My overall Benefits journey from 2013 to date - and on going still!!

[Guest]

Yes I totally agree Margaret, it is the best way to show some kind of trail, thank goodness for emailing. I have read some of my emails back and any honest person would find it hard to believe they were all sent by the same person, not realising at the time of sending that my moods were different on each time, some are quite coherent and some are all muddled and some are clear and well written, even I was reading them back and obviously seeing my better, not so good and bad days, very up and down over 8 week period. I write as I feel on the day.

 

I received an email from 38 degrees website, and I have signed the petition for IDS to explain his maths in giving the benefit figures/unemployed etc, I doubt he will suffer, hes a very good wriggly worm, but anything that highlights his shady being is worth a go. Also via the same site I have seen the names of 99 Mps who have signed the Early Day Motion 620 to ask that benefit it paid during reconsideration period, I clicked on the option to email my MP as her name wasn't on it, I emailed her and asked her to sign as she hadn't already and said why it was so important to me. Whether she does or not I will know and she will know that too. Am in dog with a bone mode today as you can probably tell lol.

 

Not expecting anything from messicals dept this side of Christmas............

[**Margaret**]

:Ruby_Tuesday:

 

Let's hope your dog with a bone mode sees you through to an award of employment n support. One of our local resources clerks used the same words to describe me. He claims not to understand why I wouldn't agree to a non recorded messical. And has now taken to asking, 'whether I've heard from the Jobcentre yet?' Had I followed his advice, given my rather grey diagnosis, I'd now be waiting to hear from the Tribunals Service.

 

After we've all lost count of the postponements, Mr Duncan Smith is scheduled to explain his dodgy stats on 9 December. Hadn't noticed that early day motion. Shall remind my Member of Parliament why I won't be voting for her next time round. Newly elected, she invited a group of us for a chat about disability, and completely overlooked that most of us couldn't reliably access her office.

 

Margaret.

[reallymadwoman]

After we've all lost count of the postponements, Mr Duncan Smith is scheduled to explain his dodgy stats on 9 December. Hadn't noticed that early day motion. Shall remind my Member of Parliament why I won't be voting for her next time round. Newly elected, she invited a group of us for a chat about disability, and completely overlooked that most of us couldn't reliably access her office. [/color][/size][/font]

 

Margaret.

 

The level of incompetence in government sometimes amazes me, but then I remember that they're politicians.

 

Incidentally, after writing to confirm that all correspondence has to be in writing due to my disability, the Independent Case Examiner has just asked for my phone number so they can discuss my complaint.

[**Margaret**]

::

 

Clearly, we've an epidemic of selective illiteracy!! Starts with Tatos, especially the second/third page of an ESA50, dependent on how long it is since one's questionnaire was filled in. Then gets caught by Work n Pensions and passed on to the Case Examiner.

 

Margaret.

[Guest]

wondering if they still manage to strategically arrange pointments with two weeks notice and the appointment day on a benefits pay day, to ensure you have the fare to get there? .............odd how they can be so efficient when it suits them, and how the recorded messicals seem to be such a problem to them, even more puzzling NOT why I hear that some atossers so called HP's wont do recorded messicals, my own GP would have no issue with any of my appointments being recorded, I have asked him as a matter of curiosity, he said anything that helped me remember it and not be anxious etc was fine with him, he understands the "fog" element of Fibromyalgia and he has seen first hand my anxiety at all levels..........

[Guest]

well I sent the regular two weekly email to atos yesterday, I was in high anxiety mode and it must have come across, the reply this time was that they have contacted the dept dealing with this and asked them to do my referral as quickly as possible and will email me when they have heard back from them. no part of it is good in my experience but the hanging on and not knowing is more stressful to me, especially with the tricks of lost mail and no shows that they pull. its written in several places on the form I would want a recorded messical, and the details of illnesses and of the last tribunal and the reason I won it, my GP is up to date with how I am, hes a bit of a drip when it comes to answering their questions, doesn't seem to have the sense to add anything helpful in with his answers but I can live in hope lol I feel I have done all I can up to this next stage. lets see what happens next.

[Guest]

well they didn't let me know if that had heard from the dept dealing with this, and another two weeks had almost passed so I emailed again this morning, the reply was that they will require me to attend for a face to face assessment but they are waiting for an appointment date to become available and will write when one has. my daughter has replied stating that she will attend with me when one does and that I request an audio recorded appointment.

now on the phone back in the summer I was told I would get a letter within 3 weeks lol and have to ring and get an appointment date that way........now this email says different.....anyhow.......either way I am not giving any chance to lose mail or not get audio recording. I think its safe to say I will have a few weeks or so grace until the appointment date if they are waiting for one to be available.

