ATOS assessment looming

Everyday living
1

I have applied for ESA and the forms came this morning. I have to phone them again because they want more details. For some reason they put me down as severely mentally impaired!?? WHAT? I never said any such thing, all I said was I have suffered depression! Ah well. So, if I am severely mentally impaired, how can they trust me to phone them with further details. I don’t get that! I know that I will be called to an ATOS assessment but as I am ‘severely mentally impaired’ can I take hubby with me and can we record the assessment? I might play on this ‘severely mentally impaired’ as it was their words, not mine! Pat

2

If you have not done so already I would strongly advise looking at the site “benefitsandwork” (I am not affiliated nor do I have any interest in this site other that I recently joined as my partner is completing and ESA50 form for moving from IB to ESA).

It costs £19.45 to join as a member and it gives you access to members only info - which is far better than the info provided on the MS website. The info is very long and detailed though so I would join ASAP as you only have 4 weeks to complete your ESA50 form and it will take a couple of weeks to get through all the info on this site!

ATOS have to give you the opportunity of them paying for the interview to be recorded - which might help to make sure what you say is actually listened to and not confused. It is also advisable to get letters from your GP and MS Nurse etc supporting specifically the points on the ESA50 form - for example if you are claiming that you cannot walk (or use a wheelchair) for 50m then specifically get letters relating to that issue.

It is a shame that a lot of people will not get the benefits that they deserve because they do not “play the game” and complete the forms “correctly”.

3

Hi, what a farce!

talking about the professionals (?) getting it wrong, reminds me of something which was wrongly recorded about me.

  1. I only take 1 shower a week…eh, I am incontinent FGS, so how bad would i stink if that was the case?

  2. I need help 3 times a week to open and read my mail, as i have difficulty doing this…eh again?..not true. Besides the vast majority of my mail is junk, so bums to that idea!

it`s enough to toss us right off the edge, eh?

I am dreading getting my forms. been on incap since 2000 and had DLA indefinitely since 2008.

Hope it works out right for you.

luv Pollx