Does anyone have any problems getting mail accepted by ATOS?

[squirrelly Whirley]

I received a letter telling me I had a medical at ATOS. I have a form of heart failure which means I can't walk distances without considerable issues. Since the ATOS building in Glasgow is located far from a bus stop I asked that a taxi be arranged.

 

ATOS procedures require that I submit a doctor's letter explicitly stating my need for a taxi. I managed to get this, and sent it first-class "signed-for", last Wednesday. I was getting a bit frantic when tracking this letter over the weekend, to have it reported on the Royal Mail tracking website that it was undelivered.

 

Having checked yesterday, I found it was still undelivered . Half a dozen phone calls later, I established from Royal Mail Customer Services, that ATOS refuse to sign for any letters (this could be a responsibility-issue). Effectively my letter is now in limbo, but will probably be returned (...in a few weeks). I certainly don't expect to hear when I should expect my taxi before my appointment date.

 

Has anyone else on this site had a similar problem? I've got in touch with my MSP to try and get this bureaucratic situation resolved. If ATOS are asking for letters on one hand, and refusing to accept them on the other, how are we expected to manage this frustrating bit of red-tape? ATOS are not just moving the goal posts - they're moving the whole football field.

[rebel11]

Hi squirrelly Whirley

 

Write a Formal Letter of Complaint mark it as such. Explain whats happened, how they have let you down and what you want them to do. You could copy the letter to DWP.

 

Send it to:-

 

ursula.morgenstern

Chief Executive

Atos Origin

[email protected]

[squirrelly Whirley]

Thanks Rebel11, I'm so grateful that you gave me both a name and an email address to write to. I will be writing a letter of complaint to ATOS (and forwarding a copy to the DWP) once my MSP's representative gets back to me to confirm how the situation now stands.

 

I've just been chatting to my sister on the phone. She suggests that since my health has changed since I filled in the ESA50 last September, I should take along an update of my situation to hand to the HCP. So on Monday, I'll take details of changes in my meds, how these now affect me, and I'll make reference to two echo-cardiograms in my hospital records which definitively show the efficiency of my heart is degrading.

 

Originally I was only given about 8 days to ready myself for this medical, but I had read here on the CAG website that I should get the meeting recorded. (I still maintain some glaring untruths crept into the ATOS report for my last medical). My assessment was moved from a Saturday at 9am to a mid-morning Monday appointment, and I suddenly had an additional fortnight to prepare.

 

Thanks again for your help

 

Regards

 

Squirrelly Whirley

[rebel11]

Hi squirrelly whirley

 

Take the meds with you, but it might also be an idea to compile a list of all the meds, their dosages and their side effects. Just as a reference for you, I'm sure the HCP will want o take a copy. Also ask the HCP to check that the Recording Equipment is working.

[estellyn]

I didn't have a problem with a taxi for my assessment, I got one there, told the staff at reception, filled in a reimbursement form and provided a receipt, and then was reimbursed for both fares. The problem comes of course, when you don't have money for a taxi in the first place.

[**Margaret**]

:squirrelly Whirley:

 

New one on me, even for Atos. I can understand that if Atos at Corunna House use a mail opening unit you might not get a signature, but I'd expect Royal Mail Tracking to show it as delivered. And what's a 'responsibility issue' when it's at home.

 

Right, if you don't have any phone issues, can you get/have you got another copy of the letter to send to Atos as an attachment to an electronic mail, then phone Corunna House to see whether a taxi's been authorised.

 

[email protected]

 

If you can't get this sorted one way or another before your appointment's due, you'll probably get a BF223 letter asking for an explanation of your 'failure to attend'. Return it with copies of the doctor's letter and proof of posting as your good cause.

 

Best wishes, Margaret.

[squirrelly Whirley]

Thanks to Rebel11, Estellyn and Margaret for your reply.

 

I'll admit I was pretty much blown away by the idea that a first class letter wasn't delivered promptly by the Post Office - this is my first experience of that. The "responsibility issues" was the notion that nobody at ATOS wanted to take responsibility for accepting my (and presumably any) letter that required a signature. Talking to the man at the Royal Mail, he said this was a larger problem, and he'd fielded many calls similar to my own - hence my question asking if anyone else had had any problems getting mail accepted by ATOS. I may be guilty of having grown cynical in my dealings with ATOS.

 

I'm sure the rushed nature of these medicals is designed to catch those forced to attend unprepared, so anything that provides additional days in which to gather supportive evidence of your condition, is a plus. I'm thankful that my doctor's secretary kept a copy of the doctor's note, I've already made arrangements to pick up a copy of that later today.

 

Thanks to everyone for their great advice, I'll follow up on it to ensure that I don't receive a BF223 letter, I suspect that would be accompanied by a 4-6 week break in received benefits, which I can hardly afford.

[squirrelly Whirley]

Can't sleep just now - news is that I had my medical assessment at ATOS today. I think it was very much more thorough because I asked for it to be recorded. I had an medical in 2012 - that was about 15 minutes long - today's medical was more like an hour and a half.

 

hehe - I was left feeling like a thorough hypocondriac as the roll-call of problems going back over the past few medicals were considered and discussed. I think they can be summed up as "I get totally exhausted very quickly - and it's unpredictable"

 

I feel I've had my say, though the HCP told me she was a general nurse, so I'm not entirely convinced she's aware of what's wrong with me, or my heart. Fast AFib, Muscle Pains, Breathless, Dizzy and Nauseous don't count for much, no matter how severe.

 

Haven't had it confirmed yet, but I'm certain to get zero-points. not sure what the immediate future will bring, but I do know I need to get my appeal organised. Not sure how I'll manage with no incoming benefits, but I'll have a word with the staff at the Citizen's Advice Bureau in the morning.

