An Account Of A Dwp Medical

[dib4uk]

Well ive had both good and bad experiences of the DWP and ATOS when it came to going to the medical assesments, but, the one that will stick in my mind more is the negativie one where she awarded me 0 points and i had to go to the appeal route which i won, but since then i went on another medical and im faced to writing another form out again. I wish they would leave me alone but the sad fact is that a person gets 3-6 months grace before having another appointment. No one is left alone in the new system of ESA.

By the way also from what ive heard from others ATOS who carry out the assesments are more in the negative light. I had the help with Mind a local mental health charity in which they complained to the DWP about my treatment -the first time-.

[Ruth24]

I have physical disabilities and had my medical on wednesday.

The doctor was very friendly and I didn't have any problems with it.

I did feel as though it was a bit of a waste of my time. They had all the info from my GP and hospital and the form I completed myself.

I think the guy who wrote about his bad experience is delusional and extremely paranoid.

[dib4uk]

I have physical disabilities and had my medical on wednesday.

The doctor was very friendly and I didn't have any problems with it.

I did feel as though it was a bit of a waste of my time. They had all the info from my GP and hospital and the form I completed myself.

I think the guy who wrote about his bad experience is delusional and extremely paranoid.

Well ive heard of bad very bad experiences, and the lady who did my first one was very nice to me smiling etc but she gave me 0 points.

Yep of course its a waste of time cause they can get the information from the doctors/psychiatrists/therapists etc but they dont and they hardly take that into account when doing the medical.

[bertyswis]

For my first assesment I was given a 0. I was extreamly anxious at the interview and then they made me wait for 40 minutes. then the lady came out and led me through to a room that contained a computer on a desk and 2 chairs. The assesment was quite brief but I found it really difficult to explain myself because the lady who assessed me didn't understand English very well and didn't seem to know what I was saying.

Needless to say I later lost my ESA but when i was sent a form about complaining, I didn't have anyone to help me fill it in and I wasn't in a brilliant mood at the time so didn't fill it in properly and sent it off. I didn't hear anything for absolutely ages and had given up ever hearing from them again when I finally got a letter saying that they hadn't heard from me and so had judged that I no longer wanted to pursue the complaint and the case was now closed. So that was the end of that!

If I'd been feeling better or had some advice I would have filled in the form correctly and chased the money but tbh I had to stop a claim against my employer for unfair dismissal because the stress of it was making me even more unwell, so I'm not sure that it would have been good for me anyway.

I know that this doesn't always happen and that the majority of cases are fine, I'm hoping that if I have to do one again, it won't be as nerve racking as the first!

[lucyloo]

I spent months, worried sick about my medical, mainly due to what I have read on various sites. I needed 30mg of temazepan to get myself there, without a panic attack.

The lady I saw was really nice, took note of the information I gave her, seemed to pay attention to my words and I passed the medical!

I have a friend who had a horrid medical and failed, even though she is in a wheel chair, due to pain!

I think, like all interviews, assesments etc, its down to the skill and experience of the interviewer!

[dib4uk]

For my first assesment I was given a 0. I was extreamly anxious at the interview and then they made me wait for 40 minutes. then the lady came out and led me through to a room that contained a computer on a desk and 2 chairs. The assesment was quite brief but I found it really difficult to explain myself because the lady who assessed me didn't understand English very well and didn't seem to know what I was saying.

Needless to say I later lost my ESA but when i was sent a form about complaining, I didn't have anyone to help me fill it in and I wasn't in a brilliant mood at the time so didn't fill it in properly and sent it off. I didn't hear anything for absolutely ages and had given up ever hearing from them again when I finally got a letter saying that they hadn't heard from me and so had judged that I no longer wanted to pursue the complaint and the case was now closed. So that was the end of that!

If I'd been feeling better or had some advice I would have filled in the form correctly and chased the money but tbh I had to stop a claim against my employer for unfair dismissal because the stress of it was making me even more unwell, so I'm not sure that it would have been good for me anyway.

I know that this doesn't always happen and that the majority of cases are fine, I'm hoping that if I have to do one again, it won't be as nerve racking as the first!

Thats what happened to me on my first medical she gave me 0 points, but i appealed and won the case, i used the help of mind to take it to tribunial... Is it too late for you to do the same thing? maybe get some help from a welfare charity like mind or the CAB. Dont settle for being ignored especially as the interviwer spoke little english, how could she even assess someone?