As you say ATOS don't tell you you can have your medical recorded or offer to do it for you, I just read on some sites that advised people to record or request their medical to be recorded and mine was due in a couple of days so I just thought I shall record it on my phone, I never told them as I just thought I would wait to see what the outcome was me being silly and thinking I would actually get the required 15 points. I am glad I done it because it lets me know what happened and what was said in there and what fiction ATOS wrote on their report. ATOS seem to have this idea that if you can walk or drive you are fit for work, I can walk although sometimes it's a bit sore to do so, I have never pretended oherwise but I have several conditions including arthritis of the spine which is very painful all the discs in my neck have collapsed into each other welding into one also the bones have fused in my shoulders this causes a lot of pain in my neck and shoulders also my lower back just goes on a regular basis and I am in agony and take strong pain killers that make me sleepy so how do they expect me to hold down a fulltime job and that's just one of my conditions. At the end of the day the worse that can happen is they will make me sign on as being fit for work, I'm sure if I told most future employers about my conditions and illnesses and how unreliable I would be due to my illness they would not want to employ me. I only get ESA nothing else if I had to sign on I would receive the exact same money the only difference would be instead of putting a sicknote in I would have to sign on.

Well I have now appealed and on the form they sent me for more evidence I said unbeknown to ATOS I recorded the whole thing on my iphone so I can prove their report is full of lies and inaccuracies. My report kept harping on about the fact that I can drive a car and go to a supermarket several times a week when I never said that at all, for one I couldn't afford to go to a supermarket several times a week I said only when I go only when I need to go. they said I was able to sit on the chair for 45 minutes and stand on my own then get up on their medical couch without any help, To which I replied in my appeal how two days later my back went again and I was in agony for eight weeks and I blame ATOS for it I had to see my doctor twice and take strong pain killers and it was their fault for what they put me through at the medical and I have it all recorded secretly on my iphone, They have aknowledged that I am appealing but I have heard nothing since August..................

When I went for my ATOS medical I recorded it all on my iphone I never told them I was doing it, I just pressed record and sat my iphone in the phone pocket on the front of my handbag and left it sitting on the chair, It recorded everything plain and clear I am so glad it did because when I got my nil point report it was just lie after lie on it, They said I was there from 11:45 to 12:10 when I was infact there from 10am my appointment time to 12:10 also they said one of my conditions asthma doesn't cause me any problems and my breathing was fine that day when infact as soon as I arrived due to the walk from where I had to park my car to the medical centre I was out of breath and coughing and struggling to breathe the receptionist asked me if I was alright and if I would like some water I said yes I needed some water she had to switch on the water dispensing machine which should be on for the clients all this is on my phone so it just shows you the lies they tell on their reports total inacurracies in their reports so they can award yoy no points. I am now appealing I would recomend everyone to record their medicals in what ever way they can.

Thanks Guys, The annoying thing is when I call Admiral to discuss the situation they just say I have to deal with CARS they won't listen to reason or the fact it is my sons policy + not mine + as I only joined him on a multicar policy for 2 months they now have my address + phone number thank God they do not have my bank details as my son Martin paid the monthly premiums by direct debit + now they are trying to pin £1200 debt on me because they can't get it off Martin but they will not get a penny from me I'd rather die first + I don't think Martin owes them the money either as his car got written off through no fault of his own + the other party admitted full liability + their insurance paid out in full for everything Admiral then said to Martin they would only insure his new car if he paid it all in one he said no he could not afford to pay a years premium at once that was why he has always done instalments with them so they both agreed that he would insure elsewhere so as far as Martin was concerened the insurance was cancelled they then sent me a letter telling me my insurance was cancelled I then went back to my previous insurers the AA who I didn't want to leave in the first place, I only joined in the multi car policy to help Martin get cheaper insurance my insurance full comp for the year is only £230 + I pay it all at once Admiral wanted over £300 for me but I gave Martin my £230 for the years premiums + he was covering the extra as it was for his benefit now I am getting hit with a £1200 bill that has gone up to £1500 now CARS left a message on my phone answer machine 2 days ago I have ignored CARS as I do not want to deal with CARS or Admiral really as far as I'm concerened me nor my son owes Admiral anything.

