Appeals can take a few months to be heard at Tribunal. However if you can hang on and attend tribunal it helps to show that you consider the medical assessment to have been unfair. Try to take a Welfare Rights Advisor from an Unemployed Workers Centre with you to the tribunal - get in touch with one as soon as possible and don't wait for the tribunal hearing date as they will want to read your documents thoroughly beforehand so they can represent you thoroughly. Good luck with it. By the way - there's an online petition to Sack Atos at http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/sack-atos-healthcare.html which you are welcome to sign and tell your friends about Best Wishes, Yet_Another_Atos_Victim

There's an online petition to Sack Atos at http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/...ealthcare.html which you are welcome to sign and tell your friends about Best Wishes, Yet_Another_Atos_Victim

Hi, I'm training as a Welfare Rights Officer and have represented 2 people in IUCs (Interviews Under Caution) I am no expert, nor do I claim to be but would suggest feedback as follows: Yes, you can get a recording of the Interview - they will tape it on a machine which makes 2 copies of the interview at the same time. If you've ever watched the cop show "The Bill" the way they tape an IUC interview is very similar. You can make "no comment replies to all questions, just some questions or none at all - it's up to you. The interviewers may say that a court can "make adverse inferences" (assume no comment responses to indicate some guilt) and the law says that's what courts can do, but not always. You can answer some questions and then refuse to answer any more and you can get up and leave at any time. You are not under arrest and are unlikely to be arrested unless you act extremely aggressively and even then they would be more likely to call their security. (IUCs are done either at the local JobcentrePlus or at the local Council, depending on the benefit which they consider 'overpaid' as a result of what you have done, claimed or failed to tell them). They can stop your benefits at any time whether or not you are 'invited' to an IUC interview and whether or not you attend such an interview. If you decide to go, try to take someone with you - best bet is an accredited legal representative i.e. a qualified solicitor, but ideally one working free of charge for a local law centre. An accredited legal representative can make them reveal what facts they think they have on you before going any further with the interview. They can also intervene quite a lot on your behalf. Welfare Rights Advisors or friends have to just sit there and give you silent support. You do NOT have to sign anything even if it seems quite reasonable, and they might rely on asking you whether you think your 'behaviour would seem reasonable to somebody' but you don't have to justify your existence nor explain anything. Some interviewers try to make claimants feel vulnerable by talking about exibits and making a drama out of the tape recording process and they may attempt to shock you by admitting to parking outside your house loads of times, observing lights on or off all the detective stuff...don't be phased by any of this. If you decide to go to the IUC then take a big pad of paper and a couple of pens and make notes of what's being asked and note the tape counter reading at key points. make sure you write down the names of the interviewers (usually 2 of these, one asking most of the questions, the other backing up the lead interviewer). Don't be afraid to answer a question with a question for example "Wouldn't it seem reasonable for someone starting a business to visit the council to ask for information and register the business idea?" could be answered "I have no idea what might be considered reasonable as I've only being looking into what's involved in a business - so are you saying everyone should report every idea they've ever had to their local council or Jobcentre?" They will be on tape giving whatever lame answer they come up with! Watch out for the interviewers - part of their training is to scare you, trick you and then make out like they're your friends - they are NOT. Their aim is to get the maximum amount of fine or benefit repayment possible out of you. If you decide not to attend or not to co-operate with them they can stop your benefit or take you to court or do both. If you attend the IUC and they think you have committed fraud by act or omission they can: 1. Take you to court for fraud 2. Offer you a formal caution instead of prosecuting (not always an easy option as it counts as fraud proven, it stays on your record for several years and can be brought up if you end up in court for something else like defending your property for example. 3. Impose a Penalty Charge of 10% of the overpaid amount Their rules say they have to have enough evidence to go to court if they offer a caution or a penalty but it seems to me that often these IUCs are fishing expeditions based on malicious accusations (see below) They may be acting on a nasty anonymous tip-off from some poisonous dork on the benefit fraud phone line. This sort of thing does happen and it causes misery to untold numbers of decent, honest, genuine claimants. It's a pity JC+ and councils put so much effort into following up such poison and not locating the people who are owed some £14 Billion of unclaimed benefits which are underpaid each year. It's handy to tell councils and JC+s what's going on but not every last idea you're looking into so it looks like this one couldn't be avoided. Good luck with whatever you decide to do and fingers crossed for you

