rant time

[sheenerweener]

sorry need to rant to people like you guys, like many of you i am in pain alot of the day,and manage as best i can,i am waiting for a new right knee so benefits are sending on another medical for atos heathcare,this is about the 3rd this year so fed up with it all i would work if i could and they have all my paperwork!!! i also ptsd

[sylvi]

First of best of luck with the knee when you get it. I know we all would work if we were able so don't beat yourself up about it. Sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and relax and then think sod it i'm not going to get stressed out. Sending hugs your way.xxx

[bub124]

Same thing has happened to my brother in law. He's sat at home just having had his knee rebuilt after an accident and in plaster from ankle to hip for the next 8 months. Atos STILL want him to go to an interview which is up two flights of stairs!!

Don't let them intimidate you. Like Sylvi says, we would all work if we could but we can't so have that cup of tea and try not to let them get to you

xxxx

[sheenerweener in reply to bub124]

thanks sylvi and bub it means alot that you reply,i spoke to my counseller today and she said even putting the physical things aside mentally i am not ready to go back and she see,s me twice a week and sadly she can,t write to anyone to support me,never mind i will get there like loads of other sylvi,hope ur resting,and bub hope ur bro-in-law gets somewhere they are a right pain that company

[sylvi in reply to bub124]

I am recovering from having my knee re-done. I had a replacement three years ago and i said from the word go that it wasn't right. I saw another surgeon in jan. and he had agreed to re-do it for me. I am not in plaster like your bro-in-law,but i know what he is going through though. It will be b""""y hard work,so send him my regards and also tell him to rest. I try but i am frustrated with the slowness of it. sylvi.xx

[Hidden]

that is just so wrong SW, who are these people that believe that they are God "take up thy bed and work"... it is not fair to put this added pressure on you, you have a right to recover both physically and mentally before you go near employment.

It is a pity that your counsellor can't use her professional status to support you.

I agree with Sylvi and Bub, don't let them stress you out (i know that is probably easier said than done) they appear to be making everything so much harder for people in great need.

All the best and i hope this will be the last of them for a long while

[Spuddie]

Rant away - it helps!

ATOS/DWP/ESA - I could fill pages with rants - and that's not even my claim but my hubby's.

What makes me mad is that it's all about cutting benefits payments. Yes I know that times are hard for governments as well as us ordinary folks, and yes there are a lot of people claiming benefits unfairly and could well be 'available for work' or progressing towards that goal. But the new rules are, IMHO, applied with a too board brush stroke. It's all make so much more stressfull by one dept deals with this aspect and another deals with that aspect and you never seem to be able to get one person that can deal with it all.

But as everyone has said, take a deep breath and try not to get too stressed over it. Just remember 'worst case scenario' when describing how this affects your day to day life and if you don't like their decision then appeal.

Best of luck, and hopefully your wait for your knee won't be for too much longer.

[bub124]

I agree, I've had my review questionnaire and filled it in. still waiting to hear back what fate they have in store for me. When I spoke to my rheumy nurse the other day, he said that if they come back and say they want me to go onto the WRAG (work related activity group for those of you who are uninitiated - yet!) then I'm to give them his name and number and he'll "deal with them". Don't know if it'll do much good though. Also so worried that I'll lose my car. If they're being this stringent on the changes to incap/esa then what changes will there be to the motability scheme? Then I really would be bu*****ed.

One little anecdote that may make you laugh (or cry?). I had dealings with the CAB a couple of years ago and the adviser we saw tried to persuade me to apply for DLA care - I get higher rate mobility but have always resisted care (a stupid pride thing). We got talking about DLA in general and he said that the week before he'd had a couple in who wanted help applying for it. Without wishing to stereotype, he said he got the impression that there was an ulterior motive as neither of them appeared to meet the criteria but he sent them away with the forms and made an appointment to see them the following week. Low and behold, on the second appointment they came in, sat down and said to him "we've been thinking about it and we've decided to go for the car!" as though it was a gameshow! He probed a bit further and it turned out that somebody down their street had just taken delivery of their new motabiity car and they didn't see why they couldn't have one too!!

I rest my case.....

[sheenerweener in reply to bub124]

Hi bub it really makes me cross my mate has had dla. Since 93 and she is in the work focused group and at her assessment they wrote she walked with crutches. 30metres into the building thus enabling. Her to go to work!!!! What was she meant to do fly???? Why can,t they get the young and fit into work instead of us sufferers. Who will at some point lose productivity. Though sickness though them not listening to us!!!! Arthritis. May be for life!!!! job may not be!!!!hugs to all fellow sufferers xxxxx

[Hidden]

You rant to your hearts content, you'll be doing it for all of us. It's terrible that we have to keep justifying ourselves in this way- as if life hasn't given us enough pressure already.