ESA Management Group

Rang ATOS to find out how much longer in the pile my husband's ESA50 was going to be after 23 weeks of waiting. Immediately he was put in a management group apparently to fast track his claim. That is if we did not mind jumping the queue. When questioned who was in front he immediatelt back tracked and stated it was very unusual to be on ESA assessment phase for over a year. Well it obviously worked because we had a phonecall for the assessment in three weeks. Unfortunately the medical is early on a Sunday and Dial-a -ride do not operate. The centre is 20 miles away and the taxi faren is £20 each way so now we have new worries.

birdyanne wrote:

Rang ATOS to find out how much longer in the pile my husband's ESA50 was going to be after 23 weeks of waiting. Immediately he was put in a management group apparently to fast track his claim. That is if we did not mind jumping the queue. When questioned who was in front he immediatelt back tracked and stated it was very unusual to be on ESA assessment phase for over a year. Well it obviously worked because we had a phonecall for the assessment in three weeks. Unfortunately the medical is early on a Sunday and Dial-a -ride do not operate. The centre is 20 miles away and the taxi faren is £20 each way so now we have new worries.

Hi BA,

You are allowed to rearrange a face to face assessment once, although you may have left it a bit late now.

In preparation for the "medical" you may wish to read :

ESA Medical – What to expect

bro58

birdyanne wrote:

Rang ATOS to find out how much longer in the pile my husband's ESA50 was going to be after 23 weeks of waiting. Immediately he was put in a management group apparently to fast track his claim. That is if we did not mind jumping the queue. When questioned who was in front he immediatelt back tracked and stated it was very unusual to be on ESA assessment phase for over a year. Well it obviously worked because we had a phonecall for the assessment in three weeks. Unfortunately the medical is early on a Sunday and Dial-a -ride do not operate. The centre is 20 miles away and the taxi faren is £20 each way so now we have new worries.

If it is difficult or impossible to get to the assessment centre via public transport, it is possible to ask the ATOS centre in question if they will arrange for a taxi to collect you and return you home after the medical at their expense.

This must be arranged by ATOS though (most centres have contracts with certain taxi firms to do this). Do not arrange it yourself with a taxi company and expect ATOS to reimburse you as they will not if you have made the arrangements.

ATOS do not like doing this as it costs them revenue but do be 'robust' when asking for this and thoroughly explain the lack of public transport available. Many of our clients have benefited from the arranged taxi service in circumstances such as your own but the decision on whether or not a taxi will be supplied does rest with ATOS.

As bro mentions above, asking for a rearranged appointment is also a possibility.

Pete