I had my assessment a few years ago, and it made me feel like I was a fraud!.
The same qustions were asked, which are on the screen and are set questions; not tailored to what you have at all - you could have for instance a ongoing leg problem and the same would be asked. It is all about mobility, not about what you suffer.
I was assessed by someone who could barely speak English.
I was turned down originally, and then appealed, as when I told them I did competitions as a way of keeping my mind fresh and keep my mind off my pain and fatigue, apparently that constituted my being able to be more mobile, as I could go to the post office or my local post box to post my cards and stuff! and put me in the work related ESA.
I do have DLA and have done for years, but you don't get assessed for that - it is based on what information you give, and that of your doctor, and/or hospital consultant.
I wish you loads of luck and I sincerely hope you get it, without having to appeal. They have to pay you still, so you won't be left out, if they put you in the work related part of ESA.
I feel like a fraud too, they seem to have the ability to make you feel guilty even though you have done nothing wrong.
I am not expecting to get the benefit awarded I am fully expecting to go to appeal, I have already started planning for it trouble is it is making me stressed which is making me worse health wise,
Soft hugz back,
hiya yes ours was a nurse and english she seemed nice at first.then after a while she made me cry with frustration when answering questions and doing some lifting arms etc.
i went away feeling like a fraud and she was smiling.they have no idea at all.good luck.x
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Hi Sammy,
Why do they (dla and esa examiners) ask you to lift up your arms and put them behind your back, and touch your toes and look at you like a cross teacher, if you say you cant?, and the last examiner I had was lovely always smiling, but still stabbed me in the back, do they know no bounderies that they'll go to to fail us all?, if they had their way they'd put us in a camp, and throw us a scrap of bread, when the felt like it, would'nt it be a good poster for a campaign about it? xx
It frustrates me so that they make us stressed and that make us worse, but unless we show our symptoms by 'playing up to the camera' then we are stuck.
I get go pissed off with the system. We are different; we have MS and FM symtoms which are hard to diagnose enough without messing us about.
Luckily I pushed hard enough to to Guys Hospital and get proper assessments. I am allowed to have now CBT Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, physiotherapy and self help with learning how to regiment my life more. ie eat at same times,, go to bed same times, get up same times... its involved.
If you want the real help, push your Doctor to all you to go Guys Hospital where they have dedicated specialists to assist..
My G.P informed me that Kent NHS only have one clinic for Chronic Fatigue and Fibro in Maidstone and it has a one year waiting list!
When I asked G.P if I could be referred to a London NKHS Hospital instead with a shorter wait list my G.P informed me Kent NHS won't fund Kent patients to go outside the county for this.
I am now looking into going down a Private clinic route for some much needed help.
Tina do you mind if I ask you a question?, I was at a wrag metting in our local dhss, the week before last, and the girl asked me if I needed any help with anything, after sympathising with me over fibro etc, and saying it was very dibilliating, and I said, that one of the things I'd love to have help with is cbt, so she said she could arrange that, the last time I was there, (last year), I was told that occupational therapists come into there every week and take over 3 rooms and if I liked I could go to them and see if they could help me, so I thought she was talking about the same, but today I got a letter headlined HSC, (Hospital group), and asking me to ring for an appointment, down town (Belfast) for a condition management programme, signed by a physiotherapist, I looked them up on the net and they offered all sorts of help, the only thing that made me suspicious, was that before I left the DHSS, the girl said that after Id finished there I might feel like going back to work, now my son thinks it's a trick, is that the same thing you went to in Guys?, or similar?, I dont know if Id be well enough to go there every week anyway, my son thinks its a trick by the dole, do you think it is? xxx
