dwp medical

I have to go for a dwp medical with atos what I don't understand is my doctor say I am unfit for work are they challenging the medical professions ?

[Crazyjo]

I had the same, they are starting to give everyone medicals and they can over ride your doctor and say you are fit to work, just make sure you tell them how you are at your worst this is what I did and they agreed I was not fit for work. Hope all goes well for you x

[Hidden in reply to Crazyjo]

thank you just feeling lost and scared at the moment

[binlid]

i had one and the person was a right witch couldnt beleive what she wrote about me it was like it was someone else ,and yes they can overide what your doctor says , they can say what they like but you can appeal , i agree give your worst cas sinario most of the time

[binlid]

oh and all the best xxxxxxxx

[Neonkitty59]

Good luck and do give your worst case scenario. If you get turned down and put into a work search group or anything inappropriate then appeal immediately in writing and ask for a GP letter of support. My GP was flabbergasted they thought I could work . .so was the young employment officer when I went down to the Job Centre!! He said .. Why are you here Mrs ... ? He changed my notes on screen in front of me and took notice of all I said. He said he couldn't understand why the ATOS person who examined me would have thought me fit to work. She had written ... Has a little bit of arthritis on a morning!!!!!!!!! She wasn't medically qualified though. I was limping in a lot of pain on two sticks and couldn't get up without dragging myself on the desk but the fact I arrived by myself went against me (husband works away at times) despite the fact I was in agony and I went door to door by taxi. They did pay my taxi though! After being turned down my GP wrote a very good letter making it quite clear why my morning stiffness of four hours would prevent me even getting to a job and my fatigue and stiffness would make it impossible. My Consultant wrote a second letter and then the DWP wrote saying they had decided to change their minds and take me out of the work search category. I knew they would as it was utterly farcical. Would have been a waste of any employers' time. So good luck and take a little time to answer them as they ask a lot of leading questions I found. I was told it's a yes or no on their form so anything which is sometimes or with difficulty is not taken into consideration. I was also told that as I went smart in pressed trousers and a jacket and clean hair they would have thought I was capable of making myself look very presentable all the time. I actually have all my clothes ironed for me, and it hurts and takes a long time to wash my hair when my hands are sore but it has to be done. Perhaps I should have slobbed in in my jamas!! Anyhow, I wish you lots of luck and hope you have a good ATOS person. Don't be scared as if they turn you down .. it is because they turn many down initially and then wait for you to appeal. Then quickly reinstate you at where you should be. xx

[Hidden in reply to Neonkitty59]

thank you for your in-depth reply most useful I will have to just get on the it now I would swop any one at atos this ra for there job

[BoneyC]

Look on the Benefits and Work website it's very useful.

[julie_warwick]

I am in the same position , I have just filled in a ridiculous questionnaire and am waiting for an appointment for an interview , what a waste of everyone's time , if the dr. says you're not fit , why do they have to challenge that , just what we need a bit more worry and stress , I would like nothing better than to get back to work and obviously I just love surviving on the pittance that is ESA , I realise they have to be vigilant against fraudulent claims but come on ! makes me angry.

[Tuttlebees]

I went to an appeal with Atos to support a friend who had been reviewed and then turned down. Sensibly she lodged the appeal ASAP after being judged 'fit' but the Atos report was ridiculous. They do watch you coming in and leaving, sitting down, how long you can sit for, in what type of chair and so on. they will make observations on your appearance if they think it is relevant etc etc. So do make sure you tell them and show them how badly you are affected. Fortunately the appeal judge was fantastic and the appeal hearing only lasted ten minutes and she was quite vexed at the Atos report as it was clearly unreliable.

[Hidden in reply to Tuttlebees]

thanks for your reply its all so undignified but I do agree there are a lot of people making claims when they are fit for work the help should go were its needed

[cathie]

Sounds as though this might be a good moment to avoid the arthritis word and talk about rheumatoid disease? What a horrible experience, I'm so sorry about this.

[Hidden in reply to cathie]

yes Cathie you are rite but the word rheumatoid still get a shrug people can be so cruel

[Neonkitty59]

I'm OK with it being called RA but realise there are many people who would prefer a different terminology. I can see Rheumatoid Disease completely confusing some of the ATOS examiners (and certainly the one I had!! ) All that nonsense of an examination and being told to go to the job centre to be in a work search group brought a massive flare up on for me and made me feel awful. Organising/chasing up doc/consultant letters and taking ages to type one myself for the appeal. I knew it was an impossibility to go to work, with so much immobility and out of control RA, as much as returning to work would be great in many ways. I realise too that there are people who claim when they shouldn't but believe me, those even medically untrained .. should have recognised my condition was very bad

and I had made a super-human effort to attend as I was told my benefits would be stopped if I didn't. Just to look at my knees, elbows,shoulder joints and hands would tell a medically qualified person the level of the problems I had/have. Yes you may well be able to make that super human effort to stand up or walk into the office for a one off . .but fact is you can't do it day in day out. I gave a very honest but worse case scenario and consider myself to be very articulate (but think that actually went against me too!) Someone I spoke to recently (my husband's friend's partner) thought that my condition involved sore bones and nothing to do with soft tissue pain/stiffness/restriction problems .. which is where I have immense troubles. People often don't mean to be unkind as they don't understand but only those who know someone well or live with someone will see exactly how it is to have arthritis ... whether rheumatoid, osteo or other. Anyhow Lucinda, just don't let them rush you with anything be it a reply to their question, or getting on an examination table. Say no if it hurts to climb up on it. I did not and struggled with a stick to climb on a bed via two steps and wished I had said no as it hurt my ankles. I am adamant that a medically qualified person must do the ATOS exams. My doctor is of the same mind and was disgusted with all that had happened to me as he knows how genuine I am and what I have had to go through. As you can probably tell .. I was disgusted too. However, I did speak to someone very understanding at DWP who ensured it was rectified asap. Within three weeks.

[Hidden in reply to Neonkitty59]

thank you for taking the time to reply this is very helpful to me hope thing get better for you now

[Neonkitty59]

Yes not bad at the mo, thank you Lucinda, as have had my knees injected and hopefully my Rituximab will start to work soon. Lots of luck to you. x