support letters

Going from things here and a friend's experience, I'd say genuine medical professionals are getting wise to what's going on with Atos and are expressing themselves in their supporting letters so that they meet even Atos' unlikely and irrelevant criteria.

BB

Crazydiamond wrote:

bro58 wrote:

Derek4 wrote:

Hi Bros58

I can't tell you what the DWP would or wouldn't accept. It's preferable to get an up-to-date letter or an update as you suggested, but if you see your consultant once every 6-12 months and can't get any updated evidence, and I'm aware from these forums how difficult it can be, I would just send the latest supporting letters.

I've fortunately never needed a consultant, but are letters from a consultant so lengthy that they would write a brief update standing by their previous comments but not have the time to write a new letter?

Derek

Thanks Derek,

My comment as to a short update, rather than trying to get an in depth statement, as the one I mentioned (31/03/11), is for obvious reasons, ie the consultant is more likely to provide the update, rather than the in depth statement within any time constraints.

Then of course any letter provided through your NHS clinic has to be typed up and go through the beaurocratic treadmill.

The consultant I mention has treated me for 13 years, and was good enough to actually type the letter up on a typewriter himself, on his private practice headed paper, even though I see him on the NHS, therefore I would not want to have to pester him every 6 months for more or less the same thing. I received it within a week of my request.

On the other hand another of my consultants who is also very good, dictated the support letter that I requested at clinic straight into his dictaphone there and then.

That was 3 weeks ago, rang his NHS secretary today, and she said I would receive it in around a fortnight.

So all good intent from my consultant, and much appreciated by me, but the red tape kicks in, which you cannot avoid.

I am really grateful to both of them as neither charged me.

As an add on, both consultants told me that in principle they agreed with reviewing the long term sick, however they also said that they did not agree with the way it was being done, and was a total waste of money putting people such as me through the ordeal(long term irreversible conditions).

If you are not being transferred from IB to ESA as yet, depending on when you eventually undergo the WCA which in theory could be as late as 2014, the ESA decision maker may very well contend that the medical evidence is out of date, and that the ADA medical assessment report is contemporary evidence.

The fact that it lists chronic conditions which may never improve may be dismissed by the decision maker if for example, as ridiculous as it may seem, the ADA says that a return to work could be considered in twelve months. I'm not saying it will happen, but the DWP are obviously under pressure come what may to drastically reduce the number of claimants who are entitled to ESA, despite the fact they are obliged to take into account all the documentary evidence, including reports from a claimant's healthcare professionals.

Worryingly, I can distinctly remember James Purnell when he was Secretary of State at the DWP, saying that ESA was a temporary benefit and even the most severely disabled claimants would be expected to work. That is probably why an unending stream of ESA50s are being issued to claimants, as has already been demonstrated in this forum.

I appreciate the information, but as I have already said in my posts on this thread I intend to obtain updates to said support letters, at around 6 monthly periods.

Re : "Pretty Boy Purnel", it has also been stated far more recently by IDS, Grayling, and the rest of "The Cameron Crew" that people who are in the Support Group, would receive long term support.

Not that I would believe a word uttered by any polititian ever.

I am purely trying to take as much control of the situation as I can, if nothing else, it makes me feel slightly less vunerable, even though that may not be the case.

cheers

bro58.

Bill Kruse wrote:

Going from things here and a friend's experience, I'd say genuine medical professionals are getting wise to what's going on with Atos and are expressing themselves in their supporting letters so that they meet even Atos' unlikely and irrelevant criteria.

BB

BK,

good to hear my experience is not an isolated case.

cheers

bro58

bro58 wrote:

Crazydiamond wrote:

bro58 wrote:

Derek4 wrote:

Hi Bros58

I can't tell you what the DWP would or wouldn't accept. It's preferable to get an up-to-date letter or an update as you suggested, but if you see your consultant once every 6-12 months and can't get any updated evidence, and I'm aware from these forums how difficult it can be, I would just send the latest supporting letters.

I've fortunately never needed a consultant, but are letters from a consultant so lengthy that they would write a brief update standing by their previous comments but not have the time to write a new letter?

