Annoyed at 9 month Atos wait

[Bongobaby]

Would like to see if anybody else has had to wait a long time for Atos to sort out a medical assesment. I have been waiting since November and have been told it could be another 2 months on their waiting list. I'm so stressed out by the whole thing and annoyed that they treat people like this.

Are you a new claimant?

I sent my PIP forms back for May 11th. Got a call on July 10th offering me a home visit on 14th July. Had a letter on the 19th saying my report had been written but was being checked. Letter on the 22nd saying it was with the decision maker, letter on the 31st of July with a decision.

I was changing from DLA though which was due for renewal.

Yes I was a new claimant in November. Atos recieved the details in January and it was a 28 week wait from then. They just don't seem to be pulling their finger out to help and it's been so long.

I've seen people on a forum I am on, who are new to claiming and having to wait a year but they have had the money back dated to them from their original claim.

I'd keep phoning up and bugging them.

My claim went in begining of October, they arranged to do a home visit in January which my DP cancelled as I was in a coma in ICU, they made four more appointments, three they cancelled, the fourth visit they came but I'd been rushed into hospital the night before, my support worker met with them, she asked them to make a decision based on GP and hospital letters, this took too long and she ended up making two complaints as did my GP, it was pointed out that they had not followed their own rule of 28 days from decision maker to outcome.
I got my award letter last week.
It's a crap system, it was obvious to everyone else That it should be awarded on the submitted paperwork, I hate to think how much money they waste on needless visits, I've got it for 4 years now so I'd best reapply in three years!
I hope you get somewhere with it soon.

fightback Is a page on Facebook which I was recommended. They have just posted that someone has found out they are only doing July 2013 claims at the moment.

It appears they need more staff to deal with the backlog.

I used to be 2 year awards on DLA but was awarded 10 years ongoing on PIP.

I got my first payment in July this year. Put my claim form in in February 2011.

Only doing July 2013 claims that is disgraceful.
Pleasejustshootmenow wow I thought I had been waiting long enough. Your time frame is shocking. But the most annoying thing is that you have nowhere to complain to in the hope of getting things moving. There are some real horror stories out there about Atos wait time.

The worst part was the tone of the people I had to speak to every time I rang up. They spoke to me with complete contempt, like I was something on the bottom of their shoe.d

They are hoping you will die first.

I put in a new claim in October 2013. Have been waiting since then. I phone Atos about once a month to 'find out the status of my claim' and each time they sound outraged that I have the cheek to ring and say 'but you rangast month', because ringing once a month when you've been waiting 10 months is obviously crazy

When I rang a couple of weeks ago the guy said I had now been waiting the 'average' time therefore he would expect me to receive an appointment soon and would make a note on my records whatever that means.

I'm not holding my breath.

And YANBU. No one is ever BU when it comes to complaining about Atos and their circles of despair.

In my local area for new PIP claimants the average wait is 11 months

There is a supposed maximum wait of 26 weeks for assessments!

I work for a charity who support people at PIP/ESA assessments, we suggest that claimants may wish to consider a formal complaint if they feel that they are being made to wait too long

Please feel free to message me for further information

And in other threads, people complaining about the system being milked.

Make your minds up, folks

to OP

Milking the system my arse. They only backdated mine for the 3 years to the date I claimed from, which was shortly after formal diagnosis. I've had my disability from birth, but the NHS completely failed me for 30+ years. Bastards should have backdated it to the day I was born. My mum would also like all those years of carers allowance she missed out on.

I would mind less if it weren't for the fact that when they deem you eligible to apply and send out the 60-page form, you are given only 28 days to fill in the fucker.

And post from Belfast seems to take at least 2 weeks. Luckily they let me have a 2 week extension when I emailed the deafie line.

Started applying for DLA twice but never managed to get the forms back in time.

JaceLancs have sent you a pm.
I don't understand the contempt that ATOS are showing for vulnerable people in real need of help. I thought that they had ended their contract early with the Government, which will mean all assessments will now be further behind. Why aren't this Government addressing the situation it really boils my piss!

We put a claim in for ESA for my daughter in April last year and still had no assessment. We just keep getting 3 month sick notes from the doctor. The dla one was fairly quick and payment was backdated.