal was won and please credit me with all monies due, and for you that goes back a year at least
You will get everything they owe you, it just means you have to wait AND BE PATIENT.
Unfortunately, as soon as you win an appeal, ATOS/DWP will have you back for an other examination to test your functional ability for work.
For me it was two months before I was paid and a further two months before I was back for the assessment.
They will never leave YOU/US alone, that’s why you must fight them here at http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/index.php
Comment by dwpexamination — July 20, 2011 @ 4:53 am
congrats on the victory! Still waiting for a date for mine but im told it will be around November earliest!! I’m getting armed to the teeth, my welfare rights officer says I have a really good chance so fingers crossed.
Comment by Dan Pickard — July 25, 2011 @ 10:31 am
Good luck with the appeal Dan, don’t give up though because they will be back and back and back.
Join the forum and help beat them http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/index.php
Comment by dwpexamination — July 25, 2011 @ 7:39 pm
Thanks for the support!
I wont give up. I’ll appeal the appeal if neccessary!
Apparently the “doctor” I saw for my “assessment” is quite well known for this.
My entire “assessment” was a shambles so I’m playing them at their own game with the wordplay of the report.
As with most people here this joker just made things up.
Spoke of me visiting the supermarket most weeks and walking 800mtrs whilst pushing the trolley and was fine to queue to pay at check out.
First of all the “supermarket” i spoke of is one of those tiny spar type size indian minimarkets. Its not 800 mtrs if I was to “walk” up and down every isle, twice!
I never mentioned any distances so where 800 mtrs came from is anyones guess.
Secondly, Most weeks? this was 5 weeks after major spine surgery. I’d only been out of the house twice during this time, so most weeks?? just not what I said.
Thirdly, pushing the trolley? Not quite, I said I NEEDED to use the trolley as a walking aid to get around using it to help support me as I shuffled around.
Lastly, was ok to queue at check out. well unfortunately You HAVE to pay for goods in this country, its the LAW so I didn’t have very much choice in the matter?!?!
I did say and I quote ” I got there but by the time i did I was hanging off the trolley for dear life, in pain” I remember saying those exact words.
He also failed to mention that I was accompanied by my designated carer at all times who drove me there and helped me walk and turn the trolley left and right as It was too much stress and pain on my back.
He contradicts himself a good few times too on the medical report
Its all just utter f*ckwittery!
Comment by Dan Pickard — July 26, 2011 @ 11:08 am
Oh by the way, I’m sure this may have been mentioned elsewhere but i thought i’d throw it out there!
My welfare rights officer asked me to keep a diary.
Recording pain / activities / exercises (physio) / medications taken etc
Now as luck would have it I actually did start doing this straight after my op to monitor recovery / pain / meds etc.
I did this as a record for me, no other reason but it looks like it will come in very handy!
He reckons it’s good for them (hearing committee) to see how you’re condition is / how you cope on a daily basis / help you need etc.
So, I would recommend doing this for anyone going to an assessment and or waiting for a hearing.
just thought I’d mention it!
Comment by Dan Pickard — July 26, 2011 @ 11:16 am
Thanks for that advice Dan, have a look at the Guardian newspaper online, they have a good article this morning regarding ATOS dirty tricks. People are starting to wake up Dan, so it’s not much but at least it’s a start…!!
Comment by dwpexamination — July 26, 2011 @ 11:27 am
Omggggggg Dan reading your post was like reading parts of my own assessment… I was also quoted as walking 800metres around the supermarket and no mention of this was ever said I told him i needed the trolley for support and YES your right we
all have to pay before we leave or would be up for shoplifting.. These doctors do contradict themselves on many of the questions asked we say one thing they seem to type whatever comes into their heads its one big joke to them playing with peoples lives..
Im waiting to hear on my own appeal but was told they are going to have another look at my assessment to see if they can revise it in my favour to avoid having to go and was told to send any medical evidence in to them, this was over 5 weeks ago as yet havent heard anything either way not sure if thats good news or not…
Anyhow Good luck Dan and keep fighting !!!!!
Comment by Nadine — July 26, 2011 @ 11:41 am
Hi i went for medical and it failed surprise surprise i was not only intimated by this women doctor, she wrote what she liked most of it fairytales made up , everthing on the form, she denied everything when i complained to dwp and atos. I was told that i can cook go out on the bus go shopping etc i have to appeal and am a lost what to do. MY gp is lousy its due to him partly as they asked for a report and he hardly wrote anything yet he knows my hiostory of problems and know refuses to help this Gp is a crook what do i do folks ireaaly need good sound advise, i have appealed but could take months, how do i prepare myself for ths ordel i nnned help and nned somone to represent me as i have no family to support me, any suugestion you good people
Comment by was — August 15, 2011 @ 11:59 pm
has anyone else beem let down by their Gp as he was too busy to do the paid report for me, who do i complain to that my gp is not supporting me, and trying to fob me off, i live in newham.
Comment by was — August 16, 2011 @ 12:01 am
Hiya, I have been given a home assessment for DLA, is the check list above for DLA please?? After hearing all these horror stories, I can’t stop panicking. I had an ESA assessment but they did down play it a little. I didn’t care at the time because any help was greatly appreciated. I am destined for a wheelchair because I am significantly worse, I am worried that they’ll downplay it again but I really need this so I can finish my degree. I can’t get there otherwise. HELP!
Comment by Peksy86 — August 17, 2011 @ 2:10 am
Hi after 10yrs looking after my mother( the last 2yrs 24hrs a day) leaving me with severe sciatica as she needed lifting ect.my mother passed away in May. I was suffering depression prior to her death but its got worse since. and so as my sciatica. I am seeing physio’s and on tablets for pain and depression. I never claimed ESA as I was on carers allowance and this ran on for 8 weeks after her death. and no matter how I felt I still needed to take care of mother. since her death my GP put me on the sick so I sent in my note the end of June. I recieved my first payment of £135.00 followed by a assement form a week later. I am now waiting for a summons to go for a medical assesment any time now. I won’t be putting myself through it. I will go and sign on forJSA and see if they can find a job for a 56yr female with no qualifications apart from saving the government a fortune in care fees. I will make no excuses I will tell them what I can and can’t do. my main point is the sympathy I feel for the people on here who are genuinely ill and still have the fear and the stress of having to fight this malfunctioning system, when its all they can do to get through a normal day. I will support this site and make sure everyone I know supports you all too. as it could and probably will affect us all in the end.
regards Chris
Comment by Chris — August 17, 2011 @ 1:21 pm
Hi Chris, first remember you are not alone, you have found your way to us and we will help and support you through this traumatic time. Next go tohttp://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/index.php where you will be able to register with our sister forum and where you will find excellent first hand intellegence and information to help you through this. Try not to give in, if you do sign on for JSA they will assume you were swinging the lead when its pretty obvious you arent.
Comment by dwpexamination — August 17, 2011 @ 5:32 pm
Hi Pesky86, it is always advisable to have someone with you during the assessment to take notes, they will try to put you off but it is your legal right to have notes taken by a representative during the assessment. Although they say the notes you take are not recognised by any court as an accurate account of the proceedings, you can use them as an aide memoir when making any subsiquent appeal. Remember it is also your rigfht to decline any excercise the HCP asks you to do if you think it will cause you pain and discomfort. Please go to http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/index.php here you will find a wealth ofinformation and intellegence on how to deal with ATOS. Its free to registerwith the forum.
Comment by dwpexamination — August 17, 2011 @ 5:41 pm
Many of our members feel they have, why not join our sister forum at http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/index.php and post the question? I am sure anyone in the same frame of mind will respond.
Comment by dwpexamination — August 17, 2011 @ 5:43 pm
If you feel you have been let down by your GP or have reason to complain about the service they offer you can complain to the General Medical Council, just look up thier web site. Good luck and keep us posted of your progress.
Comment by dwpexamination — August 17, 2011 @ 5:45 pm
Hi was.
It looks as if you have no option but to get a release slip from the recepionist at your GPs and change your Doctor, Just go to another surgery and when you do, ask them to give you a full examination as a new patient.
Then after the new GP has assessed your fitness both by looking at your own medical reports from your old GP and the new examination then you can ask if he/she will write out a report for the purpose of an upcoming tribunal.
Of course they will demand a fee, they always do, if you can’t afford the fee, then legal aid can help…!! Click on to the forum below for more information and knowledge regarding ATOS/DWP corruption.
http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/
Comment by dwpexamination — August 18, 2011 @ 12:02 am
Hello was.
Yes I have been in that position before, it was a new GP and he used to work for ATOS (SCARY HUH) you can do as I suggest and change your GP, then once you have done that and got your medical report, you can report this miscreant of a Doctor to the GMC (General Medical Council), stick the bastard right in it.
If other people report him/her as well then they can get in to big trouble…!!
Comment by dwpexamination — August 18, 2011 @ 12:08 am
I have one of these medicals tomorrow afternoon and i’m so scared. I have cronic arthritis and take morphine 60mg tabs twice a day I cannot walk very far without having to sit down and am always in a lot of pain. Over the last couple of months other things have been going on like pins and needles in my hands and legs plus weakness in my legs. I also have very little bladder control and often wet myself. In the last couple of weeks i have been finding it very hard to leave the house and tend to get very upset if i have to go outside. Doesn’t look good for me tomorrow i’ve never been so scared, don’t think i can cope with this and then waiting for the letters off them.
Comment by Carol Wilson — August 24, 2011 @ 6:14 pm
Hi Carol, you sound like me
My doc gave me a wheelchair because when my upper back wasn’t bad, i was dragging myself along with crutches because of the pain. I leave the house once every two weeks if that. I’d suggest that if you cannot do something, do not force yourself to do it, they put me down as being able to walk 50 meters when I was in so much pain I was crying from it. Don’t over exaggerate but if you are in pain doing something, do not say you can do it.
Comment by Peksy86 — August 24, 2011 @ 6:32 pm
Yes that’s good advice pesky, just tell it like it is, do not say you can do something if you can’t, in other words don’t underplay how you feel.
http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/
Comment by dwpexamination — August 24, 2011 @ 9:49 pm
hi just had my first assessment today , the nurse assessor took photocopies of my specialist consultants reports , they said at the desk they wouldnt give me taxi fair from trainstation this is approx 1mile walk, a bus i would have had to walk 800mtrs up hill , so i took taxi , however when coming out of my assessment my assessor signed form and said go to the desk they will get you a contract taxi, so i guess she new it was to much for me considering there is a bus stop directly outside centre. (is this a good thing / or will i also be told 800mtrs round a shopping centre and in a que ) guess i have to wait till i get my rejection letter. i asked if i could get a copy of her report for my file , that has my chronic pain clinic, rheumatoligist , counselling services, physio therapy, occupational health , occupational therapy reports and assessment in it that i slapped on her desk at the beginning of assessment, she told me she couldnt give one cos she doesnt own the report, how do i get this report ? you have to phone dwp is this correct? Oh forgot – she asked me why my work had terminated my employment so i handed her my letter with headline from NHS MY EMPLOYER , that says termination due to INCAPACITY/ ILLNESS , Did she read any reports ? NO , a quick flick with her eyes, then an exercise assessment which i couldnt do half of due to pain/mobility. Watch this space see how i get on .
cheers STAFF NURSE L
Comment by LYNDA — August 26, 2011 @ 6:40 pm
Hi Lynda.
They’re whole remit is to get you off sickness benefit and on to job seekers allowance, it’s got nothing to do with your health, it’s all a con, some people are found unfit for work BY atos because they need to keep the figures at a certain level, and that’s luck, a kind of pass one, fail four.
If you condition your mind to accept you will be on a lower rate for a few months, sorry because it could be up to a year, you will win your appeal and all money they owe you (Minus the assessment rate they pay you while you wait) will be refunded, it’s the law.
And if for some reason you didn’t win the appeal, you owe them nothing, not a penny, so you see Lynda if the worse came to the worse you are no worse off, there is nothing to lose by appealing, but a lot to gain.
For expert free advice visit our forum http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/ there is plenty of people on there who will tell you anything you need to know, if you just ask.
Comment by dwpexamination — August 26, 2011 @ 7:25 pm
Hi all, I just wanted to ask a few questions for my DLA claim. I applied to have my claim re-assessed in Jan 2011 because I am almost completely chair bound now. My claim was turned down and I was sent the reasons as to why they turned me down. The reasons that they gave for declining to give me the mobility component were that I could walk 50 meters without considerable pain. On my application, I stated several times that I could barely make it to the bathroom without having to sit down due to the pain. I also mentioned that I can’t go out any more due to the distance I can walk, listed all the help I need, gave them my medical history and background info on my disability. Anyway, I sent back my 7 page appeal addressing almost every point that they gave me and told them that they had not read my application and reports and were basically not doing their jobs. I guess this must have got them nervous because they are coming to my house for the assessment and I did not have to fill in the ATOS form, I was just given the appointment. Just before this, I rang them to find out what was happening because if I cannot get the mobility component, I cannot go to university….The man at the other end was surprised that I hadn’t got my appointment letter, lo and behold, the very next day, I got my letter but no assessment form.
Why was the information I gave them ignored?? It would have saved them a lot more money just to ring my GP to confirm everything, right?
Is it commonplace not to send an assessment form and to give a home assessment without fuss?
Have they just not sent the form deliberately so that they can turn around and say “we sent it to you but you obviously didn’t fill it in and send it back” I know that sounds really cynical and jaded, I just don’t know what to think when it comes to ATOS.
People should not have to think this far into the process in order to get help, these mind games are ridiculous and extremely immature. I don’t know why they don’t go the whole hog and hire Jeremy Kyle and his lie detector team!! Isn’t it wonderful when everyone who applies for help is guilty until proven innocent??
Comment by Peksy86 — August 27, 2011 @ 1:06 pm
Hi Pesky 86.
Your not being cynical, you are begining to understand the game, they don’t want to give you DLA, they want you to curl up in a ball and don’t bother them.
But you musn’t do that pesky, you must stand up for yourself, and you need some help to combat these criminals, you can find it here http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/
everything you need to know, all the advice on how to deal with ATOS/DWP is there, click on Pesky and find others with the same problems as yourself.
Comment by dwpexamination — August 27, 2011 @ 8:29 pm
Advice please. I have permenant double vision. This is very, very dibilitating. Even the simplist of tasks are hard. Imagine trying to walk up or down stairs when you can see double the number of steps in front of you. Not allways stationary either. Or puting a cup or hot saucpan down on a worktop that isn’t quite where you think it is. Anyway. i have been like this for fifteen years now. I had one operation to try and fix it and the surgeon explained that if it didn’t work the first time he would go back in and try again …. when that point came. his secratery told me I only get one shot on the national Health. And I would have to go private ( £4.600 14 years ago ) without any guarentees ?
Well I was called back in four years ago and failed a medical. I won the appeal and the three panalists thought it was quite funny that I lost it in the first place. Even the DHSS rep.
Well I have just had my letter for another mediacl.
I was a hairderesser for twenty three years and do not know any other trade. If I lose this appeal ( i have all my limbs, so am expecting to ) I am an obvious risk doing the trade I have. One which a salons insurance I am sure would not insure me for. If I am made to find a job. Would I be within my right to ask the Benifit Agency to give me a letter of insurance…..( Insurance cover would be mandatory for an employee in any trade )…. Would you let me cut your little child or grandchilds hair… especially around his four or eight ears !
Comment by Danny Power — August 30, 2011 @ 10:31 pm
Hi Danny.
You would be in your right to ask, after all it’s them finding you fit for work by force, and that’s exactly what it is force, of course your insurance request will be denied because they all know it’s a con. You should be entitled to Employment and support allowance and your only option is to appeal, and win your appeal again, as you probably know you are entitled to the assessment rate while waiting for the appeal to be heard, and all money they owe you will be backdated when you undoubtably win your appeal again, you can see it’s all a sham now can’t you ?.
Help us fight them here http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/
Comment by dwpexamination — August 31, 2011 @ 4:16 am
I had my esa medical reassessment on the 25th of august 2011 at the end of the medical the doctor said you should consider using a wheelchair 6 days later i was refused dla mobility at tribunal.
panel said DR’s remarks at esa medical could not be used.
Comment by Ian — September 3, 2011 @ 5:42 pm
Nobody get’s a tribunal in 6 days, you must mean the DWP have told you that your appeal has failed ?, I can tell you that’s not your appeal, that’s what’s called a DWP decision maker reconsideration, it’s a DWP trick to fob you off, and hope you will not continue with the appeal, don’t fall for it.
As you can see, like thousands before you it’s all a con, the ATOS test is a con, the decision making procedure is a con and so is the tribunal, and they are getting away with it because they can, why put up with it ? why not fight back ?, you can here http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/ it’s the forum where people are under no illusions.
Of course there’s another alternative, just take what’s coming to you, I personally decided to listen to the forum members…!!
Comment by dwpexamination — September 3, 2011 @ 9:07 pm
You’ll never guess what guys, after appeal I have had lower rate care removed. I now get no DLA AT ALL.