Hi Claire. I went onto a conditional management program two years ago, what a laugh! A Doctor from Bupa sat with a form and asked me questions about what I could do and what I couldnt do. Every time I said i couldnt do certain things he said yes you can if you try! I know what the bloody hell I can and cant do, I dont need any flippin Doc that I have never met before in my life tellin me that, also they kept ringin me all the time askin how I was and what i had achieved that day! You sit in a class room and they tell you about healthy eatin and stuff like that. THEY make you feel guilty like you shouldnt be ill and why are you tired you should be up and runnin about! One day I had had enough with what they were tellin me what I should do, I got very upset and this women sat right in front of me and said put it behind you now you can move on and get better! WHAATTTT?? If you dont go to them they will stop your benefit, I was told that on mornins when I had taken my meds and expected to drive the 9miles to get there, when I wasnt safe to drive, again I was told I could have got a taxi. With what i asked, I had very little to live on!! Its a farse jus another gov cover up to put in the media that people are gettin themselves back to work! Sorry for the rant but it makes me so cross, when they all know to well that we cant work, not when we sleep 24/7, cant walk, cant clean, cant live a normal life with our other halfs! If it was all in a book peeps would say thats not true! Wish I knew how I could try and change the situation but sadly I dont
Thanks for replying, I've just come on today some days I'm too unwell to sit down at my computer, you know what I mean,
Anyway what was I going to say? it went out of my head (of course), oh yes I was going to say when I was at the wrag meeting at the dole, she actually suggested the meeting with that company that torture you to get better (maybe they have some holy water from lourdes, not that I'm blaspheming), She did not say I had to go, do you think she was going to make me go if I didn't say I did need cognitive help?,, just wondering, I didn't think you had to go because she told me I didnt? I will ring her up on Monday and tell her I'm too unwell to go and that I agreed to it by a mistake, so wish me luck on that account, when that letter came I wasn't so sure, anyway I will let you know what she says, thanks, that was an awful experience you had there, Gee (trying not to cus),how did you get yourself out of it, it must have been really awful,
Hope you have a restful night and a good day tomorrow, God bless and take care xxxxxxx
My ATOS assessment was a sham it was for DLA. There was a good blog on here from someone who had a story about arthritis sufferer with ATOS report. He had said he couldnt do the simplest of physical things and told them "are you trying to make me be in pain" He passed. Be warned foreign or not (and like you mine was) they will write a totally fictitious report that bears no resemblance to your capabilities. Mine actually wrote that he believed I had a disease of the mind that made me live like a disabled person, as there were no clinical reasons for my health. He was offered a dossier some 5 inches thick on specialists reports for ftbro, PTSD, IBS,PHN etc. and declined to even look. These people have no ethics or morals or they wouldnt be able to do such a sham of a job.
When you get your results, fight them all the way.
Best of luck and dont give up, we are all behind you and here all the way.
I waited 10 months for my DLA tribunal, it was also a sham due to GP comments. A GP change later and a 3 month wait for the tribunal notes, I am still waiting to be able to overturn them on "a pont of law". I have my first welfare worker appointment at the CAB next week, and a solicitors one booked for when I have the notes.
Lots of warm hugz and remember, your future is NOT in their hands, take it back and fight back.
You can always rely on someone like your local postie to bring you a smile! Keep smiling darling, everything will work out as it's supposed to, even if that's not what you want at the time - everything will work out perfectly in the end
sorry to hear of all ur feelings about the interviews.. i not had one yet i am on incapacity but expect to be called up soon.. i have had it for incapacity years ago, but my brother in law who is very ill with emphysemia has told me all about the interviews as he been called up alot.. anway..... let me think.... i think there the frauds....... they make u feel so belittled and make u question ur own illness when u know ur ill... who in there right minds would want to feel like this everyday 24/7... and as for the questions they ask.... yes we might able to turn our hands over or lift them up.. but... when we leave the office.. we are in pain... we have to fight this together.. somehow..... they make me so made which then stresses me out and i get sore.. or the stress makes me fatigue.... so to all of you who are suffering with this i just want to send u a gentle hug xxx
Thanks diane63 it's nice to know that everyone is supporting each other.
It is hard because as you say the stress makes us all worse, I am having quite a bad flare up now waiting for the result of the assessment to come.
I am of course expecting to not get the result I need so I will be ready for it when it happens, if on the other hand should I get the result it will be so good I will feel better I hope!
Gentle hugz to everyoneXx
I was thinking of doing the same I have RLS and Tinates My doctors told me that the authority's have too consult your doctors you don't do it your self I you got a long history there should not be a problem
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