Atos Medicals - Questions, Answers and Support

[toggle]

Libertad

http://dpac.uk.net/2013/04/what-people-need-to-know-about-atos-assessments/

that you need assistance filling in forms is something you need to note. because doing it yourself and producing a coherent case counts against you

note the list at the end on assessment of neuro symptoms/conditions. anything on the lists makes assessment more awkward for them.

 

[Libertad]

we did the same.

Yep, reams of it. I'll start a collection. We're going to have to buy a new printer but it looks as if it'll be worth it.

 

[Libertad]

toggle I'll read it now. Cheers.

 

[toggle]

http://www.whywaitforever.com/dwpatoscontract.html#MEDICAL-CONDITIONS

these are the lists of conditions that they will look at home assessment for. Now, as you can see autistic spectrum disorders are on list 1, so it's easier for us to have the assessment go away. but if you have supportive health professionals, then you can make a case for home assessment for lists 2 and 3.

you need to make sure your memory failures are documented, and demand a recording. make your own as well. I can lend you a voice recorder if it gets that far. but the more awkward you make this for them, the more likely they will assess on the paperwork only.

 

[equationgirl]

Libertad toggle remembers correctly, I have gone down the pain clinic route and quite frankly the man I saw worked miracles. More importantly he didn't dismiss my pain and treated me like a human being. I have arthritis in 4 vertebrae and initially had steroid injections, but they aren't permanent. Then he did a minor operation cutting the damaged nerves, which had basically got stuck in the 'pain' position. Unfortunately the worst nerves couldn't be cut so I am on oxycontin, Codydramol and pregabalin, a combination which keeps me functioning and the pain mostly manageable.

I'd recommend asking your gp for a referral to your nearest pain clinic as soon as you are able, as unfortunately some have a long waiting list. Other areas have better set ups, so the wait is only a few weeks.

Also, I am more than happy to help with form prep etc. One thing I have done for several people on this thread is the medicine and
side effect information gathering Greebo and ViolentPanda talked about. Send me a list of your meds by
pm and I can do the rest.

 

[purenarcotic]

Libertad in terms of the Amyltriptiline (totally wrong spelling hah), I know a couple of people with fibro who found it immensely helpful in managing their symptoms. Know someone for whom it didn't really do anything at all for too, so swings and roundabouts I guess really.

 

[toggle]

for the record, making a secret recording of an assessment is not illegal as long as this is for your own use only. using it as evidence is a grey area. the last time I looked up the legal side on that, i found evidence to say that employment tribunals had allowed illicit recordings to be used as evidence, because the wrongfulness of that use of illicit recordings was less than the wrongfulness of the behavior it was revealing.

but, be aware that if it goes to appeal, the tribunal won't give much of a fuck about the recording. they will go back to the evidence. primarily, the stuff you've provided on the paperwork for assessment. this is one of the reasons to keep a photocopy of it all. so if the dwp loose the lot, you can provide a copy to the tribunal.

I know it seems shitty to be talking about appeals before you've even started the paperwork, and our aim is obviously to make sure it never gets that far, but it is worth being prepared for the long fight. and knowing that you have provided enough evidence that if the dwp are cunts, that you can take their assessment bullocks and stick it right up their colective arses at tribunal. tribunals don't like the dwp, they don't trust the dwp. as much as they are allowed, they will be on your side.

and as equationgirl won't blow her own trumpet, so i'll blow it for her. her postgrad studies were in mathamatical modelling of the results of medical research studies. and she's fucking awesome.

 

[friendofdorothy]

Both my husband and I had been put into to support group ESA, when we married the claim became a joint one in his name, when he died on the 1st of June the claim was shut down and I was told to make a new ESA claim; right from scratch needing to supply sick notes awaiting an assessment. And the added delight of being called in this afternoon for a 'return to work' interview.

This makes me so angry - is this what they do to everybody? When I was campaigning for equal relationship rights I never imagined this.

What a despicable, pedantic, shitty thing to put any newly bereaved person through.

Please keep going, wishing you the strength to deal with this. x

 

[equationgirl]

Just to confirm that toggle has correctly reported the tribunal position on illicit recordings correctly. The tribunal decision came out of an employment law cade whereby to demonstrate some fairly discriminatory behaviour the defendant made an illicit recording and submitted it in evidence. The tribunal ruled that whilst the illicit recording had been made in a distasteful manner, that of itself was not a reason to deny it's use as evidence. They did however reject the evidence and it was nearly 40 hours long and suggested the evidence be severely edited iirc. I wrote a more accurate summary of the case at the time it was reported in case it was helpful for this thread.