Three NHS GP’s and two NHS wheelchair assessors have seen fit to put me in a motorised wheelchair because I can barely self propel and can barely stand let alone walk. I have to move into a purpose built wheelchair house due to the extent and cost of structural adaptations to my current housing association home.
According to the DWP, I can walk 50 meters and need no care whatsoever. What a joke!
I went to the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and the man was stunned they did not give me higher rate mob and middle rate care. So, he recommended I go to tribunal and skip the second appeal stage the same day I got the decision letter., which is what I have done. I also complained to the DWP department about the incompetence of the ATOS assessor and the decision maker.
I plan to talk to an ombudsman and perhaps even a lawyer because they have effectively sentenced me to a life on minimal benefits and poverty.
My partner now has to claim JSA for him and me, I will be left without a carer during the day as he has to jump through the JSA hoops and I will not be able to afford to go to university or look after myself during the day.
What a wonderful country we live in, a place where the powerful crush the needy to better their own standing without accountability.
Comment by Anonymous — September 21, 2011 @ 7:31 pm
It’s an absolute joke isn’t it ? nothing but a joke, there’s a lot of peopleout there worried about what these people are going to do next, there is going to be no mercy when Personal independence payment comes in, you must look ahead and try and stop it now , go to the forum and start participating before you end up with nothing http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/
Comment by dwpexamination — September 21, 2011 @ 9:49 pm
Im awaitin appeals for dwp+esa.ive made formal complaint.in 3rd stage getting no joy.i wil not give in untill I get satisfaction of justice.I would b greatful for any advice&help if possible please.Gail
Comment by Gail Hall — October 9, 2011 @ 11:32 am
Hello Gail.
You can get all the advice you need here at our forum http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/ just pick a user name and log in and ask any questions you like.
All help, information everything is 100% free, and so it should be for people who are victims at the hands of these monsters.
Comment by dwpexamination — October 9, 2011 @ 1:17 pm
I had my medical assessment nine days ago and wanted to thank you for your website. It really did help calm my nerves and prepare myself for what sort of questions would come up.
I’ve had OCD all my life, and it’s very debilitating. As a result, I’ve been on Incap since 1998 and thought the change in rules would mean they’d declare me fit for work and I’d have a fight on my hands to appeal.
But unbelievably, I got a phonecall from Jobcentre Plus this morning and apparently I passed (although I needed a lot of reassurance that ‘passed’ meant I’d stay on the benefit because didn’t I need to ‘fail’ the medical? lol).
She said I wouldn’t need reassessing until 2014 and I’ve asked them to send me my report, so I’ll post again if there’s anything in it I think might help other people get a better handle on their assessment.
I was in the medical for over half an hour with a nurse who was OK, but three things stood out to me:
1) I can’t work out why they asked me for my height and weight, and she took my pulse?? They’re of no relevance at all to what I talked about.
2) She asked me if I took any other medication, and I said I have painkillers for my knees. This has never come up before in any assessments, but she did do a bit of an examination of them, so it’s possible you’d get points for things aside from your main illness? I hadn’t thought of this before I went.
3) For those saying they were in and out in 10 minutes, maybe the assessor wanted you to give a bit more of an explanation of why you can’t, for example, answer the phone? I gave her more explanatory information than she asked for, rather than just yes/no answers.
I think the main thing I took away was that the questions I read on here did come up, and it’s important to match them up and apply them to your illness/disability before you go. I reckon they would have ‘tripped me up’ had I not been prepared, not because what I told them wasn’t the truth, but I wouldn’t have seen the relevance of them to my illness if I’d had to answer them on the spot and under a lot of pressure.
Sorry it’s such a long post
but I wanted to pass on a bit of the help I got from the site and hopefully put someones mind at rest that some people do manage to get through it. Good luck to all those who have got theirs coming up, and to everyone appealing their decision, don’t let them grind you down 
Cheers.
Comment by CorBlimeyGvnor — October 26, 2011 @ 7:07 pm
That’s good news, and just shows that our forums and Blogs on the internet are making a difference, they know now that there is no excuse, and we are seeing more and more genuine people passing the test, good news for people in the future, but sadly for all the thousands in the last three years not so good news that these so called HCPs and DWP decision makers have only now (hopefully) have just started to see the light. Being nice and genuine to people now is too late, they know they have done wrong in the past and they still have to pay for all their past crimes in the future.
Comment by dwpexamination — October 26, 2011 @ 8:49 pm
Hi, It seems to be that thay are in a hurry, He was in my home for 17 mins,He never told me to get out of the chair Myself or my wife couldnt understand half on what he said due to his accent.
I am Patially Blind, each eye only sees the right of each eye. Emonopia. Hi medication for Epilepcy, Hi blood pressure. Short Memory loss ( All due to a 12 inch knife into my Brain 8 years ago) I canno longer read or write due attack and everything I am read to i forget 75% within an houre. I cannot leave the house without my Wife and everything somone speake to me i need them to repeat it 2 to 3 times. I cannot walk without a Disability Stick to let other peaople that I am disabled. Anger managment is an issue. My speach willnot say what i try to say.
RESULT OF REPORT ZERO ON ALL
The only way i got this on hear was thanks to my 15yr daughter
Comment by Anonymous — November 20, 2011 @ 11:25 am
You received zero points ?, if you had told me that say two years ago I would have said, they can’t do that, it’s a disgrace it’s illegal, unfortunately we have found that they can do as they please, they can just about break any law that they like because these people are unaccountable, it’s not reported in the press because they are privy to the scam as well.
You do have a way out though, which is the appeal system, therefore since they are forcing you (and thousands upon thousands of others) to appeal, then that’s what to do, so get a GL 24 appeal form and your ESA 85 assessment report both from the DWP and forward that appeal as soon as possible, when you compose the appeal make sure you tell them that you would like to be payed at the assessment rate whilst waiting for the appeal to be heard.
The assessment rate is the same as Job seekers allowance and is not much but will keep you going until you win that appeal, by the way all money they owe you is backdated when they receive confirmation from the appeal panel that you are unfit for work. Also make sure you contact welfare rights and get representative help at the appeal.
Good luck and take care. http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/
Comment by dwpexamination — November 20, 2011 @ 12:02 pm
Update of Doctor Who wrote the report.
I got the phone number of the doctor and it seem to be a local number but when answerd thay had no Medical Center name said as normal Centers do. It seems to be just a number for him to use.
I rang just to get the correct spell of his name for a appeal.
Thay couldnt wate to put the phone down
Comment by Anonymous — November 21, 2011 @ 10:40 am
You only rang just to say hello and keep up the good work stitching up genuine ill folks like a kipper…LOL.
Al bet they couldn’t wait to put the phone down..!!
It’s remarkable that these idiots think they can ruin you life and you are just going to wring them up and thank them for it…
Comment by dwpexamination — November 21, 2011 @ 11:53 am
I found out that the DWP didn’t even contact my GP for a report, they based their decision on an illegible report by a “healthcare professional” with no knowledge of the condition and pre-determined questions which are deliberately limited in scope. Funny thing is I was in a wheelchair and pyjamas when I had the assessment and I was deemed able to walk 50 meters, the manual chair was deemed not suitable for me by the NHS so am now in a motorised chair. Want to know why I was turned down for any help? I did not want to attempt walking with the two crutches because I was in pain and did not want to risk losing use of my upper back for the next two weeks, I was classed as being a liar for this reason.
I am soon to be seen by a rheumatologist who also specialises in my condition.
I am being treated for a condition diagnosed and treated by the NHS for 25 years but the government obviously feel people who need help should get stuffed and that the NHS are incompetent.Go figure.
Comment by Anonymous — November 21, 2011 @ 2:13 pm
Why would the DWP bother contacting your GP for a report ? that would obviously be in your interests, and as you have just found out that’s not the name of the game.
It’s all bullshit and a massive scam, don’t even bother trying to reason with these people just appeal any decisions that find you fit for work.
You can start with a request from the DWP for a GL 24 appeal form and since you already have the liers ESA 85 report from ATOS/DWP then you are ready to go and get that appeal in. You can get help if needed here http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/
Comment by dwpexamination — November 21, 2011 @ 2:59 pm
Had to take my 18 yr old son for medical assesment as his consultant had not done report…my son is not working he is studying so its not to get him fit for work like some of previous comments it’s purely for just dla..which he has had for many years…he has ulcerated colitis and is on immune suppressants, mezalazine,and when bad steroids now he is in remission at present but living with this is a constant struggle if he eats something his colon doesn’t like it will go st8 through him..wen his next relapse happens he will not want to leave a toilet I have had to pick him up from school as he hasn’t made toilet..he has to go see a rheumatoidologist as the drugs he on is making his joints stiff and painful..wen we got to the medical assesment centre the doctor asked no questions on if he soils himself which at 18 he would find humiliating anyway I took all his drugs his colonoscopy pictures..the guy gave him an eye test ?? What’s that got do with a Colon..when I mentioned his joints the guy made him stand squat n bend side to side which he did but this doesn’t mean his joints are not bad he got to see a rheumatoid specialist..I see what everyone means by fact they make u seem normal this condition does affect his life the drugs can fry his liver he has be careful not to catch too many colds etc as his immune system is lower he has constant worry that his bowels may open up ok he not there to get into work but he was up for same treatment now this dr never once asked about his condition his bowels or anything he asked if he could wash dress n feed himself and gave him an eye test..only thing he did in relevance to his condition was make him bend from side to side but this doesn’t mean his joint problem is imaginary he wouldn’t be seeing a specialist if was am expecting to be scored with zero hadn’t really any idea what to expect b4 I went n wish I had researched this because the whole assesment was waste of time..I can see me having to appeal this maybe it may be done by the time he finishes his A- levels who knows but was very unimpressed at this whole farce it’s a disgrace and an insult to people scammers do not get prescribed immune suppressants or have colonoscopys
Comment by Julia — November 22, 2011 @ 1:13 pm
Must also add when he is not in remission..he couldn’t walk any distance as he would be terrified of his bowels opening he would need to go to toilet all day and nite imagine the worst tummy bug ever where u live on the loo and times it by 1000.. It comes out like water and is blood stained and will take months to get under control again I’m sorry but this is very debilitating to live with also the fact it sucks ur whole strength away..alone with the fact you can be hospitalised for many weeks and he gives him an eye test I’m just beyond staggered
Comment by Julia — November 22, 2011 @ 1:32 pm
Hello Julia.
The chances are you will have to appeal, people with lung cancer, leukemia, brain disorders have received zero points at these idiotic assessments, they are failing everyone and forcing them to appeal, it’s a disgrace.
If you do need to appeal we can help with the submission and other information at the forum http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/ but no matter what happens they will be back to make the lads life a misery, so you must get ready to combat them, so try and make the effort to find out what’s really happening in this Country, it’s absolutely shocking and all covered up by the British media.
Comment by dwpexamination — November 22, 2011 @ 1:57 pm
that would be great for any help and thankyou
Comment by julia — November 22, 2011 @ 2:57 pm
Well I got refused what a shock…I phoned them up and argued the toss on the points they said he had no problem with and complained about the dr who asked him nothing but pointless questions..they are going to re look at it again not sure if that sounds good expected them to tell me to tribunal it (which may still happen) also getting people who have known my son for years to go through the points and tell them what it should say rather than what they put in its place..also going to see my local mp about way these drs run things..cause they going fail as many as they can they want there bonuses..going suggest that fairer way to do it is they get fined for the ones they diliberatly fail for greed.. Might stop them then..wen I get a date to see mp will let u know and anyone who wishes to attend are more than welcome
Comment by Julia — December 1, 2011 @ 11:17 am
Hello Julia.
You may have been shocked but at least you weren’t surprised, just imagine you didn’t know all about this fabricated assessment report nonsense, that really would be a shock, and has been for thousands and thousands of genuine ill people all over Britain.
Anyway, you know they are going to reconsider nothing so the best thing to do is get on with the appeal etc, and don’t forget to ask for the assessment rate while the appeal is pending.
Comment by dwpexamination — December 1, 2011 @ 2:08 pm
I ripped up my report in an atos induced psyche out, i got 9 points in total for my mental problems , the extra 6 woulda been added due to my left ear deafness but cz room was small and quiet, i heard well, if in any normal worklike situation i would be constantly sayin ‘eh?’ but then in any place im a potential psychopath esp in med withdrawal so i guess bein deaf wouldnt matter? Lol see how idiotic all this points sh!t is. Ludicrous.
Comment by Sue E Sidal — December 30, 2011 @ 4:41 pm
sue E sidal many people who have difficulty hearing can look at another person and make out what they are being asked by a combination of sight & sound take away one or the other and they are stuck. my hearing varies, sometimes I can hear a person in a loud room other times I cannot hear the same person in a quiet room but by looking at their face I have learnt to make out what is being said by using both sight and sound. So this bullshit that they say about hearing is always in the quietest of rooms and if you say you have a hearing problem they will find a small a room as possible.
Comment by Terminator — December 30, 2011 @ 6:38 pm
Im in a alcohol rehab centre and have received a ESA50 form to fill in and I phoned them today to tell them my circumstances and to see if they would give me any more time to fill the form in because I do not leave rehab till the 31′st of Jan but they said NO, usually I ask CAB to help me full it in but this is not a option because I can not leave the building I’m pretty confident that I can fill it my self just wondering if anyone got any tips for me.
Comment by Craig — January 3, 2012 @ 6:41 pm
Hello Craig.
You can get plenty of help on the forum http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/ just pick a user name and ask any questions you like that you feel may help…
Comment by dwpexamination — January 3, 2012 @ 7:44 pm
Hi guys,
sorry for being a little off topic…
I have my hearing in the morning.
I like to think i am as armed as i can be.
I have letters from my GP, physio & Surgeon. none of which i could have been better myself. I think it’s imperative you have a good relationship with the people helping / taking care of you to stand up with you and vouch for you.
I have also had an indescribable amount of help from the welfare rights officer so anyone who is struggling or worried then please contact your local officer, they will walk you through the whole procedure.
No matter what my outcome tomorrow I will be eternally grateful to my guy.
keep on fighting guys! dont let ‘em get you down!!
I will let you know the outcome of mine. I’m by no means confident but at least i can say i took it to them!
Comment by Anonymous — February 2, 2012 @ 10:01 pm
Anonymous.
Remember…It’s a functional assessment and not a medical obviously it has a medical component, this means concentrate on the descriptors and how they affect your ability to work.
If you cant’s stand for ten minutes then say so, and explain why you cannot stand for ten minutes, if your mental health is an issue and you could be a danger in the workplace then say so, explain why etc. The descriptors are everything.
Good luck and let us know how you got on..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — February 3, 2012 @ 1:55 am
Hi guys,
Well thankfully I was awarded the decision and they over turned the medical report. awarded a schedule 3!
On my initial “assessment” i was awarded 6 pts….the hearing awarded me 24!! Just goes to show the DWP for the trashworms they really are.
No doubt I will be ordered for another assessment in a month and we’ll start all over again.
But it just goes to prove…appeal appeal appeal. take it all the way guys!!
The guys at the hearing I found to be fair and objective.
They are not to be feared but remain constructive in your case. stick to the descriptors and state your case clearly and concisely.
I was in the room 10 minutes and had to wait 2 mins while they deliberated. my welfare rights guy who assisted me step by step thinks that they had more or less made their minds up before i even entered based on my evidence.
I dont know if that is true or if it was just the last one before lunch and they wanted out!?
but stick to your guns and be clear about what you are appealing against.
I really wanted to stand their and vent about how shocking it is and the so called doctor in the assessment should be shot etc etc simple fact is you cant. it doesn’t help.
vent those feelings on here, but they have no place in your appeals.
Keep at em guys! and dont fear the tribunals. its not as intimidating as you imagine, but you have to get your case on paper and in to them!
keep it up!
Dan
Comment by Anonymous — February 4, 2012 @ 2:01 pm
Hi Dan.
More good news, and another nail in the coffin of the DWP/ATOS debacle, it’s about time they were investigated for corruption..!!
Every person who is genuinely ill must appeal, it’s the only way..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — February 4, 2012 @ 2:56 pm
I had my medical assessment last week, it lasted 3 and a half minutes! The nurse carrying out the assessment did not ask me many questions. She closed the assessment by saying “you don’t have any day to day issues apart from depression and feeling suicidal” if that’s not a day to day issue then I don’t know what is! I’m currently waiting for my decision however I’m not very hopeful.
Comment by Chelsea — February 12, 2012 @ 3:08 pm
Hello Chelsea.
Shortest ATOS assessment I’ve ever heard, could be good news could be bad news it’s impossible to tell, let’s hope it’s good news..!!