Derek

Thanks Derek,

My comment as to a short update, rather than trying to get an in depth statement, as the one I mentioned (31/03/11), is for obvious reasons, ie the consultant is more likely to provide the update, rather than the in depth statement within any time constraints.

Then of course any letter provided through your NHS clinic has to be typed up and go through the beaurocratic treadmill.

The consultant I mention has treated me for 13 years, and was good enough to actually type the letter up on a typewriter himself, on his private practice headed paper, even though I see him on the NHS, therefore I would not want to have to pester him every 6 months for more or less the same thing. I received it within a week of my request.

On the other hand another of my consultants who is also very good, dictated the support letter that I requested at clinic straight into his dictaphone there and then.

That was 3 weeks ago, rang his NHS secretary today, and she said I would receive it in around a fortnight.

So all good intent from my consultant, and much appreciated by me, but the red tape kicks in, which you cannot avoid.

I am really grateful to both of them as neither charged me.

As an add on, both consultants told me that in principle they agreed with reviewing the long term sick, however they also said that they did not agree with the way it was being done, and was a total waste of money putting people such as me through the ordeal(long term irreversible conditions).

If you are not being transferred from IB to ESA as yet, depending on when you eventually undergo the WCA which in theory could be as late as 2014, the ESA decision maker may very well contend that the medical evidence is out of date, and that the ADA medical assessment report is contemporary evidence.

The fact that it lists chronic conditions which may never improve may be dismissed by the decision maker if for example, as ridiculous as it may seem, the ADA says that a return to work could be considered in twelve months. I'm not saying it will happen, but the DWP are obviously under pressure come what may to drastically reduce the number of claimants who are entitled to ESA, despite the fact they are obliged to take into account all the documentary evidence, including reports from a claimant's healthcare professionals.

Worryingly, I can distinctly remember James Purnell when he was Secretary of State at the DWP, saying that ESA was a temporary benefit and even the most severely disabled claimants would be expected to work. That is probably why an unending stream of ESA50s are being issued to claimants, as has already been demonstrated in this forum.

Re : "Pretty Boy Purnel", it has also been stated far more recently by IDS, Grayling, and the rest of "The Cameron Crew" that people who are in the Support Group, would receive long term support.

I think this issue of gaining letters of support, falls under the whole ethos of do I fight or take flight.

I realise that being forced to provide regular updates to letters of support, once your G.P/Consultant has stated that your condition is progressive and irriversible is absolutely ludicrous, and also a waste of NHS time and resources.

However, what choice do you have, if they keep putting up roadblocks, by stating that a letter is out of date, and therefore not pertinent?.

Back to "fight or flight", it is widely conceded that these two choices are an inbred reaction by humans to a perilous situations.

Further denial of either choice is a known cause of stress related illness.

Therefore once a claimant is forcibly put on the ESA merrygoround, do they take flight, jump off, i.e. stop claiming ESA, or sign on JSA as fit for work?.

I don't think that this is an option for the majority of claimants.

Do we fight, stay on the merrygoround, gain as much information as possible from this excellent site and other sources, play THEIR game, and try and reverse the direction of the merrygoround?.

IMO we should stay on the merrygoround, encourage more people to stay on the merrygoround, and hang on tight.

The more people on it the heavier it becomes, the harder it is to push for DWP/ATOS. Hopefully they may eventually get "knackered", or the soles of their shoes will wear out, it may become too painful (costly)to carry on.

"Fighting" could include, using information to make your submission as good as it can be. (ESA50,Support Letters, Extra Evidence), complaining,contacting your M.P., gaining support from family friends, or some advisory body such as CAB. Threatening legal actions against ATOS, asking for reasonable adjustments under The Equalities Act, and holding them to these requests, under threat of action for contravention.

I hope most of us can hang on and fight, in their own individual way, under the limitations of their conditions.

As I have said in my previous post, at least it dimishes the sense of helplessness, and gives some perception of control.

The government don't like people fighting back, this is why they picked the sick and disabled as a potentially "soft target".

Bit of a rant!!! but may help people who feel helpless, under the pressures of "The ESA Merrygoround"

cheers to all

bro58