This is from Michelle at Fightback, posted onto facebook.
I see Pall Mall Manchester Atos PIP centre have their lift out of order yet again, and are then allegedly penalising claimants for attempting the 7 or 8 steps into the assessment centre and so called 100 metres to the furthest room from the front door, and stating on their reports that a claimant appears to have no problems with mobility as they managed the stairs, didn’t use the lift, and walked into the building over 100 metres.
Even if someone is shaking/crying and sweating profusely from the effort of trying, as my client showed in May, they may be penalised. My client was told by staff that her claim would be sent back to DWP if she couldn’t get up the stairs, she half crawled them and they witnessed her doing so. This is against The Equality Act 2010 and should be reported as it is direct disability discrimination to hold an assessment for a disability benefit in a centre with no active disabled access.
Sadly the HCP report came this week and voila her 6 year higher rate DLA mobility and car are no more and she is cured, after 2 failing hip replacements 16 yr old ago that desperately need redoing, a partial ankle replacement and severed nerves in her foot from this, and despite being on the list for an urgent right knee replacement, not to mention her spine curvature and scoliosis which also all appear to have apparently been cured. Best of all her left leg has grown miraculously 4 inches in order to match her right, all of which were causing severe walking difficulties for her. This is on top of her serious heart condition which causes her to faint when it races and bursitis of the hip and shoulder. She is a walking miracle!
All of this was because the lift was broken, yet again at the centre, or was it?
Come on ATOS after seemingly improving your practices you are seriously deteriorating fast with these cheap tricks and ridiculous reports. 10 minute reports are also being reported in some areas, how on earth can all the claimants disabilities and needs be discussed in this time adequately?
Anyone else experiencing a sharp influx in “broken lifts” anywhere else in the UK at the moment? We are very interested to hear your stories of disabled access problems and failing equipment so we can help compile a report.
There are some excellent centres out there, one in the centre of Manchester, the purpose of this post is to try and establish if these are isolated incidents, or common practice in this centre or elsewhere. If we establish if it is the latter then we can begin gathering evidence for a more serious complaint than the few relating to this we have.
Michelle Cardno, LLB hons
Disability buddy advocate
Fightback4justice
Benefit tales 
Reblogged this on disabledsingleparent.
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Reblogged this on perfectlyfadeddelusions.
Hi michelle,
I went for an atos medical assessment this week. I have copied and pasted a review i left on the benefits and work website. I only found that they have a area about assessment centres after, but hope my experience can help others plan for their needs. Also, we changed the first appointment from manchester city centre (1hr+ drive) to halifax (20 mins drive), but didn’t realize it was the school hols and therefore was unable to have anyone accomany me.
This refers to atos assessment in halifax at dean clough:
“I got a taxi, which dropped me at the ‘door’ but the door leads to a badly signed reception which is down a very long corridor, there are two sets of stairs , the first having a wheelchair lift. There are no chairs along the corridor.
Reception is actually a large gift shop. You wait on low sofas. The room is bright, with huge windows and spotlights. People are constantly walking through and the woodfloors and echoey room amplify footsteps. They had music playing and were often several members of staff merrily chatting. Also , theres a security box next to the sofas which kept bleeping. I feel this is important as i expected a doctors waiting room type of experience and i struggle with sensory sensitivity.
The actual assessment room is back up the stairs and along another corridor, then another to get to the room. There are no arm rests in the chairs.
The assessment finished earliet than anticipated. I walked back and took a sit down in the loos. If , like me you take a break in your walking you can try to stand against a wall and look at the art on display throughout the corridor and maybe, like me you’ll find yourself amongst a group of tourists who look as though they were trying to decipher whether your art or on something. From the loo i arranged for the taxi to cime straight away.
But there’s no chairs or benches to wait on. Fortunately the taxi arrived before my body gave out although im not sure it’s in my favour that it made it home .
Overall a dreadful and appalling location for a medical assessment. I wish i had have found this out first. ”
I have been in severe pain and experienced the worst fatigue in years since. Presently i am still suffering. I am very angry this has happened and i have officially complained about the assessment centre. I haven’t had my report through yet so i cannot comment on how this has affected my claim.