[Guest]

And of course I think we all know that they will have already decided to fail me otherwise it would have been into wrag and no face to face interrogation.

[Guest]

just wondering if its worth emailing every two weeks, or maybe four weekly?....in general how long notice of an assessment appointment do we get? I think in the past I have had a letter with an appointment date/time about 2-3 weeks in advance of it, on the last one in 2009 I had a letter to ring up to make an appointment, which was two weeks ahead and fell on a benefit payment day. as per the email back from them yesterday there is no appointment available at the moment for me, just wondering the best way to go about it, I don't want to be fretting and emailing every two weeks for months, that in itself sets off the anxiety or maintains it depending what else is happening, but at the same time I don't want to give them the opportunity of a no show accusation. I kicked up such a stink of complaints and fuss after the 2009 fiasco I am sure they are gunning for me this time too lol.

[Guest]

sorry to just add......in yesterdays email they said they will send out the appointment to me and that's when I have to ring and request the recording.....

[reallymadwoman]

since I started making a fuss they've made all my appointments via email, usually about 2 weeks in advance, and they always say it will be recorded when they make the appointment. How about telling them you no longer do phones due to the anxiety it induces and they therefore have to do all communication via email? They may not agree to start with but if you mention 'reasonable adjustment' and Equalities Act they should do it eventually.

[Guest]

That's a fantastic idea.......I will get onto that. Thanks.

[**Margaret**]

:Ruby_Tuesday:

 

Was hoping you'd get a 'free pass' to employment n support with the work related activity component if you believe that's the right outcome for you.

 

Yes, to some extent the two weekly electronic mails have served their purpose in that you can show, should it be necessary, you've done the best you can not to miss a messical. But if it's causing more stress than it's solving, time to consider once every four weeks. Not your fault the Atossers can't get their act together. Know someone in very similar circumstances who settled for the first day of every month, then tried to forget about DWATO for the rest of the month. Came in very useful when Atossers cancelled two messicals for lack of audio recorder/pinocchio then tried to allege 'failure to attend'. Although it annoys me intensely that we have to keep up with the paper (cum electronic) chase and cope with the stress caused by their antics.

 

One day, I'm going to remember to think along the same lines as :reallymadwoman: and get comfy with electronic mails. As you're already comfy with them, she's come up with a really good idea. You'll probably have to kick up a heck of a fuss but it'll be on record that you can't cope with phones and did your best not to miss a letter, if a decision maker has to consider 'the nature of any disability the claimant has'.

 

Last, but not least, if you ever work out DWATO's reason for pages 2/3 of an ESA50 ......

 

Best wishes, Margaret.

[**Margaret**]

:reallymadwoman:

'they've made all my appointments via email'

Wonder how many appointments DWATO need to make, and cancel, for one interrogation? I'm on five, but I know others have coped with the hassle of more. And had you continued, you'd be into double figures!! Like it's a completely acceptable norm. For DWATO, but not for us.

Margaret.

[Guest]

well my daughter has emailed them, and said that following a discussion with an advisor that she/I am requesting any appointment details be sent via email, and that the matter of the already requested recorded assessment be taken into account before sending such an appointment and that it be confirmed in the email (we would reply if it isn't confirmed to be a recorded assessment), she also mentioned the reasonable adjustment and equality act, and the fact that they have already been emailing over the past month or so, and she cant see a problem in this request being carried out............we shall see what happens next. My daughter says she will email them every two weeks if necessary and its worth it to know whats what, there is no escaping anxiety of it, damned if you do damned if you don't.......

 

Thankyou Margaret.......at least with a recorded assessment they wont get away with lies as before, and I will stick out for it.

[reallymadwoman]

:reallymadwoman:

'they've made all my appointments via email'

Wonder how many appointments DWATO need to make, and cancel, for one interrogation? I'm on five, but I know others have coped with the hassle of more. And had you continued, you'd be into double figures!! Like it's a completely acceptable norm. For DWATO, but not for us.

Margaret.

 

We're actually up to 13 appointments now, but the last 4 have been refused by me so I suppose they don't count. I'd have expected ATOS to refer me back to DWP for failure to attend by now but they seem strangely desperate to visit me all of a sudden.

[Guest]

well up to now the emails back n forth have been quick.....always a reply within two hours, my daughter emailed yesterday which was sunday so no reply expected until this morning.....but no reply as yet...maybe this one is taking them longer to fathom how to wriggle out of being fair and honest without being seen to be so....I so love emails, a solicitor once told me an email is classed as a document, an ideal way of communicating with this lot as the proof of what was said and sent/received is immediate, and I can print it all off.....the minions have either gone home early for xmas or are concocting their reply.