Thanks Labrat for the advice the thing is it was my son Martin who took the policy out he was insured with them for a long time before he added me, When my sons car got written off the person who done it admitted full responsibility + their insurance company paid out in full for my sons car + car hire etc. it didn't cost Admiral one penny. After sending numerous letters to Martin for £1200 for a years insurance premium when it was them who cancelled the policy they tried to take it out Martins bank account but were unable due to him never ever having that much in it at any one time they then changed tactics + started sending letters to me demanding £1200 when I phoned Admiral asking why they are sending me letters for £1200 when it was my sons insurance policy they said because when his car got written off I was the only policy holder left so there for the debt falls to me !!! I do not see how this can be true when it was originally my sons policy + him that pays it by direct debit from his account. Thank god they do not have my bank details, Now this company called CARS is phoning my home and sending letters + when I phoned Admiral to say this is a dispute as I do not agree with this they said I have to phone CARS + discuss it with them I said I will never deal with them + I am on the sick + I will never pay them that amount of money for a service I nor my son never received. I got a threatening letter from CARS saying take this letter seriously as we will turn up on your door, I do not really have anything worth taking for a balliff + I am on the sick so I can nt pay them + I will not ever pay them on principle.

Hi does anyone know anything about multicar policies? My son asked me to join a multicar policy with him to make his car insurance cheaper as he is 25 + his insurance is usually about £1000/£1200 per year which he pays in monthly instalments. My insurance is £230 per year full comp which I pay on a one off payment. I said to my son Martin that I didn't really want to be bothered with all the hastle as I was happy with my insurance company deal + paying my years priemiums up front but I told him when my insurance was due for renewal which wasn't for another 6 months or so. When my insurance was up for renewal my son Martin gave me a quote of £300 for to join him in the multicar policy with Admiral I said I'd rather stay with the AA + I certainly would not give them £300 when mine was only £230 Martin said he would pay the difference so I told the AA I was not renewing with them + gave Martin my £230 for my years premium + left him to pay his monthly insurance fees persuaded with Admiral. About 2 months later someone wrote my sons car off they admitted full liability so my son no longer had a car to insure he picked up a cheap runabout the next week to get to + from work when he phoned up Admiral to insure the car they said they wanted £1200 upfront payment Martin said he couldn't afford £1200 all at once that was why he has always paid monthly instalments, they said they could only accept full payment so Martin said well I will have to insure else where. a week later I got a letter from Admiral saying my car insurance was ending the next week!!! so I wasn't happy as I didn't want to go with them in the first place + now having given Martin my years premium upfront I have been insured 2 months + now just been told it would be ending the next week, so I phoned up the AA who I was with before + didn't want to leave + took out a years insurance with them + paid it upfront again, Martin did give me back the money I gave him for the years insurance for Admiral as I only had been insured about 2 months with them. Then the problem arises Admiral kept sending letters for Martin to pay £1200 for a years insurance when they are the ones that knew his car had been written off + when he got another one they said they would need the years insurance paid upfront + Martin said no he could not afford that + would have to insure elsewhere which he did + they cancelled my policy without even asking me anything. Martin phoned Admiral up + said why are you sending me a bill for a years policy when I cancelled with you due to my car being written off + even when I got another car you said you would need the money upfront one off payment + I told you no can do. After weeks of Admiral sending Martin letters requesting £1200 + trying to take it out his bank by direct debit but being unsuccessful as he never has that kind off money in his account, They have now started sending letters to me in my name demanding £1200 + threatening me with balliffs. I phoned them + said it was my son who took the policy out not me I never signed anything I am not paying £1200 when my insurance for the year is £230 + I gave that to Martin + they cancelled my insurance after just 2 months when Martins car got written off + they didn't consult me + why would Martin be responsible for a years insurance anyway as when his car got written off they stopped the insurance + didn't let him insure his new car with them unless he paid the whole years priemium upfront which he said no he could not do so he had to go else where so why should he have to pay a years premiums for no service + have to pay another company to insure him???? now I am getting letters from this company called C.A.R.S. who are debt collectors for Admiral + in my name when it was my sons policy I never signed anything with Admiral + I won't pay them a penny as I don't think Martin owes them anything the policy was cancelled when his car was written off + it was his policy not mine..........HELP PLEASE !!!!