If it’s not good news, well you can always appeal and be no worse of than thousands of others, if you need any help you can get it here http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/index.php as well as your local welfare rights or CAB, by the way a three and a half minute assessment will help the appeal, Anyway just realise you are not alone..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — February 12, 2012 @ 3:35 pm
Hi I had a home visit from ATOS as I have mobility problems, my GP faxed them a letter to say that I needed a home visit as I was unable to travel. I had my home visit, and at the end of the medical the ATOS doctor told me that I was a very sick person. I thought that would be that and I would go from the WRAG group into the support group of ESA. I heard nothing for 5 weeks, so called the job centre who informed me that I had passed my Limited Capability for work medical and I had once again been put in the WRAG group. I read a letter from the hospital consultant to the job centre employee, and told her that I was very unhappy about this, and that I would be appealing, 20 minutes later I received a telephone call from the very kind lady at the job centre, who had asked another assessor to look over my medical report, and I was told there and then that I would not need to appeal as I had now been placed in the support group of ESA. I wonder if the people employed by the DWP really do bother to check these reports over thouroughly or do they just go by the first 15 point they see and add you into the WRAG group, then you have to go through the harrowing experience of appealing to see if in fact you were entitled to be in the support group first time round. Maybe the workers at ATOS who do the medicals for the DWP are not always the bad guys, but the odd lazy, can,t be bothered person who is employed by the DWP, Just a though.
Comment by June — February 13, 2012 @ 12:15 pm
I forgot to mention that the job centre employee said my medical report has been assessed by a Nurse Practitioner, and I pointed out that surely a doctor knows more that a Nurse practitioner, and this would be my reason for appealing, apart from being genuinely ill and someone that is genuinely entitled to this benefit.
Comment by June — February 13, 2012 @ 12:30 pm
Hello June.
There has been so many appeals against ATOS decisions that the Government have told them to tone it down a bit because there is far too many people winning, obviously because they are genuine and that is what ATOS are doing following the Governments orders, if the Government told them to herd us in to cattle trucks and eliminate us at the concentration camp at the end, Yes they would do it, Because the truth is ATOS are not nice people, read my lips they are ruthless horrible pieces of scum, and no decent health worker would even consider signing their dreadful contract.
As for the DWP decision makers ?, they are nothing but mindless drones who have been ordered to deny everyone the support group, amongst other things, and since you have found that out when you told them you are appealing, then for the same reasons as above they have conceeded.
A lot of people don’t appeal though even though they would win, and the reason is obvious, they just can’t take the stress of an appeal on top of all their other problems. This is what the DWP are counting on to improve their figures, people too ill to appeal…ask yourself….HOW SAD IS THAT..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — February 13, 2012 @ 2:08 pm
Hi all, I have my first Medical tomorrow at 10.30 with Atos
so worried! for the last two years i have been suffering with inflammation of the bones in my foot, which is extremly painful and along with that i have hurrendous shooting pains up my leg and several other things along with it. I do have a job but havent worked since May last year after my boss telling me to go off as she could see i was really struggling with mobility. It feels like there is not enough room in my foot for the bones and feel like they will give way every step i take. I have seen 4 specialists and no one knows whats causing it other than a underlying immune system problem but that doesnt help me as i NEED a diagnosis. Nothing medicaton wise works either. so i need to know about the point scoring. If i answered 1c and got 15 points would that mean i pass or do you have to get more points then they work out the average?? i am really confused. there are other questions that i will get points on but say for example only one question i scored 15 would i pass??
Comment by jenny — February 16, 2012 @ 9:12 pm
short answer yes! if you score 15 pts in any of the sections then you would “fail”. which is what you want.
a “pass” to these people means you ARE fit for work.
My only advice is be ready. take any and all literature with you.
YOU MUST ask the “doctor” ( i use that term loosely!) to read back the answers you have give and he is entering. record it if you can even just the audio.
they dont like being recorded, for obvious reasons but i think I’m right in saying (I’m sure someone will correct me?) you would have to let them know you were recording it.
Also take someone with you, not only for the moral support but also its another pair of ears and someone else to recall the answers you actually gave.
(might even be an idea to write down the relevant answers as soon as you get out to avoid forgetting.
be sure to answer clearly and concisely. don’t leave room for a “grey area” to be exploited as they will.
BUT most of all don’t panic. in fact be prepared to be passed. I hope you don’t obviously but be prepared anyway.
The day you find out the decision (assuming they have passed you) write to them immediately and request a copy of the medical report AND to be put on the assessment rate whilst you are appealing. its a bit less than the usual rate but it’s better than nothing!
(oh and be prepared for receiving what may appear to be someone else’s medical report – no answers corresponding with the ones you gave. dont worry about this either, its common place for these idiots. From there there is another ton of advice on here with what to do next. any correspondence sent to the be sure to send it recorded. that way its traceable for when they “accidentally lose” the documents or prevents them from saying they never received it. “it must have got lost in the system?” yeah right!
I have just had my tribunal and was awarded the decision. my “assessment” was last may, i took it all the way to the courts and was awarded 24pts. – the “doctor” at the “assessment” awarded me 6pts. chin up and keep on. if you get a half decent human i.e. one that hasn’t fully mutated into a slug, then you never know you could be OK. I’m not trying to put the frighteners up you…just want you to be prepared
Keep calm and carry on!
As mentioned above it is ALL ABOUT THE DESCRIPTORS –
to quote DWPexamination above….
“Remember…It’s a functional assessment and not a medical obviously it has a medical component, this means concentrate on the descriptors and how they affect your ability to work.
If you cant’s stand for ten minutes then say so, and explain why you cannot stand for ten minutes, if your mental health is an issue and you could be a danger in the workplace then say so, explain why etc. The descriptors are everything.
let us know how it goes?”
Best of luck
Dan
Comment by Anonymous — February 17, 2012 @ 1:09 am
Hello Jenny.
It’s a combination of points Jenny, so if the worst comes to the worst and you do need to appeal then you can demonstrate to the appeal panel that your mobility is restricted, the walking descriptor for instance, can you walk (mobilise) 100 metres without stopping ? if not then you can get points for that, same with standing, you have to sit down ? then you can get points for that and they all add up.
On the same descriptor, you can only get the highest points for toting up on that one descriptor.
Yes if the panel agreed that the 1c descriptor applied to you then they would grant 15 points, but you have to convince them with a combination of your Drs report and what you say at the appeal..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — February 17, 2012 @ 6:24 am
Hi! Iv not long got back! It wasn’t as bad as it seemed but the ‘doctor’ didn’t ask me half as much as what I was expecting. I was on my crutches and my mum came in with me and recorded it! He could obviously see I couldn’t walk with out being in pain and didn’t ask anything about how far I could walk. Asked if I go out etc and do shopping on my own I said no, Internet is the way forward for me lol. He was more concerned about my eye sight that hasn’t been top notch lately and told me to tell my consultant to get my brain scanned. So he seemed very concerned and he wrote stuff down. But I’m worried because he didn’t really ask the questions above!! How ling will it take to hear off them now??? X
Comment by Jenny — February 17, 2012 @ 1:24 pm
Just received the report from my latest scan, wish I had it sooner!!!! Shall I call atos up and email it them?? Or just leave it till I hear something?? The more I think/worry about this morning the more I think it was crap because he didn’t ask me anything!
Comment by Jenny — February 17, 2012 @ 3:40 pm
me again! also on my mind is how do they work out which group you belong in work related support group or just the support group??
Comment by jenny — February 17, 2012 @ 7:11 pm
Hello Jenny.
Could here from them anytime, a week, a couple of weeks who knows, each department is different and it all depends on what side of the bed the DWP drone got out of that morning..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — February 18, 2012 @ 12:24 am
Hello Jenny.
Nobody knows it seems but I do know that it’s ATOS who decide which group you go in to, to get in to the support group you have to be very ill indeed, it’s not unknown for cancer sufferers to be denied the support group.
Comment by dwpexamination — February 18, 2012 @ 12:28 am
Hello’ I will be having my examination at atos this 29 of feb..Ive been a dialysis patient for five years…Fortunately go a transplant almost ten months now…..Myproblem is that Im having pain on my operation site…especially when Im walking….have sleep apnea ang diabetic..My kidney function is deteriorating..Im using urine bag because i have urgency and always getting wet…Externally I look fine…but evryday having aflu like symptoms..does this sign and symptoms qualify…or the way and how you walk the real concern of atos..thanks alot..this blog really helps…
Comment by krnb — February 20, 2012 @ 9:52 pm
Hello krnb.
The purpose of the ATOS assessment is to determine your ability to work by assessing your functional ability and not your illness.
So this means you have to get across that you have difficulty in meeting certain descriptors.
So in your case you state that you have difficulty walking ? if you have serious problems walking then it’s possible to get 15 points on that alone, depending what you have said on the ESA 50. You could get points for having problems standing or sitting, you see what I’m saying all these points add up.
It’s the descriptors that matter, and not how much pain you are in, because you can be in a serious amount of pain and still be able to carry out certain functions, for instance a person can be in dreadful pain but still force them self to walk more than 200 Metres if you tell them this then you will not score points and so will not meet that particular descriptor.
If you are found fit for work then when you appeal these are the type of questions the appeal panel will ask you, can you or can you not walk this or that distance ?, how you answer can be the difference between winning or losing an appeal.
ATOS don’t care what your health problems are, if you walk in there looking fine then looking fine is what it’s going to say on your ESA 85 report (ESA 85 is the report that ATOS send to the decision maker, if you appeal then this is the report you ask for to see what you are appealing against) and even if you crawl in on your hands and knees they will still say you look fine, this is why an appeal is compulsory for the majority of claimants.
If you find you have to appeal then you are not alone because we can help with lot’s of information here at our sister site, just pick a username and log in http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/index.php
Comment by dwpexamination — February 20, 2012 @ 11:20 pm
Thanks very much…it helps ease my mind..
Comment by krnb — February 21, 2012 @ 9:42 am
Who makes the point scoring decision? I have just called ESA dep and they said it’s still being decided by dwp? God this wait is killing me! Feel so agitated and highly stressed! What a awful awful process this is! Aren’t these people meant to help you try feel better to be able to go back to work!! I’m feeling worse and worse every day with worry!
Comment by Jenny — February 23, 2012 @ 1:06 pm
Hello Jenny.
In my local ATOS assessment centre there is posters on the walls saying ”WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR BENEFITS, IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM THEN CONTACT THE DWP” This implies that they (ATOS) do not decide what benefits you/we get, well this is true up to a point because they do not advise the DWP what you should get in the way of benefits, that’s the responsibility of the so called decision maker.
But the truth is ATOS are responsible for your benefits because they decide how many points you get, 15 points from ATOS gets you benefits and less than 15 points gets you jack shit. It’s all semantics, and although the decision maker (who is a mindless drone by the way) slams the rubber stamp down on your case file, it really is ATOS that decide, and moreover the ATOS health care professionals all know this, they know their actions and erroneous reports lead to serious hardship but they don’t care because they can pass the buck to the faceless Decision maker/s at the DWP.
Comment by dwpexamination — February 23, 2012 @ 2:03 pm
Hi sorry me again, i cant get this examination out my head so my brain is constantly ticking over…………iv got it into my head now that i am going to fail after reading all these horror stories. so i will definitely appeal if i do, wont have anything to loose. but one question is, if you appeal will you still get the basic 13 week rate pay until your hearing? iv looked on other sites and some say you do but you have to badger them about it.??
Comment by jenny — February 25, 2012 @ 9:24 pm
Hello Jenny.
When you attend the assessment and you leave the building your result is passed to the DWP by computer almost immediately, but yours is not the only one that day, there are thousands all over Britain going to all the different departments so it take s a while for the DWP to wade through them.
By the time the decision maker get’s to yours and makes a decision a couple of weeks can pass, so expect a decision letter anytime from a week to six weeks.
If it’s bad news and you want to appeal then you must get what’s called a GL 24 appeal form and also ask for the ESA 85 ATOS assessment report, scan the report to see what you are appealing against then compose the appeal, you have a month to do this, on the appeal submission make sure you ask them to pay you the assessment rate while you wait for the appeal to be heard, if you do not ask them they will pay you nothing, you must ask them.
You will be paid the assessment rate the minute you were told you were fit for work, if a few weeks pass then it will be backdated, incidentally the assessment rate is the same as Job seekers allowance plus of course a rent and council tax rebate.
Since the assessment rate is around £65 a week, and your appeal can take say nine months or more to be heard then that’s one of the things we have to put up with until the appeal is heard, the other is you have to send them sick notes, the good news is the component they didn’t pay you in all that time will be backdated if you win your appeal, if you lose the appeal then you pay them nothing, and so can start another re-application for sickness benefits because more than six months have passed since you were informed by the DWP that you were fit for work..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — February 25, 2012 @ 9:53 pm
ah thats brill, puts your mind at ease that you will be paid while the everything goes on.i have been told to ring Esa department thursday if i havent heard anything by then so crossed fingers!!
Comment by jenny — February 26, 2012 @ 7:27 pm
Jenny…Remember if you win the appeal then all money (extra component part of ESA) they owe is backdated to the date the DWP informed you that you were fit for work.
And if the worst happens then you owe them nothing..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — February 26, 2012 @ 8:47 pm
my son who is 21 and has within the last 8 months gone from a fit lad to being dignosed with a very agressive form of arthritis which has infected his whole body.hes on some serious tablets to try and controll it .
he went for his esa test got a phone call yesterday saying that he has scored 0 points,i mean how the h…
he hasnt recived the results though the post yet,
so he tryed to sign back on the dole and was told he couldnt he was on esa,so he went to esa (rang them up )they said to him that his esa was shut down 3 days ago?
ive told him to apeal agaisnt it,but he was worried about having no money hes got new baby and a wife .
now this is what i call a right mess,
how can some1 in that condiction score 0,he carnt walk far,h uses a scooter,he carnt walk proper which is causing the side of his foot really bad and the doctoers r concerned about that.
Comment by bryn — March 1, 2012 @ 8:02 am
Hello bryn.
First of all don’t panic, there is a way out, and we calm down and take each stage in turn.
The first stage is to phone the DWP and also write a letter with the same information to confirm your call, your son should explain that he wishes to appeal against their decision finding him fit for work, and could they please forward a GL 24 appeal form and also the ESA 85 ATOS Doctors assessment report.
Also mention on the letter and the call that he wishes to be paid the assessment rate while he waits for the appeal to be heard, if you do not mention the assessment rate then they will not tell him, they tell you nothing.
The next stage is to get a sick note from your/his Doctor (GP) and ask the Dr to backdate the sicknote to the date the DWP said he was fit for work, if you do not do this then he will not receive the assessment rate, they will tell you nothing, you must find out everything for your self as I had to do, listen to me and I can save you/him from a lot of heartache.
Now this assessment rate is the same deal as Job seekers allowance, you get the same money and you get the rent rebate and council tax rebate and it’s backdated, meanwhile the DWP will inform the housing association (if he has one) that he is no longer entitled to benefits, this is of course a lie, but they do it anyway, then the housing association will send him a letter saying that now that he is working he owes such and such an amount, the reason the DWP do this is to terrorise people, they are absolutely horrible people, the sooner you know what they are like the sooner you can learn your rights and the sooner you can combat them. Do not worry if they do this, because the next stage (if this happens) is to contact the housing association and inform them that you/son are appealing a DWP fit for work decision and therefore are still on benefits, by that time the DWP will have been told by your son that he is appealing and will automatically stop sending the housing these idiotic letters.
The next stage is to compose the appeal, you will have had the GL 24 and ATOS report by this time, if you need help to compose the appeal then contact your local welfare rights office or CAB and or log in to the forum here http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/ they will help you with all the appeal information you need.
The next stage is to contact a legal advice centre and get legal aid, also ask them to send a letter to your/sons GP asking for a medical report for the purpose of an appeal, the GPs sometimes call the patient for a medical and sometimes they don’t, just depends how well the GP knows his patient, it’s best to get a medical report from the GP because it will be needed to present to the tribunal as medical proof of your sons health condition. The reason for legal aid is because the GP wants paid for the report.
Your son may get a phone call from a DWP decision maker asking your son to reconsider his appeal, they might even come away with a lot of baloney that he has no chance and it’s best if he dropped it, do not fall for this nonsense, politely explain that you/son would like to carry on with the appeal anyway, the phone will drop, their trick did not work…Got me, as I said they are just awful people.
That’s it, your/sons next step is to wait, and I can tell you what will happen, he will receive (sometimes a call, depends how desperate they are) a letter saying that his appeal has been reconsidered HIS APPEAL IS DENIED and he is still fit for work.
This is nonsense, his appeal was not denied the reconsideration by the decision maker was denied, you see the tricks and people are falling for it every day, that is why they can claim they have found so many people fit for work, not through honesty or a fair health test but by deceit, lies and subterfuge. So its another letter to them then thanking them for their reconsideration (cynical) but you/son would still like to carry on with the appeal to the tribunal.
Do everything in stages and it’s much easier to handle remember it’s slow because time means nothing to them, but means everything to you, there’s nothing you can do about that though…when it comes to dealing with the DWP ”PATIENCE IS TRULY A VIRTUE”
Hope this helps, if anything isn’t clear enough please don’t hesitate to contact this Blog or the forum.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 1, 2012 @ 10:52 am
Hi All,
well I have another assesment (if you can call it that) on Monday my 3rd in 2 years and I still get scared!! my Cpn is hopping mad about it, I have C.O.P.D. P.TS.D. and have just been told I have epelisey. When I fit I cant contorl my bowel or bladder, does this mean that I will get the 15 points or not also when I fit I do black out so will I get the 15 points for this also ? I do bare in mind that at my last so called assesment I got no points and I struggle to walk 100m without stopping for breath.All my letters have been sent to the DWP im also taking them with me even my letter from my last appeal telling me that I had won and with 15 points. I do have to say that i won my last appeal only 4 month ago and I have to start again.
