WCA agony and humiliation

Hey Sk
Believe me I feel your anger and frustration about the WCA. It is a very cynical way of finding people fit for work. I have MS and was told two years ago that I was fit for work. On the ESA85 form the GP who did the medical put own that I would be fit for work in 3 months. As MS is the floowing what part of the words don't they understand: chronic, fluctuating, incurable, progressive!

I did go to tribuna; where they were shocked to find out that I wasn't on ESA as I had been in the HRM of DLA for 18 months. The short of it is that I went from 0 to 15 points and the Support group! My only one overriding concern about the harsher WCA is that I might not even qualify for the WRAG and be told that I am fit for work, despite the fact that I can't walk for than 30 metres, can't push a wheelcahir repeatedly for 50 metres. oh and I have continence issues that prevent me from going out too! Where is the fairness in a WCA that has been made even hareder for people with MH issues. Due to my "experiences" this has led to me try and voluntary work so that I can find training aa s Welfare Rights Officer.

Chubbster

Your training idea is DAMN GOOD! Maybe you could volunteer for an organisation and they could forward calls to you...

All your experiences, the bad and the bad, will make you an excellent Welfare Rights Officer/Advisor.

Good luck.
cmarie

You should be complaining to your MP about this, ATOS themselves too. The mods will probably inform you that there's somewhere on this site that will help you in complaining to ATOS - I'd say myself but I don't know where it is personally. May I suggest that you write your concerns down, all of them, while things are fresh in your mind? Your input to the debate will be especially valuable as you're an ex-healthcare professional yourself.

Above all though, complain complain complain. Were you in a union when you were working? Write to them, tell them all about it. Local papers. Anyone, everyone. It's getting worse as (I imagine) ATOS and the government are feeling bolder and more confident as they're getting away with more.
And in my view the whole point of the exercise is that hundreds of millions of pounds are funneled from the public purse into the pockets of a private company as profit. Look at what you've just been through in that light - you know that from a medical point of view it was absolute rubbish, does it make any more sense now?

BB

In my day job I have come across many people taken off or not accepted onto IB/ESA. I have heard of the false answers being used, my friends mum recent knee replacement that did not go well was told she was turned down because she could bend her knee, and because she drives - in her mobility car. Its a joke how nothing links up, the goverment is wasting money by double assessing people by non specialist staff where the opinion of a specialist professional is not used that has already taken place in a holistic manner looking at how the person manages everyday life and then penalises you for trying your best to get on with it! I am a specialist/generalist as opposed to a generalist/specialist, big difference!
I am proud of how I work and what I do, I also can now fully relate to the whole benefits trauma, mental health issues as a middle aged woman post operatively of major surgery.
As I get back on my feet ( no pun intended!) at which point I will be fully unemployed due to a frustrated contract thanks NHS, I will be on benefits, sick benefits, unemployed and very jaded with the whole way this is handled currently. Everyday life is what counts in whatever way that means to you, good health is relative. I feel in very good health but compared to my father I am in very poor health, but hope I never feel that way about it.
My head isnt quite working properly at present
however someday it will and then I think I may become a bit of an activist, having been a patient, benefits customer( who came up with that!), and worked the other side of the fence too which felt like a conflict of interests at times
What is the obsession with pathways to work, fit notes and everyone in work as if everyone who isnt in paid work sits around being waited on and sucking vast sums of money of everyone else! I know for some any sort of everyday life is enough of an challenging enough, let alone having to rely on the benefits system which is currently a very dirty word. I would challenge any politician to be told right you have an acute health condition, soon to be chronic and progressive with no cure, you will not be able to work in a paid capacity from next week because you have a health condition that contradicts our health and safety, you will need to move in with your parents because you cannot manage on your own and you will need extra care, however voluntary work is encouraged and is good for you ( ), no driving though, you have moved area and have no specialist MS service locally oh and by the way you are entitled to benefits but you have to find out how to access them and what they are . We're giving you a months notice to ship out, goodbye.

I'm grateful for being able to have a blow off about all this, I thought the NHS was complicated and difficult at times. Its all down to inappropriate systems dreamt up by managers with little management background and accountants looking after finances and lawyers avoiding corporate litigation all the time forgetting that public services are there to serve the public, the public is made up of individual people with their own lives, homes, families, personalities hopes and fears not a faceless mass!!

I wish you all well, don't give up, keep on appealing, find out who failed you, their name, what qualifies them to do this and check with your healthcare providers if they have actually been contacted. Written complaints formal or not better than nothing. When I am well I may attempt to take this further as I am disgusted with the whole system and the current social attitude that is being encouraged towards people not in paid work and lack of respect for society as a whole, its all way too judgemental for my liking

Take care

Thanks for that, just had a another major rant! I know all about ATOS I remember ESA coming in and I will be lobbying when I feel well enough, my head is not reliable at present! I have a gift of writing and presenting when feeling better and always have plenty to say about issues like this to get people thinking, the written word can be very powerful.( not as powerful as the ATOS computerised assessment tho!!)

Bravo, Swisskit!