Hi Guys, I went for my ATOS Medical on Wednesday 12th July as it's all new to me and this is my first one reading the posts of people saying they said one thing and the ATOS staff said they said another and things that did/not happen I thought I would be prepared, I went to Atos Medical Centre I set my iphone4 to record and just popped it in the outside pocket of my handbag and let it run. The nurse called me in and introduced herself and said we would go through my medical conditions and she would do a hearing test, we spoke about my arthritis and I told her that all the discs in my neck had collapsed into each other welding into one and that I had bones that had fused in my shoulder, I said I was in pain every day in my neck, shoulders and upper back as well as my lower back, the nurse asked about numbness and tingling I told her my right shoulder in particular was often numb or is numb in places. she asked if I had told the doctor this and if I had seen a specialist or had any scans I said I have told the doctors about the numbness and I have asked for an MRI scan lots of times to all different doctors but they are all penny pinching all singing from the same hymnn sheet they say you don't need an MRI scan we know you have osteo arthritis an xray showed that I said but now my lower back just keeps going for no reason at all and its agony very painful and it's happening more frequently so I'd like a scan they say no as they don't want to spend the money. The nurse said well the numbness and tingelling could be nerve related like trapped nerves. we spoke about my deafness that I wear a hearing aid since 2005 and my asthma then she said to me I want to speak to the other nurse about your shoulder and the numbness so she went away and came back she said I've spoke to the neurologist nurse and I'm very sorry but I think you need to be seen by a neurologist and I've not got experience in this and it wouldn't be fair on you for me to continue this report so what I am going to have to do is make you another appointment for you to see a neurologist nurse thank you for being so nice about it but I feel it's only fair to you to get a proper thorough report she took me back to the reception to make another appointment where the receptionist said something about the nurses not having experience or having to have 6 months experience in certain fields. the receptionist said I could have another appointment for another day or I could wait at the end of the queue of people that was already waiting. I opted to wait as I had already been there for about an hour and spent about 25 mins in with this first nurse and contrary to what the nurse thought I was not happy to go away and come back another day I wanted it over and done with after all they gave me the appointment they should have the staff to see me....... I waited another hour then was called in with this second nurse the neurologist who to me just mumbled through some of what I had went through with the first nurse (I prefered the first nurse she was thorough and spoke clearly) the second nurse just spoke quietly and lazily she went throught the you have arthritis where do you get pain, me : neck, shoulder, upper back and lower back her : how often me : every day I'm in pain and some days it's worse than others but every day. The nurse then goes on about my hearing, asthma etc then done a few tests told me to lie on the bed lift my legs as high as I could she told me to push my feet to the bed with her hands under my ankles, she told me to put my hands behind my back as if I was getting hand cuffed I told her it was sore on my shoulder, she told me to put my arms straight out then put them straigh up above my head, I put them straight out and said I can't put them over my head as It would hurt my shoulders that was it really. The neurologist never mentioned the numbness. tingeling in my shoulder at all, she never done a hearing test that the first nurse mentioned to me I think she was lazy and just went through the motions she ticked the boxes and done what was required in regards to filling in the form on the computer there was no thoroughness that the first nurse mentioned I came out of there and wondered why I had spent 3 hours in there when the first nurse could have dealt with it all as the second one was useless and didn't ask half the questions the first one said she would anyway I have it all recorded on my phone plain + clear and sods law what happens on friday night my lower back went I have been in agony since Friday taking up to 8 tramodol a day still couldn't get an appointment for the dr today but got one for tomorrow but no doubt as the pain is easing I have spent the whole weekend ill in pain in bed now why can't that happen when it is time to go to Atos ........now just awaiting my nil points letter from them telling me I need to go sign on lol. CoolGeo