I would also contend that as you cannot take notes and have memory issues, a recording of any meeting you have to have is essential and a reasonable adjustment under the equality act 2010. Failure to allow a recording to be made could well be disability discrimination.

 

[tufty79]

Re: recordings of the non-covert sort.... atos (at least) will provide recording equipment for ESA, you just need to arrange it with them. They won't for PIP - if you want to record it & need to borrow equipment give us a shout Libertad

again, with PIP you need to let them know in advance that you want to record it.

 

[Libertad]

Thanks equationgirl I think that I'm going to try some different drugs but when I've settled into the best that I can access (not sold on the Gabapentin Pregablin route ViolentPanda ) then I'll take you up on your kind offer.

I'm hoping that there are no contraindications between Mirtazapine and Amitriptyline. I'll definitely ask for a referral to the pain clinic, I can't handle this for much longer it's as if I feel that I need some time off(if that makes sense). Tbh the only drug that I've found that helps me sleep, dulls pain, aids lucidity and lifts my spirits is illegal.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Yep, reams of it. I'll start a collection. We're going to have to buy a new printer but it looks as if it'll be worth it.

Making sure I kept hard copies of everything made me damn glad I bought a cheap monochrome laser printer, rather than an inkjet!

 

[equationgirl]

Thanks equationgirl I think that I'm going to try some different drugs but when I've settled into the best that I can access (not sold on the Gabapentin Pregablin route ViolentPanda ) then I'll take you up on your kind offer.

I'm hoping that there are no contraindications between Mirtazapine and Amitriptyline. I'll definitely ask for a referral to the pain clinic, I can't handle this for much longer it's as if I feel that I need some time off(if that makes sense). Tbh the only drug that I've found that helps me sleep, dulls pain, aids lucidity and lifts my spirits is illegal.

Pain is relentless. It's draining, depressing and exhausting, not to mention limiting what you can do. I'm not surprised you want some time off.

 

[8115]

ESA is a passive benefit because everyone on it is basically too sick to work. Calling it "works related" or cutting people's money won't take away from this fact, it will just plunge more people into poverty and worse illness.

I literally cannot wait to hear this budget. I have a feeling it could be a real case of, "go on, tell me another one".

 

[ViolentPanda]

Thanks equationgirl I think that I'm going to try some different drugs but when I've settled into the best that I can access (not sold on the Gabapentin Pregablin route ViolentPanda ) then I'll take you up on your kind offer.

I'm hoping that there are no contraindications between Mirtazapine and Amitriptyline. I'll definitely ask for a referral to the pain clinic, I can't handle this for much longer it's as if I feel that I need some time off(if that makes sense). Tbh the only drug that I've found that helps me sleep, dulls pain, aids lucidity and lifts my spirits is illegal.

Mirtazapine has helped my dad a lot. We had to do a fair bit of checking re: contraindications, as he takes about a dozen prescription medications, but it lifted him out of a year-long downward-spiralling depression, and has made him feel "normal" again. There don't seem to be any contraindications between Mirtazapine and Amitriptyline listed, btw.

 

[toggle]

equationgirl, i believe you've also expereinced the pain management specialists taking a different attitude towards providing medication than gps, eg, not trying to reduce meds, just because a patient is on opiates, but accepting that patients with long term pain need long term meds

 

[ViolentPanda]

ESA is a passive benefit because everyone on it is basically too sick to work. Calling it "works related" or cutting people's money won't take away from this fact, it will just plunge more people into poverty and worse illness.

I literally cannot wait to hear this budget. I have a feeling it could be a real case of, "go on, tell me another one".

Some fuckwad was chuntering about ESA having "failed", as it has barely reduced the claimant count.
To me this proves that the state's assumptions about exaggerated claims, fraud etc were exactly the sort of ideologically-motivated cack disability activists analysed them to be.
To fuckwads, though, it's only "proof" that the assault on disabled people wasn't aggressive enough.

 

[equationgirl]

equationgirl, i believe you've also expereinced the pain management specialists taking a different attitude towards providing medication than gps, eg, not trying to reduce meds, just because a patient is on opiates, but accepting that patients with long term pain need long term meds

Aye, I saw my pain management specialist about 18 months ago as my gp at the time wanted me to stop the oxycontin and the Codydramol. Pain specialist told me there had been a study released investigating the risk of death vs morphine equivalent, and it showed that the risk increased the more was taken.

