http://www.disabilityalliance.org/ssacwork.htm I found this page and i'm a bit confused - "From April 2011 advisers may require prescribed ESA WRAG customers to undertake work related activity, (in addition to Work Focused Interviews)." "Customers cannot be required to apply for a job, to undertake work, or to undergo medical or surgical treatment." "All work-related activities must be recorded in an action plan, together with the timescale for completion and any evidence requirements." Is that 2nd line not contradictive? and that 3rd line! that sounds like jobseekers to me.

She seemed pretty certain on it, to be honest I couldn't remember half of what she said as she was like some robot reading a script and I felt like my blood pressure hit sky high after about 3 minutes given her attitude, they talk to people like they are criminals, I felt like saying do you think I want to be here dealing with idiots like yourself, i'm still annoyed from it and this is many hours later. I'm sure she said something about jobseekers too but it was certainly aiming at how contracts are still to be dealt with before the full information of the organisations dealing with it could be told, i'm not even joking but i'm sure she said it would be like jobseekers in a way that if you have to go on a course then you have no choice and I could swear she said something about how it will be merging together with jobseekers who have been out of work for a while and not had any luck with finding a job, I just remember thinking wait a minute... i've recently just had a letter through stating they think i'm sick and been put into the work focused group, how can you be sick and job hunt, that's like saying we may all aswell be on jobseekers then, how the hell can they merge jobseekers and people who have been found sick?! I suppose common sense and logic go out the window completely with these people, go through all their trials and be found sick BUT they think you can work too, you can either be sick and work or sick and not work, if someones sick there's no two ways about it, baffling.

Went to the "work focused interview" which was pointless, had to deal with some arrogant rude patronising woman, which I expected anyway as most of their staff i've dealt with don't know the first thing about customer service and sure as hell wouldn't have lasted in the jobs i've been in, they would have been out the door rather promptly, yet these are the ones who are dealing with sick people......... bit backwards, i've known workers in supermarkets to be a million times more pleasant with more customer service skills, anyway I digress.. slight rant there but i'm reeling from it all! she said there is going to be changes to ESA, I think those in the support group are safe but apparently there's going to be big changes to those in the work focused group, the person basically said they don't think it's going to be a case of how it is now - going to the work focused interview and just having to attend but not being forced into anything, this person was talking about being sent on courses and all sorts but they don't have the exact details as of yet but it's all to do with the government shake up aka pick on the sick as much as possible along with everyone else. Anyone heard anything about these changes though? the person said something about it starting next month possibly, I was thinking surely they would give people information on this beforehand rather than just sending a letter demanding you go do this and that but then I remembered who I was dealing with! Really annoys me actually, i'm really convinced they make people more ill

I see your point leemack, you make a very good one at that, I think I should probably count myself lucky that I got put into this straight from the assessment, no year long dragged out appeals etc, i'll probably just leave it as you said, I just hope I don't get another of these esa50 forms in a couple months! I should still be able just to request a copy of the medical assessment without it causing hassle though, right? just for future ref.

Plus they don't waste any time, I got a letter through about my intial interview a day after I got the letter about the change in benefit!

also, I meant to ask, do I still need to send in medical certificates when i'm in that group? it doesnt state anywhere regarding them........

leemack thank you for that, what happens after the 6 interviews? I guess I just have it in my head i'm going to be forced into things, going by other posts.

Hello, i'm looking for a little information.......... I went to the atos "assessment" and after a few weeks wait i've been put into the work focused group, i'm just looking for some information on what that means exactly? also where do I find out when my re-assessment date is? i'm guessing since i've been put into this group that I will be re-assessed quickly. My other question is, since the atos "assessment" my medication has doubled in strength, would this be grounds for appeal? I just got the letter through a few days ago about being placed in that group, I don't have a copy of my medical report as I don't know how to get one or who I ask for one, is it dwp or atos? My other question is, if I appealed that I should be in the support group, would they stop my benefit until this has been dealt with and can they stop my benefit altogether meaning I would be put onto jsa? I read somewhere that this could happen but i'm not sure if it's true...

Quite conflicting accounts.... So basically they are saying yeah you are kind of ill but not ill enough? rather amusing, i'll be going to citizens advice to ask them what they think on the matter, I need to get a copy of my medical report but I don't know who to request that from or how I do it, does anyone know?

Oh right, so they can wave their wand and get me off three different types of medication! i'm sure that will be most helpful.

