commonly asked ATOS assessment questions

[estellyn]

I'm doing a post on writing a statement to go with your ESA50 - the idea being to answer as many possible questions you are likely to be asked in the assessment, on the statement, in order to increase the possibility of being put in a group without having to atend an assessment.

 

Anyway in order to help this, I wondered if everyone who's been through an assessment could post as many questions they were asked as they can remember.

 

I'll start in the next post.

[estellyn]

medications side effects.

how did you get here today?

Do you live alone of with someone?

Do you have children?

Do you have pets?

Do you do your own shopping?

Do you watch tv?

Do you see friends and family? (or some variation)

Do you have hobbies?

Do you read the paper?

[**Margaret**]

With permission, some of the questions from a friend's assessment that I chaperoned in April;

 

How often do you see your doctor?

How often do you see your nurse?

Tell me what happens at your support group.

(It's actually a self help group. We resisted the temptation to moan about the time spent on ESA50s and appeals.)

 

What time do you get up?

Why do you get up at different times?

Why do think you can't sleep?

Describe what happens when you get up.

You can get washed and dressed?

(Counts as two sequential personal actions, for activity 13, in Atosland.)

How many days a week do you get washed and dressed?

Who arranges appointments?

Who pays the bills?

Do you cook?

And who does the shopping?

 

Do you have hallucinations?

Have you ever hurt yourself?

Describe a panic attack.

(This one's tricksy, cos in Atosland panic attacks include a fear of dying.)

Edited May 23, 2013 by **Margaret**

[cuchiandme]

its a wonder they dont ask ;when did you **** last?

horrible people...interesting looking at the questions here that one can see clearly there is not the slightest interest in the individual's health..

i wish i had been of sound mind and filled mine in then i perhaps would be spared this sufferring...

i now know not to say i have a dog..they got me there.

not wishing to interfere with the purpose of this thread which i praise estellyn for...it's invaluable...

but wanted to ask...was i wrong to say i used computer to shop for my food? she used it against me.. but then if i said i go out for it wouldnt she catch me there too?

i mean lookk how many of us are using computers... does that mean we have no disability?

[mekongmarcus]

If you can sit at a desk top computer then they assume you can sit at a desk and work.I told them I lay down and use a tablet to shop.

[honeybee13]

Estellyn, I know it's not directly related to what you're doing [sorry], but I think a lot of us have got into trouble by answering yes or no to slanted questions. In leemack's stikky, she recommends giving a full answer and making the assessor type it out rather then slotting you into a particular box.

 

You may have said the same, forgive me if I forgot that.

[Nystagmite]

Do they still ask about medication side effects, even though they ignore them now?

[estellyn]

Estellyn, I know it's not directly related to what you're doing [sorry], but I think a lot of us have got into trouble by answering yes or no to slanted questions. In leemack's stikky, she recommends giving a full answer and making the assessor type it out rather then slotting you into a particular box.

 

You may have said the same, forgive me if I forgot that.

 

Hi, honeybee, yes the whole yes/no answer horror show is notorious in adviserland. My aim with getting these questions is to show how to turn them into detailed answers on the statement.

 

If I explain what I did in my statement, maybe that'll help people see where I'm getting to.

 

Basically, I wrote about my daily life and how my conditions affected me, and within those paragraphs, I took all the questions I could think of that were relevant to me and answered them in detail on the statement, as well as ensuring there was information in the paragraphs to show I met each descriptor I felt I met.

 

The statement serves many purposes. For me, the main aim was to avoid an ATOS assessment. But I doubt an ATOS assessor could try to argue that having a dog means you're fit for work, when the care arrangements have been fully explained in the statement, or that using a computer means you're fit for work, when you've explained how you are able to use the computer. Many people struggle with face to face assessments, and with the pressure don't explain everything they want to (or are allowed to explain), and aren't able to assert themselves in the room. The ESA50 is actually a pretty poor framework for getting a person into a 'group' who has no knowledge of how the system works (maybe that's the idea, I don't know).

