ESA Medical cause for concern

Hi I am off for a medical with the dreaded atos next month and would like the benefit of your advice if possible, now the medical doesn't really over bother me to be honest it simply annoys me that I HAVE to prove I am ill.. I suppose the biggest worry I have is that I receive DLA (Indefinite) I am worried sick I will lose my car especially after reading so many horror stories where genuine people get ignored by these so called professionals who appear to have an agenda to abide by.

Thanks Gordon My wife says I am worrying too much and keeps reminding me that it was the medical facts that got me the DLA award in the 1st place even though I was still working full time, now I have lost my job due to the slow but sure deterioration of my health with little chance of getting another job at 50 in my state of health. My GP and rumy nurse have both suggested ill health retirement recently in a bid to preserve some sort of quality of life instead of always pushing on through pride.. It will be the stress that gets me in the end

RichT wrote:

Hi I am off for a medical with the dreaded atos next month and would like the benefit of your advice if possible, now the medical doesn't really over bother me to be honest it simply annoys me that I HAVE to prove I am ill.. I suppose the biggest worry I have is that I receive DLA (Indefinite) I am worried sick I will lose my car especially after reading so many horror stories where genuine people get ignored by these so called professionals who appear to have an agenda to abide by.

As you are to attend a medical assessment for ESA you are likely to have been awarded ESA either at the assessment rate on a new claim, or the WRAG or support group rate on a continuing claim.

Except in the very rare exceptional circumstances whereby their is no ESA award prior to a medical assessment, the burden of proof will always rest with the DWP unless you are claiming to meet either Regulation 29(2)(b) or 35(2)(a)(b) of the ESA Regs.

In the latter case the burden of proof lies with the claimant to show that they are entitled to ESA beyond the assessment phase.

I was put on ESA after my SSP ran out from work in February so I would say it is the end of the assessment phase, I have now had to take voluntary redundancy due to losing my HGV licence on medical grounds. I am signed off on the sick till august at the moment, I would gladly take on part time work if something suitable was available but due to OP/AS etc I can't walk very far (even with crutches) and can't stand or sit for very long without severe pain and my legs and neck go numb. I am not trying to avoid work simply trying to survive