Panorama - disabled or faking it

[giraffesCantTakePartInThe100ms]

itAnyone else watching?

Yes, shocking a man with heart failure was told he was fit to work!! And the stress of three separate assessments, poor man and his poor family to lose him

I was awarded DLA without an assessment, much to my relief, however only for a year. I'm scared for the future and how I will cope financially. This is scary.

Seeing this poor lady is making me very upset.

Hope they raise the issue of people with mental health issues, the ESA systems lets them down very badly.

Why are they putting people though the stress again after they have won appeals!! Surely most people with a brain know which people are going to get better and which can make improvements.

Akermanis I agree. There should be an entire programme dedicated to how people with MH issues are discriminated against in the system.

Who is doing these assessments??

Doctors or nurses can do the medical part of the assessment but the decision is made by DWP staff. Sometimes the medical professional might say in the report 'may be able to do some form of light work in the next 12-18 months' and the DWP assessor will stop all benefits. Plus the medics don't get to see the medical records / doctors reports etc, they just have to rely on what they can see in the day.

That's not to say SOME medics aren't utterly shite though.

I watched this and was pleasantly surprised at the line the BBC took, namely that the WCA is not fit for purpose. I honestly thought it would go along the lines of the execrable Saints and Scroungers show. Hopefully now that lying twunt Grayling tells the DWP and Atos to calm things down.

Iklboo took DD with Downs,complex heart defect, pacemaker. Took medical evidence which was read. DD spoke 12 words. Decision WRAG. Got medical report which states not fit for work can they not read!!

2old it is fecking ridiculous. I'm convinced the assessment is specifically geared to anyone being declared fit for work.

I work for the Citizens Advice Bureau and much of this programme was very familiar. We regularly see clients who are clearly too ill to work, and yet they are denied help. The opinions of their GPs and the evidence of their clinical histories are overlooked in favour of an absurdly inadequate test that often takes no longer than fifteen minutes. We're helping to give clients a voice and encouraging them to use the Atos internal complaints procedure. To help people frame their complaints we have produced this guide: www.scribd.com/doc/97651322/Using-the-Atos-Complaints-Procedure

My GP refused to do me a supportive letter to send with my ESA50 saying "iwill do one if you get asked to attend a medical. Im sure Atos will be perfectly reasonable.
i get my appointment letter and inform my GP who then said he would write a letter but Atos insisted on a fax explaining why i needed a home visit (i have bad stomach issues)
This is the letter i recieved back from Atos.......
Dear Ms Carernotasaint
Im writing to you in connection with your request for a Home Visit for your ESA assessment
Unfortunately a home visit or taxi could not be authorised on the medical evidence we have received .
An assessment is therefore still required by the Department for Work and Pensions at our Medical Centre.
If you choose not to attend this appointment your benefit may be affected.

Note the use of the word CHOOSE.
They really think people choose to be ill!

Carer so did you go?

I missed the programme, but am one of the lucky ones, who had no bother with ATOS. The lovely nurse could hear me wheezing as I followed her down the corridor, and then just basically asked me a couple of questions, asked how I'd got there (friend had given me a lift), and said if I'd come alone they'd have arranged and paid for a taxi to get me home again.
I got my DLA no problem too, but got the welfare officer at the council to do the forms for me.
ESA renewal went through no problem this year, and DLA is due in 2014. I am worried about that and losing my car.

The secret filming on Channel 4 tv exposed a disgraceful system

The Liberal party should disown the system, it s just cruel and devious

The appointment is soon Lisa. i wont be able to go due to my stomach problems. But DH is over 60 so if DWP think im going to be on JSA they are much mistaken.