Atos fail to provide pre agreed transport

[scot1975]

Hi all, I will provide the edited version here - any advice wold be greatly appreciated.

 

ATOS agreed to provide a taxi to take me from my house to their Medical assessment, and return me home again afterwards. This was as a result of medical evidence provided by my GP.

 

On the day of the appointment I was to be ready 1 hour before my appointment, when the taxi would pick me up. It was a journey of around 25 miles.

 

No taxi arrived. No phone call from ATOS.

 

I called ATOS who told me that my file had been marked "Failed to attend" and sent back to the DWP. No explanation was forthcoming for them not providing the taxi they said they would. It's out of their hands now.

 

I received a form today from the DWP asking for my reasons for not attending, and making it quite clear that my benefits are at risk if I don't have a reason that they define acceptable. I suspect that there are alarmingly few acceptable reasons, irrespective of what they are.

 

I have written a 4 page letter detailing every aspect of my involvement with atos, including them not providing the transport, which is the main thing.

 

The whole thing is ridiculous. How on earth can my benefits be at risk because ATOS didn't fill their part of the bargain?

 

I'm quite concerned about this.

[Lilly_Monroe]

Hi all, I will provide the edited version here - any advice wold be greatly appreciated.

 

ATOS agreed to provide a taxi to take me from my house to their Medical assessment, and return me home again afterwards. This was as a result of medical evidence provided by my GP.

 

 

On the day of the appointment I was to be ready 1 hour before my appointment, when the taxi would pick me up. It was a journey of around 25 miles.

 

No taxi arrived. No phone call from ATOS.

 

I called ATOS who told me that my file had been marked "Failed to attend" and sent back to the DWP. No explanation was forthcoming for them not providing the taxi they said they would. It's out of their hands now.

 

I received a form today from the DWP asking for my reasons for not attending, and making it quite clear that my benefits are at risk if I don't have a reason that they define acceptable. I suspect that there are alarmingly few acceptable reasons, irrespective of what they are.

 

I have written a 4 page letter detailing every aspect of my involvement with atos, including them not providing the transport, which is the main thing.

 

The whole thing is ridiculous. How on earth can my benefits be at risk because ATOS didn't fill their part of the bargain?

 

I'm quite concerned about this.

 

 

 

Was this not confirmed in writing - without it you will have a hard job proving it.

[**Margaret**]

:scot1975:

 

Well, assuming you attached the letter to the BF223, you've done the right thing so far. Did you enclose any 'evidence'? Copy of the doctor's facsimile/letter? Any log of the phone calls? Even if you didn't record their content. Can you remember the name of the taxi company that was supposed to pick you up? A Jobcentreplus decision maker has to consider all the evidence and decide who's most likely to be telling the truth, so every snippet helps. Anyone with you during the no show, who could write a short statement?

 

Should Jobcentreplus not accept your version of events, you can ask (make sure it's in writing) for a mandatory reconsideration by a different decision maker. After that, 'failure to attend' can be appealed to a tribunal but there's no assessment rate payable pending the hearing.

 

Best wishes, Margaret.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[worried33]

please let us know of the DWP decision, thanks.