I used to be on the disability rate of Income Support. i got an ESA50 form on 19-4-12 to apply for ESA. i sent that back on 17-5-12. on 19-7-12 i was accepted into the Work-Related-Activity-Group of ESA. i appealed that, by filling in forms & getting my GP to send a letter saying i need to be put into the Support Group. On 25-10-12 i was excepted into the Support Group of ESA...the letter also said i may need a review on/by 25-11-13. On 27-9-13 i got my 2nd ESA50 form to fill in...which i didn't expect because i'd only been on ESA 14 months & in the Support Group only 11 months. even though it was a hassle spending days filling it in, i did it & sent it back on 23-10-13. i waited to a letter from ATOS or DWP, but i never heard anything! my ESA [sG] payments came as normal, so i assumed they'd decided to keep me in the ESA Support Group. on the 7th of May 2014 [exactly 28 weeks after i sent the ESA50] i got a letter [dated 2nd May] from ATOS saying... "We have been asked by DWP to carry out an assessment in relation to your benefit claim. We have arranged an appoinment for you at 2.35pm on Monday 19th May. If you don't attend, your benefit may be affected. If you would like more information about why you need an assessment please contact the DWP office that deals with your claim." Is this sudden assessment the very slow reaction from the ESA50 form i sent last October? or some other reason? i've been unable to work for the same reason since october 2006, so getting forms/assessments this often seems a waste of everyones time! the only medical i ever had was on 9-5-07...which was 5 months after i started getting Income Support. I suppose i was lucky i wasn't asked for a medical when i changed from IS to ESA. I have various physical issues that cause me pain, but alot of my disability claim is due to mental illness. either way i look at it a physical exam [or whatever they're going to do] will not tell them what's in my head or what pain i feel! I couldn't tell you how many months it's been since i last went on a bus or to town. just the thought of shopping or seeing my parents in town is daunting, let alone this medical! I can't lose my benefit money, so i'm guess i can't get out of having this medical? the fact i only got 12 days notice of the medical isn't great...no time to get an appointment with my GP...although i guess that wouldn't help. it also didn't help that i got this letter on the 1st day of being ill with some kind of "bug", which is why i'm only posting about this now. i should mention i photocopied the 1st & 2nd ESA50 forms & the "evidence" i sent with them. should i take that with me to the assessment? the ATOS medical appointment letter came with the WCA AL1C [07/13] Face-to-Face Assessment leaflet. that raised some questions i hope someone on here can help me with. it says take current medications with me to the assessment. i'll obviously take my Antidepressants, anti-anxiety pills & painkillers, but i'm guessing things like anti-histamines for Hayfever aren't required? i'm abit worried about my anti-anxiety pills dosage. on the pill box it states the dose i'm meant to take...the minimum dose for that medication. however i have to take alot more than that dose in stressful situations...like a medical. that's not because i've grown tolerant or/& abuse my med's...it's simply that the minimum/low doses don't work on me. [btw i have told my gp, but he just tells me to "try & stick to the perscribed dose"] :O so should i be honest at the ATOS medical about that? surely if they know anything they know i'm on more than the minimum dosage because i'll have to take enough to calm me that it makes me drowsy, etc. i really don't know how much sense i'll make at this assessment due to medications! the leaflet says i can claim travel expenses for public transport to/from the assessment. i'd usually get a £3.90p Dayrider, but i wondered will they want to keep the bus ticket? because i'll obviously need it to get me home again. i could get a Single to town & then another Single to get home, but that costs more. it says they can only pay travel expenses into a bank/building society, so i'll have to give them my building society's name, sort code & account number. i don't know about anyone else but i don't like the idea of giving them that stuff. seems dodgy for such a small amount of money! the leaflet says they can't pay into a Post Office account [which i don't have but many people do] or pay cash. why? the leaflet says to contact ATOS "if you would like to request an audio recorded assessment or would like to audio record your assessment yourself. Please contact ATOS asap to allow arrangements to be made." should i have my assessment recorded? if i should, will phoning ATOS on Thursday 15th or Friday 16th be enough notice for them to sort audio equipment for my appointment on Monday 19th? if it's not enough notice should i re-book so i can get it recorded? if ATOS do the audio recording do i get a copy of it to keep? i know i can take someone with me, but if i don't will that affect thier assessment of me? my parents will be on holiday & i don't trust anyone else. should i just tell ATOS that? there's a small chance i could get a lift to [& maybe from] the assessment. i know that would mean no travel expense refund, but would getting a lift to or/& from the appointment sound better, even if the person who gives me a lift doesn't come into the assessment building? the leaflet says i can get a copy of the report ATOS will do [at the assessment] from my Jobcentre Plus office. i'm guessing it's a good idea to get a copy to see what ATOS have said about me? the leaflet doesn't say when to contact Jobcentre Plus. i assume after i've seen ATOS, but when? on the ae day? or later? last of all i wondered what happens after the ATOS medical. how long will it be until i get a letter [or phone call] from DWP or ATOS to say whatever the medical results are? if you've read my whole post i'm very grateful. i'm sorry for the long post, but i'm really worried & keep thinking of questions. any answers/advice via this thead or via Private Message are gratefully received.

Hi everyone how many points do people normally get when they have had their interviews and are placed in the support group.