In pain go away and leave me Aloooone.............ATOS Pppftt##

[hobbbllliiingaround]

Second one this year on Monday, in there an hour and a half....nice lady but obviously a job to do, she wasn't alone think she was in training.....rather too friendly. Now a stressful time waiting too hear AGAIN...not holding my breath..In my humble opinion..I think that all this go here-go there humiliation--stress--belittlement--is making my illness worse than it has been for a long time. I am sick and tired of it all....and from what I gather even if you are the one in a million that gets ESA it is constant re-assessing.. I have had to cancel just about everything in my life from insurance to the window cleaner...am buying all I can in the reduced crap section at the supermarket..and I still cannot make ends meet. Yet the powers that be treat us like we are having a ball on the pittance given....I did not choose a life of pain & poverty and would love to see those making the decisions cope with the horrors of this disease and live on such a pitiful amount ...........it goes against human rights being treated this way I am sure.............rant over hope every one is well..xx

[grumpyoldwoman]

Hiya hun

Know exactly how you feel - recently been turned down for esa after appeal so going through the new claim waiting game again - no money again for christmas as last year as they left me with no benefit over last christmas- am fed up living on own brands or 3 for 1 offers. Been doing that for years and cant even pay my bills at mo so no doubt gona have to open threatening letters soon bah humbug!!

I had been putting a couple of pounds away from my pittance as not relying on winning appeal and getting 13 months backpay - but had had to break into that for bills.

So christmas is on hold again, not that I usually have a wild day - just would be nice to sit down to a nice dinner once in a while.

Totally agree with you, belittling, intimidation and accusations all for a paltry amount which we have to practically beg for- stress levels have risen so much had my anti d,s upped and just don't know how long I can keep this up without having a breakdown or losing my home.

All we want is to be treated as human beings not numbers on a list - my illness was a result of a car crash caused by drunk driver - he served his ban and is getting on with his life - Im stuck in limbo through no fault of my own battling against a government who are corrupt, mps claiming for expenses I only wish I could afford.

I don't go out, don't drink, don't smoke, don't take drugs (beside prescribed) don't go out and batter little old ladies or mug anyone yet I feel like something on the bottom of someones shoes - its just not fair.

This atos (dontgiveatoss) is flawed so much that sick people are killing themselves or losing their homes.

I guess I will be needing food parcels soon - oh the shame - never asked for anything off anyone is my whole life yet am reduced to this so I totally have so much sympathy with you

and my heart goes out to you.

Luv n hugs hun xxx

Rant ova lol.

[hobbbllliiingaround in reply to grumpyoldwoman]

I soooo totally agree Christmas this year is just reallly not happening, I have always loved this time of year, until the last couple, now I dread it. I have given my family loads of notice of this and also asked those who I know will still buy me something that it has to be practical or edible.....I feel terrible....Me too on the cheapest stuuf in the shop..minimal meals..reduced...tried some home grown but this years summer that did not happen put paid to my ...tomatoes and anything else I managed to put in a pot. I am sure this just cannot be right.................Hugs back to ya xxx

[bumblebee57]

I dont know about you 2, but im having the time of my life, eating steak every day and drinking fine wines, jetting off to Jamaica next week for the winter......oh sorry, i was in my own little fantasy world again,lol. I totally agree with you both, you do have to almost beg for the pittance we're supposed to live on. Im on my 2nd round of ESA now, so I await the coming assessment again. Ive had to phone them again today because my benefit was "suspended" due to questions about my permitted work, which I was told I had to stop because Ive worked for 52 weeks, which is the allowed time. Ive actually worked for 22 months and no one noticed,lol. They said the suspension has been lifted but someone hasnt done their job AGAIN, and not told the system to pay me. I spoke to someone last weds who said I would get a payment in 2or3 days......OR NOT ??..... They really annoy me that none of them work off the same page, so all info would be the same and you know where you are too. Also that some of their people "forget" to put info into your file which messes everything up, then YOU are left dangling, cold hungry and uninformed and its always US that has to chase them up. Theyve just phoned me back and apparently I will be paid by friday. All this is doing my head in. Its costing tax payers a fortune to make us go round in circles with this stupid system. I read somewhere yesterday, that the cost of appeals has already outweighed the cost of them paying the few fraudsters. Somrthing has got to give....soon. good luck to you both

[hobbbllliiingaround in reply to bumblebee57]

Hi bumlebee37

I had similar problem with my first re-assessment -Tribunal August- Was not sure what to do and ended up a month without any money going in. Yet every time I spent 3 hours on the phone I kept being told the money had gone in. I was saying to them ' I have my account here on my lap top and it hasn't gone in' Eventually they said Oh sorry there has been a mistake....No you aren't getting paid!!!!!! I had my land lord on my back..I only have a fortnight of non-payment and he can evict me..!! I went to my local council office for some reason and the lady I saw got my rent paid immediately and put me on the right path to re-apply for the ESA....Just had another Atos meet up (awaiting a letter).I find it so annoying that the people answering the phone at Job centre plus or whatever have no idea what they are doing. This isn't pocket money we're talking about its... starve time ........x

[bumblebee57 in reply to hobbbllliiingaround]

Im so sorry you've been yet another victim. the 3 hour phone calls, just for them to tell you a load of crap, are not refundable. so while they are dilly dallying about and making mistakes, YOU are paying for it. my monthly contract phone bill is £10.50 but its been way higher than that and its all calls to DWP/ESA. so you either have to find the money from somewhere,which means something else suffers, or let them forget about you. I spoke to a lady at the council once and she was very helpful. But i neither have the energy or state of mind to keep chasing the DWP/ESA. good luck for the future.xx

[Ozzygirl64]

I heard something today about the Universal credit payments, so I have just been to the DWP site to see what it is all about. And this is what I found:-

It will be launched in 2013 and will replace:

income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Income Support

Child Tax Credits

Working Tax Credits

Housing Benefit.

And this will be paid monthly like salary which is absolutely ludicrous. So for me on Income Support, I would have to feed my electric and gas metres for one month and then hope I do not run out before I get paid again. It says it is for those on low income and those out of work and will stop fraud etc. So here we go again. I would advise for anyone on here to check out the DWP site and prepare yourseoves for what is to come. I give up with this government and I think the big three are the bad three and should be consigned to the dustbin. Hope I have not offended anyone xxxxx

[hobbbllliiingaround in reply to Ozzygirl64]

Thanks for the heads up on this I am going to have a good read, not that there seems to be anything that can be done anymore............I feel depressed at the way people are being treated....I am very thankful for the small family that I have ( as embarrassing as it is) I do not know how people without family are getting through this. My best meals of the week are the ones my daughter invites me to share....xxxx

[Ozzygirl64 in reply to hobbbllliiingaround]

Like you I have family I can rely on so it makes it easier for me to deal with. But there are so many people out there who are going it solo and this is wrong. The fact they are on there own allows the government to class it as 'they look after themselves so therefore are capable'. What is not being seen is the fact that fibro is an ongoing illness and it never gets better. The government needs to look into any illness properley and learn to understand what any given illness is about. Just because you may put your laundry through one day, does not mean you can do it seven days a week xxxxx

[bumblebee57 in reply to Ozzygirl64]

So more messing about with our lives and sanity. I thought Income support was done away with? I was on Income support up to 2010 as long term sick and they told me it had to be changed to ESA. I think theyre trying to confuse us all to death.xx

[Ozzygirl64 in reply to bumblebee57]

No, IS is still going as tops ups for people on low income, but that will go before long. I was on Incapacity Benefit until the ESA came in xxxxx