ATOS assessments ruled unfair and discriminatory

[_BLADESMAN_]

I have mental health problems (depression). I took ATOS on and won. I still can't believe I did it, it was the last thing I needed at the time and still don't know how I managed it. It was hard, upsetting, demoralising, I felt they were calling me a liar. I just thought to myself I've got nothing to lose, just go and be truthful. When I got out of there, I burst into tears, I was so relieved

 

 

I fear I soon will be walking in your shoes. To describe how I feel about having to talk about my condition (also depression) at my ATOS interview doesn't bear thinking about. It petrifies me to think about it. And what if I don't come across as being truthful? All this just piles on the agony of being depressed

[iansheff]

It is disgusting the way this Government has decided a one rule fits all people and going back to work. I have read this article today http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/linda-wootton-double-heart-lung-1912498 and the poor woman received a letter saying she was fit for work as she lay dying in hospital.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “Our sympathy goes out to Mrs Wootton’s family. A decision on whether someone is well enough to work is taken following a thorough assessment and after consideration of all supporting medical evidence.”

 

Just shows how wrong they got it in her case.

[Mister M]

It is disgusting the way this Government has decided a one rule fits all people and going back to work. I have read this article today http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/linda-wootton-double-heart-lung-1912498 and the poor woman received a letter saying she was fit for work as she lay dying in hospital.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “Our sympathy goes out to Mrs Wootton’s family. A decision on whether someone is well enough to work is taken following a thorough assessment and after consideration of all supporting medical evidence.”

 

Just shows how wrong they got it in her case.

 

If they were truly sympathetic they would do something to ensure that this situation doesn't occur again. But it does keep happening again and again.

How can so called medical experts (not healthcare assistants with a Mims booklet) find that a woman drowning in her own bodily fluids is 'fit for work'?

I wonder if the 'payment by results' are too tempting for ATOS staff to refuse?

Our hearts go to the family indeed!!!

[liza D]

I have heard that quiet a few doctors are on the Atos payroll and will not give their own patients the sick notes required for the appeals. If patients don't have their doctors support what chance have they got against this awful scheme?

[sheff1johnny]

the government picks on the disabled, as starbucks, vodafone, and all the other tax evaders can hire top solicitors. Disabled people have to rely on CAB, legal aid is being scrapped for appeals, Ian Duncan Smith has misled the British public for too long. Atos needs scrapping, as does the WCA, which only a coma patient could pass, but would fail as they couldn't attend the medical. the people who do the assesments recieve around three weeks training, they have only to have worked in the NHS for three years, and have basic computer skills. Should physios be deciding if someone has schizophrenia, should a midwife decide if someone has COPD? Probably not, but the truth is coming out, albeit slowly.

[liza D]

They have done nothing to help with the transition of those who are forced to go back to work and since there are no jobs to sign on for jobseekers, which you can only do if you are 100% fit to go back to work. If you tell them or your doctors "return to work" note tells them that you can only do certain jobs,hours, then they won't let you make the claim. It's a ruddy farce, which is going to course people to end up losing their homes as when the sick benefits stop so do the housing/community charge benefits.

 

Just what are these people supposed to live on if there are no jobs for them and they are not allowed to claim ANY benefits???

[sheff1johnny]

atos should be made at the end of a medical report, which jobs they feel people could do. If any decision is overturned on appeal they should have to pay the court costs, I bet the decision would be right in the first place more often.

[sheff1johnny]

If anyone is wanting to challenge an atos decission, might be interested in this. These are the statistics for the Sheffield office.

 

Between October 2008 and November 2012 (the latest data available), 28,100 claimants

underwent a face to face Work Capability Assessment (WCA) as part of their Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claim at the Sheffield Medical Examination Centre.

Of these, 12% were placed in the Support Group

and 30% were placed in the Work Related Activity Group.

The remaining 58% were found Fit for Work.

 

So only 12 people out of every hundred even have a chance, and these figures are probably generous as they include figures before the assesment lost many descriptors.

[sheff1johnny]

i filled in my esa50 form, refused to put a phone number down.

i asked for the medical to be perfomed by a doctor who could speak english.

i asked for a home visit.

they wrote to my doctor, probably hoping that i'd made something up. doctor told them to leave me alone. surprisingly they did.

i was placed into support group for a minimum of 3 years. make life difficult for them. they give in, in the end! Took 4 months, but shows you can beat them

[Anna B]

Because these issues only affect a minority of people, there is never going to be a public outcry, in fact, because of media propaganda, the public's attitude to the disabled seems to have hardened against them.

 

But for the people involved these issues can be life shattering. Like it's not bad enough being disabled, now they have all this added stress, no support, and a need to justify their very existance.

 

It's so wrong.

 

I hope healthy people remember that anyone can become seriously disabled in the blink of an eye. Try a bit of empathy, it could happen to you.