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ATOS Complaint

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  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    edited August 2017
    @Justice I'll ring the PIP helpline number and find out who to complain to after ATOS or along side ATOS. They had their contract renewed by the government but only in certain areas. Will gave me a link to a contracts website but I couldn't find the contract between DWP and ATOS which should have the criteria for assessor's qualifications. My MP only replied once when I emailed about my assessor's lies, since then he's not replied, but the signs are going up for him on the road sides so he'll be busy campaigning. Will let you know how I get on..
  • SeanRyan
    SeanRyan Community member Posts: 66 Connected
    @Justice @wildlife Hi guys do you know how many people use this forum. a rough guess ?
  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    edited June 2017
    @SeanRyan No idea. Why are you asking? @Sam_Scope
     can you answer this please..
  • SeanRyan
    SeanRyan Community member Posts: 66 Connected
    Just doing research for my blog it would be great to find out how many people use the site.
  • Justice
    Justice Community member Posts: 197 Pioneering
    edited June 2017
    @SeanRyan
     Please can you do a link to your blog. Thanks
  • Justice
    Justice Community member Posts: 197 Pioneering
  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    edited August 2017
    Thank-you@Justice but I rang CHDA yesterday and they only deal with ESA assessments not PIP. So it will be ICE I contact next. No news yet from ATOS. This forum is still full of people with genuine disabilities having problems with their assessor lying, which is the only way DWP can keep the numbers on the higher rate or any at all down to meet their targets. I've asked the solicitors on here Maria and Mary what law they're breaking and whether legal action is possible without it costing a lot of money.  
  • Justice
    Justice Community member Posts: 197 Pioneering
    edited June 2017
    @wildlife
     Oh sorry about that, I didn't realise it was only for ESA. The same thing seems to happen again and again though regarding them lying on the forms, be it ESA or PIPS. It seems they get away with it. You know the definition of Fraud is falsifying information in order to cause another person financial loss, even if that loss does not occur if the intent is there it is still Fraud. How do they get away with it? Probably because they know damn well that very few, if any of us can afford to persue it. Makes me so angry.
  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    edited August 2017
    @Justice, That's why I've asked the question on here as to what we can do about it. You can't get legal aid for benefit problems but maybe a sympathetic law person would be prepared to help. Still waiting for ATOS to get back to me then if they're not prepared to deal with my assessor it'll be over to DWP, ICE and HCPC fitness to practice. Still plenty that can be done, just need to keep going and not let time soften the strong feelings of injustice. Have you read the "Reconstruction" post, a young woman is now in intensive care because of PIP. So leaving family struggling to help. The advisors aren't around at weekends and can only do so much. So someone needs to sit up and take notice and the sooner the better..x
  • Justice
    Justice Community member Posts: 197 Pioneering
    @wildlife, no I have not seen the reconstruction post. Will try and find it. All we can do, as you say is keep plugging away. I know that ( For the moment) My Husband's case is sorted, and we have the outcome we wanted. No way has that softened my feelings of injustice. I am as mad at the system now as ever I was, that is why I want to do the book. 

    It makes me livid to think that there are so many people out there who are unable to fight as we are doing, the reasons are many, too sick, too scared of
    so called authority, frightened of filling in forms, unable to use a computer, so many people falling through the net.

    we are lucky, we have been able to come to places like this forum, we have in some cases support from Family, so I will keep fighting because of all those who cannot. we need to worry at the system like a dog with a bone until it is changed!!

    I am so glad I found this forum, it isn't only the help, but have a few nice people sending me e mails now just for a chat which is lovely as I do get rather isolated at times.





  • johnny100
    johnny100 Community member Posts: 125 Pioneering
    i cannot understand how you fill in a PIP form for some person to type it on a screem and ask question about your health etc whem most of it is in front of them.It then goes to DWP for them to decipher and pull it apart.How do either of these agencies now about complex health issues which they do not know anything about,then they write an MR which does not explain the finding in your submissions,they make it up as they go a;ong.They are being payed high salaries  at these departments which prob equates to over £50k,disgraeful

  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    edited August 2017
    @johnny100 hello, nice to hear from you. Simple answer is: they don't!! I am a very good example of this. Most of my disabilities have been caused by life events, traumas that have affected me in a unique and personal way. They don't have a name like MS or CP. As there was nowhere else on the claim form to describe the cause of my disabilities I used Q15 to describe these in detail along with the four falls I had last year. In the faint hope that whoever read it would appreciate that no-one could go through this and not have after effects. But it was all ignored. I told how in 2003 I hit a car full on at 6O mph, was catapulted onto the grass verge, shaken like a rag doll. The car hit a drainage ditch and rolled over onto it's roof. I was trapped inside upside down and as the car came to a stop I felt a tremendous bang on the head which knocked me out. That's a bad whiplash followed by my head being squashed into my neck. Now 14 years later I have nerve damage, arthritis and muscular weakness throughout my body. That's just one example of many life events that all took their toll but according to my assessor my upper body strength is normal and I only have slight weakness in both legs. What am I? A bionic woman made of strong man made components that don't deteriorate. No I'm human with a body and mind that were affected and I would have to die and be born again to improve. According to my Physio. a senior Osteopath with a long list of qualifications who provided evidence of the present state of my body, "our bodies weren't made to be flung through the air." Her evidence which I showed to my GP should have been accepted but to date has been ignored. @Justice, you're right we have to fight this gross injustice. 
  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    edited June 2017
     Just popping in with an update on this discussion. The last letter I got from ATOS was dated 13th March which was to accept my complaint and that it was at the 2nd stage when a senior case worker would be taking it on. Apart from 2 calls I've made to ask what is happening the last call being on 15th May when they promised a speedy conclusion I've heard nothing since. I gave them an ultimatum of 2 weeks as you suggested. I'm now losing patience so what do you suggest I do next? I've also had a Social Services Adult Care assessment at home this morning which will provide me with a report will 6 new aids to help me at home, but it also will fully acknowledge from an OT/social worker that I do need help to shower and to prepare food, both of which I only scored 2 points for needing aids only. How can I best incorporate this new assessment into my ATOS complaint? 
  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering

    Hi @wildlife,

    Will is not on the rota today, if you particularly want to catch him then let us know and we will draw his attention to this next time he's on! But in the meantime what I would recommend is, as per your initial suggestion, contact ICE and ask that they investigate the complaint. As Will stated, you really should have been given permission from ATOS to do this, but I would say try contacting them, explain the situation, and state that you feel that ATOS are trying to frustrate the process and your access to an independent body by simply failing to respond - suggest that perhaps they could contact ATOS and make them aware of your concerns even if they cannot take the case on themselves at this point - worth a try.

    Another thing that has been suggested further up this feed, is to go to your MP and ask them to intervene. MPs have access to Managers that the rest of us can only dream of getting through to, so if you can get them to make some waves that really can help.

    Hope this helps! and do let us know if you would like Will to have a look as well.

    Kind regards,

    Mary

    The Benefits Training Co:

  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    edited August 2017
    Mary, No that's fine about Will. I just needed advice about what to do as I'm fed up of waiting. I will ring ICE and see what thy say or are prepared to do. I don't think it's worth contacting my MP as I've kept him up to date all along and had no response so no chance of help especially this near an election. Will let you know how I get on...
      
  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    I have rung ATOS this morning. A customer services advisor whose name I was willingly given tried to put me through to complaints. She tried several different numbers and no-one answered. She promised to email them to request I get a call back in the next 48 hours. I told her I wanted to take the complaint to ICE if I don't get a satisfactory outcome. Next I rang ICE and spoke to a guy who sounded thoroughly fed up. He said I needed a final letter from ATOS rejecting the complaint and giving permission for me to go to ICE. Why on earth do we need permission from ATOS to go to an independent complaints examiner when a letter from ATOS finishing with the complaint should suffice? Will keep you posted..    
  • Justice
    Justice Community member Posts: 197 Pioneering
    edited June 2017
    @wildlife, sorry you are still having all these frustrations. I know you are dealing with PIP, and us with ESA, but we sent a letter of complaint to DWP about the way they had dealt with the MR, and my Husband's case in general. We had a reply yesterday, to be honest it was ( probably can't say it on here ) but that brown stuff that comes out of Bull's bottoms :-). They didn't address one issue we had raised. I too called ICE, and spoke to a girl who also sounded really fed up. She said similar about them needed to say we could contact ICE, BUT
    she said we should send a letter back to DWP, tell them we are not satisfied with their response, and that we want the complaint to GO TO THE SECOND STAGE
    she felt that this should get them to point us in the direction of ICE. It is in the post. I will keep you informed !
  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    @justice I have a letter ready and waiting to send to DWP complaints just waiting to hear from HCPC as to whether they will investigate my assessor's employment history. The case worker has been on holiday but is back now. And, as you see above, am also waiting for a call back from ATOS complaints with the outcome of a 2nd stage investigation. I'm trying to get my head round an assessment I had yesterday for aids and adaptations at home. I'm getting 6 new pieces of equipment but for showering and preparing food the help I need from MOH was fully accepted by a lady from Adult Care social services. This still isn't accepted by ATOS or DWP. I will get a copy of her report which DWP already said they would look at for Daily Living. But it's too late to open up my claim again unless I ask for Supersession or the ATOS complaint bears fruit and then I might have to have another f2f but couldn't go through that again. I'm glad we're all slowly getting our own claims sorted and as new people are joining Scope with the same problems we had I too will stick around and help where I can. I will be reassessed in only 2 years time but will have more evidence by then so not too concerned...
  • Justice
    Justice Community member Posts: 197 Pioneering
    @ Wildlife. I am sitting here writing up the stories for the Book, dipping in and out of this forum to see who is on, and what's happening. I am shaking my head, you couldn't make it up, could you? All the red tape, all the buck passing, and all the lack of communication. 
    You know I keep coming back to one thought, maybe this is just me, but as far as I am concerned these people at the DWP,  ATOS, and all the rest of them are
    merely doing a job. They are nobody special( But I grant they hold the whip hand), however they need to do their job properly, and in the majority of cases they do not do this.
    This is why it is no bad thing to always complain about poor service. In any other instance, dealing with any other company with the poor customer service provided then half of them would be dismissed. 

    I think they rely a lot on the fact that many of the people dealing with them are at such a low ebb that they have the inclination or the stamina to keep on with the complaints, and the hassle. This is why those of us who can do that MUST do that.

    I know you are a fighter, wildlife, and no pushover. I am so pleased you are staying on Scope too. I will be here for the duration :-). It is a great forum, with some great people. Once again, Good Luck wildlife I KNOW you will win in the end.


  • SeanRyan
    SeanRyan Community member Posts: 66 Connected
    @Justice is spot on @wildlife Never give up. I know its hard been there twice Laugh as much as you can at the situation play them at their own game get tons of evidence to back it up and remember everyone on here is behind you and will support you. Me personally and me boys wish you all the luck in the world. That there is 52 years of medical records. Wade through that Atos. Have a great evening. Be happy and Laugh. Derek your an IDIOT!

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