hi hb, I know it may sound a bit corny but it wasn't really about the money, it was for peace of mind as like I said its like a big weight has been lifted and hopefully now will be left alone until I retire. yes of course im stopping around and if I can help or advise I will gladly.

well i just thought id update everyone on my esa assessment. i went for my assessment on the 26th jan 2016 and today i got a letter saying im in the support group and as id waited over 13 months to be assessed they owe me £2700 or there abouts. id just like to say a very big thanks to the folks who gave me advice and said concentrate on telling them about your illness and how it affects you which i did. i was with the assessor exactly 15 minutes when he said that's enough. its like a weight has been lifted of my head but will never forget the way i have been treated by the dwp and i also wont ever forget all the nice folks on here . if anyone would now like any guidance from me ref assessment please just ask and maybe i might be able to help as others helped me, thanks again everyone you are all gems.

all I can say is just don't give them the ammunition to fire at you. please believe me I understand where you are coming from when you say about money to live on its just in my mind im not going back onto jsa as that's exactly what they are after but that's just my opinion and each to their own.

Imho I don't think it wise after many months of claiming esa at assessment rate declaring you are ill to suddenly claim jsa basically then stating you are fit for work when you are not. myself feel its like a trap you are pushed into which as stated if I have to go to mandatory con wont fall into.ive decided to sit it out as stated for 13 months ill. yes there will be thousands declared fit for work then claim jsa going onto be sanctioned which again I feel is the trap awaiting. as already stated is my opinion.

if you fail your atos assessment and go back onto jsa surely you are saying you are fit for work ? be very carefull and don't leave yourself open to anything. ive my assessment today and already decided if I fail my assessment will ask for mandatory reconsideration and claim nothing while im waiting. ive been waiting over 13 months to see atos stating im not fit for work so am not prepared to change that for the sake of a couple of hundred quid. very crafty move on the part of dwp to stop esa while mandatory recon is going through like pushing you into a corner to claim jsa and basically state your fit for work.

well today I have my atos assessment after waiting 13 months and 9 days exactly and the only reason I have my assessment today is because I complained to atos asking why it was taking so long . I was also assessed by capita on the 23rd dec 2014 for pip which I got and the whole process from phoning to getting paid pip was 7 weeks so very much quicker than atos. I also suffer from anxiety and depression steming back years but only diagnosed in dec 2013. on top of that I need 2 knees replacing and cant walk or have muscle use. I have 2 doctors which I see every week plus a phsychiatrist but things arnt getting better. don't hold out any hope of quick apointments with atos but the good news is capita take over the job end of march this year so things could speed up a little.

my mate is 61 and did his first year with jcp then 2 years with sarina russo then another year back with jcp now on 6 month placement run by his 2 year back to work provider sarina russo. I will see him tomorrow so will find out where his 6 month placement will be. as I pointed out he has been volunteering with the salvation army now for about 6 months but his jcp advisor stated they are no longer accepting this and he will be sent on a 6 month placement organised by sarina russo. I think as others have mentioned I don't think jcp have a clue what to do with long term unemployed but if we listen to government unemployment is a thing of the past lol

update on this is, after the 2 year work progamme call it what you may you return back to the jobcentre for 1 whole year where the system is supposed to be more intense. bad news is after the 1 year back with jobcentre if you are still unemployed you go right back to your work provider where they put you on a 6 month placement doing 30 hrs work plus 4 hours jobsearch per week. I know this to be fact as its happened to my mate only this week. the 6 month placement back with your work provider only started last week as my mate was the 12th person in our town to be returned to sarina russo and he is 61 years old. my mate was also working as a volunteer with the salvation army which jcp didn't want to know about as they told my mate to many people were jumping on the volunteer bandwagon trying to avoid being directed by work programmers and jcp. my mates advisor told him the real reason was job agencies were losing out when folks volunteered instead of being directed by them. look into it how you like folks but that's the steps jcp are now taking so volunteering off your own back wont be accepted anymore by the looks of things.

first of all id like to thank everyone who contributed to my thread as its been most helpful and calmed me down a bit. I really let things get to me work myself up so much then go into meltdown. the assessment sounds a bit like the one I had with capita on 23.12.14 when they came out and assessed me for pip where they ask questions and type your answers into a laptop only the answers I gave were not the answers the assessor typed into his pc hence my request for a mandatory reconsideration on the daily living component. the actual visit to atos isn't bothering me its the money side of things where ill sit and say to myself what will we do when/if our money stops and work myself up so much I go into meltdown. I know I shouldn't think that way I should try and be positive but when my mind takes over its like a very small thing can mean disaster. I really cant see how they can tell you to claim jobseekers when basically you are sick as you have to be actively looking and available for work. I think as some-one has already pointed out its a bit like a trap where as you either struggle through without any money until a decision is made or sign back on jsa and play right in their hands. I know I must concentrate on my assessment and can only go and tell the the truth which is the best policy and go from there. it was all abit to much yesterday trying to fathom out how the system worked after the assessment but hopefully now down you nice folks im a bit wiser so many thanks again to you all.

many thanks hb that's one less thing to worry about. im not saying atos will definatly say im fit for work but getting prepaired just in case.

