Atos Medicals - Questions, Answers and Support
- Thread starter Zabo
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If he does lose it he should get points for 'exhibiting behaviour which could result in a substantial risk of harm to themselves or another person', 8 points for care straight into standard rate for PIP.
Although in reality I can see them twisting that to "unable to complete assessment, 0 points" bit like how not being able to go outside is worth so many points but rather than being awarded those for not managing to get to your assessment you get fuck-all
E2a that wasn't meant as a prediction of what's likely to happen to your husband ash, just ranting about the cunts in general
ash
Inittogether
existentialist iona equationgirl
Thanks for your support (we both really appreciated it) he decided to go ahead and had the assessment at 9am today. The assessor was a nurse which we were pleased about. I think as my husband used to be a psychiatric nurse it may have helped a little. When he asked why he had been called she was ‘genuinely’ I believe apologetic.
She said that they sometimes wonder why people with verifiable disabilities are called. The assessment went in his words ‘as well as could be expected’. It was as dignified as it could be considering the questions. But she didn’t find anything new from the form apart from him opening up about his depression and how it started (which I knew). When he explained that he used to look forward to sleep as he always dreamt that he was sighted and then one day he dreamt that he couldn’t see and felt he couldn’t escape even in sleep. Her voice broke a bit after hearing that.
She more or less said he should be fine although she doesn’t make the actual decision. She almost seems human and it’s wasnt what either of us were expecting. I hope we’re not being gullible.
I had my notepad but didn’t see any reason to take notes other than her name ..... fingers crossed ...
Thanks for your support (we both really appreciated it) he decided to go ahead and had the assessment at 9am today. The assessor was a nurse which we were pleased about. I think as my husband used to be a psychiatric nurse it may have helped a little. When he asked why he had been called she was ‘genuinely’ I believe apologetic.
She said that they sometimes wonder why people with verifiable disabilities are called. The assessment went in his words ‘as well as could be expected’. It was as dignified as it could be considering the questions. But she didn’t find anything new from the form apart from him opening up about his depression and how it started (which I knew). When he explained that he used to look forward to sleep as he always dreamt that he was sighted and then one day he dreamt that he couldn’t see and felt he couldn’t escape even in sleep. Her voice broke a bit after hearing that.
She more or less said he should be fine although she doesn’t make the actual decision. She almost seems human and it’s wasnt what either of us were expecting. I hope we’re not being gullible.
I had my notepad but didn’t see any reason to take notes other than her name ..... fingers crossed ...
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
Wilf
Slouching towards Billingham
I got Pipped this morning - previously had dla higher rate mobility component. The (atos) assessor was decent, non-confrontational and the like. Whilst I might get a couple of points on the personal care type questions, my claim was really about mobility. The interesting thing was she asked me about the distance between where I park and the door into work and then to the lift, but didn't ever ask me a straight 'how far can you walk'. As you would imagine, she asked how I got there and into the building (partner dropped me off at the front as there was no disabled parking - ffs!). She also watched me walk from waiting room to assessment room (10 yards or so). So it looked like her recommendation on that will be based entirely on her observations and an indirect question about parking at work. I'd put 'it varies' on the distance question on the form. Anyway, I'm assuming I may well not get the award, so not actually being asked how far I can walk seems like a potential appeal area.
Anyway, sorry, I just splurged that out. I've not been on this thread for a while, so solidarity to everybody else.
Anyway, sorry, I just splurged that out. I've not been on this thread for a while, so solidarity to everybody else.
crossthebreeze
Well-Known Member
Good luck Wilf, and yes sounds like a good reason to appeal if you don't get what you think you should get for mobility.
Wilf
Slouching towards Billingham
Cheers, thanks.
My girlfriend just got a letter from DWP to confirm she has been awarded pip but do they also send a separate certificate of entitlement as that's what she's been asked to send to DVLA to get a refund on her car tax.
Will the confirmation letter do, or does she just wait for a certificate to arrive in the post?
Will the confirmation letter do, or does she just wait for a certificate to arrive in the post?
chainsawjob
Kipping in the dunes
Further to my girlfriend getting awarded PIP, she's also just got another letter telling her she can get the severe disability premium added to her ESA. Google tells me that should be £65 a week on top of her current ESA payment. Am I right in thinking the ESA part of her benefits are only payable if she has savings of less than £6000?
Jackobi
swallows anything
Assuming that she is receiving income-related ESA, the capital limit is £16,000, this is the point at which all ESA is stopped. For any savings above £6000 up to £16,000, £1 will be deducted from her ESA each week for every £250 or part thereof. For example, if she has £6,600, £3 will be deducted each week from her ESA.
scifisam
feck! arse! girls! drink!
J's been denied PIP based on a list of lies. 
This means I'll no longer get carers' allowance and she'll be expected to pay £70pw towards the rent (which is what my housing benefit was deducted by before they accepted J was on DLA). Things are going to be extremely tight
Obviously I've phoned up to ask for a mandatory reconsideration. Has anyone ever had their decision changed at that stage? I've never heard of it happening - it's just to delay you appealing. Fuckers.
This means I'll no longer get carers' allowance and she'll be expected to pay £70pw towards the rent (which is what my housing benefit was deducted by before they accepted J was on DLA). Things are going to be extremely tight Obviously I've phoned up to ask for a mandatory reconsideration. Has anyone ever had their decision changed at that stage? I've never heard of it happening - it's just to delay you appealing. Fuckers.
chainsawjob
Kipping in the dunes
BCBlues
Lend us a Twenner
J's been denied PIP based on a list of lies.