Hi Guys, Nystagmite I wouldn't even apply for DLA as they knock back every one these days but also I don't think I would be entitled to it as I can walk 200 meteres unaided although I might be a bit breathless due to my asthma, Regarding your problem with your ears most health centres or your local hospital have audiology clinics, ask at your health centres reception what days these are held and make an appointment to go along you can usually do this direct without seeing your doctor they will thoroughly examine your ears or phone the audiolodgy department of your local hospital they will give you an appointment or say your doctor needs to refer you, failing that tell your doctor that you want your ears checked as you are still having problems and insist he takes action. Hensteeth you can count yourself very lucky that you have never had a problem getting sick notes and that your doctor asks how long you want it for but I bet your attitude would be very different if you saw a doctor you have never saw in your life and he started hesitating over wither he should give you one at all. I am aware it is for the GP to decide if you are entitled to a sick note and I don't think I know better than the GP but facts are facts when you have a condition like athritis and are in constant pain these conditions only deteriorate they don't just go away next week, So when you see a doctor who you have never saw in your life and he hasn't even examined you and he is dithering over wither to give you a sick note I feel you are perfectly entitled to say to him politely that I have athritis I am sick, I'm attending physio my sick note is due for renewing after all if I was not sick I would be signing on for JSA, I do not receive any other money and after experiencing not being paid for 6 weeks before I wasn't prepared to go through that again if I don't get my sick note in I have nothing to live on and no one to rely on to help me out plus its not my fault I can't ever see the same GP at my practice. Slatted regarding your thread..............But I do wonder, having read many such threads about worries about seeing and approaching GPs for help whether they also have degrees of courage as some GPs are prepared to stick by their principles and treat the person and their condition(s) and provide sick notes if they believe them necessary regardless of how long the illness has been going on...or whether they have not passed WCA or whatever....six weeks, six months or six years ongoing... Illness does not respect timescales laid down by medical professionals in my experience..and we are often told we are individuals and therefore what is a simple matter in one may not be in another......and it certainly does not obey the Govt guidelines as to how fit we are to perform work related tasks.... Slatted you are 100% correct in everything you said in the above thread especially about people being worried to approach their GP's and their attitude to giving sick notes, also the latter part that illness does not respect timescales laid down by medical professionals in my experience..and we are often told we are individuals and therefore what is a simple matter in one may not be in another......and it certainly does not obey the Govt guidelines as to how fit we are to perform work related tasks. 100% Spot On !

Thanks for the feedback guys I appreciate it, since I have arthritis my condition will only get worse it won't get better, I have only been on the sick for 7 months now and each sick note has been for a month at a time but the doctors are terrible when it comes to giving them out now, I only receive ESA nothing else I am not on DLA or anything. I dread when my sick note is up and I need to get a new one, for that doctor to say that they can't give sick notes out after 6 months is rubbish at the end of the day it is not my fault I am unwell, I can't go sign on for JSA, I can't apply for incapacity benefit as it no longer exists, I am probably not ill enough for DLA so I need my sick note for my ESA and as you said RaeUK you have been getting sick notes for over three years. Well as I said yesterday 5th July I received a letter to go for my ATOS medical on the 11th July ( not much notice eh) so no doubt they will say I have to go sign on for JSA well looking forward to that farce will let you know how it all pans out.

WHAT A FARCE, I made an appointment with my doctors surgery as my sick note was due, I really dread when it's time to renew my sick note wondering what crap the doctor will spout to avoid giving me one. this time I got a doctor I have never seen before in my life I got all my usual prescriptions for pills and a referal to hospital for my hearing aid. I then told him I need a new sick note he asked how long I had been on the sick I said since Dec 11 so roughly 7 months he then came out with........ ohhh I don't think I can give you a sick note, we are not really supposed to give sick notes after 6 months, I don't really know the legalities of it. I said I am sick so therefore you should give me a sick note, if I was not sick I would be signing on at the jobcentre and be receiving JSA but in order to do that I need to be fit for work I am clearly not so that is why I send sick notes in to the DWP and receive my ESA if you do not give me a sick note I get no money so where does that leave me, so after some humming + hawing he wrote out the sick note for another month but what a joke a doctor trying to tell me he thinks it might be illegal to give me a sick note after 6 months of being on the sick and he didn't know the legalities of it well surely as a profesional man he should know. Years ago many people just got put on incapacity after six months on the sick now they have done away with incapacity it's not my fault I still need sick notes and money to live on besides I do not believe for one minute doctors can't give you a sick note after 6 months I also got a letter through this morning 5th July to go for an ATOS medical on 11th July !!!!!!!!!!

