esa

following on from my last post and looking at the people who pass a medical the numbers are such the DWP could get rid of Atos and evryone who needs a medical could get a coin tossed heads you pass tails you fail and if it ends up standing on its end you get the support group

Hi, Rave

It seems you are in the unusual position of having been given over 15 points on the WCA but at the same time recommended for re-assessment after 3 months. This might reflect the nature of your health condition or it might be a common-or-garden ATOS cock-up.

I'd say Derek's post about diminishing chances is much too pessimistic. Your chances depend largely on the nature of your illness/disability. And partially on the random factor of ATOS incompetence! Assuming your condition hasn't improved, your chances of passing again are good precisely because you passed once already. PLUS you now know what ATOS examinations are like and so you're better equipped to present your case clearly.

Did you request a copy of the ATOS report (ESA85) last time? It might be useful to see what factors determined the points you were awarded. It will probably also show the "possible return to work" date on which your re-examination has most likely been based.

Good luck!
Andy.

I'm afraid that I agree entirely with Derek's opinion, and cannot share your optimism as far as the repeat WCA arises.

Hi!
I think the reasons for re-testing are two fold and obvious.
First reduce the number of claimamts by making people take these never ending medicals (in my case because partner works) - just to maintain national insurance credits as ESA/JSA and pension credit will pay nowt. Will i bother NO! so another one off benefit. But still blind.
Secondly it makes ATOS millions and miklklions by retesting people who CLEARLY have no hope of improving.
I wonder who has a finger in Atos's pie.

matchseller wrote:

Hi!
I think the reasons for re-testing are two fold and obvious.
First reduce the number of claimamts by making people take these never ending medicals (in my case because partner works) - just to maintain national insurance credits as ESA/JSA and pension credit will pay nowt. Will i bother NO! so another one off benefit. But still blind.
Secondly it makes ATOS millions and miklklions by retesting people who CLEARLY have no hope of improving.
I wonder who has a finger in Atos's pie.

matchseller,

I agree with you, it's a war of atrition, It's awful that people such as yourself will be forced off benefits due to this.

I also think that they will be retesting some claimants who qualified pre March/2011, because they know that the same claimants will struggle to qualify under the new descriptors, in fact I bet there are a lot of claimants, who aren't even aware of the new stricter discriptors in the ESA50.

Hi Dave and Andy

You appear to have misunderstood my post. I was not suggesting that Rave has a 50% or 90% chance but simply giving a mathematical example of how you chances of keeping benefit diminish through retesting.

If you have a 50% chance of winning a game, you have a 50% chance of winning the second game but have a 25% chance of winning both games.

If you have two ESA medicals within three months, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that your health is unlikely to be all the better for completing the first WCA process, you need to pass both tests to hang on to your benefit. Therefore the more you are tested the lesser chance you have of keeping your benefit.

Regards

Derek