 

Teeny wee bit down, but I'm sure getting the appeal underway will sort me out

 

btw: had to fund my own taxi, I don't seem to have any luck of late

[estellyn]

Can't sleep just now - news is that I had my medical assessment at ATOS today. I think it was very much more thorough because I asked for it to be recorded. I had an medical in 2012 - that was about 15 minutes long - today's medical was more like an hour and a half.

 

hehe - I was left feeling like a thorough hypocondriac as the roll-call of problems going back over the past few medicals were considered and discussed. I think they can be summed up as "I get totally exhausted very quickly - and it's unpredictable"

 

I feel I've had my say, though the HCP told me she was a general nurse, so I'm not entirely convinced she's aware of what's wrong with me, or my heart. Fast AFib, Muscle Pains, Breathless, Dizzy and Nauseous don't count for much, no matter how severe.

 

Haven't had it confirmed yet, but I'm certain to get zero-points. not sure what the immediate future will bring, but I do know I need to get my appeal organised. Not sure how I'll manage with no incoming benefits, but I'll have a word with the staff at the Citizen's Advice Bureau in the morning.

 

Teeny wee bit down, but I'm sure getting the appeal underway will sort me out

 

btw: had to fund my own taxi, I don't seem to have any luck of late

 

 

Did you not request a claim form for the taxi once you were at the ATOS centre?

[rebel11]

Hi squirrelly whirley

 

You don't know for sure that you will score zero points. If you do score zero points you can ask them to have another look at their decision. This is before a direct lodgement. There is a possibility of getting the decision turned over at this stage, it's called a Mandatory Reconsideration.

 

If you get a call from DWP / Jobcentreplus saying they want to discuss the decision, politely decline to discuss. Tell them that you want them to look at the decision again, but you want to send in further information in support of your claim, doctors letter, consultant letter, etc. I know it's difficult and testing, but keep on going.

 

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/news/whats_new_nov13_changes_to_challenging_or_appealing_a_benefit_decision.htm

[squirrelly Whirley]

Thanks Estellyn, I asked for a claim form for the taxi, I took that into the interview with me. My HCP politely declined to pay, saying "I can catch buses". My problem is that without buses. what else would I do in situations where I REALLY need to get somewhere. I can't afford taxis, I take buses ONLY when needed - otherwise I stay indoors.

 

They told me they could authorise a (cheaper) bus ticket - but that would then require walking up a considerable incline to catch a bus. I might manage that by stopping and starting, I'd get there eventually, but I'd be catching a bus some distance from the medical centre and in a fairly exhausted state. Something I wouldn't deliberately choose to do.

 

They said I should have phoned a taxi through them, and not made my own arrangements. That would have been cheaper, but I didn't spot that in the documents they sent me.

 

I left my doctor's note behind me, along with my meds and a copy of my repeat prescription. In my own defence,, I can only say I was in too much of a hurry to get this whole thing over-with as quickly as possible. I've listened to the recording and I sound very forgetful and unconfident in my answers. Bumbling and burbling along with so many 'er...um...ahhhs...' and I now have it preserved on CD, to entertain family and friends.

 

Thank you also for your response Rebel11. I would ask them to look again at their decision, but I honestly can't think of anywhere else that I can look to find new evidence to support that. The additional-evidence cupboard is bare at this point.

 

I may have a valid complaint with respect to a letter sent before the medical, but this won't change decisions already made. I feel hopeless.

[squirrelly Whirley]

I've received the results of my medical examination at ATOS - Null Point!

 

I'm going to bed. I'll try to think about what I can do with this hell later

[rebel11]

Hi squirrelly Whirley

 

That is disappointing, you need to do the following:-

 

There is a possibility of getting the decision turned over at this stage, it's called a Mandatory Reconsideration.

 

If you get a call from DWP / Jobcentreplus saying they want to discuss the decision, politely decline to discuss. Tell them that you want them to look at the decision again, but you want to send in further information in support of your claim, doctors letter, consultant letter, etc. I know it's difficult and testing, but keep on going.

 

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/englan...t_decision.htm

 

 

 

 

I've received the results of my medical examination at ATOS - Null Point!

 

I'm going to bed. I'll try to think about what I can do with this hell later

[squirrelly Whirley]

... you want to send in further information in support of your claim, doctors letter, consultant letter, etc.

 

Thank you for your advice, rebel11. I'm not entirely sure what I can send. I feel I've already submitted everything bar the kitchen sink. Over the course of 5 ATOS medicals and 2 appeals, I feel I've provided a wealth of notes, letters and evidence.

 

There may be some hope in referencing two echocardiograms I've had recently. These shows an enlargement of an area on the heart-wall which isn't beating properly. I believe this has a knock-on effect on my atrial fibrillation which occurs randomly and often. This also prompting my specialist to increase the strength and number of my prescribed meds.

 

I don't like being forced to ask doctors for letters, they're busy saving lives; this is trivial bureaucracy which takes them away from that.

[rebel11]

Hi squirrelly Whirley

 

It is difficult, but I'm sure your Doctor will provide all the necessary information, especially information on the echocardiograms and the increased medication.

 

Thank you for your advice, rebel11. I'm not entirely sure what I can send. I feel I've already submitted everything bar the kitchen sink. Over the course of 5 ATOS medicals and 2 appeals, I feel I've provided a wealth of notes, letters and evidence.

 

There may be some hope in referencing two echocardiograms I've had recently. These shows an enlargement of an area on the heart-wall which isn't beating properly. I believe this has a knock-on effect on my atrial fibrillation which occurs randomly and often. This also prompting my specialist to increase the strength and number of my prescribed meds.

 

I don't like being forced to ask doctors for letters, they're busy saving lives; this is trivial bureaucracy which takes them away from that.