Successful ESA review

Hey all

ATOS sent me an ESA50 to me recently. I have MS and suffer from mobility and continence issues. I sent a report from my MS Nurse and one from my continence team which matched the descriptors I had filled in and hoped that they would me back into the support group.

I have just contacted Atos and have been informed that they have left me in the Support group! All I can say is that whatever your condition get your HCP to write a report based on the descriptor that you have filled in. By doing this I have, fortunately, saved myself having to go through a WCA medical. I know that it might not be easy for people to get these reports and if it can be done before you actually to fill an ESA50 form all the better. I managed to get the fax number of the local Atos centre and faxed the reports to them and sent them with the ESA50 (although you ain't supposed to, my idea was sod 'em,. I also sent 'em a copy of my tribunal decision as well!) and then sent the orignals to the decision maker at the local BDC.

I am now doing voluntary work for the local branch of the MS Society and they are setting support roles for people to help other MS'ers who are being migrated over to ESA. I am always pointing them in the direction of this fantastic website and I would really love to thank Steve and Holi (plus the Moderators) who offer such an invaluable service to disabled people trying to negotiate the murky waters that are the UK's benefit system.

Andy

Hi Andy,

Many thanks for sharing your good news and for your appreciation of the website.

I'm absolutely with you in regard to getting your evidence in early and sending it to Atos even though they discourage you from doing so - it's certainly what we advise in the ESA guides, especially in relation to the support group.

Good luck,

Steve

Being straightforward and proactive is the best thing. Anything that helps you establish a positive decision as quickly as possible.

I got to the point with my own claim whereby not only did I get certificates of posting, but I videotaped putting the forms and extra pages into the envelope, and the sellotaping the envelope. This
is not essential but shows what happens when people have lost their trust in the
system.

Sorry if appear to a bit dumb on these abbreviations does HPC stand for Health Care Professional could that be a General Practitioner or is it the www.hpc-uk.org/landing/?id=4

Also BDC is that Benefits Decision Centre would that be at my Job Centre I couldn't find these abbreviations in abbreviations list this is something I might need to do as I have just submitted an ESA50 on the grounds that my condition has worsened since going through the Work Related Activity Group and I have my Atos re-assessment medical on the ninth of November.

HCP stands for healthcare professional and includes GPs.

BDC stands for benefit delivery centre and is part of Jobcentreplus which was set up some years ago to centralise benefit administration, but also to cut DWP staff numbers in the process.

You are correct in saying that they aren't in the abbreviation list, so I will remedy those omissions now.

Just to let you all know that I have received a letter from my MP Peter Bottomley together with a copy of a letter from the JC+. In the letter it states "Following a WCA review on 13/02/2010 it was decided that he should remain in the support group"!! WTF is my initial reaction followed by why the hell didn't they right to me to let me know within an apology that they had not written to me to let me know the outcome of the review.

Something tells me that this lot couldn't organise a knees up in a brewery even if they had clear and concise written instructions on how to do so!!! This has definitely gone beyond farcical now!

Andy