Atos assessment tomorrow! Scared.

mellivenelli

Hello everyone.

hope you have all had a relatively good day.

Just wanted to tell you that I have my ATOS assessment tomorrow. I'm scared out of my wits after hearing all the stories I have. Don't know what to expect.

toady

Very very best of luck to you with this, it can be a scary time indeed, my experience was not as bad as I expected from but it varies widely from what you hear.

My assessor seemed sympathetic, but it's hard to trust that when you hear people saying, that's just appearances, but then again mine was sympathetic as it turned out so it is possible..

I wonder if you have asked to have your interview recorded, some do for their own reference/peace of mind. Let us know if you need any advice about what you should do following your assessment ie what forms to ask them to send you, there are various bits of paperwork it is worth you having. I have a degree of experience & advice I can call on or can point you elsewhere if I can't help.

Keep us posted.

mig

Good luck with it,will be thinking of you. Mig

Kittkat

Best of luck let us know how you get on X

toady

Just a few points for you to bear in mind - although you may not be reading at this time, but just in case you call in in the early hours or tomorrow before you have to go -

It is worth remembering that (allegedly) your condition is monitored from outside the building & the approach, ie how you arrive how far you have had to walk from a car etc. certainly you are observed from when you arriive, ie how you walk up any corridors, how you sit in the waiting room, opening any doors etc. Not suggesting that your abilities would vary from what you are stating in your forms, but sometimes we do things without thinking - eg walk while suppressing any grimace of pain because it is what you are used to doing, making a special effort that you cannot necessarily sustain, etc.

If you have stated (for example) that you need a chair with arms to sit or rise from comfortably, then make sure you request for one to be given to you.

If you have stated a certain level of ability ie walking distance, MAKE SURE you keep emphasising if this is something you can do maybe every so often but not on a regular/daily basis, as they have to take into account whether you can safely, reliably and repeatedly do an activity - doing it only once a month would therefore counts as not being able to do it.

Keep in mind some of their questions will have a bearing on other activities you will have stated a given ability for. Example 1 - if you say you have a pet, they may deduce all sorts of other things from that such as you care for it, can bend down to put its food down, walk a dog, are not depressed because you can look after it (I know, I know..) so again, make sure you tell them if you can only keep a pet because someone else does all the looking after. Example 2. 'Do you follow a sport' can be interpreted that you can sit comfortably for long periods wtaching the tv, can concentrate, can understand how to operate complicated tv equipment (therefore can learn cognitive tasks etc).

Hopefully you are taking someone with you that can observe and back you up as to what happens during the interview if needed.

bubbadog

Hope everything goes all right for today, let us know how you get on.

mellivenelli

Thank you everyone!

Don't think it went too well. Assessor was hawk eyed and and asked millions of questions. All he seemed to do was type. Felt like he was really nice at first but knew that was to lull me in to a fale sense of security and I was right lol.

Not expecting to get anything and feel like I was grilled like a criminal the whole time. I even said to him I'd rather not be there at all and be at work doing my job!

Don't know how long it'll take but now i don't expect to get a penny.

was so nervous there was lots i forgot to mention.

stickywicket

It's over and done with now. Just relax and reward yourself for you ordeal. I hope it went better than you fear.

villier

Aw mel, it is very intimidating I have been there myself, I ended up with no points whatsoever and the people at CAB told me to appeal and they actually filed in the forms for me, I couldn't have done that day anyway as I had a massive flare going on. After a bit I was put into WRAG, again they told me to appeal which went to a tribunal which I won and am now in the support group. I think the waiting is the worst, if it is not good news get yourself to CAB and get some advice, keeping fingers crossed for you..............Marie x

bubbadog

Hi Mell, At least it is over now, you never know what the result might be. Sometimes the nicest assessors turn out to be the ones that fail you and the stone faced ones award it to you! It's all down to that brown envelope for the answer, hope you don't have to wait too long for it.

ELAINE55555

I may be wrong, but to me it all boils down to the fact, can you walk or not. It does not matter a hoot if you cannot use your hands, or have great pain if you walk. If you can walk, you can work. When I went for my ATOS, I had stress fractures in both feet and my wrists were flaring. I had a letter with me from orthopedics stating I was to stay off my feet for 3 months. I was awarded no points. I am now back in work, but struggling. I wish you good luck Mel.

barbara12

Hi Mell
Sorry I missed this, they do make you jump through hoops..I will have everything crossed that it goes in your favour...x

toady

Hi, sorry you did not feel it went all that well, I don't know how long you will have to wait to hear nowadays but it is worth you ringing up & requesting your ESA85 medical report form, it is not the final say-so and does not have the points you have been awarded (if I remember correctly) but it should give you an idea how things will go for you & you're entitled to have it. They should send that out quickly & it might help you start to think what your next move might be. all the best, toady.

mellivenelli

Omg! Just to let you all know that I got my letter and I got it!
Can't believe it!

Been so down about it and stressing so much but I finally got it.

Money backdated and being put in the bank next week.

Happy happy happy.

Thank you so much for your support everyone! Xx

MrDJ

congratulations.
did you have dla for life. i ask this as like a lot of patients at my hospital they do and are panicking that they could lose their car if they get awarded a lower amount or lose it all together.
if you did did you get pip for life as well or are we all going to have to apply every 2-3 years.

any tips or advice you can offer to the masses.

mellivenelli

No MrDJ its the first time I've ever claimed any disability benefit so i'm really shocked

It's been awarded for 3 years but i thought if i got anything at all at the most i'd get it for 2 years so i'm ecstatic at the moment :P

I used the benefits and work website for advice and also a personal friend who had just been through the process helped too. I also did a lot of surfing on here too 8)

My biggest tip would be not to got to the medical assessment (if you need one) alone.

Thank you everyone once again

villier

Congratulations Mell so so pleased for you must be a weight of your mind.....................Marie x

bubbadog

Congrats!! And money backdated that's even better it's like a big red bow wrapped round!! I better you feel relived now.

toady

Oh well done delighted for you, it obviously went better than you expected, so pleased. From current news it rather seems as though the days of Atos are teetering to some sort of end.. can only hope any future system is not frying pan/fire.

Three cheers for your result.

mellivenelli

Thanks everyone!

I'm still in shock and don't quite believe it.

I've looked at my award letter umpteen times to check I haven't made some kind of mistake

I'm so happy.

I just think though the way a lot of people have been treated is disgusting.

I'm hoping that this gives hope to others xx

ritwren

I'm delighted for you, it's so good to hear that someone has gotten it. Apart from bringing someone with you do you have any tips for us.
Well done.
Ritwren.

toady

Asking to have your assessment recorded is definitely my top tip (just to put my oar in here even though the question wasn't addressed to me) and doing as much research as you can stomach beforehand, there are very good guides on how to fill in the ESA50 on the net to help you avoid pitfalls. Failing a past IB medical by falling short in how I filled in an IB50 taught me a lot.