ATOS - Feeling nervous, any advise?

[Claris1]

Afternoon All my fellow fibro warriors, i have an ATOS assessment on 20th June and i am getting nervous to say the least as i have read mixed reviews about them.

I was recently made redundant, I am waiting for a knee op and my blood pressure needs to get a grip. My doctor has signed me off sick saying that i am not fit for work and to a certain degree i'm not, but part of me feels like a bit of a fraud, as i was working full time, until i was made redundant. However since i have stopped working everything seems to have flared up. I'm not sleeping well as my dreams are sooooooo active that i feel exhausted by the time i wake up. Its getting to the point where i am having a nanna nap mid morning so that i can function for when my daughter comes home from school, (She is only 9 and i am also a single parent, her father has no input). I want to go back to work, but i want to do it after i have had my knee op, but i have no idea how i will respond to the pain in my leg as its bad enough as it is. I do have crutches but i don't use them as i don't want to rely on them until i really need to. My daughter is insisting that i get a walking stick, as my knee has a habit of giving way, and i have a tendency to be quite vocal with the expletives, as its frustrating and sore to say the least.

My pain management nurse feels that i need to up my medication as she believes that i am becoming used to the level of pain killers that i am currently on. I have also just applied for PIP, can anyone also help/advise me on that one as i thought i was receiving DLA, but it turns out that i was only receiving the disability working element.

Sorry for the moan and if my message is confusing i have a headache that would put king kong to shame.

Thanks for all your help

[TheAuthor]

Hi Claris1

I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you possibly can be today? I have pasted you a link to the ATOS website, whereby they explain what to expect and what happens etc with their services, so I hope that you find this useful:

atoshealthcare.com/

I have not personally undergone anything of this sort, so I do not personally know what to expect. However, try to be yourself and do not allow them to try and get you to do things that you cannot do. Tell them directly if you cannot perform any tasks they may expect of you.

I also want to wish you all the best of luck with your operation, I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken x

[Claris1]

Thanks Ken

[hamble99b]

get supporting letters from you gp, consultant, physio etc... copy them and send them to the address on your assessment letter (recorded delivery if you can)

also copy and include letters/ app'ts for your knee op and pain clinic.

don't buy a walking stick. it's better to ask your physio/ot/gp for an arm crutch , which can be fitted to your height and needs .

[bren876]

Hi please dont worry to much easier said than done i know..

Just take hambles advice and get all your letters sent off.

Befofe i had mine i checked as many web sites as i could and made a list of all the things that i needed to say so i was ready when they asked my questions.

I also took copies of letters from doctors with me just incase they did'nt have them.

Lol as the scouts say BE PREPARED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its not really as bad as you think it will be, i didnt expect to get anything but i scored 10 points.

Good luck we are all with you, any help you need just shout....

I've got my ESA assessment on friday and i'm already nervous and scared but we dont go in the room on our own we take an army of fibro friends best wishes and support with us

Gentle sunshine hugs.

Viv xxx

[dobie62]

Hi there,

i had mine just 2 weeks ago after waiting 1year for appointment. the best advice i can give is that you MUST request that the assessment is recorded. this is for your benefit, this means that they cannot spew their lies. also you should and i advise that you do is take someone with you. if you go alone they then judge that you have no problem getting around yourself have no problems facing people you dont know etc. when you get there request your travelling expence as this is the start of a paper trail to say that you attended. you will notice when you have been signed in and you take a seat that there are little orbes on the ceiling theses are remote camers so that they can watch what you are doing while you are waiting. if you have said that you cannot sit/stand for more that 20 mins make sure that you move around. they tell you to be there 10mins befor appointment but they will keep you waiting longer than that this is so that they can again observe you. during assessment you will be askled to do some basic movements, if you cannot do these without pain during or after tell them that you cannot s they cannot force you to do them, but make sure you say that you cannot and not just shake head it has to be picked up on recording. dont think assessment is over once you leave that room it is not they will observe you while leaving the room and leaving the building.

after the assessment you should ring your JCP and request a copyof the medical report would do that the following day. once you have received you out come letter and if yoou do not agree then request reconsiderataion and put in a SAR request for all paper work used during your assessment this is important incase it has to go to appeal.

hope everything goes well and i will keep fingers crossed.

kind regards

janet

[Claris1]

Hi everyone, what is JCP and SAR?

I also have a problem that i am to independent and i don't like being a burden on anyone as im sure none of you do. My family have offered to help, but i have declined as they have worked hard enough to have their own time without them helping me. I more or less do everything on my own as i feel crowded with other people around, and my sense of intelligence goes out of the window. I think this will hinder my application, which i why i am asking for help.

How does an independent person, who suffers with daily pain and wouldn't have a very good day if i didn't take my daily medication, which, by the way is needing to be increased on the request of my pain management nurse, I also received my PiP application form today and i have made an appointment to see a group who helps disabled people, and they will help me with my form. I know i am not a fraud by any stretch of the imagination, but i'm worried that they will only see what they want to see, and that they will think i am trying to pull a fast one :/

[dobie62 in reply to Claris1]

hi there,

sorry i should have put full title, JCP - job center plus. SAR - cannot remember full title but is where you put in request for all information the decision maker used to assess your case, to see if you belong in Support Group or Work Related Activity Group or if your claim has been denied and you have to sign on for unemployment benefit.

This information is invaluable to your self so make sure you request this.

janet

[Kirby in reply to Claris1]

Not many people are frauds, only a tiny percentage. Unfortunately the government rhetoric and the media want the general population to believe otherwise. It doesn't help with all these benefits programmes being aired either which further reinforce this myth It is really difficult if you are trying to be independent. Unfortunately you'll get no brownie points for that but if they think you're laying it on with a trowel you can't win either, such is the nature of the beast! But don't be stoical with your assessors, you need to tell it like it is. If they think they can get you off benefits they will.

[Claris1]

At the moment i don't belong in any group that i am aware of, i haven't been informed of anything, other than to attend this appointment next Friday. I take it they will try and pull the wool over my eyes and see what they can get away with?