 

So I'm hoping if I can translate all this into guidance about what to write in their statement, then maybe a few more people will either not have to have an assessment face to face, or if they do, will be better prepared, and will be able to say to the assessor - read this first, it should be able to answer a lot of your questions. Team that with a recorded assessment......

 

It will be a bit of work preparing a statement to send with the ESA50, but no more than preparing an appeal, and I hope that by doing this work early in the process, appeals can be avoided. As people report back, we'll know if it is helping or not.

Edited May 23, 2013 by estellyn

[estellyn]

Do they still ask about medication side effects, even though they ignore them now?

 

That question was from my previous two assessments. But were I an assessor, I'd still ask, because I'd be thinking maybe I could attribute some symptoms to side effects, and avoid giving points for some descriptors.

[estellyn]

With permission, some of the questions from a friend's assessment that I chaperoned in April;

 

How often do you see your doctor?

How often do you see your nurse?

Tell me what happens at your support group.

(It's actually a self help group. We resisted the temptation to moan about the time spent on ESA50s and appeals.)

 

What time do you get up?

Why do you get up at different times?

Why do think you can't sleep?

Describe what happens when you get up.

You can get washed and dressed?

(Counts as two sequential personal actions, for activity 13, in Atosland.)

How many days a week do you get washed and dressed?

Who arranges appointments?

Who pays the bills?

Do you cook?

And who does the shopping?

 

Do you have hallucinations?

Have you ever hurt yourself?

Describe a panic attack.

(This one's tricksy, cos in Atosland panic attacks include a fear of dying.)

 

Great stuff, thankyou!

[speedfreek]

Mines and banksarggg WCAs word for word are in here.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?301142-My-ESA-Medical-Word-For-Word/page2&highlight=WCA

 

Even has extra trolling for good measure

[cuchiandme]

If you can sit at a desk top computer then they assume you can sit at a desk and work.I told them I lay down and use a tablet to shop.

 

YES, but my probs are of mental health... i understand what you say and thanks... i will remember that... but i get angry when these people invariably mix mental health with physical health ..the two dont always co-exist.

[Nystagmite]

If you can sit at a desk top computer then they assume you can sit at a desk and work.I told them I lay down and use a tablet to shop.

 

True. But I imagine my employer (although, I should add that my last was fantastic about this) won't allow me to get up and walk around whenever I felt like it, due to eye strain. And then there's my issue with fire alarms...

[Lilly_Monroe]

Well I was asked

 

What is 100 - 25.

Spell - World

What is 96 minus 7

A coat was pointed to and I was asked what it was.

Remember these three things in the order I point to them in.

Chair

Table

Clock.

I suffer from depression and anxiety so perhaps they figure we are dumb.

Show me your 'right hand'

Show me your 'left hand'

Touch your nose with your right hand

Touch your nose with your left hand.

Touch your nose with your left and right hand at the same time.

 

Followed by most what has already been covered.

 

Humiliating all in all.

[estellyn]

Mines and banksarggg WCAs word for word are in here.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?301142-My-ESA-Medical-Word-For-Word/page2&highlight=WCA

 

Even has extra trolling for good measure

 

Cool, thanks, I'll take a look at that.

[estellyn]

Well I was asked

 

What is 100 - 25.

Spell - World

What is 96 minus 7

A coat was pointed to and I was asked what it was.

Remember these three things in the order I point to them in.

Chair

Table

Clock.

I suffer from depression and anxiety so perhaps they figure we are dumb.

Show me your 'right hand'

Show me your 'left hand'

Touch your nose with your right hand

Touch your nose with your left hand.

Touch your nose with your left and right hand at the same time.

 

Followed by most what has already been covered.

 

Humiliating all in all.

 

That is just........bizarre!

[Lilly_Monroe]

That is just........bizarre!

 

Had me lost for understanding.

He typed my answers into his computer, so they must have been set up (if you know what I mean).

Every time I answered one of those questions he replied 'well done'!!

