Hi everyone,

I went along to my Job Centre appointment last month and met my "advisor".

(Please know that I do not blame this lady for my predicament she is just doing her job.)

I ordered a cab to take me to the appointment and let them know that I would require a receipt.

As we approached my destination, the driver said he had pre written the receipt as there is NO

DROP OFF POINT as the Job Centre is on a very busy road and a bus lane is in front of it, so I had to get out quickly!

I could hardly believe what I was hearing!

I entered the building only to find that the waiting area for me was at the other end of this enormous open plan

ground floor area!

So I trudged on and on to the waiting area and took a seat.

Then another "client" who needed a crutch to walk with came along and sat down in my row of seats.

I thought "So this must be disabled day" here then.

I was kept waiting for 10 or 15 minutes past my appointment time before my Advisor turned up which annoyed me

because I had rushed around all morning trying to be on time.

The Advisor explained that I needed to at least look for Voluntary work to keep my Benefits and I said "Oh my daughter

volunteers at a charity shop in the city" and was told "Well you could do that then".

I then explained to the Advisor that I could not physically do the job that my non disabled daughter does!

My Advisor seemed to have no idea at all what my disabilities were and so I had to explain them to her.

Even to the point of showing her my Rheumatoid nodules on both elbows and my hands!

I had to explain Sjogrens Syndrome (dry eyes) to her and how that limits time in front of computer screens etc.

Next Spinal fractures with one only partially healed. (This woman has no knowledge at all of disabilities.)

I explained about my Appeal request and all the stages I had gone through up to this point and she said that I had

taken all neccesary steps, but the Appeals section was upstairs on another floor and she has no contact with them.

I had to tell her that I had been informed when I telephoned the team who originally received my Appeal documents

that the documents had been sent to my Job Centre the previous week prior to my appointment.

The upshot was I have my next appointment in October and that my Advisor is hoping but not certain, that my case will have been

heard by then.

I was told to look on the internet for voluntary work in the meantime.

I handed her my Taxi receipt and she said that she was not sure that they would cover it but she would photocopy it and submit it.

I was not offered anything towards helping me to get home. (They are more used to Bus tickets.)

So I trudged and trudged all the way to the entrance again and got outside.

I had taken out my mobile 'phone to call a cab and to my horror remembered there was nowhere for a Taxi to pull up

at this building!

I thought of the two closest Taxi ranks and realized they were both a good old walk away!

In a state of disbelief I started walking and found a cement ledge that I could sit on half way along the route.

I felt that the lack of facilities such as where a Taxi could drop off a disabled person and pick them up again and the place the

disabled were interviewed being at the furthest end of that massive building indicated a total lack or knowledge of disability.

I did however find out from my Advisor that the mysterious "DECISION MAKER" is merely a non medically trained Job Centre

employee! They decide a clients case. They are the final decider!

So someone who has never met me and is not medically trained decided not to read the medical report which said "work in

this case is unlikely" put me in a pile to come to the Job Centre!

You really could not make this up!

I have heard nothing more about my Appeal yet.

Best of luck to all of us who are at the mercy of this new system.

Best wishes,

Fiona

P.S I just previewed this and sorry the lines are a bit broken up.

Hi Fiona ,
Sorry you have been treated in this way but it is all too common nowadays .

They are right ...that a Decision Maker ( unqualified medically) looks at your claim again. If you have appealed and you have supplied no further evidence and you only use physical descriptors then they will ask the Tribunal to strike out the case. If you have supplied further evidence then this will go to ATOS who will assist with the review/reconsideration prior to appeal. The DM is advised by ATOS as to the likely effects of your condition(s).

I think their timescale for the appeal maybe optimistic, since in this area the wait is about a year, but it could be that your Benefits Delivery Centre and Tribunals Service have a lesser caseload.

With regard to voluntary work :



It looks like they have deferred you for 6 months in any case.Maybe because of your conditions or it may be because of their workload.

However :
Since 3 December 2012 , if your WCA(medical) has a review date of 12 months or less then as part of the work programme you may be referred to Mandatory Community Benefit work.see here. You can get your review date from your Medical Report ESA85(if you had a medical) and ESA 85A (if you did not have a medical.)

It also might be an idea just to look for volunteer roles , and record them , even if you cannot do any of them , so you have proof of a search for the appointment in October , especially since it appears the advisor has asked you to do this.

I hope you got your taxi fares back !.

In any case I would complain to JCP with regard to your treatment , as in effect the adviser was saying that you were well enough to do voluntary work , and threatened you with loss of Benefits if you did not . It is not a medically unqualified adviser's role to state that you are capable of doing voluntary work. I would also CC in your MP . There are also major issues which could form part of the Equality act with regard forcing you to attend a place that is clearly not set up for disabled people , and not allowing adjustments such as the cost of taxi fares for disabled clients.

...and do not accept a telephone answer ..insist on a written one.

All the best

Rich

Dear Shela-R,

Thank you for your kind reply to my post too.

Believe me, I am not feeling at all calm about this situation.

However, I do believe that an injustice has been done.

What really makes me angry is that sick and disabled people have been

singled out for such unjust treatment by this Government who have made us

scapegoats for the voters.

I hope that eventually ATOS and this Government will be shamed and the general Public will

understand what cruel beasts they are to have picked on the most vulnerable in society - rather

that than get the very rich to pay their taxes. Which is what I believe this is really all about.

Warm wishes,

Fiona

Dear Mairead H,

Thank you for the great advice which I have duly noted.

Best wishes,

Fiona

Well done Fiona!! I`m so pleased you were successful in your appeal - hopefully this will bring hope and encouragement to others in a similar position.

Kathleen x

Thank you Julie and Kathleen!

Warm regards,

Fiona