Obviously I've phoned up to ask for a mandatory reconsideration. Has anyone ever had their decision changed at that stage? I've never heard of it happening - it's just to delay you appealing. Fuckers.
I've not heard of decisions being changed at MR stage but we have had 2 changed in the time between MR and Appeal where the DWP must have realised they were being stupid.
It's gonna be tough for you that goes without saying but keep at it and all the best.
crossthebreeze
Well-Known Member
scifisam
feck! arse! girls! drink!
No, housing benefit. Haven't been shifted into the clusterfuck that is universal credit yet so I have that to look forward to too.
crossthebreeze
Well-Known Member
Obviously i don't know all of your circumstances, but you might find there's a more leeway with housing benefit (ie if J is either a full-time student or claiming benefits or otherwise on a low income) but you'll have to apply for it/send in info about J's circumstances: [info about non-dependant deductions ] and you might be able to apply for discretionary housing payment if things become really unmanageable while you appeal [apparently you can also apply for this from the council even if you've been changed to universal credit]. Fingers crossed for you with this.
scifisam
feck! arse! girls! drink!
70 was what they expected her to pay out of her student loan, after initially saying she had to pay all the rent. They're already reducing my rent due to a supposed historical overpayment, and I've submitted SO much information proving that they're wrong, but they just keep asking for more. Things like "send in all your payslips from your employer on 2012-13" despite this being from six years ago and me being self employed at the time. They didn't even tell me they were going to make deductions, or why, they just made an executive decision to pay me less rent and it took a while to find out why.
So basically they are not going to be helpful at all.
J's uni for some reason are also asking her to pay £650 towards her fees herself despite her getting the full loan. Presumably this will get sorted out, but until it is, she can't register and can't get her student loan.
I pay over £200 a month in utility bills (it's difficult to query huge electricity bills - "well, that's what the smart meter says. It's a two bedroom flat and I'm not running a grow farm!
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
This sounds awful. I can't comment on the benefits aspect, but it might be worth getting someone to look at those electricity bills and double check that they're even feasible for the property you're in. It's not unknown for power companies to spectacularly cock up their billing. You could probably start with taking your own meter readings and making sure they tally with what the bills are claiming.
scifisam
feck! arse! girls! drink!
It definitely is what the meter's saying, but also four times higher than it should be. There seems to be essentially no right of appeal without going to the ombudsman and they require you to have exhausted all appeals procedures, even though they don't exist. I really am much too tired all the time to be able to deal with it.
crossthebreeze
Well-Known Member
The Shelter link in my previous post - and I've checked on a couple of other sites too - says that full time students shouldn't have non-dependant deductions taken for them from HB
"A non-dependant deduction doesn't apply to a full-time student during term time or during holidays if they're not working.
A non-dependant deduction does apply if a student works for 16 hours or more a week during the summer holidays. You may need to ask them to contribute towards your housing costs."
I don't dispute what you were told, but they seem to be wrong (I've seen council HB departments get things very wrong before), unless J has other money coming in from elsewhere, in which case it might be more complicated.A non-dependant deduction does apply if a student works for 16 hours or more a week during the summer holidays. You may need to ask them to contribute towards your housing costs."
All of it sounds absolutely worry-making and exhausting and difficult, and you have my sympathies.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
Wilf
Slouching towards Billingham
Surprising outcome: got the standard level personal care award, which I didn't have when on DLA, but knocked back for mobility (just got 4 points, whereas I had the upper level when on DLA). Financially, losing the mobility money but gaining personal care would leave me only about 5 quid a week worse off, so a lot better outcome than many have had. But still pisses me off as I'll lose blue badge and motability car - and because walking is always painful.
Under reasons, I got 'was observed to walk 18 metres, slowly with altered gait', but the assessor concluded I could actually walk 50-200, on the basis of my meds, how I conducted myself and a couple of observations of things like hip flexion. I dispute some of the latter, but it pisses me off the notion that they could infer how far I can walk without actually asking me or indeed addressing the points I raised on the form about rests and pain whilst walking. I'm just sending in the mandatory reconsideration thing. Anyway, I feel bad moaning on this thread as I will get some money and I'm in work, whereas others really need the cash. But regardless, it's another example of how the process is rigged and based on anything but evidence.
J's been denied PIP based on a list of lies.
Obviously I've phoned up to ask for a mandatory reconsideration. Has anyone ever had their decision changed at that stage? I've never heard of it happening - it's just to delay you appealing. Fuckers.
I had my PIP daily living increased from standard to enhanced rate at the mandatory reconsideration stage. It is mostly to delay & discourage people from appealing though
Do you/J have any kind of support worker/advocate who can help with all this? I have a support worker where I live who came to my assessment and helps with forms & phonecalls and I'm sure that was a factor in my not being refused PIP initially, and possibly with the MR too. Good luck with it all anyway, hopefully J's one of the lucky ones who does get their decision changed at MR.
E2a - you've maybe thought of it already or there's massive waiting lists or it's been cut completely in your area, but do you have a local advocacy service who could help with sorting stuff like the housing benefit and utilities bills? Hardly anyone here seems to be aware of it but I found out recently that my council funds a few charities to provide an advocacy service that can help with exactly that sort of thing.
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equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
I've been moved back to ESA Support Group at last, without a face to face assessment!
Only took 15 months of waiting since I sent my last ESA50 back, an out-of-the-blue work coach appointment that even they agreed was pointless, many phonecalls and much arsekicking by my support worker and an official complaint so thick we probably should've included a contents list
Only took 15 months of waiting since I sent my last ESA50 back, an out-of-the-blue work coach appointment that even they agreed was pointless, many phonecalls and much arsekicking by my support worker and an official complaint so thick we probably should've included a contents list
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