Many Thanks
p.e.e.d. Off
Comment by David Insley — March 1, 2012 @ 4:34 pm
Hello David.
I won my appeal 4 months ago and I’ve been invited back as well, it’s happening to everyone.
You will win your next appeal as well, apparently the cost of appeals is around 120 Million pounds per year, the Governments 50 Million pounds figure is a lie, they are nothing but charlatans, we just have to keep going David and don’t give up, that’s what they want..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — March 1, 2012 @ 6:08 pm
It will be 3 weeks Friday since my examination and still heard nothing, I called ESA department last Wednesday to see if they heard anything and I was spoke to like total utter crap!!! She was rude and so unhelpful!! I am so stressed worrying about how I’ll pay bills etc if I get refused, it’s making me ill! Do they think we just ring up for the fun of it???? I really want to call again today but I’m too scared I’ll get the same person!
Comment by Jenny — March 5, 2012 @ 10:51 am
Hello Jenny.
Since you have no control over their decision, why encourage them by phoning them up, letting sleeping dogs lie might gain you a couple of weeks before you need to start appealing..!!
I see absolutely no advantage whatsoever in tipping them off and stimulating them to go to the bottom of the drawer to look for your file.
Quite frankly personally speaking if I never heard from them again it would be too soon.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 5, 2012 @ 11:18 am
Ah you have actually made sense there! Maybe it would be better in a week or so! I need the next payment on Monday for my bills! Knowing my luck I’ll more than likely get the 0 point Mark this week and my payments will stop! Grrrr I hate all this!
Comment by Jenny — March 5, 2012 @ 12:10 pm
Can anyone please advise why I have been put in the WRAG for ESA when I scored 24 points for mental health difficulties. I thought if you scored 15 points or more you are put into the Support Group. They say none of the descriptors set out in Schedule 3 to the ESA Regulations apply ? What does that mean ?
Comment by end of tether — March 14, 2012 @ 1:35 pm
iv just read somewhere with the atos medical for your ESA they contact your doctor?? (for proof) is this right? personally i think it should be done anyway……but i am sure i read else where they dont??
!!!! they said last week i should have heard by today but nothing yet!! im all geared up for an appeal now anyway after reading hundreds of horror stories!!
about my medical, 4 weeks since i had it this friday but apparently the dim wit who did my medical on paper had terrible writting so they had to send it back to get re written (which is a little worrying because it could completely change!!! good job i recorded it though!
Comment by jenny — March 14, 2012 @ 2:26 pm
Hello Jenny.
You need to ask yourself, why would ATOS contact your GP and ask for proof that you are fit or unfit for work ? when they know fine well that since you are appealing that you are unfit and getting sick notes and since the purpose of an ATOS assessment is not to find you fit for work but unfit for work, then asking the GP for proof is not something they wish to see because almost certainly it’s going to say on there that you are unfit for work…LOL.
Don’t worry about the appeal, the local welfare rights or CAB will help and so will the forum http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/
Comment by dwpexamination — March 14, 2012 @ 4:04 pm
Hello end of tether.
The short answer is, to be eligible for the support group you have to be almost at deaths door, in fact some people who have a prognosis of a couple of months to live have been denied the support group, to get in to the support group is very difficult indeed, so it’s not unusual to be put in the WRAG..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — March 14, 2012 @ 4:08 pm
thanks for your reply dwpexamination. the “atos hcp” stated in her report that i should be in the wrag group because i take “standard medication and see a psychologist therefore i am showing a willingness to get better and therefore not at risk if put in wrag” ? that seems a crazy statement to me! the way i read it is that if you get help then you are ok to be put in wrag. so does that mean if you dont seek help then you are put in support??
Comment by end of tether — March 14, 2012 @ 5:14 pm
Hello End of tether.
The long and the short of it is they do not want anyone on the support group, you can appeal and try to get in it, but they fight tooth and nail to stop you.
Since the difference is only £5 a week in monetary terms, and the WFIs are a joke then you have to be really determined to give it a go, if you really feel you should be on it then get a GL 24 form and appeal..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — March 14, 2012 @ 5:22 pm
so they can give whatever reason they want and get away with it? do you think the reason i was given can be classed as valid, surely not?
Comment by end of tether — March 14, 2012 @ 5:37 pm
i know someone very close to me who suffers with lupus and addisons disease and also had a fall in work last year affecting her back but there isnt any evidence to show it, all scans etc are clear BUT she has been put straight into the support group without even a medical!! within a couple of weeks sending the big booklet thing back she had a letter saying that. i dont understand!! i applied before this person too back in october and i am still waiting!! so it shows some do just slip through the net! Im not for one minute saying this person isnt ill but just saying what happened
Comment by jenny — March 14, 2012 @ 7:12 pm
Hello end of tether.
Yes any reason they want, they can even say we don’t want to give you the support group, if you want it that bad then appeal, they could even say that and get away with it..!!
It’s a nightmare, and that’s why we are trying to warn everyone what’s ahead because believe you me this is just the start, the worst is yet to come so you would do well to get to know your rights before the proverbial really hits the fan, in the future there isn’t going to be any welfare rights, well not welfare rights you will want to talk too..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — March 14, 2012 @ 7:28 pm
Hello Jenny.
There’s something about Lupus and Addisons disease that obviously precludes her from work, she is indeed lucky (I mean as far as ATOS are concerned) and that is rare from ATOS believe me, look what’s being found fit for work, people on double armed crutches, cancer, brain tumours, hell there’s even people in hospital sick bed being told they are fit to work etc, so your friend is very lucky indeed, she will be surprised when her case is renewed in the future though because they will expect an improvement in her condition, and I don’t need to tell you what that means do I. Sometime in the future she will show you a letter saying ”YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND FIT FOR WORK, THEREFORE PLEASE SIGN ON” Trust me..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — March 14, 2012 @ 7:42 pm
thanks for your reply dwpexamination. your right this is a nightmare. it seems unlawful to me. they have created a system where it is always a win win situation for them. they are taking away our human rights. could this not be considered as a breach against our basic human rights ?
Comment by end of tether — March 14, 2012 @ 7:46 pm
I can just imagine it, its my mum so i know the in’s and out’s of her problems which we are both shocked, even herself why she wasnt cALLED IN FOR AN EXAMINATION. oh well i suppose her time will come one day though so at least i can inform her whats to come!!
Comment by jenny — March 14, 2012 @ 8:21 pm
Hello End of tether.
Yes you are right, it is a breach of our human rights, but to get anywhere near the human rights court the rule is every possible way of settling matters have to be gone through first so let’s say for talking sake the totally ridiculous situation where the HCP tried to give you an injection which he concocted in his house to make you fit for work.
You would strongly complain to ATOS themselves to start, then you would receive a fob off letter and inform you that if you are not happy with their reply then you can complain to ICE (independent complaints executive) who will fob you off and inform you that if you are not happy with their reply then complain to your MP, so you complain to your MP and he/she sends you a letter saying he/she has looked in to the matter and can find no evidence to support your complaint, so if you are not happy with my reply then please contact Mr such and such who is the head of ATOS healthcare, and so you do and you find it’s the same old rigmarole going round in circles, by this time three years has passed, and it’s time to contact the human rights mob so you see a lawyer and he/she says how much money ya got ?.
Do you see where I’m coming from ? the human rights act is a con, if it was easy to ascertain your rights by using the human rights act then TONY BLAIR WOULD NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS HAVE EVEN CONSIDERED SIGNING IT..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — March 14, 2012 @ 8:30 pm
thanks for your reply. i have exactly the same mindset as yourself. they have covered themselves in every single way. believe it or not i used to work for the dwp and i consider them absolute bastards. they created my illness by saying i was homophobic and went on to sack me for gross misconduct even though there was no evidence. they made their decision based on the “balance of probability”. what they didn’t know was that i was gay and they forced me to come out and still decided i was homophobic! however, this is not the only reason i detest them because whilst working for them for 25 years i realised from the start they are completely corrupt. i should have left years ago, that was my mistake. so these people sack me, cause me to have my condition and then say i should be able to complete wra.who is going to employ me after being sacked for gross misconduct ? they have put me in this impossible situation. it is completely ironic. they had ulterior motives for sacking me in that i developed tynosynivitis due to the unsafe workplace enviroment i was placed in and they somehow could’nt provide me with reasonable adjustments. they were looking for a reason to get rid of me. incidentally the person who made the allegations has tried to beg me for their forgiveness and told me he was conjoled into doing so. he promised to put this in writing but has failed to do so. he no longer works for them. so i am left in this despicable situation. you know what i feel that a little weight has been lifted from me just writing this.
Comment by end of tether — March 14, 2012 @ 9:04 pm
sorry for the bad grammar and spelling mistakes. i am usually quite proficient in these areas but seem to be losing it because of their crap! i wish they could have a day in our world. then would they say that it is acceptable what they are doing to people by means of their rediculous rules ?
Comment by end of tether — March 14, 2012 @ 9:14 pm
Hi End of tether.
It’s well known amongst right thinking people that there’s a dreadful bullying culture in the DWP and you will probably have gathered by now there’s also a Bullying culture at ATOS healthcare.
This is one of the problems with working for an organisation/s like that, they have you over a barrel and that’s a reason why no whistleblowers are emerging, I know the level of corruption at the DWP is astronomical, if someone had the guts to come out and spill the beans it would be a sensation, I believe if the public found out the real truth, the whole DWP would be dismantled and rebuilt from the botton up.
There has been whistleblowers, but understandably they do not wish to be identified, until that day when the DWP are exposed for what they are then we will just have to keep battling them as best as we can, remember they are wrong and we are right, and truth always triumphs in the end.
As for that rabbit who stuck you in ? don’t even acknowledge his presence in the future, he’s just scum as far as I’m concerned, he’s probably a sociopath.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 14, 2012 @ 9:29 pm
what should i do then ?
Comment by end of tether — March 14, 2012 @ 10:21 pm
please help me what to do here. i am still so upset here after 7 years. he was backed up here by the faceless mob who wanted to agree with their employer so their positions were safe. they didnt like me because i was considered beautiful and had their hangups because i wasnt conforming to their rules ie looking younger than my age, being slim, not having children, eating wat i want and still staying slim. i cannot believe that i have forgotten my spelling abilities because of them cunts. sorry for the expletives but it is the only decripition i can give to define them, you have to be a yes person to survive there which i was not. cant say anymore because it sickens me to the stomach just thinking about them. i know thats a cliche but its true !
Comment by end of tether — March 14, 2012 @ 10:50 pm
Hi end of tether.
Let’s look at it logically instead of subjectively, you are out of there, there’s no law that says you need to entertain them ever again, just get on with your life, you have a head start over most people, I’ve worked in places where people didn’t like me, sometimes in life when you stand up for yourself people don’t like it, the truth is they probably wish to be like you and don’t have the guts, probably go home at night worried what people think of them or if the boss is going to give them the can next day because they didn’t jump high enough when he/she said so, as you say just yes men, small frightened rabbits, why waste another minute thinking about people like that, and why waste your time thinking about this so called friend that let you down, make him your ex friend.
Live and let live is what I say.
So let’s look at your other problem, you think you should be in the support group ? do you know what ? trying to get in the support group is so much hassle it’s not even worth the tremendous effort involved in my opinion, you get an extra fiver a week and you don’t have to go for WFIs, that’s the so called support group, that’s the only advantage/s…big deal.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 14, 2012 @ 11:29 pm
i am not bothered about the money being in the/ support group. i am in a position where i have savings that will stop me recieving esa in their 12 month rule. it s infuriated me that david cameron has stated that we can no longer rely on ni contributions to satisy claiming benefits, so why are we paying ni contributions? i want to be in the support group so they leave me alone and get a chance to get better,they are comprising this according to my psycholist that vthe tauma they are causing is putting things on hold
Comment by end of tether — March 15, 2012 @ 12:19 am
sorry im a bit drunk and not explaining things properly. why am i drunkk ? because of those cunts ! sorry but this is the only description i can apply,yes i am explaining things properly.
Comment by end of tether — March 15, 2012 @ 12:26 am
its probably too late to expect a reply but your logic is helping me but please explain the meaning of sociopath. thanks
Comment by end of tether — March 15, 2012 @ 12:45 am
Hello end of tether.
A sociopath ? is a person who can be charming and nice with one arm around your back in friendship, whilst the other hand is reaching for his/her knife. I’m speaking metaphorically.
A sociopath ? can tell you a lie to your face, and at the same time they know that you know they are lying.
A sociopath ? Would betray a personal (life threatening even) secret to gain a momentary advantage, like promotion or a pay rise.
A sociopath ? Can easily show no remorse on the other hand show remorse but not feel it or really mean it.
Examples of people who are Sociopaths : Our present (especially the cabinet) Government are all almost without exception Sociopaths.
Displays heightened levels of deceitfulness in dealings with others, which involves lying, conning others without remorse, or even using aliases
Inability to abide by the social norms and thus violating law
Displays aggressiveness and often tends to get into assaults and physical fights
Displays complete lack of empathy for others and their situation for which they are responsible
Displays no feelings or shallow feelings
Displays impulsive behavior which is indicated by the inability to plan for the future
Displays no concern for safety of others around them or self
Inability to sustain a consistent behavior that stems mainly from irresponsibility especially at work place or in other dealings
Displays promiscuous behavior
Research has revealed that since a sociopath never conforms to the rules of the society, he or she is not bothered about the consequences of his or her actions. Such people at times are also able to inspire like minded people. Some of the other traits that are common in antisocial people are that they are usually intelligent and have a superficial charm and they are able to attain success using unscrupulous methods. Thus they can also never learn from their own mistakes and they do not hesitate to indulge in certain activities that are considered immoral and taboo by the society.
I hope all this gives you a thorough understanding what a Sociopath is.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 15, 2012 @ 2:25 am
Hello end of tether.
This is what we are up against, and this is what we are trying to fight, the complete injustice of it all.
A person can save and save, worked hard, paid all there insurance stamps obeyed the law, tried to do the right thing, but through no fault of their own fall ill, and because this bozo Cameron has illegally forced through a new law saying that if they have over £6,000 in their bank account they are not entitled to ESA after a year, it’s a scandal.
Everything about the welfare reforms has a complete absence of delight, there is absolutely nothing attractive in any of their recent reforms that I can see, in fact they are so unattractive they have to resort to lies, deceit and outright criminality to push them through parliament and therefore become law. And the people of this Country have allowed it because their attitude is well I’m alright Jack, it’s not happening to me so why should I bother, they can’t see it can happen to them and therefore will happen to them if they have some bad luck..!!
We have sleepwalked in to a Nazi Government and because it takes five years for an election it’s almost impossible to get rid of them, any attempt to try to get rid of them by say a coup or revolution would give them the excuse to set the police and army on to them, make no mistake this is a Nazi Government and things are going to get worse, Legal aid will be severely cut and therefore access to justice, if you have an accident or get run over an ambulance will appear and while you are lying on the road groaning with the pain the para-medic will rummage through your pockets looking for your credit card, and they better find one as well, and one that they can put through a little machine on the spot that identifies money in your account because if there isn’t any money in there you will be dragged to the side of the road then they will jump back in the ambulance and drive off and leave you to get scraped of the road by the next dustman that comes along.
Think I’m kidding ? think they wouldn’t do it ? think again..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — March 15, 2012 @ 2:50 am
what is the point of this site?
Comment by end of tether — March 16, 2012 @ 12:26 am
Hello end of tether.
What do you think the point of this site is ?.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 16, 2012 @ 12:39 am
you tell me
Comment by end of tether — March 16, 2012 @ 12:42 am
dont say its to its to araise awareness, please……………….
Comment by end of tether — March 16, 2012 @ 12:46 am
should have i said to “increase awareness” dont know, anyway ment to ask you sumthing, when i went for my assesment i had a huge haemoroid and i ask the nurse if she would lance it for me, she threw me out a the health center, cheek, do you know anywon who would lance it for me ?
Comment by end of tether — March 16, 2012 @ 12:50 am
You’ve asked me at least half a dozen questions, every one of them has been negative, I’ve answered them as positive as I could, so I will ask you have you anything positive to contribute to this page ?. If so please let me hear it.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 16, 2012 @ 12:54 am
Has your awareness of this Governments intentions towards you been raised/increased by reading this page on this site ?.
