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DLA to PIP ATOS Assessment - Experiences?

littleredfish

Hi!

My brother is moving from DLA Higher Care Lower Mobility to PIP. Complied the forms and gave lots of information about the difficulties he has faced and sent in supporting evidence.

He has been called for an interview at an ATOS Healthcare assessment centre. This will be a disaster. He likely will not even get out of the car, would throw up, be unpredictable and lord knows how he will answer any questions. How do they deal with refusals to get out of the car or somone who will say nothing or say "I am bored now let's get out of here".

I would welcome any tales of experiences good and bad. What do they ask and so forth and what do you do if the person can't speak.

  • The are supposed to be cutting the amount of money spent on PIP so they are looking at everyone when they transfer from DLA to PIP, regardless if you are an adult or child becomming an adult.

    On the good side you get DLA rates that transfer directly to PIP payments so in theory it should just be a matter of admin to transfer it across. If you were getting lower rate care its likely you would just lose it totally

    You are entitled to make the PIP assessor come to your house if your brother cant leave it. The pros are its less stressful for you and your brother and the assessor can see how he lives the cons are it usually takes a few weeks longer for the assessment so you may get money withheld but it will get backdated if awarded, and the post above listed that they wont see what he is like away from the house.

    There seems to be less issues with people the system already knows about than new people, as it would look stupid as just because he had a birthday suddenly his disability goes away.

    I think you might be plesently suprised as it seems to me that if you fill the forms in correctly i dont see why he isnt getting higher rate mobility. If he is unable to walk outside safely on his own, that is what the mobility part is for. not just for people in wheelchairs. Is he likely to walk into the road, get lost, get stressed and be of danger to himself or others. You need to think of what others his age do.

  • When under stress he can't speak or not well. Yes he has cards for this. One says "get me out of here". He also has a Baoding ball as a stress reliever.

    He is not "thick" or unintelligent. Can use a computer with the accessibiity aids he has for it.

    I just keep seeing horror stories where people have to fight to the end and dismissed as liars by the DWP and have to go to court.

    Part of me even thinks is it worth going through all this for the money. We had help with the forms from the local autism charity. We don't get support - like many expected to "manage". How do you prove he needs prompting to dress and take a bath? Do we just not do that and let him humiliate himself with looking a mess?

    When he greets them he will go "Hey" or "Hi" and do the Makaton action. They won't even know that's what it is. I keep seeing they are just physios - what experience do they have of the complexities of autism?

    This is for PIP not ESA

  • Actually without saying anything myself this will could all go in his favour. ATOS are tough body of people and more likely to say he is well enough for work if he does get out of the car and go in and speak clearly.

    Go a little ealier. Be there to allow your son to get out of the car. Film it may be or ask the receptionit if someone can come down and help you, ie witness him finding it difficult. Don't be worried about him throwing up there. Not nice for him but then they will see that as it really is difficult for him. It may be helpful if you take your son another time to the office and allow him to see where he is going? Sadly he might not meet who is doing the interview, but use this in your favour and let them see how he really is.

    If he sits there and says nothing, hopefully they recognise this as of Autism rather than just refusal to complie, it should all help him because they then can see how it really is for him - and you, on a daily basis. They like to see it because anyone can write about it. Anyone can act it out for half a hour but the reality is different and a young son wont be 'acting'. How does he communicate when not speaking? If he uses cards, bring them along - honestly, and include them into the interview. If he wants to bring a favourite toy or gadget, bring it with him.  They need to see as well as hear what it is like. 

    Do you see anyone in your area for Autism that you can ask for futher support?  But please allow him to just be himself for they do need to see just how hard it is for him otherwise they may say there is nothing wrong. 

    I have had medicals with ATOS for ESA and not got through and went all the way through to the Tribunal. Mine barely lasted 15 mintues and won. I only had to wait that long as they were going through a reference I had been able to get from some trusted source and had no idea what they had written but am sure had an impact. Get someone who is trusted to write what they know of him too. It may be useful thinking about it for me.