Good luck whatever you decide to do. There's an online petition to Sack Atos at http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/sack-atos-healthcare.html which you are welcome to sign and tell your friends about Best Wishes, Yet_Another_Atos_Victim

ah, yes, got it thanks. wasn't complaining, just wanted to do it right

DrJohn even if you have attended a WCA you can still contribute

PS Do you think it's worth making a it a sticky?

Hi Martin, Is there a way that members should get approval of any links prior to posting e.g. via an Admin? Is this link vetting just a normal process which happens to every post? I don't mind the vetting at all, but am concerned as I don't want to be breaking any rules. Regards, John

Hi everyone on ESA/IB/DLA There is an Independent Review of the WCA going on from 28/07/10 to 10/09/10 and (here I overcome my cynicism briefly)...we might be in with a chance of changing the system for the better. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked Professor Malcolm Harrington to undertake an independent review of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and make recommendations on the future development and efficacy of the WCA. Individuals and organisations are invited to send evidence and to participate in recommending how changes may be made for the improvement of the WCA The DWP website page containing the "Call For Evidence" is at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/ The actual "Call For Evidence" Adobe pdf document can be viewed, printed or downloaded at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/work-cap-ass-call-for-evidence.pdf Anyone interested in submitting their own experience of the Atos Healthcare WCA can do so and answer Professor Harrington's 7 Questions in writing (address given in document) or by e-mail to: wca.evidence@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Here's a letter I have written to David Cameron today and posted to him at The House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA and to his constituency office at 10 Bridge St, Whitney, Oxon, OX28 1HY Dear Mr Cameron, The tone of your government, of vilifying the vulnerable in society, particularly the sick, disabled and unemployed is horrifying and disgusting, especially when we are all portrayed as "scroungers". In a vile outburst on 18th June, the epithet of "workshy" was applied by Chris Grayling (Con, Epsom & Ewell) to all 2.5 million sick ESA claimants. I find that remark, reported in the Daily Mail, to be offensive, and given his previous offence over remarks about B&B owners' 'rights', I hereby call on you to force Mr Grayling to apologise publicly. To announce, as he did, the complete abolition of all sickness benefits by 2014 , as he also did, smacks of totalitarian government - the sort we defeated in the Second World War. In fact I expected better leadership from you, Mr Cameron, with your aristocratic background and its focus on duty (noblesse oblige). I contend it's unjust to expect the poor and vulnerable to be scapegoated and expected to pay for a financial crisis brought about by the naked greed of banks, big business and politicians: The latter being too full of their self-interest to do their jobs. Punishing the poor is not only unjust; it's counter-productive. We're already broke. You have £136.5 Billion ringfenced for weapons systems alone, funds set aside to buy weapons of mass destruction during peacetime but you don't wish to put £12Bn aside for the sick and disabled? Pensioners are kept in poverty and some burn encyclopaedias bought in charity shops to keep warm in winter but your government leaves £130 Billion in uncollected taxes, loopholes for the rich and a pathetically low business CGT tax. You can't be bothered to collect £130 Billion from business, but you can only spare £12.8 Billion on state pensioners. You preside over £112 Billion in hidden waste costs by the European Union, but not only that - you pay the EU £20.8 Million every day too! (£7.6 Billion a year). For pity's sake please sort out some humane priorities and fix your upside-down budget: Instead of spending money on ridiculous ego projects, and spend a little more on the pensioners, sick, disabled and unemployed. Please reverse the VAT hike. VAT really is a regressive tax (it punishes the poor more than it taxes the rich). It was too high at 15% never mind 20%! The VAT tax was originally 'sold' to the public as a "tax on luxury goods" and the examples given were yachts, fur coats and fine wines. As long as I can remember this unfair tax has been applied to almost everything - basics. If your government can be a government for the people instead of a government against the people it may yet have a chance of surviving, and the country too. On the other hand, if you carry on playing God woth OUR money, giving foreign aid to Singapore which is a far richer country than the UK, for example, then the government will fall very quickly. The electorate may be poor, but we're not fools and there's a lot of anger about what you are doing. The fix is there. You only have to spend the money on the humane options and you will be remembered as a Prime Minister apart from the sociopathic savagery of the Thatcher years ansd apart from the lies, spin and unconstitutional lunacy of the "New Labour" years. You work for us, not the other way round. Yours sincerely (signed) John Moore (an unwell taxpayer)