Cheers for the info Rae so I preferably need to aim to be in the Support Group although knowing my luck they will put me in WRAG and try to force me back to work although as I said before if you let a future employer know when you go for an interview that you have a few conditions and are likely to be having a lot of time off due to illness then they will give the job to someone else lol.

Hi RaeUK, thanks for the advice as I really don't know much about how this all works as I have mostly worked all my life apart from the last 6/7 months I have been ill. Guess what I got through the post today......... a letter from ATOS titled Limited Capability For Work Questionaire !!!!! so I now have to fill in this questionaire with lots of silly trick questions then no doubt I will get sent to go for an assessment with a decision maker from the job center according to the letter to make sure I am getting the right amount of benefit .......yeah right to see if they can force you back to work is the correct answer. RaeUK what does Wrag or Support mean as I have heard other people mention this but don't know what it actually means getting scared now.

Hi Guys, I think you are truely blessed if you have a good GP and don't ever move from the practice because the difference it can make to your life is unbelievable if you end up with GP's like mine they are so snooty and look down on you if you want a sick note you would think they were actually paying you out of their own pocket with the attitude they have and that's another thing they can give you a sick note for more than a month especially as your condition is never going to improve but no they would rather just do it for a month at a time to keep you on your toes and see you squirm. My new GP has even taken to putting on my sick note "Neck Pain" when he knows fine well I have osteo arthritis of spine, I constantly get pain in my neck, shoulders and upper back but I also constantly get pain right across my lower back bottom of my spine and hip area so to say on my sick note neck pain is absurd when I have already had confirmed by the hospital and x-rays that I have osteo arthritis of the spine and all other GP's have put on my sick note OA of Spine it seems as if my new GP is trying to play it down to me while telling me I need to get back to work wether I work or not is really none of his business he should just be interested in my health and well being. I have no plans to claim disability or anything like that as I am probably not ill enough for that I am happy just to be receiving EASA does anyone know how long I have to keep putting sick notes in for as before I believe that if you put sick notes in for over 6 months you then went on to incapacity but now the incapacity is done away with so is there a time period where I would no longer be required to put sick notes in as this is about 6/7 months now and I would love not to have to go near the GP again to ask for sick notes and just go for my medication.

Hi Guys, yes I also have Asthma and get breathless very easily, I also suffer from depression and anxiety as well as my osteo arthritis, I'm partially deaf and wear a hearing aid. I really think the doctors are getting some sort of insentive for everyone they get off the sick as the last 3 doctors I have seen all seem to be urgently trying to get people back to work for some reason. When I said to my doctor when I needed my back dated sick note I wouldn't have this hastle signing my name at the job centre once a fortnight he said why don't you then ! I said because for me to sign on means I am saying I am fit for work and ready for any interviews and to take a job and I am not. it just seems strange that he couldn't care less if I was signing on or working just as long as he got rid of me and didn't need to provide any more sick notes it's no skin of his nose providing me with sick notes. I even said to him when he keeps reiterating that just because I have osteo arthritis doesn't mean I can't work, when you look at someone with a broken leg and someone with a condition like cancer, arthritis or depression do you really think just because the latter three may not show any physical sign of illness that they are fit to work. I have also said to him it's not just the osteo arthritis it is a combination of all my conditions that make it hard to hold down a job like if I can't even get a wink of sleep all night then how can I go and do a days work. if I take my very strong pain killers they knock me out make me sleepy or put me in a zombie dreamy like state how can I work like that. I don't ever remember people getting this hastle years ago the doctor would just hand you a sick note when you where ill then when you got better they would say that your condition had cleared up or what ever there was no emphasis on if you were working or not. If I ever get forced to go sign on I will make a point of telling any future employee about all my illnesses and that I would require lots of time off when I'm in pain.

Hi RaeUK yeah that's just what I was thinking go at least a week before and see what the doc is going to do it all depends if he is in a mood or not he will still say I don't see why you can't work just because you have osteo arthritis and grudgingly write out another sick note or he will say I am not prepared to give you a sick note and I will have to go and sign on......I'll let you know lol.