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DLA - PIP Atos

Posted , 7 users are following.

lesley66635
lesley66635

I am claiming esa & dla, l have a face to face meeting on 16th may for PIP, l would like to know should l be seeing a doctor, not a nurse as l have 2 slipped discs & had a stroke. Last time l saw Atos my appointment was cancelled twice after we got there as no doctor available, or they did'nt know one was needed.

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • ImustImust
    ImustImust lesley66635

    Posted

    You would be very lucky to see a doctor at all at ATOS. I went to PIP assessment expecting to see a doctor. It was only half way through the fiasco that I asked the guy what sort of doctor he was and he replied that he wasn't a doctor at all he was a physio'. I.e. he didn't have a clue about the long list of medical problems that I had listed on the form.
    • lesley66635
      lesley66635 ImustImust

      Posted

      I will be ringing them tomorow cos l'm pretty sure it should be a doctor. last time was a fiasco, my stroke co ordinater went with me & took notes.
  • marshall71
    marshall71 lesley66635

    Posted

    From what I've read it's a nurse not a doctor which seems rather strange I saw a doctor for my ESA face to face I am doing pip not had the forms only the phone call
  • hypercat
    hypercat lesley66635

    Posted

    You don't claim DLA now as it has changed to PIP
    • hypercat
      hypercat

      Posted

      Sorry didn't read your post properly.
  • paula57733
    paula57733 lesley66635

    Posted

    Hi lesley66635. I had dr with atos for my esa but for pip it was a nurse. I've not heard of 1 dr doing assessments for pip. I would take someone with you. Good luck x
  • anthony97723
    anthony97723 lesley66635

    Posted

    Hi Lesley

    I understand your concern but it will be highly unlikely that you will be seen by a Doctor. If you think about it the expense would be prohibitive if nothing else.

    The rationale of ATOS/DWP is you have (or should have) a diagnosis i.e. Stroke/Slipped Discs. PIP is not awarded because you have the condition it is awarded because of how it affects you. Believe it or not a Doctor is not always the best person to determine that. Again if you think about it a Doctors job is to diagnose and treat conditions they are not there to manage social service care. They can only refer you to an occupational therapist to organise any care required.

    In theory you will be seen by a health care professional with experience in the field although that is not guaranteed.

    You can complain to ATOS but it is highly likely it will fall on deaf ears. Your time would be better spent getting as much evidence as possible (which could include a letter from your GP). Also you need to match your needs to the descriptors for PIP which can be found online and accumulate as many points as possible.

    This would be prudent because it keeps one eye on a possible appeal to a Tribunal.

    This is not what you might have wanted to hear but I wouldn’t be helping if I avoided the hurdles you have in front of you.

    • lesley66635
      lesley66635 anthony97723

      Posted

      Hi Anthony, thank you for your advice, apart from physio every fortnight & my doctor every month, l dont have anymore paperwork apart from the original diagnosis, l have  paperwork from the physio & doctor which is recent.
    • anthony97723
      anthony97723 lesley66635

      Posted

      Hi Lesley

      Some paperwork is better than no paperwork! It is a start.

      Work from a starting point which is how your condition affects you. Then look up the PIP descriptors (which can be found via a Google search).

      See how many of the descriptors apply to you. Remember PIP is about personal care and mobility. Personal care can include help with cooking a simple meal, washing/dressing, monitoring a health condition, toilet needs and budgeting. There are 10 descriptors in total where you can score anything from zero points to 8 points on each of the descriptors. Standard rate is 8 points Enhanced is 12 points.

      Conditions like strokes can vary from massive to mild. I don’t know what your stroke was but depending on any medical evidence it would be reasonable to argue that you need assistance with daily care.

      On mobility it comes down to how far you can walk, unless there is an element of mental health or loss of eyesight involved.

      Zero to 20meters is Enhanced 20 to 50 meters is Standard any ability to walk further results in no award.

      As for evidence if you can get anything from the Physiotherapist stating you can’t walk further than 20 or 50 meters safely and within a reasonable time then that would be gold plated evidence.

      If you receive personal care then keep a diary of the care was provided giving times. Also if you could get a signed statement from the person(s) who provide the care (relative/friend etc.) that would be additional evidence.

    • lesley66635
      lesley66635 anthony97723

      Posted

      hi anthony97723, l was awarded daily living component enhanced & the enhanced rate of mobility component & l have the award until 2020. l took my stroke co ordinater with me again as no one else was able to come with me. you were right it wasnt a doctor, it was a HCP but she did have an insight in both conditions, which was a great help from medical to decision took 5 weeks. thank you for your advice, l was expecting to get low rate everything, so its a bonus, ironically my back is much worse, so this will help pay for a mobility scooter.
    • anthony97723
      anthony97723 lesley66635

      Posted

      Hi Lesley well done and I'm glad you will now receive the extra support required to live an independent life! Good for you.
    • les59996
      les59996 lesley66635

      Posted

      Congrats. I think that taking the stroke co-ordinator with you would have swung it in your favour.

      So many claimants don't have anybody to support them and go alone and unfortunately they are at the mercy of what the assessor reports.

      I experienced this once when I had my pyschiatrist write them a personal letter for an IIDB assessment - it lasted all of 10 mins and the male assessor (doctor) adivsed an 80% loss of mental faculty. I went two years later on my own and the report that they issued said that there was nothing wrong with me!!

       

    • les59996
      les59996

      Posted

      Unfortunately I was in the High Dependency Unit in hospital when the decision came through. It was over a year later that I was able to deal in some parts with my financial affairs. As I was out of time to lodge an appeal it was some seven years later that I had the strength to claim again. 
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