Got a letter today from dwp, the change of circumstances one that states they are going to pay x amount from x date, after going to the back page and seeing it stating extra money because i've been placed in the work related activity group i'm assuming that they have found me unfit for work at the moment? not sure if I should be pleased or not! I mean it's better than having to go through the appeal process don't get me wrong but I don't know what this work related activity group involves... and to be honest I had prepared myself for the worst thinking that i'd have to appeal, so in a way i'm surprised! Does anyone know what exactly the work related activity group involves? I really hope it's not going to be like jobseekers with me having to look for work at the moment, sounds like it with the words 'work related' not sure if i'm going to get any more letters detailing anything or if they automatically send a copy of the assessment, also do I have to keep sending in medical certificates? I'm really pleased I found this website though because if it wasn't for the help of others or reading about other peoples ordeals, I don't think i'd have filled the esa50 in properly or taken it as serious so thank you to those that helped me, I really appreciate it.

Just noticed how old the original post was!

Don't they have security cameras in these places due to all the hate they get and abuse? you should put in a complaint and tell them what day you went, approx time you entered the building and left and tell them to check their security cameras, chances are they would probably drop it because then they would know they are just messing people about and that they wouldn't be let away with it.

I'll ask my doctor next time I have to go if one was requested for me. I'm still waiting on my decision after going to the assessment lastweek..

Not sure why I put medicals as the headline when it's really far from it... Also i'm not sure if it's atos or dwp that send one, I just came across it and thought oh! that's ...something I didn't know! please feel free to delete though if it's not true, I do think it's important for doctors to know in detail how your illness affects your everyday life though, just incase you need to go through the appeals process.

Hey everyone, just to leave a link with you guys of something I didn't know and just found, apparently ATOS send a mini questionnaire to your doctor before you go to the assessment, not sure if it's already posted on here about it but I didn't know of this and to be honest, I wish I did because I don't feel personally that my doctor would be able to answer this questionnare in depth because doctors that i've seen are very un-interested in details, they generally just want to see the medical side and give the medication then throw you out the door, so make sure if you're going to for an ATOS assessment that your doctor knows fully how things are for you on a daily basis, especially for the questions asked in that questionnare. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/esa113-interactive.pdf

Do the dwp have the esa50 there when making their decision? as I seen my esa50 on the desk at the assessment, considering the assessor said "it's the dwp who make the desicion based on all the evidence" i'm assuming that has to include them reading the esa50 too, if it's a case of atos posting the esa50 to the dwp then I guess it will be days before I hear anything, hopefully next week sometime. Just get over the added stress of going to the assessment then have the stress of waiting to be told your fate! I was also wondering, does anyone know if the assessor knows if you have passed there and then? like does it state on their screen, as I thought it was a bunch of questions they asked and whatever box they ticked, they knew what sort of points you would get from that.

Goodluck chrisd8780, make sure the doctor listens to you, I know doctors can be pushy and they like to sit there and tell you how you feel rather than the other way around!

@whitecraig_wizard & honeybee13 thank you for the good luck this morning and all the help you've given, it was pretty bad to be honest, guess it just feels like being interrogated! Do you know how long they take to respond to people after the assessments? also who do I request a copy from, will I not have to wait until dwp contact me before I can get a copy? is there anything I need to do right now/be requesting? sorry for all the questions, I just don't want to find myself in a situation of not knowing what has to be done now, although i'd like to think that i'd have been informed by the person today if there's anything I need to do.

Hey everyone, just to let you know that's it's over with now, what a horrible experience! it wasn't like what I expected, I expected a really professional environment with stern doctors in suits and the person that conducted it, no idea if they were even a medical professional, i'd have expected them to know the side effects of medication and not have to go look at the leaflet in the medication box to check I wasn't asked any of the stupid questions, I expected someone to be firing questions at me and barking "only answer yes or no" it wasn't like that at all, they seemed to want detailed answers and they typed ALOT so i'm not too sure how it went, in some ways I wish they had asked the silly questions because then i'd feel like they have a lot of information, I thought all the questions in the questionnare would have been re-asked, I guess I just have to wait now, I got told that it's not them that decide on the claim, the report by them gets sent to dwp and they are the ones who decide based on all the evidence, not sure if that's true, I was lead to believe it was a computer that decided! and it's slightly contradictive in a way because they are the ones conducting the report... which is obviously what determines the outcome, therefore it is them who decide, in my eyes.

Thanks so much bs0lth, to be honest I am worrying/even more stressed, even my medication isn't overly helping! I don't think there's anything that will make me relaxed about it, just want to get it over and done with.

Sorry to hear that chrisd8780, it's one of those situations of too ill to work but not ill enough to be accepted on benefits, bit odd really, can you not get support from your doc? I know good doctors who are interested are few and far between nowadays though!

What does the physical exam involve?

I also meant to ask, in the assessment, will there be any sort of physical examination or will it just be talking? i'm not sure if they do physical examinations for mental health too, from reading other posts I have it in my mind they will be asking me to lift an arm then declare i'm fit!

Thanks for that honeybee13, I was trying to figure out how to ask/report it! and it's not until tomorrow, I will post as soon as I can afterwards and let you all know how it went, I feel sick just thinking about it now so no idea how i'll be tomorrow with having to face going to such a public place.