No ATOS assessment required?

[seanamarts]

Need some help understanding this.

 

Gets ATOS form, filled it out. No response for almost 5 weeks, so email sent.

 

What comes back is this.

 

Thank you for your email.

 

I can advise you that we have provided medical advice to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 3rd May without the need for you to undergo an assessment. The referral to Atos Healthcare was subsequently closed and returned to the benefit office.

 

It will now be for the Decision Maker at the benefit office dealing with your claim to consider all of the available information, decide on your entitlement to benefit and inform you of the outcome of this.

 

 

Why wasnt the claimant told what the decision was before they sent it back to the benefits agency? And what was this medical advice?

 

Isnt the claimant supposed to know? Nothing has been sent from DWP as of yet!

 

Not knowing much about ATOS and their procedures, is this correct?

 

Information would be most grateful so I can pass this on, Many thanks.

[honeybee13]

Hi seanamarts.

 

Other people here know more than I do, but I think this could be to do with Atos and the DWP being separate organisations. Atos do the 'medical' assessments, the DWP make decisions about whether a claim is allowed or not.

 

I imagine the papers are now with a DWP Decision Maker [DM] for a final decision. They can decide to allow someone's benefit without seeing them, especially if there is other medical evidence available.

 

Atos are rubbish at communication, as a quick read around this forum shows.

 

My best, HB

[seanamarts]

Its ridiculous, How do people know whats going on unless they tell you.

 

So its a sit and wait game now then, so pointless, why dont they just get your own GP to do it in the first place, would save so much money in the long run, plus GP's could have the money to put to the surgery to pay for other medical needs.

 

This is so ass about face

 

Cheers for that HB I will pass this on.

[RaeUK]

It is indeed a strange system and it would have been better for all assessments to have been carried out by the NHS.

Not everyone needs a face to face WCA. If the ESA50 contains sufficient supporting evidence then you can be filtered straight into the WRAG or Support Group. It does take a little while, but what should happen next is the person will receive a phone call from the DWP to notify them of what has been decided. Not the end of the world if they miss the call as it will be confirmed in writing.

[**Margaret**]

:seanamarts:

 

:honeybee13:'s spot on in that Tatos make a recommendation of fit for work/limited capability for work/work related activity. It's then up to a Jobcentreplus decision maker to accept the recommendation, or if they've other evidence, weigh up all the evidence on a balance of probability. Don't know the exact % of upheld Tatos recommendations at the moment but it's well over 90%.

 

So what've Tatos recommended? Without waiting for the decision, the claimant can find out by phoning or writing to their benefit delivery centre for the ESA85A report which is available on request. Also, it's more likely than not, that Tatos contacted the claimant's doctor/another health professional so the claimant may want to enquire whether anyone treating them has been approached for info. A claimant can't be found fit for work without a trip to Tatos.

 

Margaret.

Edited May 20, 2013 by **Margaret**

[seanamarts]

Sounds promising, Thanks all

[**Margaret**]

:A Very Strange System:

 

Once upon a time access to sickness/invalidity benefit was via Med 3 (sick note) certs from one's doctor. Divisional medical officers from the then Department of Health n Social Security made random checks on about 10% of claims and less than 0.5% of claims were found to be fraudulent. Can't remember exactly what the medical officers got paid but it was probably comparable with what a Tatos doctor gets paid today.

 

Fast forward to employment n support allowance. £110,000,000+ per year to Tatos. A further £60,000,000 and rising, to the Tribunals Service. And each appeal against an employment n support decision costs Jobcentreplus at least £55. The fraud rate across disability living and employment n support remains less than 0.5%.

 

A very strange system, n a very Margaret.

Edited May 21, 2013 by **Margaret**

[seanamarts]

Just an update,

 

Claimant has been placed in support group and getting the full amount once they have sorted her SDP.

 

Would any one know if this is a yearly thing, as my son has to go again this year for the 2nd time.

[**Margaret**]

:seanamarts:

 

Congrats to your friend on securing her entitlement.

 

In addition to a recommendation concerning capability for work Tatos also recommend (subject to approval by a decision maker) when the claimant should be reassessed. Can be anything between three months and three years but it's not set in stone. Jobcentreplus can reassess any time they choose to do so. Recommendations aren't shown on decision notices but the Tatos suggestion will be on your friend's ESA85A report. Available on request, via phone or letter, from her benefit delivery centre.

 

Margaret.

[seanamarts]

Cheers for that Starryeyes52, I will pass this on to her and my son

[RaeUK]

Indeed. Simply phone up your BDC and they will tell you how long the Support Group is for.

[seanamarts]

Its a shame they dont tell you this without the need to keep phoning them. Thanks Rae