got a letter yesterday from DWP which says i have been put into the work related group of ESA as they think with support from the job centre i will be able to do some form of work. what a joke. i have had no medical assessment and they are going solely on whatever ‘evidence’ my doc has sent them. they have not got in touch with my ms nurse or rehab doc nor are they intending for me to have an ATOS medical. i am expected to attend the job centre 24 miles away dispite no longer being able to drive and public transport round here doesnt cater for elec wheelchair. so my carers are going to have to get me there and back on top of everything else they do for me. i know im going to have to appeal and will no doubt end up on anti depressants by the time im done.
but just in case i dont win the appeal, what sort of job do you lot think i should go for?
im thinking along the lines of becoming an mp so i can nod off during debates, please myself and not give a sh*t about others. on top of that i will get a damned good wage and a bar on tap!
OMG Zelda I didn’t think they could put you in group without doing the assessment!!! I’m obviously wrong. Absolutely gobsmacked. Did you have to fill out the form?
Appeal, appeal, appeal. Can’t remember the statistic but it’s high… amount of people who get changed to support group on appeal. I would think that NOT having the assessment is reason in itself to appeal.
Are you a member of ‘benefits and work’ to help with appeal? For around £20 a year they give guides to all benefit applications and appeals. Worth every penny!
I still can’t believe it. Are they not even bothering to do the deeply flawed assessments now!!!
I was under the impression that you had to provide the evidence to the DWP…although if they contacted my GP I’m not even sure he knows I have MS to be honest.
I appealed without sending any evidence in and it had to go to tribunal…but had I known I think it would not have come to that…I got my MS nurse to provide a letter which then got me put in the support group.
I am expecting to have to go through all this again in the not to distance future…so an updated letter will be needed I think.
Hi, they did this to me, I went for me interview to the job centre, the lady said at the end there’s no way you’re going back to work, I asked for the medical report, the nurse who had assest me said I couldn’t work, so I appealed and won, just got a letter back saying I was now in the support group, so why they didn’t do that in the first place, but after watching the 2 programmes the other week I now do know, appeal, and good luck, take care, and try not to let it get to you, Jean x
OMG Zelda I didn’t think they could put you in group without doing the assessment!!! I’m obviously wrong. Absolutely gobsmacked. Did you have to fill out the form?
Appeal, appeal, appeal. Can’t remember the statistic but it’s high… amount of people who get changed to support group on appeal. I would think that NOT having the assessment is reason in itself to appeal.
Are you a member of ‘benefits and work’ to help with appeal? For around £20 a year they give guides to all benefit applications and appeals. Worth every penny!
I still can’t believe it. Are they not even bothering to do the deeply flawed assessments now!!!
Try not to stress on it… APPEAL!
Pat x
[/quote] hi pat
i filled the form in or rather my ms nurse did. cant write eligably these days. when i was initially phoned up about the change over the man said he couldnt say if i would be assessed or not so i guess not everyone is. im off to CAB on monday, they have the appeal forms and will help me i hope.
are you honoured to have one of campions chicks named after you? i am!
Appeal OMG its shocking how they can do this is beyond me…
Good Luck
Jan x
[/quote] the trouble with the form is that you just cant fit enough info on it and even if you could, would they find it rellevent anyway? i couldnt even read the damned form let alone write how ms affects me. hay ho.
I was under the impression that you had to provide the evidence to the DWP…although if they contacted my GP I’m not even sure he knows I have MS to be honest.
I appealed without sending any evidence in and it had to go to tribunal…but had I known I think it would not have come to that…I got my MS nurse to provide a letter which then got me put in the support group.
I am expecting to have to go through all this again in the not to distance future…so an updated letter will be needed I think.
jax
[/quote] my ms nurse is writing a letter tomorrow for me to send in with my appeal.
i havnt seen my doc for a long long time as he cant help me . im still gunna get worse regardless of whether i take up precious appointment time so i tend to stay clear. i am ringing him tomorrow to find out what ‘evidence’ he sent them that got me in this pickle.
im glad you got sorted out. its too much hassle to go through this on a regular basis.
Hi, they did this to me, I went for me interview to the job centre, the lady said at the end there’s no way you’re going back to work, I asked for the medical report, the nurse who had assest me said I couldn’t work, so I appealed and won, just got a letter back saying I was now in the support group, so why they didn’t do that in the first place, but after watching the 2 programmes the other week I now do know, appeal, and good luck, take care, and try not to let it get to you, Jean x
[/quote] were you assessed at the jobcentre by the nurse jean? im getting vedry confused by it all.
I really do feel that many people making big decisions in a lot of Government Agencies have no idea of how MS symptoms affect us. They seem to have no insight into a lot of diseases and I truly believe, having worked in a hospital myself, that these people should be brought up to date a bit to help them make the correct decisions on our behalf.
Good luck with your appeal and I really do empathise with you.
I really do feel that many people making big decisions in a lot of Government Agencies have no idea of how MS symptoms affect us. They seem to have no insight into a lot of diseases and I truly believe, having worked in a hospital myself, that these people should be brought up to date a bit to help them make the correct decisions on our behalf.
Good luck with your appeal and I really do empathise with you.
Shazzie xx
[/quote] thanks shazzie. i totally agree with you. but i do believe, despite what anyone says that ATOS have targets to reach at our expense. x
Hi Zelda, no not a nurse at the job centre, it was the nurse who went through all my paper work on behalf of ATOS, they have a health professional check all the forms over first, so when I ask for a copy of there report, her report was enclosed, hope this makes things a little clearer, if not PM me, take care, Jean x
My girlfiend got called up 12 months ago for medical Atos, got 0 points they did not go into indepth about the condition. She had to wait 9 month for an appeal, only to be put into to the work group. Now 12 months later she got another letter to start all over again!. To look at her, falling to bits her saying its like they dont beleive me. I really dont beleive they going after people who are swinging the lead, sometimes I feel utter disgust the way people who have diagnosed with neurological conditions are treated in this way. No matter how much you try and support, she continuolsly feels like she is being treated as a scrounger.
Hi Zelda, no not a nurse at the job centre, it was the nurse who went through all my paper work on behalf of ATOS, they have a health professional check all the forms over first, so when I ask for a copy of there report, her report was enclosed, hope this makes things a little clearer, if not PM me, take care, Jean x
[/quote] thanks. im gunna ring em up and ask for copies.
[/quote] its absolutely ludicrous isnt it.if i felt fit to work i would be. im not a scrounger and im sure you aint either along with most people been dragged off incapacity benefit.