Atos Asssessment - O points
Hi everyone.
I have spastic diplegia, dyspraxia, poor balance, limited mobility and partial vision (1 6th of normal clarity) I've just been assessed by Atos for Employment and Support Allowance and have lost it. I'm not surprised as if they're passing people on kidney dialysis fit for work, they would pass me. But I got 0 points in the assesment. I don't understand. I get DLA on high mobility and medium care. I have to tick multiple disabilities on equal opportunities forms. It took me seventeen years to learn to tie shoelaces and I can't use public transport independently or travel to a new place without help as I don't know where I am. I told the truth in the assessment, so how did this happen? I understand being passed as fit for work, but I don't understand getting no points at all. Did they even look at me? Maybe I'm being stupid, but doesn't 0 points equate to being non-disabled? Puzzled. Thanks for listening. Best wishes Nuala
Hi Nuala
Your result doesn't surprise me I have just gone through a tribunal to get my ESA decision changed I'd been put into the work related activity group. The tribunal was on Friday and I won the tribunal awarded me 30 points.
Like you I have spastic diplegia and I have epilepsy. It's up to you what you do but if you are going to appeal the decision ask to be sent copies of all the evidence used to come to their decision. I did that and was shocked to see they had ignored everything on the form.
I didn't have a medical so don't know what I scored before tribunal.
they had made the decision based on the form alone, but had then gone on to claim that I could mobilise more than 50m so no issues with mobility and had not mentioned the epilepsy at all despite it being on the form and mentioned in 2 doctors letters.
It's hard going and stressful to do but could be worth it. I answered your early post about filling in the form and said it might be worth getting either your local welfare rights or CAB to help you. I also came across this website http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/ (hopefully Scope will post the link if not google benefits and work) They have a forum on there but also a lot of detailed guides on filling out the ESA50 forms, doing an appeal, going to tribunal etc. I don't think I would of been as prepared for my tribunal without this site.
You have to pay to join as a member I think it's about £19 but I'd say it's well worth it.
I found that there are very places that can give you advice and support during this time despite all the disability charities around but this site was really helpful.
I'm now waiting for the letter from the DWP to see how long I have been placed in the support group for not longer knowing what they are being like!
Good luck let us know how you get on. Hopefully my story will give you hope that you could win on appeal even if it goes as far as tribunal like mine did.
Take care
Helen