By the way I suffer from Insomnia, it’s part of my illness..!! Getting some sleep is a normal thing for most people unfortunately it’s not normal for me, I’ve tried the pain killers come sleeping pills like tramadol etc but they just make me ill rather than inducing any kind of decent sleep.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 16, 2012 @ 1:06 am
Can post at the back of six AM as well, imagine that ?.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 16, 2012 @ 6:23 am
Very funny, why don’t you lance it yourself you clown ?. ok end of tether you’ve had your fun, now please go away..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — March 16, 2012 @ 6:41 am
Font now why my email address has come up there
Comment by Jenny, — March 16, 2012 @ 10:49 pm
Well thanks Jenny, don’t worry about your e-mail address because I’ve deleted it for you..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — March 16, 2012 @ 10:56 pm
Sorry you’re going through such a hard time end of tether, but I think you’re underestimating the amount of support this site has given to people.
Whoever runs it (dwpexamination) seems to give a great deal of time and patience to reassuring the people posting, at what is usually quite a distressing time in their lives.
Just by the nature of the net there are probably far more people reading than have posted on the site, I was certainly grateful for it when my time for the dreaded medical came.
Comment by CorBlimeyGvnor — March 17, 2012 @ 12:24 am
you wont believe this, i called yesterday (esa depo) very reluctantly after the way i have been spoke to by some…….but do feel as though i have a right because not knowing if i am going to have anymore income is taking its toll now. its been 6 weeks this week since my medical. think i have said previously that they had to return the medical forn to atos as it was done on paper and they couldnt understand the dim wits writing. so they said it would take ten days to have it back wgich would of been the 12th, so i was told to call back last thursday which i did. to be told it hadnt arrived back and dwp would contact me but still havent heard. so i called yesterday and they said it still isnt back from atos after 20 days and dont know where its gone!!! she said they would call me this morning but iv waited for the phone call but nothing……….i have never felt this way before, just want the floor to swollow me up, i feel sick constantly. what am i to do?? its coming up to 25 weeks now since it all started, i thought it was meant to be a 13 week thing!! its worrying me too that they have sent the form back but who will write it out again?? the person who did the medical or someone else who cant understand it. I just need to know, its not like i can claim Jsa either because i already have a job and they are keeping it open for me. the system is a joke!
Comment by jenny — March 21, 2012 @ 1:41 pm
Hello Jenny.
There’s no need to do without money, you are entitled to the assessment rate (Are you appealing ?) and should apply immediately. And moreover you shouldn’t even have been told you are unfit for work if they had to send the ATOS 85 report back, that means you were found fit for work on an intelligible report, if I were you Jenny I would contact welfare rights or the CAB and see where you stand ?, the DWP can’t do this it’s totally inhuman, so get cracking and get an appointment and explain the situation, I believe you are owed a right few pounds in backdated money, as I said do something now, do not delay..!!
There was a character called Chris who commented on the Blog anonymity page, says he used to work for the DWP and we are being hard on them it’s not their fault and basically crying about how they have had it tough etc.
He hasn’t answered my reply, and no wonder how can he defend the indefensible ?.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 21, 2012 @ 2:38 pm
hi sorry i dont know if i gave the wrong impression just that i still haved had a score from them………….they just keep passing me pillar to post saying you will hear by the end of the week over and over again but now tell me they have lost the medical report that needs to be with the so called decision maker. i give up! i know i am still getting the lower rate until the decision but knowing it could be stopped any day is whats stressing me out, I probably sound like a obsessed winge bag but i just cant get it off my mind. what are they going to do now without my medical report?? he didnt do it on computer so there will be no evidence. so does that mean ill have to do it again?
Comment by jenny — March 21, 2012 @ 3:02 pm
I’ve recently had my assessment and surprise surprise “failed”.I have functional dysphonia and find it difficult to make myself understood by friends and family and with strangers its nearly impossible. I have developed severe depression and rarely leave the house. I was awarded Nil points for my speech problem and 6 points as “you can deal with people you know but oftenr can’t deal with people you don’t know”. What a load of crap!! My job is open for me to return when I am able. I am losing a fortune each month by not working and now they’ve stopped by benefits. I know i should appeal but feel I can’t be bothered with the extra stress. Any suggestions or advice?
Comment by Anonymous — March 21, 2012 @ 3:26 pm
have my medical exam been done two weeks ago….it took just ten minutes for the assessment…the nurse look strict and one good thing she is British… ring the DWP about the result..they told me that from WRAG I am move to support group…just waiting for the letter from them..One thing to say is …with this forum I am fully armed when I attend for the medical exam..thanks a lot…Another one is if your genuinely incapable.. there’s nothing to be afraid of…
Comment by genuinely ill... — March 21, 2012 @ 5:10 pm
Hello Jenny.
If there is no evidence then how can they still say you are fit for work, looks to me like you are due all your full ESA backdated to the day they took it of you, as I said if I were you I would do something about it as soon as possible, and that means getting Professional legal advice as soon as possible. The CAB and welfare rights have specialists in this type of work, so phone your nearest one Jenny and do something about this..!!
By the way, the chances are they haven’t lost it, the scribbles are probably so bad they can’t even decipher it themselves and are embarrassed to admit it to you..!! If that’s true then you definitely can’t be found fit for work on a assessment report that doesn’t exist…GET HELP.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 21, 2012 @ 5:21 pm
Hello Anon.
The extra stress is only stress because you are allowing it to be stressful.
The appeal system is straightforward, there is really nothing complicated about it, what you must do is take everything in stages.
First stage, request from the DWP an appeal form, it’s called a GL 24 form, and at the same time ask for the ATOS DRs report, it’s called the ESA 85, when you receive these two documents, read the report and see the different lies the ATOS DR put on the report and contest them, then on the GL 24 explain that you are appealing against their (DWPs) decision finding you fit for work, and add on there that you would like to be paid the assessment rate while you wait for the appeal to be heard.
Meanwhile contact your nearest welfare rights or the CAB and ask for their help, they always try and fit us in. Don’t give up, that’s what they want you to do, fight them because if you don’t fight back they will always look upon you as an easy target, so get in to them and don’t let them mess you around.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 21, 2012 @ 5:31 pm
Hello genuinely ill.
A good result, but I disagree that if you are genuinely incapable there’s nothing to be afraid off.
It’s only been lately that ATOS have relented and let some people have ESA, some even without a face to face medical, the bad publicity ATOS have been getting has put their fabricated medical assessments reports to a grinding halt, and it’s because of all the different Blogs and forums all over the internet that have fought back, just as well because if they hadn’t then ATOS would be walking all over us in stiletto heals rather than slippers.
Over the last three years we have been fighting and I make no apologies for reminding the readers of this Blog that a dedicated few made it possible, we are talking about a couple of hundred people from all over Britain, people who get no recognition whatsoever for their good work in stopping ATOS and the DWP from doing anything they like to us, it’s been annoying and very frustrating over the last three years doing this and at the same time knowing thousands and thousands of benefit recipients haven’t even lifted a finger to help, just sat and did nothing said nothing and just watched on with folded arms..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — March 21, 2012 @ 5:43 pm
got your point there…maybe its just the little picture what i am seeing right now…not the whole portion..what I am trying to emphasize is that to lessen the burden and stress when you face ATOS…Do you think of any idea that we can broaden the strength of this (forum) action..in a way that we can help each other…I am willing to…
Comment by genuinely ill... — March 21, 2012 @ 6:28 pm
Hi Genuinely ill.
Yes there is something everyone can do and that’s show support and log in to the forum http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/ by the way, ATOS tried to ban the forum and used British law to do it, but a transfer to a server in Iceland was arranged, since the forum is operating through a server in Iceland which is outside the jurisdiction of British law then you can say whatever in the hell you like about ATOS/DWP and there’s absolutely nothing they can do about it..!!
Cheers take care.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 21, 2012 @ 8:25 pm
great website for information had my medical in feb lost all my dla despite the fact im riddled with arthritus lower back nerve damage in my necy and arthritus in both neck and shoulders hace to wear splints 24/7 for numbness in my hands sort tissue damage in my left knee colostyy bag which comes off in the night quite freqently loss of controll of my bladder nigth time asthma copd panic attacks and ver strong painlillers they granted me 19.55 per week as i cannot cook a meal for myself im going to appeal of course but i score 30 points by my loss of bladder and bowl controll just how many points do you need very distressed by it all as other peaple on hear thanks for letting me blow of steam xx
Comment by tina — March 21, 2012 @ 9:42 pm
Hi Tina.
Don’t forget to contact the welfare rights or the CAB to help with your appeal, they can even represent you at the tribunal.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 21, 2012 @ 10:03 pm
i have my medical next week i have been diagnosed with atrial fibrilation in december recieved my forms in january sent them back then things changed i have now been diagnosed with sleep apnia i take beta blockers blood thinners and heart tablets to slow my heart rate ive got no energy at all dont sleep now i got to cpap machine and i am waiting to have an operation called an ablation i live alone scared to go out as i cant get my breath chest goes really tight and feel dizzy have to keep stopping to get my breath im sacred about this medical i feel like i cant cope with life ive got to see the cpn nurse as i cant have antidepressants cause of my heart medication wot do i do if it wasnt for my daughters helping me i dont know what id do
Comment by debbie — March 22, 2012 @ 2:13 am
Hello Debbie.
The assessment itself isn’t that bad, they just ask some questions on your day to day living, for instance can you use public transport ?, how did you arrive there ? do you watch television ? how do you pass your day, do you read books or newspapers. Then they might ask if you can lift your arms etc that’s just about it, takes about 20 minutes sometimes even less, then you can go home..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — March 22, 2012 @ 7:48 am
thank you
i’ve just failed my atos medical i have sleep aponea(hypopnia syndrom).prenecious anemia,depression,under active thyroid and also going through the menapause so in total im not in the best of health i was on incapacity benefit for 11 years and now i now dont know what to do i am just about to appeal the decision and getting all info i can.
the best thing is i was on dla for 10 years they took that off me when i went to appeal they said sorry and put me back on it so if dla think im entitled to money how can atos score me no points at there medical( which was done by a nurse) i am so stessed by this anyone got any advice i would appreciate it….
Comment by heather — March 24, 2012 @ 8:40 pm
Hello Heather.
It’s all done deliberately to force us to appeal, they have this twisted logic which runs like this, for every hundred genuine persons we can force to appeal we can root out a couple of scroungers, all these people have to suffer just to get rid of a few scroungers.
Well there’s not a lot we can do about that at the moment except appeal and ask for the assessment rate while waiting for the appeal to be heard, and of course contacting the welfare rights or CAB in your area would also be a good idea, logging in to the forum and learning your rights will also stand you in good stead http://dwpexamination.org/ Not to far into the future there will be no welfare rights or CAB, so everyone will be on there own so it makes sense to learn everything you can now when you can.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 24, 2012 @ 9:32 pm
Hi im a 56yr old scared man ive had psoriatic arthritis for 15yrs i live on my own and struggle with money and my arthritis, i have just sent my assesment form off and i am so worried, how can in this day and age people be treated like scum. after reading what will prob happen to me im nr to just giving up the only thing keeping me here is my kids and grandson, my arthritis cost me my marriage, career i cannot sleep am so depressed dont know what to do next. not good at computers hands real deformed and dont know what im doing anyway, i love my kids but feel im no good just no good benefit scumbag thats all i here, i was left for over 13yrs by my first consultant to survive on pain killers and anti inflammatory drugs as they said my liver count went sky high. ive now got badly deformed fingers n toes n back, knee, wrist finger, shoulder pain. i am now being treated by another dr but the damage is done the drugs i now take help but affect my liver cant win, still they will say im a liar, so low now so scared whatever happened to that loud wild biker of yrs ago…….. atos and DWP ARE THE SCUM.
Comment by Anonymous — March 25, 2012 @ 2:47 pm
thanks for the info i now know that im not on my own ….i’m going all out to get my benefit back !!!!only one prob i cant access the web link you kindly put in my reply?
Comment by heather — March 25, 2012 @ 9:01 pm
know just how you feel but never give up you are entitled to this benefit, people get knocked back its quite common as they do not want you to appeal. but 80% appeals get re allocated keep your chin up x
Comment by tina — March 25, 2012 @ 9:06 pm
http://dwpexamination.org/ Can’t understand that Heather, it works all right at this end.
Yes the link is fine I’ve just checked it again, if you have the same problem try inserting by hand.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 25, 2012 @ 11:09 pm
HI im ian the 56yr old ex biker, i left message sun im now as down as i can be i am genuine n suffer bad arthritis in back knees elbows hands badley deformed fingers n toes ive had it for 15 yrs as i said before ive just sent my form off n im terrified of wot will happen. didnt think my life could get worse, will i need a solicitor or what can i do, im on my own although i have a great girlfriend son n daughter who help a lot. im no good on pc fingers painful n im computer dim lol i am desperate heip me get through this, u all seem so strong human rights must come into this surley.
Comment by Anonymous — March 26, 2012 @ 3:56 pm
Hi Ian.
The best thing to do is go for the assessment and see what they say first, they are allowing some people on to ESA now (unlike a few months ago) even after an examination, you just could be one of the lucky ones.
If not then you can get tons of help here at the forum http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/ ask your friend to help you.
Also if the worst comes to the worst then you can also contact your local welfare rights office or CAB, they are great for help and advice.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 26, 2012 @ 4:13 pm
got into web page thanks again ….for my appeal i have to get a med 3 from doc he is baffled cause it askes for only one medical proplem and i have a few he is now phoning dwp himself cause he wants to get the info right for me when i got in touch with them they had no solution for me .l im at the CAB on thursday for them to help (as u suggested) i am also taking my sister who has gone through the same ordeal im so greatfull for this sight it has let me know that im not on my own cheers
Comment by heather — March 27, 2012 @ 7:42 pm
I finally got awarded dla higher rate mobility and mid rate car!!! Apparently even though I asked CAB to order an appeal the dwp decided to assess my case internally LOL! Aaaaaanywho they didn’t backdate it to the date I gave them because it was over their maximum backdating period. The entire process took from late feb 2011- jan 2012 so almost a year…. I have struggled, stressed, cried and been locked away indoors, unable to get to uni on some days for no reason. The last year has been a waste of my time effectively. This country’s system needs to be knocked down and rebuilt.
Comment by Anon — March 27, 2012 @ 8:51 pm
Hello Heather.
What you should do is get a medical report from your Doctor and that will help you at your appeal, now it’s very difficult to get one from your Doctor because the truth is they can’t really be bothered doing them, but they are more likely to agree if they are PAID.
So how do you get one without asking personally ? well there is a way, and this is how you do it ?.
Get in touch with any law firm or legal services that deals with legal aid cases, look up the phone book and call them, explain that you are contesting and appealing a DWP fit for work decision and need a medical report from your GP, ask if they can help ? if they can help you then you will be called for an interview, the purpose of the interview is to determine if you are entitled to legal aid, you must take bank statements etc and prove to them that you are skint, if they agree then they make an application for legal aid on your behalf, if they get word back that legal aid is granted, then the next step in the process swings into motion, which is the legal services firm will send your GP a letter asking for a medical report, what happens next depends on the GP, now that he/she is being offered payment the GP may call you for a full assessment on your health, or alternatively the GP may just send them a report if he/she knows you well enough (Of course his/her fee will be in there as well), either way the legal services will send you a copy to take to the tribunal (you can give a copy to the cab as well) since it can take a while (six months or more) for the appeal to be heard, then you have plenty of time to arrange all this, but don’t delay the sooner the better.
Comment by dwpexamination — March 27, 2012 @ 8:57 pm
Ian, never give up:) you need the patience of saints to get what you are entitled to from the dwp…I honestly think Mother Teresa would have struggled to keep her cool.
Some advice: ESA is like DLA. It is about how you cope with personal chores on a day to day basis on an AVERAGE day…I.e brushing teeth, going to the toilet, making food, walking distances, picking things up, getting dressed, writing etc. you MUST be consistent because they assume a hell of a lot and even make things up in extreme cases. For example, if there are stairs to get to an assessment, they might assume that you can walk a certain distance without pain and that you can bend and straighten up and dress yourself etc…
If you say you can peel food, they will assume that you can use a keyboard and have no problems writing. You really have to think about the implications of what you are saying.
If you really struggle with something and you know it is making you worse, say you cannot do it. I can get into the bath with a huuuuge amount of help but my OT said it was dangerous for me and my partner and should stop doing it immediately.
I would say, record your assessment if you get one.
Comment by Anon — March 27, 2012 @ 9:07 pm
Hello Anon.
Congratulations and that’s a weight of your mind, get to know your rights now, because they will be back..!!
For instance are you aware that starting in April 2013 if you appeal a DWP fit for work decision you will not be paid at the ESA assessment rate ? this means if you don’t sign on for work you will receive no benefits whatsoever, that’s right zero, zilch. And even if you do sign on for work just to get some money, what’s to stop some over zealous pen pusher from denying you JSA because in their opinion you are unfit for work, the implications are terrifying.
SHOCKING ISN’T IT ? IT’S AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT. Get to know your rights now http://dwpexaminations.blacktrianglecampaign.org/phpBB3/
Comment by dwpexamination — March 27, 2012 @ 9:13 pm
debbie well ive got all my medical letters and new letter about my operation and ive got my sleep apnia machine wish me luck got my medical tomorow my daughter is takeing me as cant walk very far before my chest get tight and cant get my breath if they say fit for work ill scream im waiting for an operation at newcross heart and lung clinic
Comment by debbie — March 27, 2012 @ 9:34 pm
Hello Debbie.