Whether it was to lull you into a false sense of security, that was the only thing I could think off.

Or maybe they are there so they can see who answers them wrong on purpose.

I mean you could not get them wrong - they were so silly.

 

He asked me the other stuff, pets, tv, hobbies and the likes...

What was typical, the one scientific thing they had there (the blood pressure monitor) was not working.

Anyway I got left in the WRAG group, and I truly did not expect that.

[**Margaret**]

'Had me lost for understanding.'

 

Not so lost as an Atos assessor who clearly can't differentiate between learning disability and anxiety/depressive disorders!! Those questions are one of their crude attempts to assess learning disability. Completely inappropriate for assessing the effects of mental health conditions.

Edited May 24, 2013 by **Margaret**

[Nystagmite]

What the...? @ what Lilly posted.

 

That sounds very similar to the Dyslexia test I did some years ago.

[Lilly_Monroe]

What the...? @ what Lilly posted.

 

That sounds very similar to the Dyslexia test I did some years ago.

 

I was shocked and upset when I came out of the medical.

I felt humiliated.

I told my CPN and advocate from MIND - but they are not in a position to say anything really are they.

 

The man who did the medical was an actual GP - so I have no idea what it was all about.

But it is all true, I have just left a few of the 'questions' out.

 

This is the same person who the DWP wrote to about my claim for DLA, and he wrote back to them saying I was not in need.

Obviously my knowing what a coat was - proved my downfall.

He also kept asking me if I could do a receptionist/admin job!

I said no - because I could not.

[**Margaret**]

Whoops! A doctor who can't differentiate between learning disability and mental health conditions!! And clearly doesn't realise that he's not an employment adviser either!!!

Which component of disability living do you think you may be entitled to?

[Lilly_Monroe]

Whoops! A doctor who can't differentiate between learning disability and mental health conditions!! And clearly doesn't realise that he's not an employment adviser either!!!

Which component of disability living do you think you may be entitled to?

 

I have anxiety, as well as Osteoarthritis.

With the depression and anxiety I suffer from not going out, cooking is a problem, (Mainly butties, soup)

All kinds of issues that effect my day to day living.

The osteo all my joints are affected, but mainly my knees and hands.

Lower rate I had though.

I live alone so life is very difficult a times.

 

I know why the ESA doc said I was not suitable, because I got myself to my ESA medical.

I had NO choice, no medical no money.

No one to go with me - so what where my options.

Just like I have to attend my job centre advisor meetings.

What he did not see was how it screws me up for days before and after.

 

I have appealed.

[Marianne7]

I was asked very similar questions to Lily, but I had to spell "WORLD" backwards! I was also asked to name the Prime Minister and the President of the United States. My 90 year old mother had been asked the same questions when she was having and Alzheimer's assessment. I told the person that I was suffering from stress and depression and that I couldn't understand why I'd been asked these questions. Needless to say I was given 0 points, but this was overturned on appeal by a very sensible doctor and judge.

[Lilly_Monroe]

I was asked very similar questions to Lily, but I had to spell "WORLD" backwards! I was also asked to name the Prime Minister and the President of the United States. My 90 year old mother had been asked the same questions when she was having and Alzheimer's assessment. I told the person that I was suffering from stress and depression and that I couldn't understand why I'd been asked these questions. Needless to say I was given 0 points, but this was overturned on appeal by a very sensible doctor and judge.

 

Oh, so it seems that to spell - World is part of the medical these days.

Did you get a 'well done' afterwards.!

 

I was shocked when I learnt I had been left in the WRAG group I really was.

I truly was expecting a failure.

 

Yes I have heard that they ask people who they think are suffering from dementia, questions like these.

Is it to make us feel more embarrassed - because he could not have made me feel less like a human being, if he had tried.

You come home with those senseless questions going round and round in your head - feeling a complete waste of space.

 

Glad you won your appeal.

[**Margaret**]

From :Lilly_Monroe: 'I have appealed.'

Good luck, Margaret.