ATOS form- any advice????

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I have to fill out my atos form. I asked the NAS for advice but their benifits advisor is booked up til after the form has to be in. I cant cope with going to the CAB etc; its anyway really hard to get appointments.  
 
Im diagnosed with AS (scored highly) which is crippling- i have no friends cos i cant bear to be around people and am often mute. I find communication hard a lot of the time, appear like im on drugs at other times- can be aggressive when stressed, or cry a lot. 

However i know that the test is set up for physical conditions, and that
many people with AS are rejected, and have to appeal. 
Does anyone have any advice? Are there any advice pages online??

Eg- i dont have deafness- but was tested for it because i thought i was, as i have such trouble understanding conversations. Is this easy to explain? It sounds so... Stupid. Lke if i try harder ill manage it. 

Its just the form so far- any advice appreciated!!

If youve not read it, pls check the 'atos healthcare' section on the wikipedia entry..these people are scarey. Im extremly stressed!!

Thank you.

Have you had a look at the Benefits at Work website and others?

No. Im hoping for some AS specific advice from
someone on our side. The gov is trying to get people off benifits, regardless of need.
The system is admitted, by yvette cooper who instituted it, to be mainly for physical conditions, not mental and neurological ones.

Anyone have any AS specific links?

ESA50?

phone up the jobcentre, or get someone else to do so whilst you are present, if you explain the situation you should be able to get an extension of a few weeks. If they agree, record the time/date of the phonecall and the name of the person you talked to. Ask for a letter confirming this allowance, and perhaps an email as well.

I recommend subscribing to the benefitsandwork.co.uk site and downloading the mental health and LD guide (to filling in the ESA50). Its not ASD specific, but im not sure that particularly matters? your going to have to extrapolate your answers from the guidelines given anyway. Were all different and youll be giving personal information - its not like you can copy and paste answers even if there was a special autism guide, although autism and adhd are used as some examples and a lot of mental health answers are likely to overlap.

Good luck. im seeing a disability advocate in a few days to do my form, I wanted to make some notes and do a rough draft before the appointment but ive left it to the last minute.

btw; one of the key points benefitsandwork say is that ESA50s can be kept by the DWP and used at a later date as evidence for reviewing a DLA claim, so keep that in mind if you claim DLA; its not just the ESA points that you need to think about. Its especially important to copy and keep everything you ever send them (it also makes filling in future forms 100* easier)

Wow. Thanks. Thats really helpful.
Yes; ive left it til the last minute too- being useless at form filling is a known aspect of AS, ha ha.
What do you mean about claiming dla, tho? That its a good or bad thing this is cross referenced? I was going to claim that if my bens are temporialy reduced, to fill the income gap. I certainly qualify, but dont need it as things stand. And Id qualify for a carer, but since i hate people.....

Btw- ive no idea what ESO etc is- im still on sick ben. Its kind of hard looking round that bens site if they presume you know the system already. Arruugghh!! Ha ha.

Since you don't have a hearing problem, what you describe sounds like a neurological processing problem. I have some problems processing input, too, though apparently not as bad as you. I always feel as though I am on a slower time track than the rest of the world. You should try asking people to repeat things when you don't understand them, and you could ask them to speak slower, as it takes you longer to process input due to neurological problems.

As for your problems talking to people, write down things you want to tell people before you go to see them, and bring that info with you, and a note pad to write in, so you can respond to them if talking gets too hard.

Hope this helps.

Are you not in contact with the Mental Health team in your area? or they discharged you?

Citizens advice, is the ones who help. They will have someone go along with you. They will also help fill in forms. Get you the DLA.

Been through CAB twice, and yes the test filter system is annoying, mainly they bad at listening & fill in the form wrong. Like I have a Mobile, but it is for emergency’s. He sticks down I text & chat to friends. when 5 pounds lasts me 5 years or so. That's partly why it fails.

And yes it's too generic towards physical than mental.

I think most people claiming DLA for non-physical disabilities dont actually have a carer. Its more a case that ideally you should have assistance.

Maybe you should go ahead and claim it anyway? consider the % of ESA cllaimants being forced into appeals, they get their benefits reduced for long stretches waiting in the backlog. You could be stuck on the assessment rate (same amount as JSA) for the best part of a year.

Im looking at a photocopy of my last DLA form now (it may have changed) there sections i copied are; being outdoors (help getting around), preparing a cooked meal, washing and looking after your appearance, communicating with other people. You have to demonstrate that you need help/supervision by someone and how how long/frequently. tbh these are things that, if applicable, you will be mentioning on the ESA form anyway.

Last edited by psych on 20 Feb 2012, 7:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Thanks. No. I was offered i think 12? sessions and that was it. I refused as its obviously ridiculous to know id be 'fine' after 12- it simply doesnt recognise its an ongoing, severe imparement. Thats just a funding directed decision; nothing to do with me. Tho i realise this is me being a pain in the arse.

Thanks. One of the reasons i want to stay out of health services is cos im seriously suicidal. Theyd section me- illogical as id lose my flat, and sectioning would acomplish nothing but make it all worse- being around others, weird place, noise, smells, too much light, change in routine, i dont have a 24 hr body clock etc. 
The readon ive not claimed for dla is cos thats how much i cant cope with people. I just need to be alone- even seeing someone once a month would stress me out- so i hand wash clothes, rather than use the launderette, cant really prepare food cos its too stressful, dont like bathing. There is also no way i could have someone in my house. My AS prevents me getting the help i need for my AS. Ive just been reading some hideous reports online- loads of suicide- blind people being told their condition will improve with treatment; heart comditions 'not that serious'- the bloke died of a heart attack.  
I sit or lie on the floor or my bed cos chairs are uncomfortable but if you sit through the interview you're seen as able to sit in a chair. But that doesnt mean you can ALL day!!
Some people have recorded the sessions and used it as evidence that the assesors falsify their statements- the drs and nurses are making wrong statements, wrongly recording evidence- which lowers points. I spoke online to an AS guy earlier who was awarded 38/50 points on appeal. Atos gave him 0. Its terrifying. Ive started taking drugs and smoking every day to counteract my stress withthis. Theyve pushed me inti taking heroin.  Its f-ing hillarious. Its insane. AND its an american company- thats £100 million going out of our econemy each year- and some of the staff are foreign with limited english- like some have to have aspergers or MS explained to them.  Ugh. Rant. Sorry.

Oh amber. I have had 1 attempted at suicide & I have never been sectioned. You just need to keep that part about suicidal to yourself if your worried. It is the feeling you will be in at this time. I have been with the mental health team for 7 years now. And they should not just be offering you a 12 session thing. They also got a drugs help part. You really don't want to be using heroin. I don't think they grasping the magnitude of your situation, maybe you have kept it from them, out of fear of how they will react to it.

I know it's hard, stomach feeling like its gone through the floor, heart beating in the neck. You also want to stop reading these articles about people. That’s all to do with bad people.

You really need the help, & by avoiding your just letting the wheel cycle round. Your problem is not just about As, seriously think about some positive things. I know its hard but, your beating yourself down. It takes time, but you need to take the step forward.

Is the cooking & washing because you do not feel like the energy to bother, or make something that's quick & simple. I been through that.

The filter system might suck. But the tribunal both times the filter system is over turned.