Good luck Debbie, I’ve got mine in a couple of days a well..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — March 27, 2012 @ 11:53 pm
just had my medical she was very young she said she was a nurse she looked at my letters from doctor and hospital about my operation and my cpap machine i have to use every night did lots of typing took my blood pressure asked me to try and touch my toes and sqat down now i wait for there results fingers crossed debbie
Comment by debbie — March 28, 2012 @ 4:28 pm
hi debbie
i got a nurse aswell i also have a cpap machine and had to do squats i hope u didnt get the same wretched witch that i got (sounds like the same medical i got) didnt happen to be in edinburgh by any chance? fingers crossed for u
Comment by heather — March 28, 2012 @ 5:45 pm
hi im on home dialysis and have been told to apply for ESA but im wondering is this gonna be awarded to my as im having to do it four times a day which in turn makes me unable to work
Comment by elaine — April 2, 2012 @ 4:25 pm
Hello Elaine.
Can I ask what do you expect to be awarded to you ? is there anything else ? what are you getting at the moment ? are you getting Incapacity benefit ?.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 2, 2012 @ 5:26 pm
I had a medical a year ago and failed. So I appealed and it went to tribunal, I passed that. Now they have said I have to have another medical tomorrow. I am at a loss…
I have Psoriatic arthritis in most of my joints, spondylosis of the spine, very painful sciatica when I walk that stops me dead in my tracks.I lack grip in my fingers and my wrists feel like they are made of glass and the slightest knock sends a shock wave of pain through me. I wear wrist supports and use a crutch every day. I am on strong painful killers and anti-depresants (have been on and off most of my life)
Sometimes I just think what’s the point to this life when you have no quality if awake or asleep in constant pain and these people sit there and good as call you a liar!!!!
I am dreading tomorrow it is making me sick with nerves I just know they are going to confuse me and talk in riddles till I don’t know up from down….if I could work I would, not like I never have!
Really feeling disillusioned with life ….seriously what is the point
Comment by Tina — April 3, 2012 @ 1:39 pm
Hello Tina.
I don’t know what to say except we are all in the same boat, last year I had an assessment and failed, nine months later I won my tribunal appeal, and a couple of months later I had to attend another assessment, I’m waiting for the brown letter, and I expect it to say ”Zero points you are now fit for work” everyone knows now that the ATOS assessment is fixed, even the charities know, in fact one of the CEOs http://www.mind.org.uk/blog/6632_why_the_wca_isnt_working from the charity mind has quit his job with MIND in protest at these flawed assessments.
Hopefully in the future whisleblowers will emerge and expose this sham for what it is..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — April 3, 2012 @ 4:11 pm
I got so worried about it all I made myself ill and had to cancel. They are going to make me another appointment for a couple of weeks….
Comment by Tina — April 4, 2012 @ 1:35 pm
Hi, i just wanted to say thankyou so much for this website, i have just been put into the support group for esa, but next week a doctor from DLA is coming to do an assessement, i was told by DWP that i must be realy ill to be in support group, so why should i need another medical from the DLA the whole thing makes no sense, and why do we only get esa for 12 months what happens after 12 months we still need money to live bearing in mind we all paid NI while we could work. It realy makes the whole system a laughing stock.
Comment by pat jobes — April 7, 2012 @ 10:35 pm
Hello Pat.
As long as you get the support group you will still get ESA, beware if they put you on to the WRAG then they can take it of you after a year, the DLA is supposed to be separate, but they still judge you on whether you are on ESA or not, you are in the support group so that will help your claim, but don’t be complacent, it may well help your claim but knowing the DWP as we do it doesn’t guarantee anything.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 8, 2012 @ 7:19 am
Hi dwpexamination
I’m having an assessment for ESA on 3rd May. Worried that even though I have a genuine disability, they may say it makes not a jot of difference to them. Can you e-mail me the points list for the ESA assessment so that I know what I’m up against?
With many thanks.
Comment by ladonia12 — April 15, 2012 @ 3:53 pm
They are available to all here http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@disabled/documents/digitalasset/dg_177366.pdf
Comment by dwpexamination — April 15, 2012 @ 7:22 pm
Thank you for your reply.
Comment by Anonymous — April 16, 2012 @ 2:46 pm
i finally had my results from the decision makes and guess what i failed……….what do i do now? they couldnt tell me how many points i had, just that ill recieve the letter in the post. what do i do? absolutely furious, in tears now and i just dont know where to go or who to speak to
Comment by jenny — April 20, 2012 @ 10:34 am
Hello Jenny.
There are plenty of people to speak too, you just need to know where to go, http://www.dwpexamination.org is a forum with loads of people in our situation, they will tell you what to do step by step, it goes a long way to easing the pain.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 20, 2012 @ 12:48 pm
hi thANK YOU, just found out that i got 12 points and now have to put in for a reconsideration
Comment by jenny — April 20, 2012 @ 1:22 pm
hi me again, is there anywhere on here that helps with writing a reconsideration letter?
Comment by jenny — April 20, 2012 @ 2:03 pm
Hello Jenny.
You don’t write a reconsideration letter you write an appeal letter, for this you need a GL 24 form and your ESA 85 assessment report so you know what you are appealing against, both can be requested from the DWP that deals with your claim, then they reconsider it and send you back a letter saying they have reconsidered your appeal and you are still fit for work, I do hope you understand what I’m trying to get across here.
So you can see it’s a game, so play the game and send another letter but this time you say Thank you for your reconsideration, but I would still like to go ahead with the appeal anyway etc etc.
If you want to know how to write an appeal letter via the GL 24 appeal form then as I said on another post all this information is available here on the forum.
http://www.dwpexamination.org
Comment by dwpexamination — April 20, 2012 @ 3:57 pm
oh thats strange, the lady said ‘you need to write asking them to reconsider the claim and provide the new evidence i now have with that letter’ she said i MUST Write it starting like this ‘ im am writing to you for you to reconsider the claim for esa’ something like that anyway and enclose everything i have. i havent yet received it in paper just over the phone so no doubt ill get the letter tomorrow. so i skip this letter then and go straight to appeal?? i dont understand. she says i have to do it in writing asking them to reconsider?
Comment by jenny — April 20, 2012 @ 4:21 pm
Hello Jenny.
I can see you are not getting it yet, and I mean no offence because it’s unbelievable I know.
When you appeal using the GL 24 form, which is the official form that the DWP issue you with, what happens is they reconsider your appeal and almost always they send a letter back saying your appeal has been reconsidered and you are still not entitled to Employment and support allowance.
So what we have found is that some people are so gullible they actually think their appeal was heard and they have been refused so they just give up, this is a DWP dirty trick because by doing it that way they have found that a certain percentage of people think there is no point in carrying on with the appeal because they think it’s over and so become demoralised become disillusioned.
So what to do is just do as she says and write and ask them to reconsider and include the new evidence, when you receive the reply that your appeal was reconsidered and you are still not eligible for ESA then that’s when you send them another letter saying you would still like to carry on with the appeal to the first tier tribunal.
By the way, on no account do you send the new evidence in it’s original form, send a photocopy instead, the DWP have a habit of losing important documents.
And one last thing, get help from the CAB or the welfare rights, for two reasons the first reason is they can help with problems and the second reason is that you can put down on the appeal form that you have someone to represent you at the appeal, this means the DWP have to correspond with them as well. that is the law.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 20, 2012 @ 5:20 pm
ah ok i understand you now, maybe shall i just fill the appeal form in and also send all my new evidence along with a cover letter asking them to reconsider? you can down load them online cant you? send it all together then i cant go worng then can i??
Comment by jenny — April 20, 2012 @ 6:23 pm
Deadlines
You have one month:
after getting a decision to ask for it to be explained, reconsidered or to appeal
after getting a reconsidered decision to start an appeal
A late appeal may be accepted if you have special circumstances that prevented you appealing in time. You cannot appeal if more than 13 months have passed.
This is what it says on the direct.gov website too
Comment by jenny — April 20, 2012 @ 6:28 pm
Hellos Jenny.
Yes you can download a GL 24 form or you can just walk in to any Job centre plus and ask for one.
As you say, just fill it in as if you are appealing and at the same time write at the bottom that since you are presenting new evidence regarding your fitness to work then could they reconsider etc.
99% of people find after a couple of weeks they receive a letter saying Sorry but your appeal was reconsidered and we still find you fit for work and therefore you are no longer entitled to ESA, that was the part the nice Lady (Who couldn’t give a toss whether you lived or died by the way) didn’t tell you.
Let us know what happens in the future Jenny..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — April 20, 2012 @ 7:01 pm
hi guys will my rent get paid whilst waiting for my appeal? i am on the assesment rate….im going to the cab on monday to ask but in all our positions waiting 2 days is a killer
Comment by heather — April 21, 2012 @ 6:05 pm
Hello Heather.
The assessment rate is the same as Job seekers allowance and is the same deal so yes you will get your rent and council tax rebate as well.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 21, 2012 @ 7:02 pm
Iv just found this and read the bit on the ‘reconsideration’ bit so I’m thinking I’ll do what that lady says and send it recorded delivery with a statement from myself and the 13 letters I have and diagnosis I was recently given with it too! http://www.dls.org.uk/advice/factsheet/welfare_benefits/employment%20support%20allowance/Employment%20Support%20Allowance%20Appeal%20%20Decisions.pdf
Comment by Jenny — April 21, 2012 @ 8:37 pm
Hi i’ve just spent the last hour or so reading all your coments and must say they are ALL very helpful
My husband failed his esa assesment august 2011 and on April11th 2012(on his birthday of all days) had his appeal
He scored 9 pints at the assessment and 15 at the tribunal and was told on the day that he would be put in the work related group
Last wednesday i got a phone call telling me i needed an appointment at my local job centre for a back to work interview as my husband claims for me on his esa and i need to attened every 6 months.One week to the day from when he won is tribunal.I made an appointment for yesterday and went to the job centre.
The irony of it all was this ESA -help woman telling me that it would be easier for me to go back to work than my poorly husband – who i care for but he gets high rate mobility but only low rate care dla so i can’t get carers for him.
She also said that i have to work 24 hours a week to get working tax credit but if i do work 24 hours a week my husband will lose his esa because if husband/wifes/partners work more than 24 hours a week they are not intitled to esa.How stupid is this new rule
My husbands condition is complex, i wont bore you with it but i certainly would not be able to go back to work full time
So if i do go back to work we WILL be worse off and i certainly couldn’t afford to live or pay bills etc
What this govenment has done for the disabled people of this country is a sham
Comment by Anonymous — April 21, 2012 @ 10:54 pm
Hello Anonymous.
Some of the reform laws this Government have brought in are strange indeed, but most of them are to make your/our lives as difficult and awkward as possible.
If a person is on contributory ESA work related and their partner works and earns £149 or more a week then that person is no longer entitled to ESA and has to rely financially on their partner, how cruel is that ? a person with a serious illness and has paid all their income tax and national insurance all their life and they are not eligible for any kind of state help, just thrown on the scrapheap, even having some money in the bank and no other income can land you in that situation.
Well the people of this Country have learned a valuable lesson as far as savings go, the lesson is clear, in the future don’t put any money in the bank, get it out because saving money is not encouraged in this Country anymore because it just gets you punished.
This is the worst Government this Country has ever known, a bunch of hypocrites and criminals, that bastard Osborne can find 10 Billion pounds to give to Europe, he can find that quick enough but they have the audacity to lecture us on how it’s all our fault and then tell us there is no money left ?.
As for that piece of crap Cameron, swanning around in America with a disabled baby in his arms talking about how his own son was disabled and he knows their suffering, the absolute hypocrisy of the man.
Your right, it’s all a sham..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — April 21, 2012 @ 11:14 pm
Hello Jenny.
And the best of luck, let us know how it goes..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — April 21, 2012 @ 11:15 pm
my husband worked from the age of 18 until his accident 6 years ago, i worked until i started a family then went back to work part time, We both had very well paid jobs and had a comfortable life, nice home, cars, personal stuff, 2 holidays a year etc.I am not bitter at all about loosing my nice house, cars etc due to these unforseen curcumstanses.WHAT i am bitter about is the fact that because we have to argue/beg/pleed with this government for the pittance we eventually receive to live on has left my husband a bitter/angry/depressive person,yes i know part of this is due to his condition but mostly it is due to the presures of having to constantly fight and they make him feel as if he is lying about his conditions.I also want to know who decides that 2 adults can live off £100 a week? this as you will all know is near impossible
My name is Annie and i previously posted the anonamous post regarding the 24 hour a week rule
My parents always taught me that if you had a roof over your head and food in the cuboards then every thing will be fine.I do have a roof over my head and food in the fridge and am thankful for that.
I have learn’t over the last cupple of years not to take anything for granted and i have stopped getting worked up/angry with the DWP as it does me and my family no good at all, my husband does enough of that thank you.
On another note have any of you heard about We are Spartacus it is a blogg about the welfare reforms and is of good reading, also there is a woman called Pat Onions who has set up an E-PETITON to try and stop the government from changing DLA, she needs 100,000 signatures by 30th April and as of today she only has 35,000 so please go to the
WWW. we are spartacus.org.uk website and follow the link to sign the e-petition.Don’t think the petition will do any good(governments don’t change their minds) but for the sake of 2 mins of your your time it’s worth a go
Thanks for readling
Annie
Comment by Anonymous — April 22, 2012 @ 8:56 am
Hello Anne.
You and your husband have every right to be angry, you’ve played the game paid your national insurance and council tax and worked for what you had, only for these criminals to just take it of you because they can.
Yes we know about Spartacus and we know about their report and good work, wish there was more people like that, we also know about Pat Onions and her e-petition just about everyone here on our forum http://www.dwpexamination.org has signed it.
We have been battling this tyranny for over three years and we are never going to give up until we get justice, just wish others would get of there asses and help us, only that way can we win.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 22, 2012 @ 9:50 am
I am new to this site so hello everyone my name is steve, I hear a lot about appeal appeal and while I understand that if we dont fight they will run over us, let me please tell you my wife and myself recent appeal experience, my wife suffers with rhumatoid arthritis and ostio arthritus and has done so for 25 years but has never claimed untill 2years ago because she wanted to feel normal anyway she has diabetus diet controlled, high blood pressure low blood pressure she has very poor mobility and she is epileptic, she takes ten tablets in the morning and 7 tablets at night. I would love to give you fuller detail but you would be reading a book, the doc came to see her and he was trying to get her to do things we had said she couldnt do and would cause her great pain later this was annoying him and he ordered me out the room, as he was leaving he told me we would et something but he did not know what it would be. it was a new experience and we discussed between us his rudeness and left it at that.the letter that came said refused as she has normal use of movement, my wife was in tears and I was angry. the appeal eventually came and we had to travel to hull from brigg lincolnshire and after keeping us waiting for an hour they recieved us and adjourned it for further investigation.
we eventually got an appeal and it was a different panel and after a very stressfull cross examination we neared the end I must add that the one who was representing the care sector gave us the most difficult time, when we where called back in I had to go in alone as it had got to much for her the majistrate told me she was being awarded high mobility and low rate care but advised me to apply for a higher rate of care based on her memory loss whiched has got dramatically worse since the first claim had gone in. as time went on my wife got worse she would not know where she was or what she was supposed to be doing, so I remembered what the judge had said and decided to try and get her a carer. it was turned down as she did not need constant care and was not in danger of blacking out ( what is an epileptic seizure if not blacking out she hits the floor ets) so we appealed but we diddnt know that that meant you have to reapply for everything all over again. we decided to go ahead with it and we arrived at the appeal and who was on the panel the magistrate from hull who adjourned us and yes the doctor who had come out to the house,
the majistrate said I cant uderstand how you got this much in the first place as the doctor passed her fit he further said we will adjourn this to look further into this as we dont even know if she even has epilepsy, while my wife sobbed my mind went to her seizures in shops and market squares how I had to bury her face into my shoulder so people wouldnt her her lose the power of speach and all the while this doctor kept glearing hard at me I thought my god this is a whitch hunt, the judge said to us I must warn you that this could mean you will lose everthing, and that was it, or so I thought but when we got outside the clerk took out a form and she said to us you do understand what he said to you in there you are gambling your existin DLA I said gambling gambling my god madam thats disgusting this is my wifes brain and physical disabilities where talking about here, she answered I am only telling you how it is, to which my wife said I cant do this anymore I cant fight to show how ill I am anymore I dont want to be called a liar anymore so I turned to the clerk and said well done all of you if you wanted to scare her off you have suceeded that was our experience she did have a bad seizure an hour later please dont let this put people off fighting please fight I just wanted to tell our story of how we where bullied and had to back off because of my wifes health and yes the fear of losing her mobility car and electric swivel chair to help her in and out of the veichle sorry it ended up being so long, steve.