This caused a bit of a panic amongst some medics and they tried to take people off drugs when actually the risk was fairly small if the morphine equivalent was actually calculated. For example, for 5mg oxy and 8 30/500 Codydramol a day my morphine equivalent is in the region of 40 mg morphine per day. The study determined caution was only really required at much higher levels, around 180 mg per day iirc.

My specialist was not concerned and said in real terms the associated risk was low, therefore there was no need to stop taking them.

ViolentPanda has also reported reluctance amongst GPs to have patients on opiates. I'm basically on them because I cannot take certain classes of meds due to kidney problems. I was on coproxamol for a decade with no side effects, when that was withdrawn there were not really many other options open. I tried tramadol but had nightmares so bad I just couldn't keep taking it. Plus it did fuck all for the pain.

 

[equationgirl]

toggle that was a very kind sneaky edit you did. Thank you for the compliment

 

[toggle]

Just to confirm that toggle has correctly reported the tribunal position on illicit recordings correctly. The tribunal decision came out of an employment law cade whereby to demonstrate some fairly discriminatory behaviour the defendant made an illicit recording and submitted it in evidence. The tribunal ruled that whilst the illicit recording had been made in a distasteful manner, that of itself was not a reason to deny it's use as evidence. They did however reject the evidence and it was nearly 40 hours long and suggested the evidence be severely edited iirc. I wrote a more accurate summary of the case at the time it was reported in case it was helpful for this thread.

I would also contend that as you cannot take notes and have memory issues, a recording of any meeting you have to have is essential and a reasonable adjustment under the equality act 2010. Failure to allow a recording to be made could well be disability discrimination.

which i believe ended up as 'you can present evidence if we think it's justifiable, but don't expect anyone to wade through 40 hours of untranscribed audio - make it accessible first'

 

[RedDragon]

This makes me so angry - is this what they do to everybody? When I was campaigning for equal relationship rights I never imagined this.

What a despicable, pedantic, shitty thing to put any newly bereaved person through.

Please keep going, wishing you the strength to deal with this. x

When I went to register his death, the 'Registrar' left the room to speak with her supervisor and came back to tell me I was the first husband/husband death she'd recorded - wow wee, everyday's a school day - but it left me feeling awfully queer.

 

[Greebo]

When I went to register his death, the 'Registrar' left the room to speak with her supervisor and came back to tell me I was the first husband/husband death she'd recorded - wow wee, everyday's a school day - but it left me feeling awfully queer.

(((RedDragon))) The novelty of it must have gone to her head - I can't imagine somebody like that usually telling the person who was registering a death that "you're the (special number)th person of that type we've had here". She may have meant well, but I bet it stung a bit.

 

[equationgirl]

RedDragon she sounds very insensitive. Yes, you may have been the first husband/husband relationship she had dealt with, but she didn't need to tell you that at such a difficult time.

Much love to you x x ((()))

 

[passenger]

i just had my phone appeal turned down, leaving me on 16 points, 4 short of what i ineed

and what i was awarded a year ago. The reason for this is that i did not tell the person who done the appeal

over the phone, witch parts of the decision i disagree with ,but i did in a 20 minute chat over the phone and

a covering letter, i really find this very hard to take in,as i thought i had done everything the correct way.

 

[equationgirl]

i just had my phone appeal turned down, leaving me on 16 points, 4 short of what i ineed

and what i was awarded a year ago. The reason for this is that i did not tell the person who done the appeal

over the phone, witch parts of the decision i disagree with ,but i did in a 20 minute chat over the phone and

a covering letter, i really find this very hard to take in,as i thought i had done everything the correct way.

You did do everything right. Remember that claims are being denied, simply becausethey can not because they are right to do so.

Were you told what happens next?

Please do not give up yet.

 

[passenger]

You did do everything right. Remember that claims are being denied, simply becausethey can not because they are right to do so.

Were you told what happens next?

Please do not give up yet.

well i am going to ring monday and ask why they ignored what i said on the phone interview
and my covering letter, if that fails a tribunal or get a job with my bad leg,witch is going to be hard

thanks for your concern

 

[StoneRoad]

I would like to express my sympathy and solidarity with everyone subjected to this system.

 

[Libertad]

Fuckin hell passenger that's shit.

 

[passenger]

Fuckin hell passenger that's shit.

thanks, its not just me, it like there delibreitly stopping me get the point`s 2 short on
one and 1 point the other.

 

[superfly101]

thanks, its not just me, it like there delibreitly stopping me get the point`s 2 short on
one and 1 point the other.

What benefit?