yes 1 complete part is better

Hiya hendo, I've put it on my Atos Healthcare Facebook profile. Just log in and type atos in the search bar, mine is the one with the crossed out fish logo. It's in 3 parts. (not got my memory stick with me or i'd post the link) Anyone not yet signed the Sack Atos Healthcare petition, it's at: http:Sack Atos Healthcare Immediately Petition

Agreed. If my ESA is stopped I will almost certainly complain to GMC

Yessssss - absolutely, PriorityOne I hope to post a thread in the near future quoting some data to illustrate our points. I remember 3 in particular because they are so shocking: 1. The £1.5 Trillion of GDP our country has annaully - enough to pay for everything; 2. The £120 Billion every year spent on the EU, which gives nothing back and imposes it's looney laws on the UK; 3. The 70% of sick benefit ESA claims which are denied the proper benefit sue to lies and cheating by Atos Healthcare / Origin. I say sack them now : Sack Atos Healthcare Immediately Petition Take care

Yeah - that would be about right Conniff As the TV program asked "Who's cheating who?" http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://youtube.com/watch?v%3Dyop7L95NyIU&ct=ga&cad=:s7:f1:v0:i1:lt:e1:p1:t1275343973:&cd=zV9_ozc0JPk&usg=AFQjCNGFizn1QlJbNzETllp9eR0t2G8DwA BTW, if you've not signed the petition yet, please feel free to do do: Sack Atos Healthcare Immediately Petition Best Regards, John

Hi setmefree, Agree with you about real fraudsters like 'Andy' the fictional character in a wheelchair in Little Britain who really isn't disabled at all. However when we feel like this feeling just how the politicians want us to feel. Politicians stir up division and strife all the time between different groups in our society to detract from The Greatest Political Lie: They repeatedly say there is no money for benefits and pensions and hospitals, and all the things ordinary people pay our taxes for, but our national yearly wealth is £1,575,472,687,611! This is much more than is ever needed for all the most vital services. The problem, in my view, is that politicians have 0% interest in us apart from getting us to vote them onto the gravy train every 4 or 5 years. Between elections the politicos absolutely haemorrage OUR money on ego projects which they think make them look good and which also usually feather the nests of their mates in global industry (banking, nuclear fuel, armaments, nuclear arms, "consultancy", I.T., private 'healthcare', oil etc etc). Strangely enough these mates then provide cushy jobs for the failed politicians or those who want to leech even more money from we ordinary people whom they so much despise. Fight back here: Sack Atos Healthcare Immediately Petition Best wishes, John

' wycombe Hi m8, totally agree with you about the greed of the banking system. It has cost this country billions. As well as the banking bailouts there are other areas of madness: greedy M.P.s, greedy plcs and their fat cat bosses are also leeching us dry:

