Atos Medicals - Questions, Answers and Support
- Thread starter Zabo
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No point posting it before Monday as you won't be able to send it "signed for" if the post office is shut.Oh well done!
Happy for you. I have just been facing up to the big scary form. Finished it. Now telling myself it doesn't count until I manage to go out and post it. Hmm.
Congrats on tackling it and finishing filling it in.
In all seriousness, I like that idea. I've had such a messed-up sleeping pattern, and in such a worry about the thing that now it is done (badly, but done) I ought to try to go out and post it but I would probably lose it or trip over a pavement and break my neck. Maybe enough achievement for one morning. Bad that I didn't go out to demo but oh well, I jsut can't.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
If you can't, you can't. don't be too hard on yourself for the things you can't do.
I have decided, thanks to Greebo 's mention of "signed for" that I needn't try to post it today. Anyway, it would likely be a repeat of when I tried to post a card for my niece's 18th. Much misery getting to postbox and could not find sodding card. 
It reappeared a week or so later. I don't think my brother believed I really had a card but I can't help it if there is a portable Narnia in my backpack.
Very chuffed for WouldBe , though, I'm glad to know they can be nice on occasion.
It reappeared a week or so later. I don't think my brother believed I really had a card but I can't help it if there is a portable Narnia in my backpack.Very chuffed for WouldBe , though, I'm glad to know they can be nice on occasion.
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
Sometimes we have to prioritise, and that can mean not doing something we wanted to do (or felt we ought to do). But I am sure you made the right decision, and there's no point second-guessing it now!
friendofdorothy
Solidarity against neoliberalism!
Intesting programme on tv C4 the Great Benefits Row with Ade Adepitan about PIP payment assessments now
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Finally finished the form I think. Should be able to get it in the post this afternoon and send it recorded.
According to the B&W self assessment test I should get 37 points for care and 20 for mobilityWhat's the betting DWP score me nowhere near that?
No bet! My scorings using the self-assessment test were similar, and I was awarded 9 for care (currently undergoing "Mandatory Reconsideration"), and 12 for mobility.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
I'd speak to your gp about a letter from them with details of your meds, and a potential referral to a pain management specialist. Even if they can't do anything at least you can get it documented.
How long do you have to put the application together?
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Lack of current medical evidence shouldn't make any difference, if your condition is long-term.
That said, some decision-makers/adjudication officers - the people at the DWP who read the report by the "disability analyst" who conducted your assessment, along with your application etc - seem to base everything on current medical evidence.
As equationgirl has said, try and get a GP letter that emphasises what your condition is, that your condition is stable, but permanent, and that you're medicated. As for the PIP form, bear in mind that you have 28 days to return it, but that the 28 days startson the day you phone to ask them to send you the form. Mine arrived a fortnight into the 28 days.
With regards to filling the bastard thing in, PM me an e-mail address, and I'll send you the current "Benefits & Work" guides to how to phrase your answers - as with DLA forms, it's a case of being detailed, and allowing the adjudication officer no "wriggle room" to interpret your answer in a different way than you meant it.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
Too many 'disability analysts' seem to misunderstand chronic conditions and assume that if you haven't seen a medic in a while then your condition must have gone away. They don't seem to understand that for people with such conditions this just means the medics can't do anything productive - or in some cases have just given up because the patient isn't conforming to textbooks and they don't know what to do.
There's still the view that doctors can fix any and all medical problems, and as many of us know, that's just not the case.
There's still the view that doctors can fix any and all medical problems, and as many of us know, that's just not the case.
Libertad
Sparking up a rollie in the Reichstag
Too true especially when there are undocumented long-term side effects of a treatment programme.
friendofdorothy
Solidarity against neoliberalism!
I don't think theres any guidance on how recent your evidence has to be. Have you got any letters /presciptions / hospital documents from the last 20 years? Any stuff from when you were awarded indefinite DLA? Dig it out now.
We took all medical letters from the last 10yrs with us, I'd copied all the significant ones and made Atos take them as evidence at the interview. We didn't have much recent evidence either - in fact we moaned about the lack of any nhs help.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
And some NHS doctors have the view that 'it's just pain, live with it'. Which is so spectacularly unhelpful I just can't begin to describe it. And I've had that said to me in the last 12 months.
It has to be in for May 15th, I'm going away on the 8th for my 60th birthday and I would like to have it in by then.
I am seen regularly by the pain management clinic, and I think he probably has the best overview of me.
I think they will disallow the mobility component, I got that on appeal originally but I'm sure they will try and sop it before I reach whatever the age is now, 65 I think, if your have mobility allowance you keep it but you cannot apply after 65 - I think
I need to find my esa documents as there were reports made for that, I got support group after going to appeal, you folk helped me in that.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
That's correct.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
In that case I'd definitely ask the pain management clinic for a letter if you can, even if it's not back in time to put it with your application you will still have it in case of appeals.
Best of luck with, you know we'll help if you need it x
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
Of course, they're not really "misunderstanding" it at all. This reeks of the same kind of "find any excuse to disallow the claim" thinking we're seeing across the board on disability and unemployment.
This is a cynical and callous interpretation, designed to do no more than make it even more difficult for people to successfully claim benefits they are, on the face of things, perfectly entitled to.
I have an appointment with the pain management clinic next wednesday and have been asked to take my forms, I am a volunteer and a trustee o a local mental health charity and I have asked our director of service for a supportive letter and the gp surgery is sorting a brief resume of my medical records.
I have been doing lots of reading of works and beneits site and am going to do the forms this weekend.
The date my forms need to be in is a sunday - so I presume I need to get it in on the Friday?? The monday would have been helpful but if it has to be the 15th I will do it.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
Tricky one. Many government offices will accept on the next working day but with this lot I wouldn't bank on it without checking first.
I have been working on this and have almost got it ready to go, I hae been using the benifits and work guides, which were the most up to date available but I know the distances for "can you move/walk unaided without pain have changed - the guide is dated Version 1 January 2013 and I was going to go for
but I am concerned that those distances may not be correct anymore. Help anyone.?
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
Paging ViolentPanda when available
Oops - forgot this is publicly viewable.
I'll ask him when I can, but for now Celt, if in doubt, pick the shorter distance.
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ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Two things:
1) It's down to a max of 20m from 50m. If you can walk more than 20m without a break/assistance/pain, then as far as the assessor is concerned, you won't meet the criteria
2) If it's the case that you experience pain from the act of walking itself (and from what I recall of your mobility problems, that's the case), then emphasise this.The whole "move/walk unaided for X distance without pain" thing is a con, because they're depending on people answering it in a stoical manner along the lines of "I can manage X distance". They'll only read as far as "I can manage" - as far as they're concerned, you're telling them that your mobility problems are manageable without assistance.
IMHO it is just as important that when you see the so-called disability assessor, you answer "not without..." and "not unless..." instead of "yes but...".
This is one bit on which VP fell down.
Just to be really clear are you saying the following is no longer the case?
"Can stand and then move using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50
metres. 10 points"(from Benefits and Work"
This is what I have said and this is what I believe to be my true ability, I have said that I am in some pain all the time I have completed the form and it has gone to The Director of Services at the mental health charity I volunteer for, for him to make a statement about how my condition affects my life and to post it for me.
Its done now,
"Can stand and then move using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50
metres. 10 points"(from Benefits and Work"
This is what I have said and this is what I believe to be my true ability, I have said that I am in some pain all the time I have completed the form and it has gone to The Director of Services at the mental health charity I volunteer for, for him to make a statement about how my condition affects my life and to post it for me.
Its done now,
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