Since When is a physio a doctor? When he's an ESA Assessor

Thank you Spotty. It is really scary and traumatic. I've been through some very bad times with it and have been out of the radar for a while but they don't leave you alone and one phone call or letter is enough to set my anxiety racing again. I wanted a home visit but I had to chose between the anxiety of setting that up and waiting or accepting the cancellation which is only a couple of days away and going to it just to get it out of the way. Plus I concur with most of what KillerQueen said. The effect destroys all the effort you put into trying to stay stable. 

I just want to scream reading all this, it's so upsetting and cruel and unjust. I haven't been on the sharp end of this system, though it's likely I may be at some point, just had brushes with it in the past so I recognise the fear and trauma it causes.

I hope you all find the help and strength to fight you corners and appeal, but talk about kicking people when they are down, it's such a broken system.  How can people do those jobs when they know full well the decisions are wrong, it must affect their mental state too.

Given a supportive environment in terms of benefits and attitudes there could be so much more productivity and achievement instead of using what little energy and resources you all have just to fight to survive the system. Now words fail me, good luck people, I'm really sorry you are being **** on from a great height.

Got the 3 o'clocks worrying about pip and losing my Housing support lady and the builders less than smooth work yesterday., death of my next door neighbour even tho a blessing ( dementia) missing my sister. But we had some nice posts yesterday didn't we?  Priorities today shower and getting out though sofa day more likely. 

Agreed SZ the DWP descriptors are inflexible. I know I was asked on my medical if I could lift my arms above my head, tho no problem there, I never claimed it to be. I think if anything physical it's more to do with poor balance, if I say carry a small crate of beer, or perhaps hi-fi equipment, not heavy in itself I have to walk really carefully so as not to trip and break the item. I think sometimes also it's getting a message across if I have to do it verbally I could probably shout out "FIRE!!!" if there was one, but it's more complex info I get flustered with. I do find myself having to repeat myself to various family members. I know at one time I got cross with an uncle  "OH FFS get a hearing aid!!!THat's with someone I know so harder with strangers  I wasn't sure if it was me or him. I know the more I have to repeat a more complex message the more flustered I get and the more it stresses me out , and it's harder to understand me when I'm like that     

yep, not much I can do about it. The friend who went with me to both assessments is older, just above retirement age, 69 next birthday. It turns out she knew the nurse assessor Sally her name is, apparently they both went to the same church at one point. Cindy was trying to reassure me that Sally is a good Christian lady, I know my friend Cindy  is, even tho I'm fiercely Pagan. So if this Sally is a good Christian why did she lie about me seeing a doctor, Cindy is perhaps a little naiive , not having had a WCA herself. When you read the Bible , is it any wonder some Christians seem confused all the rape, beating, slavery contained within it, and yet us Pagans are supposedly "savage" . iF OTHERS WANT TO BE cHRISTIANS i'VE NO QUALMS  with that, but if there was only Christianity and athiesm , I think many Christians I've met are more likely to turn me athiest!! Sorry I didn't mean this to turn into a rant about religion.
How can a WCA assessor be a Christian , what I thought were "Christian values" seem to conflict with her job. I'm sure most Christians are decent enough people. 

Sorry just I've Aspergers , also anxiety and depression, and can have panic attacks . I had an American friend ask if I was OK last night as she's said I've posted more than usual newspaper website pieces about rape and the grooming gangs than I usually do. I've not been diagnosed as such, and I'm not sure how to get a diagnosis, but I did an online PTSD questionnaire and scored 18/22, it could be that medical has made me feel a crock of ***, but that's not the only thing. I'm managing financially atm, it's just if I have to go onto assessment rate even if it's temporary, I'm going to get behind with bills. I've only got a car as I've got my mum's old one, and I think the worry is leading me to drink more, but I don't want to be like this, and sometimes maybe I worry about events in advance. I worked for a time last year under ESA permitted work rules, tho my manager was a bully, bad for an organisation that looks after learning disabled people, including people with varying degrees of autism/AS.     I know last appeal I submitted in 2012 the DWP  by their own admission lost the paperwork, and it wasn't until 2014/15, and the court wasn't going to allow it as my appeal was late, tho they accepted it when I proved I lodged my appeal request in the allowed time. I could really do without the possible stress of having to go to appeal. I know I don't generally answer my door unless Im expecting visitors or a delivery, times I've missed the post(wo)man as thjey've something I need to sign for, sometimes I end up chasing them in the street when I realised I've missed an item, usually it;s a frind sending me something for my birthday or Yule/Christmas. I did read if you can use a computer and do online shopping. I usually get an Asda order every so often, tho if I forget something I have to go to local Tesco store, or maybe further afield to Morrisons , if I do have to go to a supermarket in person I try and go at quieter times I can't always take a friend with me, and online shopping DWP must think you're good with computers and so are able to work in an office, the very environment that would drive me nuts. HOusework I did get a little behind as had a cold come on nearly 2 weeks ago, could never quite grasp housework as a kid, I do try and do it little and often I think there's a certain level of messiness I'll allow, before I think I must clean up , tho there are places far worse than mine. OH yes I was also asked about qualifications maybe I should've said "No I'm fick" (deliberately spelled wrong), maybe this physio thought I can't be that disabled if I can pass 3 O levels and CSEs, tho maybe he doesn't seem to realise a learning difficulty is not the same as a learning disability, tho I've met some with L Dis who are quite intelligent. I wonder would I have done better with education if I didn't have a L diff. Perhaps he thinks anyone witn Aspergers must be fick, tho it just means we're not stupid, but maybe take in and process information differently to the way it was taught in schools.                             