@ wycombe (With thanks to wycombe for suggesting a new thread) Here are some thoughts on what might be done: 1. Sign and ask everyone else you can to sign up at Sack Atos Healthcare Immediately Petition 2. Add the above link to your CAG signature (if you don't mind) 3. Email your local M.P.; e.g. via http://www.whatdotheyknow.com 4. Use or create your own profile & links at Welcome to Facebook 5. Join Facebook group "Sack Atos Healthcare" Welcome to Facebook 6. Join Facebook group "Atos Origin" 7. E-mail the charities which support patients with the conditions most targeted by Atos yet again Mike Bach's great site provides the data we need: DWP Atos Healthcare Medical Services Contract Once there, the categories are about 3/4 of the way down that page, but if you do a Ctrl+f to search for >75 that will take you right there. I'll try to post on CAG a list of e-mail addies together with the condition/s which they aim to help. 8. Find, and post on, forums in addition to CAG (a great suggestion by @ wycombe) 9. Send your own Atos experience story to your local paper (another great suggestion by @ wycombe) 10. E-mail your local Welfare rights organisation (caution regarding moderation here though, as whilst I believe the organisations grass roots are on message, their webhosting and funding comes from .gov.uk, I think - any feedback on this from anyone. please?) 11. Have petition and forum links on small slips of paper ready to hand out or leave laying around at Jobcentres and Atos premises, libraries, etc etc. 12. Try to get a free-hosted website of your own and capture an Atossy type name e.g. AtosHealthcareNO.com. This might work like the anti-RyanAir site did for the guy who was sick of being fobbed-off by the airline. It drove them mad! I've had a quick look into free websites but there's a lot to do with FTP only - any info here, please? 13. Getting a free e-mail address from yahoo/google etc using SackAtosNow@..... or similar as an addy 14. Writing letters to key government ministers and e-mailing them intheir capacity as ministers 15. Asking newspapers to publish an open letter to a minister or M.P. 16. Using the free telephones in Jobcentres to ring DWP and moan about Atos - if enough of us do that it might cause some upwards backlash within DWP. That's all I can list for now. Take care all x

Hi Rae, Yes, a good suggestion to start a facebook page, I'm sure your post put the idea in my mind at the time. I've just started such a page (with a Group too ): http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001146878837 I think the above link will take you there (and not 'Save the puppies' lol - am still embarrassed about that one ) Take Care, John x

That's a 7 week average for the three of us so far - I'd put money on it that this £5Bn global outfit is earning interest on taxpayers' money. It makes me mad that folks call the likes of us scroungers but just let these rip-off firms bleed our economy dry Grrrr

@ XarliATalOS Many thanks for that. Occurred to me that gopetition is a better petition than No10's one because I don't think there's a time-limit on gopetition's.

@ Helen2264 Hi Helen (and everyone else who struggled and all those who helped). Have edited the link in my first message. Sorry for confusion. Still a newby but learning x

Hiya, thanks for that. Don't suppose you know how to add a poll feature to a thread? It would be interesting to see how many folk are in the same boat

It took 10 weeks for Atos to reimburse my £2.40 expenses incurred travelling to the Work Capability Assessment, and this was despite numerous e-mails to customer-services@atoshealthcare.com As a BACS electronic transfer only takes 3 working days (transmit on Monday, funds reach bank account on Wednesday), I believe that 2 calendar weeks is more than enough time. I have submitted an FOI requesting assessment-to-reimbursement stats for Atos, in case they are earning interest on OUR money. Can anyone let me know if they have had to wait more than 1 calendar week for payment?

@ 45002 & pompeyfaith, Hi 45003 Am very sorry for incorrect link - I took the address from the gopetition site not realising that I was still on the 'dogs' page. I've added the correct link to my signature on here. Thanks for wishing to sign petition and please do try the correct link. Hi pompeyfaith, Yes, if we could publicise it on the broader internet I'm all for it. BTW, I'm only just learning forums and blogging, have only public library access on occasional days and have very low energy levels some days (weepy violin plays lol) Joking aside, I mention this only in case ppl think I'm not committed because I'm only on here every so often or if I can't reply to a post or PM. Also please bear with me - as a newby I'm making my share of mistakes. Thanks to everyone who has signed the petition so far x