[Guest]

well as I said in previous post my daughter emailed them with the request to send any appointment etc via email...am guessing they are only back into work today so will only see that this morning, however, she has this morning emailed them again, attaching details of the press release about the 4th dec 2013 upper tribunal decision that in esa assessment for claimants, that dwp/atos should write to the claimants GP at all stages?, they haven't written to mine and have decided on assessment without doing so, apparently if they decide not to write to claimants GP at every stage they should say why?.....am hoping this covers my claim as although its not a new esa claim from scratch, it should be the same as I am being thrown off incapacity benefit and onto esa which is new to me?..........will come back and update as this goes along.

[**Margaret**]

:Ruby_Tuesday:

 

'Av an . So, so, wish there was something more I could do to help you through this Tatos trial.

 

If your daughter can cope with fortnightly electronic mails to Tatos I'd leave her to get on with it for the reassurance that you've not missed an appointment letter. Really it's whichever interval lessens the chance of increased meds or meltdown. And should push come to shove, the request for an appointment via electronic mail is further evidence of your attempts to cooperate as best you can, given 'the nature of any disability ......' Although Tatos aren't going to agree to your request willingly, if at all, without n murmurings about discrimination and the Equality Act. Which is probably why they've gone all quiet.

 

Keep at 'em. Dogs with bones can be very persuasive.

 

For the moment DWATO aren't agreeing with the Court of Appeal either. No surprise there!! The finding for DWATO to seek further medical evidence for disadvantaged learning disabled and mental health claimants was upheld, but they've yet to decide how to do it. And that's assuming Messieurs Duncan-Smith and Gunnyeon don't decide to bleat to the Supreme Court!!! Could be quite a while before doctors have to cope with an avalanche of ESA113s and letters, but when (if) they do, I can't see any reason to differentiate between conversion awards and initial claims.

 

Sincerely, Margaret.

Edited January 3, 2014 by **Margaret**

[Guest]

Thankyou Margaret. Well I guess we have done all that we can up to this point, which in itself is some kind of comfort, and my daughter has shown her cards as it were to them, for what good it does I have no idea but for me to not have tried or done the most possible, is just not on. She will continue to email them as before. I had to see my GP on Monday as I have swollen neck glands, bit of a mystery as there is no pain anywhere apart from the "lump" from my ear down to my throat on one side, during the appointment he was asking me how I had been ( I usually see him every 6 weeks or so for updates, and he does my repeat prescriptions, I only ever see him for reasons of continuity, unless its important and for some reason he isn't in) my daughter was with me and we didn't mention atos but updated him on how I had been very up and down of late and mostly due to stress of one kind or another from one thing or another, he advised try and keep life to an even keel, don't challenge yourself as that is what sets off the mood changes and makes you ill.....at least I know he gets it. I think I will ask to write a letter anyway.

 

Thankyou again Margaret, your input here is always so helpful, I didn't doubt for one minute that IDS wouldn't bleat on about the decision re listening to GP's, he was never going to want that at all, I think we all know the government want the end of the welfare state, I can see workhouses or the modern day version on the horizon if this lot stay in power and people don't fight back very hard very soon. We shall see.

[Guest]

just thinking the customer non-service office is probably still closed until the 6th like a lot of places apparently......oh such joy not will be their reply on Monday.

[Guest]

Soooo this morning I receive this reply from them

 

An appointment has not yet been arranged for your mother's assessment. The appointments team do not have the facility to send customers their appointment details via email, however you can continue to enquire via this email address and I will be happy to check your mother's referral on our computer records and update you accordingly.

If when an appointment is made you wish to discuss this with the appointments team you will need to do so in the presence of your mother so she can provide her authorisation for you to discuss her referral on her behalf.

[reallymadwoman]

They arrange all my appointments via email so they can IF they choose. However, since the writer is happy to check for you then I think the chances of you missing an appointment by letter are so slim as to not make it worthwhile pushing them.

You can also now get the writer to check if the appointment will be recorded for you.

[Guest]

yes I agree with that, re the appointment situation, they are still saying though that the dreaded phone call has to be made to sort the recorded request etc, but my daughter will do that and be with me as the writer states and at least that will help me through this.

[Guest]

They have chosen to ignore/not reply or comment with my daughters comments as to whether they contacted GP etc.....basically only replying to what they choose to. I am grateful though to be able to check by email re appointments.