ATOS Customer Charter

wildlife

Hi, Whilst writing a complaints letter to ATOS I checked out their customer charter and compared what they promise with what actually happens at assessment and afterwards. Firstly "Treat with Respect". On my assessor's report there is a section for informal observations which gives the assessor free reign to watch what you are doing, saying and how you are behaving   and pass comments like "well kempt" "normal complexion" "didn't look tired". In my complaint letter I said that the 1st negative comment written about the claimant breaks this part of their charter. It is surely also a violation of our Human Rights. "Fair & Accurate assessment". This also is regularly broken. "Do not Diagnose" "only assessing how your disability affects your daily life". Surely the physical tests and recorded results, memory tests with comments on the report such as "normal short term memory" are a diagnosis of sorts especially when they go against available medical evidence. "Do not make a decision". So why is there a section for the assessor to fill in which descriptor they suggest and the reasons why? That is making a decision. Even more so as the DMs are accepting their "decisions" in most cases. IMHO all illness and disability proven with supplied medical evidence should be believed without question allowing the assessor to focus on what problems the claimant has to face because of these and the amount of help they need to manage on a daily basis.  

Matilda

Atos and Capita are jokers.  My Atos assessor was a paramedic yet she felt able in her report to give her 'expert' opinion about Rheumatoid Arthritis.  And she put in her report that she watched me take my handbag off over my head, put it down on the floor and then bend down at the end of the interview and pick the bag up from the floor.  At no time during the assessment, not even when doing the exercises, did I take my bag off my body.

wildlife

Hi Matilda, my assessor was also a paramedic. The same thing happened to me. She said I took a label off a bottle of water with my left and right hand whilst holding it between my knees. All I did was hand to my hubby to open THE SCREW TOP for me. She completely made this up and I will not give up complaining till she is found out..!!
     

Matilda

Hi @wildlife

Tribunals know by now what lying so-and-so's assessors are.  No doubt, this is one reason why so many appeals are successful.  And assessors don't even follow the DWP's own PIP guidelines or even legislation, which undoubtedly helps with appeals.