I have found it best to send all paperwork back as special delivery. It costs a lot more, but you have a record of the posting of any paperwork sent. Please ack quickly and get another IB50. Even goto citizens advise for help. I, have kept alog of all paperwork that has been posted and phone calls made etc. Something to fall back on if DWP start playing up. I, wish you all the very best,. you are not alone. DWP/ATOS are making peoples lifes hell.

Get your local MP to help you. Send what paperwork you can to them. They should help you with your current problems. You must sent any paperwork recorded delivery and keep some sort of log of events. Hope this helps.

In error. Sorry

Do not worry. It maybe best to take someone with you. For support or take some notes on your behalf.

You lot are just wonderful and thank you very much for all your help. I will keep Age UK in mind and contact them. Life is very hard for all of us at the moment. Please take care. I, do visit this web site alot and will help you all out as much as you have helped me. Thank you. Just wished we ruled the world. Best wishes Graham.

No. Seems very difficult getting any caring benefits. Thanks for your reply. I think some are ATOS tested. How can I take a 92 yr old man to one of those. It all upsets me.

Do not know what to do. My ESA 365 limit finished in May 13. The DWP have put me on ESA whereas I only get paid my NI contributions paid with med certs supplied by doctor. I am living off my savings now. I requested form ESA3 to apply for ESA contributions based. Have not filled that in yet. (49 pages) But in the meantime my depression has got worse and I had to go into hospital twice (overdose) I am waiting to see Mental Health Team, to change medication. I am living with 92 yr old dad who needs me more now to look after him more and the Mental Health Team said thay may be able to get me to be my dads main carer. I am very confused. Do, I inform DWP on my recent MH issues by letter and I have a letter from my GP. Or wait for MH Team. The MH team seem to be snowed under and I do not know how long before they will contact me. The MH team at present have told me to go to my GP for the medication change. I was in the ESA WRAG and had trouble with tribunal pw sent to me after I won that case. I, did manage to get a compension pay out from them for their errors. The DWP never contacted me to go to the job centre at any time. I am very upset at the moment and my dad comes first. If the case comes whereas I need to care for dad more, then I think I shall just drop the DWP and care for my dad (even if unpaid) and get better in my own time before going to the Job Centre in the near future. Its very unfair, I am ill and my poor dad needs my help also. It would be no contest. Dad would come first and I would live off my saving and his pension. What do you think? I really feel for you all out there and the unfair treatment you are getting. thanks graham

Thank you so much for the PDF for means tested ESA. It, was really very nice of you to do that for me. I, will read the document and possibly ring the DWP the coming week. May, I say again a big thank you for taking the trouble to post the PDF to me. Very many thanks and I wish all the best to you. Best wishes Graham

Thank you very much for your reply. I am in the WRAG Group. My GP has kept issuing me with sick notes because I had a lot of Trouble with my Tribunal I had last September. ( I won 18 points) The paperwork they issued was incorrect and only now my Decision Notice is now correct. Because of all the pressure, of the Tribunal etc, I did try to take a pill over dose last year. I told the DWP and they did not care and my GP has been trying different antidepressants on me to get me right. I am better now on a different antidepressant. Also, have bowel problems. All because of stress. I, will not go on. Will either phone DWP or get that form. Will I have to go to another rubbish ATOS medical in time? Thanks very much for your time and sorry to go on. Just unsure of things. Would like to get back to work on a part time basis in time. Just do not want the DWP to put pressure on me. This is my greatest fear. Anyway, Thank you very much for your reply. My best wishes.

My ESA contributions based benefit ends at end of April 13. The DWP have not contacted me. What do I do? I was told that I should go straight onto income based ESA. But I do not want to phone the DWP, because of all the stress that's involved because of my depression etc. I, have only phoned the DWP once and staff were very unhelpful and very rude. It made my depression worse. My GP currently has me covered by sick notes up to the 13th June. Do, I just wait for the brown envelope to arrive before the end of April 13. Very worried, as I think that I will end up on JSA or universal credit coming up soon. Just, wish that did not have to deal with DWP are things are one sided in their flavour and I do not stand a chance. Any suggestions ! My best wishes to you all and thank you

Had Tribunal in Sep 12 and place into WRAG group. Dec 12 Tribunal Service inform me that my Decision Notice of that Tribunal was incorrect as had incorrect NI Number. Send me a copy with rough written in correction. Have, ever since been in conflict with Tribunal Service to get a corrected Decision Notice showing my correct NI Number. As, of March 13 now have corrected copy. DWP aware and had no comments. I am now asking them for reimbursement of my admin costs as it was their error. I have a letter from them saying sorry and their clerk made errors. I, want to get the matter sorted as my ESA ends at end of April 13 because of 365 limit. (Contributions based) You, may wonder why I took the trouble to chase this matter. Well, it was because of the Tribunal Service making so many errors. SO, PLEASE CHECK ALL YOUR PAPERWORK THAT YOU RECEIVE FROM THE TRIBUNAL SERVICE AND COMPLAINT, IF NEED BE. I am, very worried as to my future and wonder what will happen after my 365 days are up. DWP, has not contacted me. Its making my depression worse and I have bowel problems because of stress. I, may well take a break after my 365 day limit is up and job hunt myself without any pressure from the Job Centre. (This I fear) Live off my savings and re-apply for ESA later, after say 12 weeks. My GP is currently still supplying me with sick notes and my current one lasts until 13th June. Happy days. Thanks all for reading this. I really feel for the rest of you suffering at the moment because of the DWP.

