IAS assessor used false Registration Number-what can I do?

rhinos

This  whole system is diabolical -and needs a complete overhaul.

I wish scope would do a lot  more press work on these injustices

folk get distressed

depressed

and kill themselves

wildlife

I had to call an ambulance out to me a week after getting my assessment report. I'd had 5 Ocular Migraines where my vision kept going with wavy lines, i was terrified and soo stressed. They have no idea what they do to people. Anyhow I got my act together and have been fighting ever since. I still have been denied higher rate for Daily Living because of the assessor's lies. I am fighting for all those who can't do it for themselves to see how far I can get in turning things around. The system needs changing. None of the suggested changes come anywhere near what needs to be done. In the meantime people are suffering.  

BenefitsTrainingCo

wildlife,
What you're doing is very important. We'll all be interested to see what result you eventually get from the ICO. I'm so glad your MP is helping you too.

I'd encourage anyone else having problems to go to their MP as the only way we are likely to see real change in the system is if MPs see for themselves how badly it is currently working and how many vulnerable people are being let down.

Will

wildlife

 @Will thanks, Yes my MP is helping but not as much as I would like but it's a start. I'm concerned he may just be told by the MP contact at ATOS that my assessor is properly qualified and then think that's all I need help with. He didn't understand the importance of a false PRN number till I explained there is only one number and it should appear correctly not something completely different. ICE and ICO are also aware of this so one way or the other it should be investigated but goodness knows how long it's going to take. I remember the joy and relief I felt when moving from ATOS/DWP with their defensive attitude to organizations who just listened to the facts with no attitude and recognized there was a big problem here. I will ring ICO next week to get an update on whether a case worker has been allocated as this investigation will be a lot quicker than the ICE one. I don't know if ICO will believe me as to which data is incorrect or whether I have to supply evidence by way of medical proof which will require a medical expert on their part which they do have. I know how important this is and will not give up till there is no more i can do. Thank-you for your support..    

wildlife

[deleted user] Sorry I've been busy with medical appointments this week and have only just seen your posts. Firstly I didn't use the SAR form I just sent an email to ATOS (IAS as they were by then after the name change) I got an instant reply saying that, as DWP are the DATA CONTROLLERS they were forwarding my request to them for action. So i didn't have any boxes to tick, all I wrote was for an "SAR" (written in full) for ALL my Data concerning my benefits. 
            What happened while they collected everything was that IAS produced their data and that was added to DWP's and the whole lot was sent to me in just about 40 days which is the timescale they must send it by.
            It sounds like the SAR form is trying to limit what is being asked for but you want everything like you say.
            OK now try and see ICO and the Data Protection Act as seperate to your ATOS complaint. ATOS take months to reply to complaints and you can only go to ICE after you've received their final investigation report. 
            So back to your SAR request, once you've sent it count 40 straight days (not working days) on a calendar and mark the day you should get it by. This is the law, they can't not send it. If you don't get it back on time then you can ring ICO Tel: 03031231113 and tell them what you've done and can they please take on the case to make ATOS/DWP comply. Also tell them what you intend to do about getting your Data changed. If you do get all your documents go through everything but mainly your assessor's report and write a letter to ICO giving details of all the incorrect/lies about you. I have done all this and am waiting for a case worker to be allocated to my case. They have a waiting list so it's a slow process but much quicker than the ATOS complaint's process. 
             To contact your MP find out what party are in your local area and search for their headquarters. Sorry i already knew mine as he's helped me before so someone else may be able to answer better than I can. Please ask anything else you want to know. It's not an easy thing to do but we are protected by law so far more likely to get justice than any amount of Complaints. 

wildlife

[deleted user] My Father fought in the second world war and spent 4 years as a prisoner, he instilled in me a great sense of right and wrong and injustice was something he hated. I don't like the word "hate" but I know that I will not "move on" till my assessor is made to face up to what she did to me and probably countless others. When you consider they're assessing up to 8 people a day what they do to one claimant they will be doing to others. Some of those will not have the strength or know how to fight this gross injustice. So it's for myself and them that I will keep going till I reach a brick wall, and then I'll climb it and get to the other side if there are still things I'm not happy with. Metaphorically speaking of course. I am also doing what I can to help and advise others going through this corrupt process. It's strange we never hear about the good experiences if there are any. I have a review in 2 years and was at the Doctor's this morning telling him what they would not accept. He said come and see me nearer the time and he will put a letter together for me. This is a new GP but same surgery. My other lady GP wouldn't do that as she knew DWP have been told to believe claimants to save Doctor's time. So I'm feeling better about things. Good luck but do try and pace yourself and have a life in between. Now I'm so far along this journey, having supplied all the info. I can it's others who will be taking over whose job it is to look, independently at the facts, with no agenda to meet so not so much left to do.   

wildlife

[deleted user] Yes you get info about all your disability benefits. I got all my DLA docs from 2010 and PIP data. The only thing they can withhold is anything that would cause you harm if you knew about it from a medical point of view like letting someone know their illness was terminal. It's also a very useful exercise as you then have copies of everything to use for the future paid for by DWP instead you'd have to do this yourself. I'm due for review around 2019/20 and hope by then to sail through the process. 

wildlife

@Will Things have moved on so a quick update. My MP has been in contact with the ATOS MP liasson representative to question my assessor's qualifications and why there was a false PRN number on one of my documents. The document concerned was the form she asked me to sign when handing over FME (further medical evidence). An important document when you consider the nature of what I was entrusting to the care of ATOS, namely my personal, confidential medical records. All he got in reply was a copy of ATOS's final letter to me on completion of my original complaint investigation and a screen shot of my assessor's registration with HCPC showing her profession and correct registration number. NO explanation of the false number. These emails were sent to me with a reply from my MP and I have forwarded them to ICO as part of my case for incorrect data and ICE as part of my complaint about the whole assessment process. I have suggested to ICE that they should contact ICO with statistics about how many complaints they're receiving to inform them of the enormous scale of the problem regarding data collection and usage by ATOS and DWP who are implicated by virtue of the fact that information about us is collected by ATOS and forwarded to them for processing. I also tell ICO each time I contact them that if they agree to investigate one case of PIP mishandling of personal data, whether mine or someone else's they will open up a huge network of corrupt practice. So all I can do is wait and see what happens next.     

wildlife

@Will, ICO have now refused to accept that ATOS have a case to answer to under the Data Protection Act. So once again they get away with blatant lies. ICO quoted a section from my last letter from ATOS saying that assessors can use their medical knowledge and judgement and available evidence with what they see and hear at the assessment to compile a report. However their reply only mentioned medical data. So I replied asking about things made up about what I did during the assessment and the false PRN number. I've asked for an acceptable reason why these don't contravene the Act. I am completely at a loss to know what is happening when departments who are supposed to regulate the conduct  of so called health professionals and where there are laws in place to protect us and neither of these actually work in the real world. Angry is putting it mildly for the way I feel at being knocked back time and time again. I have sent the relevant emails to @Debbie_Scope and my MP. My only hope for the future is that ICE sometime next year will accept at least some of my complaint and that I get an honest assessor when my claim is reviewed in 3 years time, if I'm still here. .