Anyone else heard that ESA medicals are on hold?

[estellyn]

In my view its very unlikely those already reffered will be affected. There is a fair few people replying on b&w thinking their medicals are going to get cancelled, I think they wont. I believe this will only affect those who have not got an active refferal.

 

 

Yes, I would agree with this as being the most likely scenario.

[Lilly_Monroe]

I have heard and read of some people being moved across from WRAG to support with no medical just the written evidence from their ESA50 form.

Things must be in a mess.

[Sick1]

I sent my form in over 8 months ago, I've not heard from them yet. I asked dwp about this some months ago and was told they are well behind as they had to transfer all the incapacity benefit people over first. I suppose if they also have the new ones to deal with they don't have time for others. They are in chaos.

[worried33]

Also I wonder if it will be nation wide, as my area doesnt seem to have backlog issues, I generally get a WCA appointment within 4 weeks. If they suspended all automatic WCA's in my area ATOS staff may be sitting there twiddling their thumbs.

[Lilly_Monroe]

Also I wonder if it will be nation wide, as my area doesnt seem to have backlog issues, I generally get a WCA appointment within 4 weeks. If they suspended all automatic WCA's in my area ATOS staff may be sitting there twiddling their thumbs.

 

Yes I think it is nationwide looks to me as if ATOS are more or less out of the picture for existing claimants.

would be difficult to keep some parts of the country ticking over and not others.

[tommy456]

Shame they aren't out of the picture for everyone ,

[antone]

Shame they aren't out of the picture for everyone ,

 

They will be soon enough. Of course, the question really is: will whoever replaces them be any better?

[osdset]

Cut and pasted from B&W

Benefits and Work has received information from a DWP insider claiming that people who are due to have their employment and support allowance (ESA) award reassessed in the coming months will now have that assessment deferred for a full two years.

 

On Monday we broke the news that current employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants will be left on the benefit, without further medical checks, until another company can be found to carry out repeat work capability assessments (WCAs). The DWP stopped referring claimants to Atos for repeat medicals with effect from 20 January 2013.

 

The change does not apply to IB to ESA transfers or to people who report a change of circumstances, such as a worsening of their condition. It will also not apply to anyone who has already been referred to Atos or to those who have made a new claim for ESA, as those assessments will still take place.

 

Benefits and Work has now received further information from a mole within the DWP on how deferment works. Whilst we cannot verify the identity of the individual, they clearly had access to the DWP memo which Benefits and Work obtained, as they were aware of details which we did not publish.

 

One unpublished section of the memo states that:

“Scans will be run from 18 January to identify and defer Employment and Support Allowance repeat referrals. The impact of this should be seen from 20 January.

“The scans will be managed centrally and will result in a reduction in the number of Work Available Reports.”

 

The DWP mole informs us that the scan has caused reassessments due in late January through February to be moved on by two years. The same scan is due to be run each month throughout the year. Each time, all those due to be reassessed will be given a two year deferral. So someone due to be sent back to Atos on 1 February 2014, for example, will not now be re-examined until 1 February 2016.

 

The revelation is clear evidence of just how long the DWP really expects it to take to clear the massive backlog of WCAs built up under Atos.

 

It is also evidence of the extreme heartlessness of the DWP. The memo in question makes it clear that claimants should not be told about the deferral of their reassessment. Instead, the intention is to leave people for years dreading that brown envelope dropping through their letterbox and constantly wondering why it hasn't arrived yet.

[2ltr16valve]

What you all make of this then ?

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10661359/Atos-awarded-contract-for-NHS-records.html

 

I've also read that atos has changed it's uk division name, to two new companies. I wonder if they get the new wca contracts !! Nothing would surprise me

[honeybee13]

Hello there.

 

I've posted your link into a separate thread in our NHS forum which covers the matter of health records being shared.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?414742-quot-Better-information-means-better-care-quot-Don-t-be-fooled.%282-Viewing%29-nbsp

 

Please could we keep this thread to Atos health assessments?

 

Much appreciated, HB

[Unforgiven]

I wanted to post a link but apparently I can't until I've made 10 posts.

[Unforgiven]

Straight from the horses mouth

 

http://blog.atoshealthcare.com/2014/02/clarification-about-the-completion-of-work-capability-assessments/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=clarification-about-the-completion-of-work-capability-assessments

[worried33]

I wonder if the DWP are happy about ATOS publishing this info, ATOS seem a bit rebellious lately.