Thanks for that. Nice words. I do understand. But, sometimes you just have to make a stand. My best wishes.

You could be right. I am making the point that the tribunal themselves did not agree with the findings of the ATOS Medical I had. This I have in writing. Will see what comes back from the tribunal service. I am just trying to make a point, that's not a bad thing. Anyway, between my appeal and tribunal, I did try to commit suicide because of all the pressure. The tribunal knew this and DWP. The whole system is against us people because of no fault of our own are ill. Still under med cert from GP. No contact from Job Center re any work interview. Thanks for comments. My Local MP is behind me all the way since my appeal etc.

I had my Tribunal and won with 19 points. Put into ESA Work Group. I requested a statement of reason. This received and made interesting reading. I found so many mistakes and statements stating that I should not work because I have problems with depression and pressure. One section said that the atos medical was not to be relied on and that they trusted my GP's report more on my condition. I have written back to the Tribunal Service asking to appeal to the Upper Tribunal. Why, o why was I placed into the ESA work group, if the tribunals comments say that my condition will go down hill if placed into work. I wait to hear back. My local MP is helping me. All this is making me more ill with my depression. But, I will continue now that I have gone this far. I am thinking of going to the papers to give my story. As the ATOS medical is rubbish.

My interview under caution went well. I was very surprised, when told that I was under caution and I had not done anything wrong. I sent the job centre person involved all my evidence of savings etc via special delivery post. (this they lost.) It cost over six pounds to post. I took all my paperwork with me. The person was nice enough. I was told that someone close by to where I lived had complained that I did my garden or took trips out in my car etc. This is why I was called in. I told him that the garden helped with my depression and that trips out in my car was for shopping and medication for my 90 year old dad and my self. So, a neighbour nearby was just trying to get their own back. I do not know why as no one in my street talks to each other. Not heard anymore since interview

I contacted the Tribunal Service today (18/10/12) as Iam waiting for my statement of reason. I informed them in 15/9/12 just after my Tribunal. They have said that the waiting period to receive statement of reason paperwork is now eight weeks plus. I cannot go any further until I get that paperwork. That is even after getting my local MP involved and writing to the Tribunal Service on my behalf. What a mess. The whole system is loaded against us. Best wishes to you all

I do not know what to say. Iam very sorry for you. Would it be worth you contacting your local MP for help. He maybe able to write on your behalf. Best wishes

thanks for that. I will keep trying. Got to go to job centre on friday. They want to check benefits I am getting. Want to look at my savings etc. I am appealing against an appeal I had recently. That is taking ages. Do have my local MP onto it as well. Happy days. What work is there out there for someone who is 55 years old. The youngones cannot get work? Keep smiling and best wishes

Thank you Margaret. Thats very helpful. My ESA Work Group ends in April 2013. My tribunal states that I would be tested within one year. Could I expect a ATOS Medical well before then. You know, I wonder if its all worth it to battle against the DWP. I am not going to win. Best wishes and thanks Graham.

Hello All,its me again. I had my tribunal and got 18 points. I have appealed against the tribunal decision and await some feed back from the tribunal service. Now, I have just had a letter from job centre plus and I have got to go for a interview this friday. I was placed in the work group. The letter I have had asks me to show them proof of my savings etc. My understanding of the work group is that I may have to attend interviews at the job centre. But, while in the work group can they force me into work. Iam getting over an overdose attempt a few months back and could do with out any more pressure at the moment. Would it be helpful to go to CAB before I goto the Job Centre. Comments welcome please. Best Wishes.

My tribunal was very recently. The people present,doctor and solicitor were nice. But, they will only take your health conditions from the ATOS Medicial when it was performed. So, say your health conditions have got worse since, then this is not taken into account. I, found this very unfair. Take as much paperwork with you as possible to prove your health conditions and how they effect your life. Take someone with you. If, you feel that the outcome of the tribunal was unfair then write back to the tribunal service and ask for a fresh decision to be taken. Also ask for a state of reason. Keep fighting until you hopefully get the result you need. I feel the tribunals are placing most people into work groups, so that people canbe placed back onto the dole long term. My tribunal gave me 18 points and I was placed into a work group, but I put in an appeal with the tribunal service immediately and currently waiting to hear from them. I have proof the ATOS Doctor made mistakes. My MP is involved. I am not sure how things will go. Anyway good luck with the tribunal. Best wishes.

Go to see things are starting to move in the right direction. Best wishes Graham

I would keep in contact with your MP and give him/her as much information as possible, if they have contacted the tribunal service on your behalf. I think 39 points for ATOS medical is quite good. I,would keep in contact with the tribunal service yourself to see how things are coming along. I have found them quite helpful on the phone. My MP has contacted the tribunal serivce on my behalf, but warns me that it could be at least six weeks before he expects a reply. My best wishes to you.

I,wish you well. Very serious that the ATOS Doctor gave you 39 points and the tribunal nil. Go luck waiting for for statement of reasons. I have involved my MP, who has written to the tribunal service on my behalf. Will just have to wait and see like you. In the long run, I may well make a fresh claim again for ESA after six months, if things do not work out. Best wishes Graham

Hello All, After wining my tribunal (18 points) Work group. I have written to the tribunal service for statement of reason and asked for another hearing. The Job Centre have written to me and are aware of another appeal coming up. My main reason for complaining since tribunal is the reason that the ATOS doctor missed alot of my health conditons and that reflected at my tribunal. I have my MP involved, and he has also written to the tribunal service for reasons why my health conditions were missed. Best wishes to you all