Comment by steve and eileen — April 25, 2012 @ 2:19 am
Hello Steve and Eileen.
This is an absolute disgrace, your story just makes me even more angry than I already am, I too have had a bad experience with the tribunals, while most are fair there are some real bastards in there with a Tory agenda, I know Steve because I have been up against them and lost an appeal before.
When we say appeal Steve we mean appeal when you have nothing to lose, because they do have the power to take away and have the power to give.
If you asked us we would have tipped you off, but it’s rare for this to happen.
We advocate appealing because just about everyone has nothing to lose as I said, and because they can’t take what you haven’t got, but you did have something to take and they played on it and it was real bad luck that you got the panel you did, I’ve always said that the tribunal service is not as impartial as they make out, but Steve appealing when you have nothing is our only chance, if you already have DLA I would have advised you to accept what you have because it’s possible you could lose and they can reverse a judgement, I know Steve it’s absolute madness.
So if a person has been granted ESA but the work related and they want to get in the support group then I always say to people make sure you really deserve the support group and understand that if they so wish then they can not only deny you the support group but they can deny you ESA altogether, and not a lot of people know that idiotic rule.
At the moment a lot of people are losing contributory ESA because they are in the work related, it’s starts now the end of April and is retrospective, and the DWP and ATOS are playing on it and deliberately finding them unfit for work, and allowing them ESA, the claimant is jumping for joy but they don’t realise that because it’s the work related variety of ESA then very shortly they will receive a letter saying they are no longer entitled to ESA, but might have been entitled to ESA if they had appealed to be in the support group, because the new rule does not apply if you are in the support group, so they are the two main reasons to appeal.
Not when you already have something Steve, BECAUSE OF THE FACT THEY CAN TAKE IT AWAY, you made the right decision when you dropped it because you were being warned and threatened by this panel, this is nothing short of outright Bullying, it’s also a disgrace they have ATOS Doctors on there as well, you should write a letter of complaint to the upper tribunal and explain that ATOS Drs on these panels are a serious conflict of interest, and is just another thing we are fighting now you know what we are up against Steve because you have just experienced the appeal system at it’s worst.
But before you do anything you should contact welfare rights and get serious advice on this, they will know what to do and give you the best advice, don’t face these bastards alone Steve get help..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — April 25, 2012 @ 6:25 am
hi dwpexamination, first of all thank you for your support and encouraging words and also for enlightening us with this information I must mention that when we got home from the court I rang dla up and told them what happened, the young man on the other end of the phone said this shouldnt have happened and the clerk was wrong to say thishe said he would write a report in the meantime I stopped the appeal by letter as they asked, 3 days later a letter came from dla saying appeal was cancelled and where sorry you had a bad experience it concluded with if you would like to use our service again please contact on the number given in this letter, the point is my wife still needs care help and I have got to look to one of the charities so thats that. we where wondering if you could advise us on another matter, my medical put me in the work related group for employment support allowance and the advisor at the job centre wants me to go for the care rate that my wife has been refused I am off work with a back injury the advisor insists that I wont lose my high mobility even after I told her our experience I am on 2 antidepresent tablets a day and this is really worrying me can she make me do this and on what grounds can I refuse so they dont stop my benefit can you advise us please.steve and eileen.
Comment by steve and eileen — April 25, 2012 @ 1:47 pm
Hello Steve.
The person to listen to is a welfare rights officer, they have special training and are on your side, between you and I let’s just say I don’t believe the DWP advisors have your/our best interests at heart, I just don’t trust them, they have proven time and time again they are interested in figures and money saving and have no interests in us whatsoever, of course there must be some that are ok, I just haven’t heard of any, all I see and hear is DWP officials stitching people up right left and centre, now no one can trust them, they’ve brought it on themselves and have stored up serious problems of trust in the future in their zeal to impress the Government.
There has to be a welfare rights office near you ? there’s plenty in every big City, all you need to do is look up the phone book and ask if they can help with your problem/s because you have more than one, the experience you had has made you upset and no wonder, and you or anyone shouldn’t have to go through this nonsense.
Your first problem is seeing what you can do about your wifes situation, then you have some serious complaints to make, then you need to deal with your own problem, I know you don’t feel up to it, but try and make the effort as time goes by you will be glad you did, and don’t delay Steve get cracking and get your rights.
As for the Clerk, well it’s extremely unusual for these pen pushers to say anything, I wonder what the motive was ? was he/she trying to help by warning what could happen if you go head to head with this particular panel ? or was he/she part of their cabal ?. Only you could have an idea.
Then we have this miscreant of a DR, nothing but a criminal as far as I’m concerned, he had assessed your wife then he’s on a panel judging your wife and evaluating if she has the right to benefits he has already denied her ? NO NO NO, that is not right, that needs to be reported, as soon as possible, it’s an absolute disgrace that a DR from ATOS can assess someone then sit on one of these panels judging the person they failed, it beggars belief and as far as I’m concerned is borderline criminality.
Please don’t let them get away with this Steve, as I said the welfare rights can help you..!!
I remember there was an incapacity benefit case around three years ago, a man was on one of these panels and he recognised that the DR had already assessed him in the past (But the DR didn’t recognise him) and was now on the appeal panel assessing him again of course his appeal was denied, so he appealed to the second tier and used the fact that the DR shouldn’t have been on the panel in the first place and it was a miscarriage of justice, the upper court agreed and he got a new panel to look at his case and he won.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 25, 2012 @ 2:28 pm
thank you very much for your advise my wife and I thank you I will act tomorrow I am so glad I stumbled onto this site we dont feel alone in our plight now thank you kindly steve and eileen.
Comment by steve and eileen — April 25, 2012 @ 2:38 pm
Hi
right first of all id like to apologise and say you were right about not writing a reconsideration letter like the lady in the benefits office told me to when she called me about the decision…..i called monday (esa helpline) to clarify a few things and aasked who i address the reconsideration letter to she said ‘you dont write one of those you need to do it through the appeal form then it will automatically get a reconsideration, you wont get paid the assessment rate if you just send a letter in’ so im doing that now, but i received the actual letter today from the so called ‘decision maker’ couldn’t believe what i was reading to be honest, from what it sounds like the ‘healthcare professional’ i went to see for my medical must have done me a good report but they (decision maker) havent followed anything the ‘healthcare professional’ has told them…..even on the decision makers letter he/she has put ‘the healthcare professional reported that observations and examination suggest a significant disability with lower limb function’ and ‘has pain and weakness in her left upper limb which would likely to restrict her from using a wheel chair’ but i only got 12 points…6 of which was standing or sitting which it says im able to sit for longer than 30 min but no longer than an hour which is tottally not the case…..20 minute at a push, can only stand for 15 minutes then have to sit down and 6 points on being able to walk over 100m but no more than 200 metres which is not the case again, can manage about 40m. but i was never asked anything like that in the medical but if he/she had put i can walk 100 metres and thats it i would have scored that extra 3 points to get the 15 points!! makes me sick how they are so sneaky. so im am waiting on the appeal letter to come though and really hoping i dont have to appeal. i think its disgusting!! any advice would be appreciated.
Comment by jenny — April 25, 2012 @ 5:44 pm
Hello Steve and Eileen.
Steve could you pick a username and log in to the forum http://www.dwpexamination.org because lots of folk are interested in your plight they have advice to offer if you feel up to reading it.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 25, 2012 @ 5:48 pm
Hello Jenny.
At least when you attend the appeal the ATOS Dr has gave you some support, that’s unusual and will help you get ESA.
By the way you don’t need to apologise, you are just doing what I did, which is finding out the hard way, now you know that the DWP do not act in your best interest, they are acting for the Government.
So the sooner they re-consider the better, then you can get your assessment rate. Do you see what the re-consideration nonsense is all about now ? remarkable isn’t it, it’s a ploy to slow up paying you and gain them more time, since they re-consider automatically anyway then you have nothing to lose by writing a straight appeal and even mentioning that you do not wish a re-consideration, they will still kid you on they have re-considered it and send you a letter saying your appeal has failed, don’t worry that’s normal, you just send a letter and say ”Thanks for your re-consideration but I would still like to carry on with the appeal”
MY FACTOR WILL CALL YOUR GRACES FACTOR, I once put on a similar letter, they were not amused and couldn’t see the humour.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 25, 2012 @ 6:10 pm
Brilliant!!
So I’ve pre written a reconsideration letter which I’ll change to a appeal letter which I’ll send with the appeal form when I get it but I just want to check I’ve started it off in the right way, haven’t a clue who to address it to so I’ve put …..to whom it may concern, I’m writing to appeal against the decision you made regarding my ESA claim’ and then I carry on. Where do I put in the form/ letter about being paid the assessment rate?
Comment by Jenny — April 25, 2012 @ 6:37 pm
Hello Jenny.
Just write on the GL24 form : Dear Sir/Madam. I wish to appeal against your decision to find me fit for work, I believe I have proved my fitness for work is seriously limited, you can say you have proved it at the ATOS assessment and your GPs (Consultants) report and so on and so on and at the very bottom you can say ‘I wish to be paid the assessment rate while I wait for my appeal to be heard.
What you are writing is good as well, but you don’t really need to write a letter Jenny, just attache A4 paper to the GL24 form describing why you are not fit for work and number and use the descriptors as the reasons etc, that’s the descriptors that apply to you, don’t forget to number each page and put your National insurance number on each page as well, the DWP have got a habit of losing documents etc.
Take your time, but you only have a month so don’t miss the deadline because they can mess you around if you do..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — April 25, 2012 @ 6:59 pm
Jenny…Don’t forget to ask them for a copy of the ESA 85 assessment report if you haven’t already done so, I think you did mention it, but I thought I should remind you just in case, and also don’t forget to visit the forum for as much help as you need, just think of a username and log in http://www.dwpexamination.org
Comment by dwpexamination — April 25, 2012 @ 7:05 pm
Sorry which is the ESA 85? The medical? I have requested it so should be here in a day or so!
Comment by Jenny — April 25, 2012 @ 7:17 pm
Ahh I’ve got a big letter explaining everything in detail, I wouldn’t know how to shorten it without missing points! I’ve also got 13 letters to send too!
Comment by Jenny — April 25, 2012 @ 7:22 pm
Hello Jenny.
The ESA 85 is not a letter, it’s a report on your health and supposedly how it affects your ability to work, that the ATOS HCP was typing in to their computer, it gets sent to the DWP and the decision maker is supposed to use that to decide whether you are entitled to sickness benefits or not.
You can request it from the DWP, and they have to send you a copy, but they usually stall as for as long as they can, the reason they do that is to make it as difficult as possible for you to compose your appeal, because if you don’t see the ESA 85 then you don’t know what you are appealing against, on the other hand if you don’t get your appeal in because they never sent you it on time then that is according to them no excuse and you usually find they create for you more hassle and mayhem, then you have to appeal against that, so as I said don’t wait too long, it’s best to get the appeal in and later on you can send on the rest if you have missed anything.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 25, 2012 @ 8:02 pm
Ahh ok brill, I think I’ll ring the ESA helpline and just check that I did ask for the ESA85 and the GL24…piece of mind. I’ve changed the letter I have wrote into bullet points rather than letter form. I’ll be glad when this is all over but I also received a letter from the DLA saying I am untitled to that, I only sent it off a week ago!! I put at a push I can only walk 40 meters on the letter I received today it says you can walk over 50 metres so I haven’t a clue what’s gone on there……I will be appealing that as well but more important is this ESA first. Thanks so much for your help!!
Comment by Jenny — April 25, 2012 @ 8:38 pm
Hi steve and eileen here, we couldnt get on the forum for some reason but we have signed up for the wordpress blog with username steveandeileen so I hope we can recieve the comments you mentioned in your message many thanks steve and eileen.
Comment by steve and eileen — April 26, 2012 @ 3:05 pm
Hello Steve and Eileen.
Right at this moment apparently there seems to be a technical problem, which is stopping new people logging in, the technical advisor (Holmey) has been informed, and he is on to it at this very moment, try tomorrow Steve.
By the way I copied and pasted your post on to the general discussion page of the forum, I hope you can answer the comments you received when you can get on, there’s some good information on there from people who have been through the mill with the DWP, these people are just like yourself and are rapidly becoming DWP/ATOS experts.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 26, 2012 @ 3:36 pm
I have just received a copy of my ATOS medical (had to ask for this 4 times mind you) and as I suspected, and confirmed today by my MP, the points system is no longer in operation, the examiner purely lists their ‘recommendations’ under Prognosis and then its in the hands of the Decision Makers! I suppose that I was lucky and am remaining in the WRAG group but I am appealing again so the chances of being in the Support Group are now negligible. Does anybody have any more information on this ‘new medical questionnaire’?
Comment by Gail — April 27, 2012 @ 12:33 pm
Hello Gail.
Thanks for letting us know that, so they don’t use a points system now, it’s down to the examiners ‘recommendations’ and a decision maker decides the rest ? interesting because I received a letter that I wasn’t entitled to ESA ‘This is because I didn’t receive any points’ according to them, I’m still waiting for my ESA 85, and they have been delaying it so far, where as in the past I personally had no problems getting an ESA 85.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 27, 2012 @ 1:44 pm
I still haven’t received me esa85 after calling Monday and requesting it, she said leave it a week then call back if it’s not there by Tuesday so that’s what I shall do but have to send my appeal form back do it better come soon!!
Are you allowed to put photo evidence in with the appeal for example what my foot looks like after standing or walking on it??
Comment by Jenny — April 27, 2012 @ 3:06 pm
They system works on points even PIP is going to work on the award of points! IMHO they are BSing you. IMHO the best way of getting the ESA85 is a subject Access Request specifically asking for that and a copy of the score sheet. They ignored a request by me twice the third was an SAR for all the info they had, although this was a few years ago they knew they had been beaten even if they tried to leave the ESA85 out of the large collection of papers, I still got the ESA85 within the 40 days from them receiving the request. The DWP tactics is to say they haven’t received it yet and then say it will take 6 to 8 weeks, strange how with my second request they said the same not received and 6 to 8 weeks even though they had confirmed in writting that I was in the WRAG group, never did let on that I already knew the outcome.
Comment by wildthing666 — April 27, 2012 @ 3:25 pm
Hello Jenny.
You can still send in your GL24 appeal form, after all it’s not your fault they have neglected to send you the ESA 85, you can write that you wish to appeal etc and also write that since you don’t have all the evidence because they haven’t forwarded you the ESA 85 then please don’t treat this as my main appeal, the rest will follow shortly when I receive my ESA 85 and I can form an opinion on what I’m appealing against.
You can also let them know at the bottom that you would like to be paid at the assessment rate while you wait for the appeal to be heard.
I’m going to have to do that myself it seems, because they haven’t sent me my ESA 85 or a GL 24 so it looks as if I will have to go to the Job centre and get one (GL24) and get cracking with the appeal because they will blame me if it’s not in on time, and that’s only a month, even though it’s their fault for not supplying the evidence I need to compose the appeal.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 27, 2012 @ 3:28 pm
Ah right ok, so if I send my appeal can they reconsider it in the 4 weeks or do they have to wait 4 weeks and then look at it? Because what if I send it in and they send me a new decision before I get to send more evidence?
Comment by Jenny — April 27, 2012 @ 6:04 pm
Hello Jenny.
When you send in your appeal they always claim they have reconsidered it even if you tell them not to reconsider it, basically it means they have a quick look to see if you have written anything they don’t like the look off, if they see your appeal is harmless to them then you get a letter back around three or four weeks later saying your appeal was reconsidered and you have failed, please go and sign on etc, meanwhile they haven’t paid you the assessment rate and they know you could do with some money, so they hope you are so desperate enough to want to get some that you rush out to sign on, this is music to their ears because they can say YES WE HAVE CAUGHT ANOTHER SCROUNGER.
Now let’s look at an appeal that they consider to be dangerous, this could be an appeal where the person is so ill that to disallow their appeal makes them look real stupid (Not that looking stupid has ever bothered them), then that person may get a letter saying they have been granted ESA and the work related group rather than the support group which they may deserve.
If you get a new decision (A decision you don’t like the look off) before they send you evidence (ESA 85) then as usual, you send them a letter and you say Thank you for your decision/reconsideration, could you please forward me the ESA 85 I requested on such and such a date because I wish to carry on with my appeal to the first tier tribunal etc and need to gather more evidence by studying the ESA 85 in great detail.
They will concede nothing, if you deserve the support group of ESA they may offer the WRAG ESA and hope you don’t appeal. If you deserve the WRAG group of ESA they will tell you to go eat chop suey, that means just sign on, as I said they will give you nothing, everything you get you have to fight tooth and nail for, because they fight tooth and nail to stop you getting anything.
Comment by dwpexamination — April 27, 2012 @ 10:57 pm
So does this mean I won’t get my assessment rate money back up and running for another 4 weeks until they let me know that they have looked at it or should I still be being paid it from now onwards. Shall I call them mid week once they receive my appeal form? Oh god I hope I start getting my payments up And running before the 18th, worries the hell out of me all this!
Comment by Jenny — April 28, 2012 @ 7:53 pm
Hello Jenny.
