As I have said on here last week. I have been placed in the work related activity group following my ATOS medical. Well I have just received a letter informing me that my first interview is on the 4th of April. I do have an appointment this Thursday with CAB regarding my appeal to be placed into the support group.
However, I was wondering if anyone else has any experience of what to expect at the interview as I would appreciate some inside information.
Thanks to all who answer.
Hugs
Nikki xx
Written by
scorpiolady22
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I don't know. I never thought it. but i have to go through it again this year as they want to get you off the ESA and on job seekers. good luck with your appeal xx
If its a work focused return to work interview because you are in WRAG? Its nothing to worry about.
I attended one last week & was just asked had my circumstances improved any since my assessment? I said no & she just checked all the information on her computer screen for me was correct & said "See you in another 3 years if you dont feel better".
I was so happy because I'd got myself into a bit of a state about it. Talk about relief!
Hi scorpiolady, yes i had mine in Febuary, nice young lady interviewed me, she asked me why did i think i was there, i said you are going to cure me and get me a job, she told me it's not about getting me a job it's about helping you with any problems that i have with a view to getting me back to work, she asked me about my illnesses and said ATOS told them i have a trapped nerve in my elbow and a touch of arthritis, so i then reeled all of the things wrong with me, she then said because they are so busy they would pass my name onto Igenus a sister company or something and they would be in touch.
A few days later got a letter from them and told to make appointment with them, they told me the same again as previous lady at job centre, she saw the pain i was in and told me her mum suffered from fibro, told me i was on 6 month review with ATOS already filled form in again and said take a letter from my GP explaining my illnesses, as i was leaving she told me it would be a phone interview next and i would make an employer a good worker, lmao,
I have also been placed in the work related group pending a re-assessment in 6 months . I was advised last march by the job center that I could have been claiming working tax credit and child tax credit for the last ten years so started claiming . On advising them that they I no longer get ESA they looked into the alteration . I then rang them after hearing nothing to be advised that when I originally filled in the form for Tax credits I filled in one box for taxable benefits and one for the none taxable ( I did not even know there was 2 forms of ESA ) so because i advised them incorrectly I owe them £8000 and they are no longer going to pay me . Surely in any normal job if a form had some unclear info it would be questioned but they are saying the computer overrode my correct info and excepted the incorrect.
So I have gone from having ESA and tax credits to nothing and having to pay back £8k when my husbands income doesnt even cover bills let alone feeding and clothing my kids !!
Apparently there is nothing I can do except contact Debt advisors !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have had my own house since i was 18 years old I worked all my life till I collapsed 10 years ago from then my health has gone dramatically down hill , Clinical Depression . CFS , Fibro M , Back surgery etc . My husband works over 60 hours a week .
There is something wrong in this world when people who have worked all there lives but due to circumstances out of there control need help are treated this way and then people who decide to sit on there Backsides , never work , bread like rabbits and spend all there money in the pub and on fags get housing , their council tax paid and enough income to be able to smoke and go down the pub !!!! Wrong !!!! wRONG !!!!! wRONG !!!!!!
OMG you poor thing , what exactly do they think your going to live off? How can this be right , really & why didn't they tell you earlier that you had filled it in wrong . My god this system is so wrong on every level . Surely there must be someone who can help . Then they wonder why people are depressed & suicidal, they cause people to feel that way. How can they just stop paying you, it's doesn't seem right that they can just cut your money off like that what do they expect you to do. 8K how can they have let it get so high before they bothered to even tell you that you owed them so much . Iywonder how people in their jobs sleep at night . I would take it further if I was you. How can it be your fault if they don't make the forms we have to fill out clear, my god there complicated to start with half the time . It really does make me sick the way they can treat people . I really do hope there is some kind of help out there for you. I would say try not to let it get you down but how can it not . I would have a word with the CAB with any luck maybe they will be able to help you x x
this goverment does not care about how people manage. my son has been seriously depressed for months and now he as had his money stoppes and he is one parent family, he was working for the council but with the cuts he was let go but they have told him he can go and do the same job voluntary, but they have told him if he does he will not get any help well like he said he does not get any help any way. he as sold all his furniture, all he as is a single bed for his son,i try to help him and now he as been told by his landlord that he will have to find at least 100 pounds a month as they have put the rent up so i have told him he will have move in with me.,but he went to cab and they said there was a bed and breakfast he can go to. he as worked since he left school 16 years ago.. he gets very frustrated with every thing. this country is going to the dogs