I think im getting the way the land lies now. so if your deemed fit for work by atos your pennies stop plus housing benefit council tax etc. you then lodge a mandatory reconsideration request and while this is going through you get no pennies at all. if the mandatory reconsideration fails you can then appeal and go back on assessment rate of esa does that sound about right ?

I don't think you get the assessment rate while you're waiting for the reconsideration, so if your assessment says you are fit for work your esa which ive now been getting for 13 months stops so does that mean I go back on jobseekers allowance or I get nothing until my mandatory assessment and maybe appeal ?.

many thanks hb very helpful. so basically if I fail the atos medical I can ask for mandatory reconsideration and stay on assessment rate of esa?. my doctors and phychiatrist say I will never return back to work such is the state of my mind and legs. I originally applied for esa because the way my mind was but now my legs have come into it. I find it slightly amusing that's folks have doctors reports saying how ill they are only to be overturned by some-one who is lower down the ladder in the profession. I had an ex paramedic assess me just before xmas for capita but omitted all the important things I told him so missed out on the daily living component by 1 point.

good morning all, after 13 months of waiting and me complaining to atos ive now finally got an appointment/assessment with them on Monday 26th jan at 1.30pm. after reading of so many folks being given zero points and being removed of esa after the assessment im kind of prepairing myself for the same treatment. my question is if I don't get the points needed to stay on esa and am removed of esa what is my next move and how do I go about it? ive read somewhere on here about a mandatory reconsideration so how do I go about that or apply for that?. im 62 this year and have been on esa for 13 months now with anxiety and depression and am waiting for both my knees to be replaced.. ive just been awarded pip on the mobility part and just missed out by 1 point on the daily living part so have asked them to reconsider as they never disclosed the facts of my claim. I have to see 2 doctors plus a phychiatrist who ive been seeing for 13 months but still feel im going to be treated the same as most other poor souls so thought id prepare myself before it all happens. many thanks in advance for any help , chris.

many thanks all for your replies, very helpful.

just been awarded pip mobility part and just wanted to ask can I be forced by jcp to look for work ? im claiming esa and after 13 months am being assessed by atos 2 weeks Monday

well done George at least its kind of sorted now. ive now been waiting just over a year and still nothing.

how long have you been waiting to see atos ? ive been on esa now since dec 17th 2013 and still not heard a word from them in fact ive just emailed them asking why its taking so long as I cant wait. im 61 and have several problems and my doctors as I see 3 have put my doctors notes out now to 2 months at a time but still no atos. good luck when you see them and keep your chin up.

hi mr p and many thanks for your help. tried allowing cookies and still got same stupid error message. contacted dwp and they were as much help as a chocky teapot

thats exactly what im getting everytime. i use internet explorer so what am i doing wrongg ? any help wouyld be apreciated very much. im lucky at the mo as been on esa for 3 months so dont have to go to the jokecentre or answer to them and their ways

many thanks for that i will try and do that now

right here,s one for a pc boffin out there. ive been trying for a week now to login to mu uj account and all im getting is a message application error so can anyone help and tell me why this is happening and how to put it right (please )

you have to keep going back to your doctor when your sicknote runs out. depends what you are on esa for. ive been claiming esa now for over 3 months and still not been assesed so each time my sick note runs out i go back to doctor to get another. hope this helps.

many thanks for that much apreciated. i really cant see how they could anyway as im still waiting for a payment on my esa claim which i put in on the 17th december but i suppose with xmas i should of expected a wait.

hi everyone and happy new year. my partner/wife has been requested to attend a work focussed interview on 17th jan which is no problem even though they are a waste of time. my wife was sent a letter asking her to attend and i was sent a seperate letter asking me to give or not to give permission to discus my claim with my wife. my question is do i have to say yes and give them permission and if i say no could they do anything about this?. i am not on jsa now but have been put on esa since 17th decmber 2013. thanks in advance for any advise.