ATOS Face to Face Assessment

WeDesign wrote:

I have made a request to have my face to face assessment recorded and also has my MP.

We have had responses from SWP and ATOS that they will try to comply with my request.

What are the main or real gains of having your assessment recorded?


Regards.

This un-trodden ground.

You will most certainly have an accurate account of what happened during the assessment.

Any further benefit will be dependant on the result on the Decision made on your claim.

Will a recording be of help with a Reconsideration? I think it unlikely, the DWP Decision Maker is unlikely to disregard the ATOS medical report unless a significant complaint is upheld against it.
The majority of complaints are not significant enough to result in ATOS withdrawing the report, and those that are, are unlikely to be resolved within the timescales that the Reconsideration will take.

In terms of an appeal, I only know of one hearing where the Tribunal have expressed an interest in hearing the contents of the recording, undoubtedly this is in part to the timescales for an appeal to be heard, and the fact that recordings are a relatively recent facility available to the claimant, whether it will become more usual for recording to be played, has yet to be seen.

Whilst hi-lighting errors in the medical report is important, it will not win a Tribunal, in fact it may simply result in a new medical being ordered. Claimants will only win their hearing by showing that they meet the relevant descriptors for the benefit and the panel may well be able to make this determination, and be happy to do so, without referring to contents of any recording.

Gordon