OT: Anyone been to ATOS?

[Rls1994]

I'm going there this Saturday, which is the reason I need to take a bus there And I'm scared they're going to say I'm fit for work. I'm being assessed at the moment and getting treatment, but until I am treated, there's no way in hell I will be able to work. Which makes me sound like a weakling since there's a LOT of strong emets on here that work. I do have other issues besides emet though. Anyway.... I've heard bad stories about people visiting them and heard they said a cancer patient was fit for work and literally three weeks later, they died. D': It really upset me. It seems like they don't give a damn if you're really ill or not physically or mentally as long as you can walk and move your arms, you're fit to work. My sister with severe autism had to see them in 2011 too and they also said she was well enough to work (WTF), so we had to appeal against it and thankfully, we got through it. ATOS? More like WeDontGiveATOS hahaha. I hate this government! >_< Anyone else been thru this?

[julybabe]

I'm going there this Saturday, which is the reason I need to take a bus there And I'm scared they're going to say I'm fit for work. I'm being assessed at the moment and getting treatment, but until I am treated, there's no way in hell I will be able to work. Which makes me sound like a weakling since there's a LOT of strong emets on here that work. I do have other issues besides emet though. Anyway.... I've heard bad stories about people visiting them and heard they said a cancer patient was fit for work and literally three weeks later, they died. D': It really upset me. It seems like they don't give a damn if you're really ill or not physically or mentally as long as you can walk and move your arms, you're fit to work. My sister with severe autism had to see them in 2011 too and they also said she was well enough to work (WTF), so we had to appeal against it and thankfully, we got through it. ATOS? More like WeDontGiveATOS hahaha. I hate this government! >_< Anyone else been thru this?

I've not been through this personally but part of my job is to help people appeal against decisions made as a consequence of an ATOS medical. I know the whole ethos of ESA is to concentrate on what you can do rather than what you cannot do, but sometimes it seems to go too much towards getting people back into work too soon. It has been said that mental health conditions are particularly hard to assess, but in my opinion there are a lot of people who have significant physical health problems who do not appear to fare any better. The thing is the ATOS nurse or doctor is not ultimately responsible for making a decision on your fitness for work, that is the job of the DWP, although obviously if the ATOS medical is not accurate then this will ultimately affect the outcome at the DWP. The thing is to be as truthful as possible and not withhold anything due to embarrassment, they do take a history of a typical day so before you go it might be a good idea to keep a diary of how your illnesses affect you day to day. What do your illnesses prevent you from doing, even if you have no physical problems with doing things that is not to say that your mental health conditions do not affect you, for example if you had depression you may not have physical problems getting out of bed, but because of depression you may not feel like getting out of bed and need help and encouragement so you do have a problem. Likewise you may need encouragement to go places or meet new people. even having done all this there is no guarantee the outcome will be in your favour though, I wish you the very best of luck.

[zombie0037]

I went through the atos, assessment and failed, think you need to be as honest as possible, but there still no gurantee that your gonna pass, but you can appeal, and get seen by tribunal, and while you are waiting for it, you can stay on esa assessment rate

[Rls1994]

Hey, thanks for the replies guys! Just going to see how it goes I suppose. I'll post back here on Saturday if you're interested.

[Whisper447]

I've had trouble with the benefits system. I've been to Atos 3 times now for assessment and been twice was put in the support group for ESA and then at the last one I was put in the normal group and told that I might have to go to work related interviews at the job center. I've found that when I saw doctors at ATOS they were a lot nicer and more sympathetic then the nurses were. You have to go into great detail about your day and what your routine is like and the way you present yourself on the day does come into the assessment. It's not just what you say. Tell them all the things that you can't do and don't just follow the questions they ask. I have OCD and IBS as well as emetophobia and I had to go into great detail about how I was unable to use any other toilet then the one at home, as they never asked about bathroom issues at all and with an issue like that it's going to be difficult working 9-5.

Good Luck for Saturday, hope it goes well for you.

[claire43]

I failed my assessment 3 or 4 years ago & I appealed. This meant I could stay on ESA whilst waiting for the appeal but I didnt have high hopes & was in fact refused & had to go onto JSA & actively look for work. At that point in time I was genuinely ill with several complaints including one whereby I was still undergoing tests at my local hospital. I had also recently been diagnosed with depression & despite my detailed description of what I wasnt capable of it still went against me. Basically from what I can see as long as you can stand, sit, raise your arms & communicate you're fit for work. I had a copy of my detailed assessment & I was shocked at how even the smallest detail was turned into a major reason why I was fit for work. For example I stated that I was able to use my washing machine, this was turned into I was capable of using machinery!! It was also noted that my appearance was neat & my fingers were not nicotine stained! Bizarre & a farce as far as I am concerned. Good luck but dont expect much. If you do fail its worth appealing that way you get a couple of months to try & come to terms with the changes in your life that are ahead of you. Keep me posted.

[Rls1994]

Thanks guys! Really appreciate the responses. I struggle to communicate properly for some reason, I don't know what it is. When I went to claim JSA last October they refused because I told them everything that was affecting my life and stuff. They simply asked me to get treatment and to come back and apply when I'm well enough again, which might be a very long time since I've had issues for years now. I will definitely appeal if I do fail, which is VERY likely to happen in my case. My parents are taking me over, but are they allowed in the room with you? I'm also pretty frustrated that it's a Saturday that I have to go on... as it's usually VERY busy, just like Fridays.

[Whisper447]

My Mum always comes with me. last time my sister drove us to the place and waited in the car and me and Mum went into the appointment. I don't think I could do it without her and she adds things that I forget to mention or how i do things without realising etc. I went on a Sunday last time and it's always busy and you always have to wait and I always get really anxious... but at least then you look anxious for the person who's doing the assessment...
I should be getting another letter about my next assessment and I'm already starting to worry about it.
Good Luck to you, hope it goes alright.

[kam00096]

Hey Rls. I had an ATOS assessment a couple of months ago and I'm not going to lie, it wasn't fun. She did ask me to do ridiculous stuff like lift my arms and legs and say words backwards and after an hour of telling her deeply personal things about myself she called me the wrong name! She also got all the names of anti-emetics wrong. I picked her up on it because I figured she knew nothing about emet. But what you have to remember is that you can appeal, and with evidence from your doc/ therapist, you'll probably pass. I'm still waiting to hear back and have decided just not to worry about it until then. Try not to get too worked up over it, there are always ways around these things! I did lots of research first and knew what to expect so I went in already angry at the whole process which was much better than getting really anxious or upset. Just think f* them!

[Rls1994]

Phew, that's a relief! I wouldn't be able to do it on my own. That's lifted a few weights off my shoulder. Thanks for the good luck wishes Whisper.

Hey kam! That's crazy, I remember a patient with Crohn's disease seeing them, and they had no idea what it was! :/ My Mum has assured me that even if I don't pass it, she will continue supporting me. Same with my Dad. So I will be alright no matter what happens anyway.