I was taken from support to WRAG and with four days notice was given a date for a WFI. My friend who is helping me put together my appeal against the decision and is also going to represent me at the appeal (as our CAB now do not have the funding to assist at all) telephone the Jobcentre/DWP and told them I could not attend by myself and that more notice was needed so that arrangements could be made for me to be accompanied. Then once we had that appointment cancelled we wrote them a letter saying that it would be reasonable for them to delay/defer the WFI until my appeal has been heard and decided as this was adding to stress I was already suffering and worsening things for me. I found information on how to do this letter through the Benefits and Work site. That letter was sent in December and fingers etc crossed so far they have backed off me. However if you would prefer to go and have the interview then personally I would not go unaccompanied but make sure you have someone with you who can note things down for you. Its another stressful situation and we dont always cope well with that. Good luck to you. Colleen
Hi, I've also been placed in the work related group, I told the nurse I had to go back to bed every day, I shit myself everyday and I was suicidal. She said I'm fit for work, are they real!!! I've now snapped my Achilles' tendon and got an interview on 8rh April. I wonder what they will say now I've got a cast and crutches?? Probably send me order picking lol. It's a complete shambles!!! I've written and ask for a full explanation. What planet they from. I will be appealing once I've had an explanation
I had my ATO medical in Feb , got 9 points even when I had left the room to goihome she even noted that I'd taken myself to the loo , but the medical was over so really this should never have been an issue . They make me so angry at the way they put everyone in the same basket . I am appealing against it & had to go back to my drs for a new sick ( ops sorry FIT note ) and even she started pulling them to bits said if you can hit a keyboard with ONE finger they think your fit to work . What's the betting that the next time you go in & they see your cast they will decide your ok to work as a gym instructor !!!!!! Good luck nx time you go on the 8th .
I have also been placed in the work related activity group but didn't attend a medical as was cancelled. Think was to do with letter I sent from my consultant. I havn't been asked to go for and interview yet so can't help you there. But did go to CAB yesterday as had appointment re my appeal. Appeal form completed by the lady I saw and copy given. I didn't have a copy of my ESA50 so didn't know how I was scored so left it to her. I also mentioned to her Regulation 35, which she had not heard of. She then went to ask advice on this and this was also put on my appeal form. I'm going to send it recorded post today and have done a letter to go with it. Was told might take 3 to 4 months before I receive enquiry form and was to say yes to face to face, no to cancellation. Once I receive bundle of paperwork to ring for another appointment. In the meantime to gather as much as supporting documentation from health professionals,friends and family. I'm also going to post off request for personal information form so will get all the info DWP has on me quicker. Cab didn't tell me to do this. They will be unable to represent me at the appeal so will ask a freind to come with me as don't know of any other charity that could represent me. I'm finding all of this so stressfull but going to see it through. Let us know how you get on.
If you type in regulation 35 in the fibroaction search they are a couple of blogs/ about it. I've copied the link below where I read all about it. Well worth a read. I was off work for approx a year and when I went back my employers fully supported me by making numerous reasonable adjustments to my job, workload and work station. I tried so hard to carry on working but my health got worse and I have not recovered. Hence me using reg 35.
Yes, a friend of mine who has been suffering from depression since her husband passed away had to go to the WRAG interview a few months ago. She said the interviewer asked if she felt any better and when she replied no he said "OK I'll phone you in a couple of weeks." When he did call, after getting same reply to the same question he said he'd phone or write in a few months. Seems that a lot of the people in the the front line know it's an idiotic and unworkable system!
I think it depends on who you see, some of them will leave you alone but others will insist you attend interviews and put you on a back to work course run by a charity no less. The sort of charity you can do without IYSWIM.
Hi, I was placed the WRAG and then received an appointment , which I stupidly thought was an ATOS assessment, but not it was a work related interview. I must say as I found, and the woman at the jobcentre could not have been more helpful. She immediately sent my case away for reassessment as she said she could see I was in no fit state to be looking for any work or even attend work related activities. At the end of the day she said, they can't make you work, but some people are expected to attend some work focused activity, but not all. After being turned down a second time I rang her and she assured me that she certainly would not be wanting me to attend at all, and that as far as she is concerned, that is the way it will stay, unless a miracle should happen and my health improved to the degree that I instigated a desire to return to work.
I hope that may be of use to you, I know jobcentres are pretty scary places, but I hope you can get the same sort of reaction I did, Please keep us posted, Sending you positive thoughts! Foggy x
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DWP interview
So been for quite a few job interviews no luck 
atos interview said i will go to support group
Interviewing for new carer
work focused interview for partners
