DLA - ATOS Report

annebr

Well after two months of waiting I have finally received a copy of the ATOS report. Not the one I requested but in with the pack that is going to the appeal tribunal, yes I have been refused.

A miracle is going to happen 3 weeks on Sunday and I will be cured!

Anyway the report everything that people had previously posted about the contents of their own report were true. However, it is a mine of contradictions. One thing I noticed that the Mobility section the 'doctors' observations had been changed, distance, speed of wlaking and pain levels. The medical was on the 18th of November and I was told on the 4th of December i was being refused. I immediately started an appeal, the changes on the document were made on the 7th of December??!!

I have two weeks from the date of the letter to inform them if I think anything is wrong. So far I have 4 A4 pages of points to raise. I am also going to phone my pysio as they have some statements about my measurements that I want to double check.

I am going to take this all the way as a matter of princial, if anyone can give me any help or advice it would be apppreciated. Would any bodies e.g RADAR be abe to help?

Thanks

Anne

lizzie7ne

Anne, Whatever you do is appeal, this is what Atos did to me,
the doctor even wrote I had severe restrictions on walking and standing but then ticked a box saying I could walk 100 yards. Its the tick box sections that lose us the benefits, the DWP award the points on these sections and you need sufficient points to get the benefit. The decision makers at the DWP are not medics, so I dont think they understand the written bit of the report, just go by the tick box sections and if the ATos doctor messes it up, then we are refused benefit. The first thing you need to do is tell the DWP of the discrepancies on the report, Yes i would contact RADAR, also your local Citizens advice, your own medical team, and yes your MP.

I was also watching the news on TV the other night and found the government actually has a Minister for the Disabled. I dont know his name but I guess we could google it and find out. It would be worth as many of us as possible letting him know. As well as the Shadow Minister for the disabled. They need to be aware of what is happening.

Good luck, dont give up, get as much medical information as possible from your GP Physio and other health care professionals.
Fight back.

lizzie

jenzie06

Anne,
Go for it!
I'm waiting for date for my ESA tribunal after being turned down twice already. I'm doing it as a matter of principal and I'm not letting it stress me out. Actually it makes me laugh as the DWP are so incompetent, they've even got my name wrong!
Atos doc's report was minimalistic in the extreme! He even said in the medical that he couldn't put my answer in as the 'tick boxes' wouldn't let him!
I recommend getting as much support from rheumy, OT, Physio, GP - I was told I hadn't provided any additional evidence for my first appeal. I just wonder how many of my medical professionals who've known me for years will out weigh their 'professional' who saw me for 20mins.

I've also got my MP involved but he wants me to go through the motions and if (when) I fail again he should step in.

Good Luck and remember to keep laughing at them!
Jen

sharmaine

Hi Anne

It sounds like quite a fiasco! Make sure you appeal. It is a real shame that your fate with regarding to claiming DLA is because of some silly little tick boxes. They seem to ignore the individual.

You are very organised. How many more people are they planning on upsetting?

I would get as much support as you can from outside agencies and I'll keep everything crossed that you win your appeal.

Sharmaine

annebr wrote:

Well after two months of waiting I have finally received a copy of the ATOS report. Not the one I requested but in with the pack that is going to the appeal tribunal, yes I have been refused.

A miracle is going to happen 3 weeks on Sunday and I will be cured!

Anyway the report everything that people had previously posted about the contents of their own report were true. However, it is a mine of contradictions. One thing I noticed that the Mobility section the 'doctors' observations had been changed, distance, speed of wlaking and pain levels. The medical was on the 18th of November and I was told on the 4th of December i was being refused. I immediately started an appeal, the changes on the document were made on the 7th of December??!!

I have two weeks from the date of the letter to inform them if I think anything is wrong. So far I have 4 A4 pages of points to raise. I am also going to phone my pysio as they have some statements about my measurements that I want to double check.

I am going to take this all the way as a matter of princial, if anyone can give me any help or advice it would be apppreciated. Would any bodies e.g RADAR be abe to help?

Thanks

Anne

woodbon

Hello,
I'm so sorry that you have all this to arrange, its so stressful and just the sort of thing that makes people give up, but I know you are NOT the sort of person to let them get you down!

I know that my ATOS report was changed, some of the questions the doctor (and she was a doctor, I checked on the offical register.)asked without asking me others she put down different answers to the ones I gave her. I get double vision, when I'm tired and she has said that my vision with glasses is OK. Its not and I'm going to have to see a neuro about that. She has said that I am fit for any work with no problems or limitations. Well, Occy Health trained specialist has told me that I am UNSAFE to others to do most jobs, and not expected to improve in the next 12 years, thats my retirement age. When my husband read it, he saw more things wrong than I did and called it a pack of lies and misrepresentaion.

So, you go for it and good luck! :? The more people who challenge these people, hopefully, the Government will be forced to change the system. We can't all be liers.
Take care, lots of love Sue. xxx

frogmorton

Hi

Well i for one am very proud of you for deciding to take it all the way.

they shouldn't be allowed to treat people like this and it sounds as though you should win

No way is it ok to mess with paperwork once decisions have beeen made. Surely that is fraud :?:

Please do let us know how you get on

Love

Toni xx (behind you all the way)

snowball

i have just had a chat with my brother he works for a charity that helps people with mentel health fill forms (dla) and he has given me a web site www.disabilityalliance.org/drh34.htm hope its of some use. I had to appeal mine and its a nightmare, good luck

annebr

It is now a matter of principal, I am sure I won't get anything and if I did it would be the minimum. However, I have a blue badge & a bus pass both valid until next year I had to fight to get these but if I had DLA they would be mine automatically. I have worked all my life apart from the last year and I have never claimed any benefits, even the last year I have been living off savings and still paying tax and my own NI contributions to keep them up to date!

I have a checklist of things to do my hubby is going to help with letters etc as I am returning to work on Monday. Did write to our local MP about it but got a letter back saying she wasn't the right person to deal with this and gave us the name of another MP.

I will keep you up to date on my progress.

Anne

issymknight

Jonathan Shaw was appointed Minister for Disabled People

Mark Harper, MP for the Forest of Dean, has been appointed Shadow Minister for Disabled

Just incase you want to contact them just address letter to MP'name
Then House of Commons, Westminster, SW1A 0AA.

Issy :idea: