I have a medical on Wednesday at the DWP - ATOS will be doing it. I'm not sure why I need to go as I am working full time (not sure how though!). I had an acident at work last October and I ended up with a fractured skull, whip lash and the fibro is much worse now. I have just gone back to work after being off sick for 8 weeks and am still on reduced hours for a couple more weeks. The letter states they have decided it was an industrial injury and want to know how it affects my work. What do I say? Yes, I am really struggling, by the time I go home my neck and shoulder are burning and don't want to move, I can barely walk because my back just gets worse as the day goes on, I have headaches every day andf I am more than exhausted. Even if I tell them this, what do they need to know for? I am not claiming any benefits (the forms put me off completely - I wouldn't know where to start!) so what will I be going there for? I am already feeling anxious about having to travel to a place I've never been to before. I also have Crohn's and don't like to go anywhere new because I don't know where the toilets are if I should need them urgently. If anyone can throw any light on this for me, I'd be very grateful.
lots of gentle hugs to everyone. xx
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blue-eyes
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Its because its an indusrtrial injury nothing to worry about they will asses how bad uts left u u may get a benefit if they think its bad enough its better to have ut registered in case u have problems later on this happened to me good luck x
It could be as suggested that you are entitled to have this logged as an industrial accident this is useful as my father damaged his back in 1963 and had it recorded as an Industrial Injury when he was medically retired in 1988 due to a worsening of the problems he had suffered as a result of this injury he was awarded a higher rate of benefit.
Do you receive DLA if so they may take this medical into account when reassessing you
Thanks Crissy & onhereagain - you've both made me feel more comfortable about goimng. It's just a shame they don't explain these things when they send out the appointment letters
Thanks again
It is definitely worth going, as you may well get some benefit, which will help if you find you cannot work., or even if you can!
I get this, not much, because I had existing problems, but every little helps, good luck, I found them to be very kind and thorough, unlike for other benefits!
Mynhusband had a car crash when travelling between sites at work and he gets industrial injuries benefit for life. So go. It maybe they will assess you again in the future to see if your injuries are worse. Remember this is not an ESA claim so hopefully ATOS will be more sympathetic to you.
Hi blue eyes so sorry to hear what you've been through !!! How your working I don't know !!!! What you said about the sick forms has made my blood boil! You SHOULD BE ON THE SICK ! You shouldn't have to worry about forms ! Please take the forms to citizen advise
They are amazing at helping us fibromyalgia sufferers , with all your illnesses you are entitled to claim , the d.w.p. are relying on people with genuine illnesses to not be able to fill in forms and there fore not claiming and then not being a number in the system!!!!! It then looks as if the government are improving the benefit system ! When the reality is scrounges are still scrounging and the poor ill people are to ill and to tired to keep filling in forms !!! The new system is picking on the defenceless !!!!!!!!! The benefit scrounges are quite able to keep filling in forms and going to interviews without any trouble !!!! But we are so worried about having to justify being us !!!! I was at an interview the other day and I had to explain what fibromyalgia is and what it does to a person how it makes us feel so lost and frightened she told me that I was the nicest customer Shes had and how sorry she feels for Me !!! Then I later received a letter from d.w.p. saying they were putting me on the benefit that helps you back into work !!!!!! I am now appealing !!!! I feel like giving up but I need the money or I would !!! That's what they want from me !
So please blue eyes if you are not well enough you must claim !!!!!
Sorry to go on I don't want to worry anyone I just want people not to give in !!!!!!
Keep warm out there luv to all you fibros out there Xx
Thank you for your advice, Allpainedout - I will go to CAB as you suggested. it's 13 years overdue and you're so right. The scroungers do seem to know every trick in the book to get the benefits yet the genuine calimants are made to jump through hoops.Good luck with your appeal, I can't believe these people who have no idea what it's like to live with fibro and other chronic illnesses but can play God with us. I wouldn't wish this n my worst enemy and I don't understand why they make claiming so difficult and then knock people back, knowing full well they are going to have to appeal and that they will be going through bucketloads of stress in the meantime! That's why I'm still working! I don't have the strength to fight these people and have them decide my financial future. I am in so much pain at the end of the day, but I have to keep doing it. On really bad days, I take the day off as holiday leave - my firm is cracking down on sickness absences so much that if i take more than 6 days sick in a year, I will get a Stage 1 Disciplinary. And if I take more sickness after that, then it goes to Stage 2 & 3 then the sack! I think they call it Catch 22!
By the way, where are the jobs for people they are throwing off benefits saying they can work? All I hear about is redundancies. Even where I work, there's been loads of redundancies and will be more over the next 2 years! This Govt is a joke - unfortunately, not a funny one.
I'll keep everything crossed for you and that you win your appeal. Please let me know how you get on? xx
Hi blue-eyes the reason I think they make it all so hard is because there are some unscrupulous people out there who fill in forms for a living and take every benefit that is availiable! What annoys me is if you work for years like we all have then can't get help the ones with no commitment and no work for years,due to not wanting to work,are proberbly so up to date with the benefits that they walk it !!
I know one particular person never worked a day in her life and they never saved,her OH was on 50grand a year and they ended up on benefits, both have houses paid for and all the benefits and DLA etc etc and think they are entitled to it. Then I see her walking about with trash,shopping and furniture. Yet people who really need the support can't even manage to sort out the forms esp; with Fibro Fog.
Good luck I hope you get all the help you need. We went through the CAB and they were great even came to the house as my OH could not go to them due to ill health.
Thanks Rainbowdancer, I totally agree with you. I've met a couple of people like that over the years and they just laugh at everyone who genuinely struggles. It makes me mad because they seem to know how to get everything they want - it's almost like a career with them! I'm going to take your advice (and other's on this forum) and go to CAB to see if they can help me fill in the DLA form. Fingers crossed, I just might get somewhere then.
Thanks Lucyw, you've given me hope because I have always read that those with Crohn's always get knocked back whenever they've applied for DLA and have had to appeal everytime. And then I read how difficult it is for fibro sufferers to claim DLA too so it's really good to hear you were successful and if you can do it, then so can I......xx
im sorry im having a thick day, are you saying that youve got to go to atos because you claiming industrial injuries.....i also been having that for yrs now, and thought thats the only thing i dont have to fight for. as ive been fighting for d.l.a. and been put on to e.s.a surport group............. xx
What you may need to consider is if you have been working you would've paid tax's and national ins's, you may find that this can continue to be paid by the goverment which will help keep your pension paid while you are unable to work. For some time when I became unable to work they would assess me even though I wasn't rec'g any benefits and that was the reason behind it. I hope this may be of help to you. Mels.x
ask your GP to give you a letter to say you are unfit to travel and why.Then ring the contact number on the top of the letter that DWP/ATOS sent you and tell them that you can't attend and why and that you will be sending a drs note.They will cancel your appointment and make another for them to come to your home to do the medical.Also go to citizens advice re other benefits.Hope this helps x
Many thanks to everyone for all your help. You are amazing and I am completely overwhelmed at how many of you have written in to offer me help and advice. I feel much better about going to the appointment tomorrow - even though still a bit nervous! Thank you all again. And thanks to LindseyMid for the link to fibroaction.org. I found it really useful.
Hi blue eyes so pleased I could be some use to you , to answer the question about where are the jobs for us , they know we can't work so we drop into the abys !!! No claiming and no work so we are no longer a number on the benefit list ! You must decide for yourself how much longer you can work , I know it's hard to finish its very upsetting to have to admit that you can't do it any longer !!! But your body will tell you it can't cope !!! Any help I can be please just ask , I've been through it all !!! But this time they are just picking on us because they hope we won't fight back !!!!! But we should all stand up and maybe somebody with a bit of sence will change this system !!! How about interviewing all the people between they age of 20 and 40 who's never worked before not someone who's worked 30yrs plus paid stamp all those yrs where is the sence init ?????
Sorry to go on but I feel so strongly , take care out there x
I know this may be unrelated to your medical assessment but a little info on the assessors!
ATOS and CAPITA are well known Occupational Health Medical Assessors.
I have experienced both now and at this moment in time, my impression of ATOS was far higher up the scale than that of CAPITA.
CAPITA I understand are being given the new PIP assessments and believe me, I am really worried as a report made after I had to challenge a medical assessment made by CAPITA has now made me want to contact the GMC, which they are all supposed to belong to…
The room I went into was cramped and claustrophobic, 'stuff' was everywhere. I happened to mention this in my response….
The Doctor wrote back on his report that there was plenty of room for me to manoeuvre my wheel chair in the room!!!
He also said they even put down a ramp for me to get up their steps!
All lies.. I walked in there, using one crutch and also saw no ramp, I had the help of my OH and the crutch to get up their couple of steps. They even had the cheek to say they opened the door for me! All lies, but the worst thing is they have basically said that as my version of events don't add up to theirs so I am the one who is lying!
I do have a wheel chair but it wasn't used that day, I wanted him to see how well or not as the case may be, that I can walk.
What credibility can any doctor have when he can't even tell if I had legs or wheels!
I have never been so insulted in my whole life and he is now being believed over me….. they all stick together and I don't know which way to turn.
I have now got to find out how I can take this further. This isn't for any benefit claim so the CAB here are unable to help me. I asked for their help initially. I think its an employment lawyer I need, but I can't afford to go down that line.
But all I can say is that my experience with ATOS was completely the opposite, more professional, clean uncluttered room, i was shown respect. Irrespective of the outcome, my experience of ATOS was far better. xx
I am so sorry to hear about your awful experience. Capita should have a complaints procedure and if you are not satisfied with their response, then the GMC would be your best bet. Most doctors are highly professional but unfortunately, as in a lot of other professions, there are always one or two bad apples in the barrel - and you seem to have found one. Can you not ask for the medical to be repeated but by a different doctor? Or some solicitors will give you a free first consultation which might point you in the right direction. If it is to do with employment, are you in a union? If so, they may be able to help. If none of those options are of any use, all you can do is appeal the decision if it doesn't go the way you know it should.
Good luck and I hope all works out well for you. xx
It all started when I phoned where I worked to enquire at what age I could claim my pension that is due at age 60, but I understood from someone else that it could be claimed early, just didn't know when.
It was when I told them I haven't been able to work all these years due to health, they told me I should claim early.
I wished I hadn't even bothered. Its too long ago now they couldn't even trace my staff records, so to try and remember my job description even back then has been hell. I have to prove somehow that I can no longer do my former job.
I've spent the whole of today with OH photocopying about 300 sheets of documents. Just got to print of copies of email communication to go with it and am sending it off to the Pensions Advisory Service now. i haven't got anything to lose as i cant prove with any more evidence, apart from sign in blood!!
I doubt i will get through the final part of the appeal, and the complaint is just a joke. i was thinking of contacting the GMC as they still have to be registered as occupational health doctors.
I guess now it doesn't matter how many complaints i make if they aren't going to pay it out, I may as well just continue to annoy them for a bit longer…. yep, i think I already am getting on their nerves, but I wont have them call me a liar.
Just the same as with benefit claims, they wont take any notice of my GP who knows me better than they do. Unfortunately, i have multi conditions as such so no one consultant will confirm what they want to know, am I likely to work again. If GP says no, why will they not listen. He is the one who prescribes all the meds each month, if he thought for one minute he could get me off them surely he would be doing what he could as it would save them money.
Thanks for caring though, it really means a lot xxx
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