The sooner you submit your appeal and the sooner you furnish them with a sicknote the sooner they will pay you the assessment rate, whether you get paid within a month or two months or even more will depend on them, we are at their mercy.
I started my appeal by letter on the 16th of this month, I requested a GL24 form and also requested my ESA 85 I also attached a sicknote, today 12 days later a letter from the DWP has arrived, they have acknowledged I am appealing and granted the assessment rate, they also asked me to send in any evidence before they re-consider my appeal, if they are satisfied then they will not forward my appeal but grant me ESA, of course they will do no such thing, in a month I will receive another letter saying my appeal has failed etc, they obviously think my head buttons up the back, there was nothing regarding an ESA 85 or a GL24 appeal form it wasn’t even mentioned, it’s easy to see that they don’t want me to have the ESA 85 they don’t want me to see it, or they can’t be bothered to make one up, probably both.
So I have prepared another letter and acknowledged and accepted that my appeal is in motion, so could they please send me the ESA 85 in order for me to study it in great detail before I compose the rest of my appeal.
Whether they delay my assessment rate by two months, three months, four months or any amount of months is of no consequence to me, they will send me the ESA 85 first, I’m not asking them I’m telling them..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — April 28, 2012 @ 8:48 pm
I sent my appeal yesterday!! Recorded delivery costing a massive £2.50 but peace of mind knowing they have received it! Now I have to sit and wait patiently for my ESA85 to turn up! I have put in my appeal letter for them to please get it to me so we will see how long it takes!
Comment by Jenny — May 1, 2012 @ 8:25 pm
Hello Jenny.
It’s an absolute disgrace that you had to get your appeal in before they have sent your ESA 85 on to you, it is deliberate in my opinion, they just don’t want us to see it before we appeal, it’s unlawful, how in the hell can we form an appeal submission without knowing fully what we are appealing against, it’s another scandal, the DWP are nothing but criminals as far as I’m concerned, they know what they are doing is wrong, they should be ashamed of themselves.
Comment by dwpexamination — May 1, 2012 @ 9:23 pm
If you think about it you can use the SAR route to get your ESA85 and score sheet. Just wait 6 days then post the SAR requesting the ESA85 & score sheet, they will send a letter acknowledging receipt of the request 7 days later they then have 40 days to send you what is requested, this should be the 8 weeks the use as the standard phrase when the person phones up and asks for the copy. It certainly gets you a copy of the ESA85 and score sheet as they don’t wantt o breech the DPA. And the request in writting and copied can prove what is asked for.
Comment by wildthing666 — May 1, 2012 @ 9:50 pm
It is disgusting, they will now have it down on the appeal form and on the letter I sent requesting it for the 3rd time. If its not here by Friday I will call again! I only have 20 days left before my 4 weeks is up. I put on the letter with my appeal form ‘please send me tbe esa85 as i have eequested this on 2 occaisions already and seeing as you have failed to forward me this don’t take this as my main appeal’ I reaaaalllyyy want to see this esa85!! It’s annoying me now!
Comment by Jenny — May 1, 2012 @ 9:59 pm
Jenny.
If they have already sent you a letter acknowledging your appeal then the wait for the ESA 85 is not so important because they cannot say you did not make the deadline for submitting the appeal.
The rest of your appeal can follow later when you receive the ESA 85, don’t forget they must send it by law, they must give you an idea what you are appealing against, but we suspect they are deliberately holding back the release of the ESA 85s because it’s making things to easy for us in their opinion to appeal and win.
I’m in the same boat as you, I have formed the first part of my appeal they have acknowledged this by accepting it is my appeal and they have also accepted that they have my sicknote because they say they will pay me the assessment rate, they never pay the assessment rate until they have the appeal and the sicknote, so as I said it’s a waiting game until they decide to comply with the law and send me on the functional assessment report so I can study and therefore see what in the hell I am appealing against.
Comment by dwpexamination — May 2, 2012 @ 9:03 am
I think I’m still covered with my previous sick note i sent so that should be ok shouldn’t it? I’ll be collecting a new one at the end of the week. So I will call them Friday and give them a few days to have read my appeal and see that I want to be paid assess rate and ask then when it will start! I am going to appeal my dla next week, doctor is doing me a letter of support this week but can I state that I have had a medical with atos and tell them what the doctor said (that’s if it’s a good report) or even send them a copy of the report esa85? Because they use atos as well don’t they?
Comment by Jenny — May 2, 2012 @ 9:30 am
Iv just called the ESA office to ask what date my sick note runs out on……..I asked about the ESA 85 and she said once they receive your gl24 which they did yesterday as I can see the tracking on royal mail they will then send it out!? How does that make sense!! Your right about them not wanting you to see it before you write your appeal!!
Comment by Jenny — May 2, 2012 @ 9:44 am
Hello Jenny.
Yes you will be covered until it runs out, they used to inform us when it runs out but sometimes they are not doing that now, and if you ask them why they didn’t send a reminder the answer will be ‘Because it’s your own responsibility to remember when it runs out” so when you see your GP he/she will know when it runs out and give the note running from the correct date.
When you send the note it’s best to write a short letter attache the sicknote and say something like ‘I understand my sicknote runs out on such and such a date, please find attached one sicknote to run from the (Insert date) in the future I would be much obliged if you would send me a reminder along with a return addressed envelope.
When you appeal for your DLA you can use a copy of the same evidence from your GP in your appeal, a visit to the nearest CAB office by appointment would be a good idea Jenny, they can help in ways you wouldn’t believe, you may have to wait for an appointment because they are busy, but if you get there it will be worth it.
Comment by dwpexamination — May 2, 2012 @ 10:04 am
Yes think that’s what I’ll do with Cab I have been waiting since beginning of April for an ap to fill the dla form in but I sent it in the end but the appointment should come through soon do I’ll use that for my appeal, that’s if it comes through in time! Thanks for everything! Will keep you posted on what happens next!
Comment by Jenny — May 2, 2012 @ 11:47 am
Cheers Jenny let us know how you get on..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — May 2, 2012 @ 12:12 pm
3 days after them receiving my GL24 my payments are already up and running again……slight sigh of relief!
Comment by Jenny — May 4, 2012 @ 9:14 am
Hi Jenny.
Same here, they have been told that once an appeal is sent in (Live) along with a sicknote, then there should be no reason to do what they have been doing in the past and delay the assessment rate. From now on hopefully they will comply with the law and start paying people when the appeal and sicknote is in their hands.
We have a new problem though, which is the delay of the ESA 85 assessment report, we don’t want to swap the delay of our right to know what we are appealing against for our right to be paid the assessment rate, we demand them both, that’s the assessment rate as soon as possible and the ESA 85 assessment report as soon as possible, anything short is unacceptable.
Comment by dwpexamination — May 4, 2012 @ 9:30 am
Well I have been informed today that it was ‘noted’ on the system yesterday that it has been issued to me but that could take up to a week seeing as its only second class!! They all talk through their arses!!
Comment by Jenny — May 4, 2012 @ 12:34 pm
Recieved my esa85 today…….the so called ‘health professional’ has kind of given me a good report but very much contradicted himself in it, for example he ticked the box saying I can sit in one place for Over half an hour but in the report at the end he says I struggled to sit for the interview which is true as i can only sit 20 mins max! But if he had ticked the box saying I can not sit longer than a half hour I would of scored the extra 3 points to get the 15. He also ticked the box saying I can walk over 100 metres which is definitely not the case but says himself I suffer with a significant lower limb disability and would be unable to use a wheel chair due to the problems in my arms. So iv font my 2nd letter to send off tomorrow! You can win either way really because what ever the case they will just tick what ever suits them! I was never asked about how far I can walk or how long I can sit. 20 minutes into the medical I was able to get up and move around to ease pain in my hips but did have to use the support of his desk when getting up and walking which he has even recOgnised and stated in his report do how he can say I can walk upto 200 metres is beyond me!
Comment by Jenny — May 10, 2012 @ 8:17 pm
Done*. Cant* not can sorry on my iPhone, pretty rubbish at typing
Comment by Jenny — May 10, 2012 @ 8:20 pm
Hello Jenny.
They are contradicting themselves constantly, that’s just one of the reasons people are winning appeals, sloppy assessment reports with contradictions left right and centre.
You will of course politely point them all out on your appeal submission, all this will be noted by the panel, especially if you mention each contradiction one by one. I recommend to take your time and write nothing on the GL24 form for a couple of days, and keep looking at the ESA 85 assessment report, the more you look the more anomalies will just pop out at you. Just make sure you don’t go over the strict monthly timelimit.
ATOS don’t care what there assessment reports look like, because they will never be challenged for their poor work, they will be challenged though if they don’t meet their quota, you see what I’m saying, the figures are everything and must be reduced by hook or by crook.
By the way, don’t forget to send the DWP a sicknote from the date you were found fit for work (not the date of the assessment) as well as the appeal, and don’t forget either to mention you would like to be paid the assessment rate while you wait for the appeal to be heard, if you don’t then they will pay you nothing.
Comment by dwpexamination — May 10, 2012 @ 8:49 pm
Sent my GL24 off over a week ago along with a letter explaining why I am appealing but also put on the letter Seeing as I haven’t received the report from my medical do not take this letter as my main appeal. So iv done my main appeal letter today and also got a drs letter of support to send with it too. I also sent 11 letters to and from my consultants the same time I sent the Gl24. My pay rather quickly started again 2 days after them receiving my gl24 and my previous sicnote that was issued end of march didn’t run out till the 7th may do they said they will use that as its still in date! Do you have any idea how long the wait will be before they reconsider it?
Comment by Jenny — May 10, 2012 @ 8:59 pm
Hi Jenny.
Once they have paid you and conceded they have paid you in writing then this means they have accepted you are appealing and accepted and acknowledged your sicknote,, because as I said they pay nothing until they have them both.
A reconsideration can take a week or it can take 6 weeks, it all depends on factors outside your control, but since you have sent them 11 letters from your consultants then it’s unlikely they will use the delaying tactic of asking for any new evidence before they reconsider your appeal, so one of two things will happen now, they can send your appeal on to the tribunal or they can say they have reconsidered and you are entitled to ESA, the first is the more likely.
The DWP have changed their strategy, at one time getting paid the assessment rate was haphazard, it was taking over four months sometimes, this was pointed out to the DWP by Glenda Jackson from the work and pensions committee, she remarked that some people were placed in severe financial difficulties when they appeal, and she added it seems to me payment is delayed is this is some kind of punishment for appealing ?.
The DWP spokeswoman replied it wasn’t punishment (believe that if you like) but they could do better and the usual lessons have been learned etc, and it seems they really have taken it on board, well not the DWP themselves but Chris Grayling has taken it on board and issued instructions to start paying without any delays as soon as the claimant has met the conditions, that’s the reason (And not because the DWP have all of a sudden become nice people) why they are keeping your/our payments linked as long as you/we send the sicknote and the GL24 form in and is the reason why I recommend people do not wait for months for the ESA85, but compose the start of the appeal and tell them the rest will follow later when the ESA85 finally arrives.
Comment by dwpexamination — May 11, 2012 @ 6:23 am
hi dwp and thanks for the site
just wanted to know if you agree that the pressure from sites like this is beginning to take effect?
I wont bore you with my life story but maybe my experience with ATOS will give some people a glimmer of hope………..After working for 30 yrs and doing the ‘right’ things like putting kids thru uni etc i began to feel ill and the upshot was i lost my driving licence something i needed for my job. While visiting hosp on several occasions to try to find what was wrong with me, i decided for the first time i needed help so applied for ESA……..I went for dreaded WCA last year, the ‘doctor’ who could barely speak english hardly looked at me as he typed away and of course i was awarded 0 points, after appeal was denied i took it too tribunal and after 9 long stressful months i was put in wrag group with 18 points……….A few months later yes you guessed it, it started again, i wasn’t sure if i could cope with it all again so even up to the day of my 2nd WCA (was on fri 13th too ha ha) i was 50/50 on whether or not to accept defeat, but went anyway……. this time it was a female nurse she seemed nice and listened to me, but we all know that can mean nothing. She cut the test short and there was no physical, so i trawled the net too see if that was a good thing and it seemed that it may well be, coming from other people it had happened to.I was hopeful but fearing the worst…….3 weeks later the dreaded brown envelope dropped thru the door and i edged slowly down the page, i thought it was a mistake they was telling me my money was going up, so read again and i had been placed in the support group, unbelievable……… The thing is that i have exactly the same problems that i had when i was awarded 0 points a year before, so my question is, are the reforms by harrington and the pressure from sites like yours working?……..I noticed that some sites are saying that the figures for people being placed into the support group have risen from about 7% to 27% in the last couple of years.
Also conversely do you think that the fact the ATOS professionals report was obvs the reason i was placed in the support group it will make my claim for DLA more likely to succeed? After all they use bad ones to stop you getting it….. …I’m very wary of taking another medical for DLA having just 1 for ESA and am in 2 minds about sending the forms back.
Carry on the good work
Comment by Paul — May 14, 2012 @ 7:56 pm
Hello Paul.
It’s remarkable the progress sites like this and others http://www.dwpexamination.org have made over the last three years, your right more people seem to be getting the support group, but still a hell of a lot of deserving cases have been refused, and ATOS are still fabricating medical assessments and denying vulnerable people their rights, so the fight goes on, and it will go on, there’s no rhyme nor reason with these people so whether the ATOS report will help your DLA or not is in the lap of the gods.
So ATOS must go, and go as soon as possible, they are a shower of criminals and between them and the DWP over the last three years have driven people to suicide and caused a lot of grief.
We have come to bury ATOS not to praise them..!!
Comment by dwpexamination — May 14, 2012 @ 9:25 pm
hi;dd anything how long does it take for them to reconcider you for support group from wrag; i appealled after seeking advice through cab/ ive got a welfare rights spokesperson to actively help me and i got a reply back saying thry would reconsider; hopefully in my favour if not they would send the appropriate forms for an appeal;that was way back in march 22tnd not heardayhank younything yet very tired fibro sufferef lol
Comment by dee — May 15, 2012 @ 2:14 am
Hello Dee.
When the DWP reconsider an appeal they don’t have a set time (How longs a piece of string ?) the decision is reconsidered when the mindless drone decides to get their finger out, but a reasonable estimate is around six weeks. Time doesn’t mean anything to them, and dealing with the DWP demands the patience of a saint.
Comment by dwpexamination — May 15, 2012 @ 6:19 am
Hello,
I still haven’t received a letter of acknowledgement regarding my appeal, it’s been 2 weeks now. My payments are up and running again though, they started back up on the 4th may. Do I call them or just wait to hear from them?
Comment by Jenny — May 15, 2012 @ 8:02 am
Hello Jenny.
If your payments are on the go then this means they have your GL24 appeal submission and also means they must have your sicknote because the DWP never pay you until they receive both.
A letter of acknowledgement can arrive anytime now but could even take another couple of weeks, so as I keep saying you need to try and be patient (No pun intended) the main thing is they are paying you.
At one time they wouldn’t pay you even though they had your appeal and sicknote, but word has come down recently from the top to start the paying process as soon as they (That’s us) have shown they are appealing and have sent in the sicknote.
They haven’t just started paying because all of a sudden they have become nice people, the work and pensions committee and the Harrington report has pointed out the hardship people are experiencing and Chris Grayling has been forced to do something.
Comment by dwpexamination — May 15, 2012 @ 8:30 am
hello,
You say to not forget to mention on the appeal submission (That’s the GL 24 Part) that you wish to be paid at the assessment rate, otherwise they will not mention it, and you will be left without money.
Is the assessment rate the same as Incapacity benefit? I am just sending off my appeal and would like to know, do I put assessment rate on my form, or should I put incapacity benefit?
Comment by sonja — May 15, 2012 @ 4:25 pm
Hello Sonja.
The assessment rate is the ESA without the work related component, you are appealing for ESA are you not ?.
Everyone is being transferred over to ESA from IB so I guess you should be appealing to get ESA.
So you put on the GL appeal form that you would like to be paid the assessment rate – you don’t need to mention ESA or IB - whilst waiting for the appeal to be heard.
Comment by dwpexamination — May 15, 2012 @ 4:41 pm
I was not sure if I was still fighting for IB as I am currently on it. So I am now fighting to go on ESA instead? Thanks for your help.
Comment by sonja — May 15, 2012 @ 5:00 pm
hello dwp examination ; thank you for your feed back its good to know im not alone in my ongoing battle with the natziz dwp lol good look everyone with your onging slogs in this crazy worldwind of benefit system we have ? speak later. bye 4 now DEE.
Comment by dee — May 15, 2012 @ 10:21 pm
You’ll never appeal alone Dee…LOL.
Comment by dwpexamination — May 16, 2012 @ 5:34 am
hi
my appeal is this week i only got nine points for not being able to walk more than 100m. but since my medical things have changed. i was seen by an o.t and and thay had a chairlift put in for me. do i get points for that and gan i ask for another medical to point out changes.
Comment by paul — May 27, 2012 @ 1:45 pm