I have been on Income Support for a number of years now, my last assessment was in 2009, and this was a paper assessment as I scored the requisite 15 points based on the evidence I supplied including letters from my G.P. and Consultants. I have several chronic conditions that are in the most degenerative in nature, there is no ‘cure’ (even with the miracle of CBT) and without some major medical advances will not get any better. Since my last assessment things have got worse not better.
Much the same as other commentators I have been dreading the brown envelope, every time I heard the drop of the post my heart beat that little bit faster and my stress levels shot up. Stress the thing I need to avoid in order not to have a relapse. At the beginning of September that brown envelope arrived. It took me almost the whole month to complete the form with its double negatives and confusing layout. If I tick cannot walk more than fifty metres is that with or without severe discomfort and pain and did it mean repeatedly and reliably or once in a day? and then the next question can I walk/mobilise more than 100 or 200 meters, did I need to tick all of them or the the one that applied. Can I lift my hands above my shoulders, can I pick up a £1.00 coin????? what this has to do with my ability to work I don’t know.
Once I had completed my form I sent my ‘proof’ including from the pain consultant who in his own words… ‘I cannot offer this woman anything, she clearly has many disabling and chronic conditions of a long standing nature, which is further complicated by her many allergies and intolerances to pain medications again as a result of her conditions…’ and it goes on
Less than a week after sending in my form I was called for an assessment. I suspect that my form wasn’t even read and that I have been called in for an assessment as a matter of course. This was confirmed to me by the fact that two weeks later my G.P was contacted by the DWP. Surely this should have happened before being called in for a medical! But then ATOS get paid per assessment so therefore it is in their interests to call as many people as possible to them. Nice work if you can get it!
I could not attend the first date due to a death and consequently funeral in the family. The person at the end of the telephone line was confrontational and said I could not cancel again! I reminded the person that I had requested my medical, (correction, assessment) be recorded and again was stating that I wished the assessment to be recorded. He was clearly exasperated by this and said well here’s your next date but it might need to be cancelled because YOU want it recorded.
The brown envelope duly arrived with the next date and again my stress levels increased. Why, because I feel that it will be a pointless exercise where I will be declared fit for work, after all plenty of other people whom I consider to be worse than me have been. I dream about the assessment where I say to the ‘assessor’ lets cut the crap and save both of us some time..you will say I am fit and I will appeal, job done. My friends reassure me that it will be obvious that I will be placed in the support group and to not get so stressed as I am making myself sicker with worry!
My assessment date was this Monday, on Friday evening I was contacted by phone, despite not giving my phone number, to be told the assessment has been cancelled because there is no practitioner available to be recorded and they will contact me again with another date. I have translated this as there is no assessor willing to be recorded as they may be caught out in their lies. And so the stress continues. I can feel a relapse round the corner am worried to death that I will have to appeal, which I know can take up to a year. Even if I get placed in the work capability group I know that this will only be for a year before the process starts again and if by some miracle I am placed in the support group I will no doubt be reassessed soon afterwards. If I have to appeal and win I also know that I will be called back in and reassessed. It’s like a never ending treadmill of abuse.
I didn’t choose to have this body or to be living in poverty. I would have loved to have lived a ‘normal’life but unfortunately this is my package and I have to deal with it. Likewise I didn’t choose this Government, that is directed and driven by outdated dogma, nobody did, but unfortunately I and many other sick and disabled people have to deal with it. !We are Spartacus