Well done. It's a hard slog to fill in the forms then keep up momentum for battle.  I'm too tired to look up those conditions but thank you for writing them out in full. They are unfamiliar to me. I hope you find some of the other "threads"  interesting and join in

hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Functional Neurological Disorder.

Yes, I'm going to appeal and have in the past used Benefits and Work site. I wrote an email to an advocacy group today so fingers crossed.

What a result.. They have no idea what the cumulative effect of multiple conditions is like. I don't know what all the acronyms mean but I have cfs/fibro and a string of other things on top too. It's crazy. They're supposed to take into account if you can do things reliably and safely. I hope you appeal. Did you use the Benefits and works info to help fill in your forms? If not use them to help appeal they're really helpful. I don't fit in their tick boxes either. I suddenly have a Pip apt next week that I wasn't expecting .. no idea what the outcome of that will be. I was anxious as soon as I heard they wanted to see me. 

I've just had my result. 0 points. I have hEDS, FND,CFS,POTS and Fibro on top of Aspergers and have difficulty doing any activity without needing recovery time. The points system for ESA and PIP does not recognise variable conditions. They suggest I apply for Jobseekers. I believe that would be detrimental to my health. I'm a mum and struggling to get by doing that and a little crafting work as it is. I feel like they've shot down my reasons by oversimplifying the qualifiers. Can I raise one arm above my head? Yes, at the moment because my shoulder and ribs haven't subluxed today. Some days the answer is Ow! No way! Can I cope with small unexpected changes? Yes because my child wakes me up at different times. Um..no, I've had eight years to get used to that and some days it still affects me. Change a small thing about my expected plans, or go a different route and my anxiety flares up. My conditions are complex. I don't fit into their tick-boxes but I still genuinely need the support.

I've done that asking why my assessment was carried out by a physio and not a doctor!!! I know I can appeal if the outcome isn't right , tho however that will mean loosing some money, I don't know if I'll have to sign on for JSA, but I can't commit to an agreement. Even the jobcentre advisor I saw Thursday could see I was better as I am, doing work related activity with an advisor from Autism Bedfordshire on a voluntary basis. AB say if I'm going to work, they advise me to stick with voluntary atm!!! Ruth at JC agrees.      

It's a cruel system, designed to make people fail.  I have a friend who has a debilitating spinal injury.  He had back surgery a few years ago and it went wrong.  Now, at 44, he can't walk without a crutch and is in constant pain.

At his first WCA, he scored ZERO points!  After appeals, etc., he's now on permanent health benefits.  But he had to fight for it.  Crazy and inhumane - the whole system.

Morning KillerQueen I hope you are feeling a bit more settled today. I just wanted to say how sorry I am that you have had this experience. 

I too had a rough time going through the assessment and appeal process. I didn't get through it the first time round and couldn't face any of it for quite a long time after that. 

But I was encouraged and persuaded to have another go about a year later and have been on ESA and Pip since for which I am very grateful.  

I've yet to meet a physio with any mental health experience...

I would lodge a complaint.

This is one of many such reports.  One assessor who blew the whistle basically said that they had targets to meet, as all these agencies do, and sometimes they knew they were failing people who were borderline - simply to reach the targets.  Another said she was told by a colleague  'If they can press a button, they can operate a checkout.  Even if it's with the tip of their nose.'

I was in the work-related activity group, so I had to attend another agency once a month to see a 'job coach'.  First visit there, in a crowded office, she said 'So, can you explain to me the nature of your illness?'  It left me in a mess - having all those people listening in.  At my second visit, I took a representative from MCCH with me, and she was a great help.

When I finally got a job and went back to work, it was entirely off my own bat.  But a month later, I had a call from the DWP wanting to confirm that Avanta (the agency) got the job for me.  That's what they were claiming.  Performance targets again.  Even now, five years later, I recently had a call from an agency to confirm that I got the job myself, without Avanta's help.  They're all shysters.

Atos whistle-blower

I hope my hair was at least a little messy, and was quite pale as on day 8 of a cold, so it's fizzling out, had a friend travel with me and come into the assessment. Tho as I drive, I gather I might be marked down for that, but I think had I gone alone I would have been more tempted to turn back. I hope my clothes weren't too smart. I think I said some things like I don't answer the door unless I;m expecting visitors or a delivery, so I think I said some of the right things, but there's others I don't know. I said I mainly do an online shop for groceries, and if I do need to go to a store in person , I go when it's quiet. I did say I had an interest in railways and music, tho I can loose interest if feeling low.  I didn't mention going to the Nene Valley Railway or friends who live about 60 miles away, as if I can drive that far I can work right? . Tho these are familiar settings, tho I do get stressed out if I encounter traffic or maybe a diversion. 

I don't know if you can lodge a complaint about this, but I'd look into it. 

Having said that... I was assessed by a woman who reassured me by telling me she was a trainee CPN.  A specialist in MH, in other words.  I failed the assessment.  I appealed, and failed that - even though I had excellent back-up from my GP, a therapist and a key worker at a substance misuse facility.  I took it to the tribunal - and won.  It's a horribly stressful process.  But remember, these assessments are a farce.  They're designed to catch people out.  You get marked down for things like looking smart, turning up alone, traveling there alone.

Fight them.