Warm regards,
Suzi
I LIVE IN LIVERPOOL AND I DO NOT
GO OUT IM SO MUCH IN PAIN IT OCCUPIES MY DAY EVERYDAY IF I HAVE TO GO TO APPOINTMENTS I ALWAYS ASK FOR THE LATEST TIME POSSIBLE SO I HAVE PLENTY O F TIME TO TAKE AT LEAST 2 LOTS PAINKILLERS BEFORE MY APPOINTMENT AND I PUT A FRESH MORPHINE PATCH ON I NEVER WENT TO MY MOTHERS FUNERAL 12MTHS AGO BECAUSE I HAD A FLARE UP AS I WAS GETTING READY I DONT GO TO ANY FAMILY GET TOGETHERS I CANNOT SIT ?OVER 10YRS AGO I WAS GIVEN HIGH MOBILITY FOR LIFE AND SINCE THEN MY HEALTH HAS GONE WORSE HEART ATTACK AND HEART DISEASE WHICH LEAVES ME BREATHLESS ALL THE TIME . FEW WEEKS AGO I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM ATOS WITH A MAP TELLING ME HOW TO FIND THERE OFFICE IN MANCHESTER ? MY DAUGHTER SAID IT MUST BE A MIX UP BECAUSE I WAS GETTING FLUSTERED ABOUT THE JOURNEY AND IT BROUGHT ON A ANGINA ATTACK AND I HAD TO GET A SPRAY . SHE CALMED ME DOWN AND TOLD ME SHE WOULD PHONE THEM UP AS SOON AS HER FLU CLEARED UP ? WHEN SHE CALLED DOWN SHE PHONED ATOS AND AT THE SAME TIME NOTICED THE APPOINTMENT WAS FOR THAT DAY ? THERE WAS NO MISTAKE THEY SAID I HAD TO COME TO MANCHESTER FOR ASSESMENT OR LOSE MY MONEY ?AFTER A LOAD OF HUMMING AND HARING THEY TOLD MY DAUGHTER I MIGHT BE ALLEDGABLE FOR A HOME VISIT ? SINCE THEN I CANNOT SLEEP BECAUSE ITS CAUSED A FLARE UP . WHATS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE THIS CHANGE IN THE RULES FOR CLAIMING WAS SUPPOSED TO STOP FRAUDSTERS MY HOSPITAL RECORDS HAVE ,BLOOD TESTS , XRAYS ETC AND I TAKE ABOUT 30 TABLETS A DAY ? WAS I WRONGLY DIAGNOSED AND HAVE BEEN TAKINGS MY MEDS AND SUFFERING ALL THE SIDE EFFECTS THAT COME WITH THEM ??
YOUR CAPS LOCK IS ON
Michelle
benefits and work have a review section of the assessment centres for claimants to post their experiences and to help prepare those who will be attending. Hope that helps.
suzi
I asked for a second review and was refused again. Part of the refusal stated
“WE HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GP. THIS INFORMATION HAS ALREADY BEEN SEEN BY THE ASSESSOR AT THE INTERVIEW AND HAS BEEN CONSIDERED”
FACT ONE
I have spoken with my GP after the assessment and been reliably informed that neither ATOS or DWP have made any contact requesting information about my medical condition
FACT TWO
The letter the Decision Maker refers to is one that I included along with other information i provided when i requested a mandatory review.
As no contact had been made with my GP, and I did not get the letter from my GP until after the assessment. How can the assessor have seen something that did not exist at the time of the assessment?
there is a site that you can ask for support andthey put it on facebook were people sign your cause that place in manchester should be fined ? it reminds me of the bunco stalls they had in blackpool were they promised t.v s for a couple of pound locked you in a room and kept you in against your will and you bid on a empty box that had a brick in it ? you could never get your money back and they stayed just in the boudries of the law ? what gets me this place is doing the same the lift is broke and they tell you if you dont try your money will stop ? but if you do try you lose it anyway they seem to be using manchester people to sort merseyside people out so its a football mentaliy as they test you out the dont want anyone to show any empathy to your case ? take care and good luck?
Hi ive been reading posts on the website re pip as ive just had an assessment done . I first attempted to claim in June sent massive form and medical evidence to who ever and received appointment from Capita ! i was asked to travel to Bham city centre from Redditch told them i couldnt manage it and was told Tough get there or get no PIP then was told i had refused to go for a medical GP wrote a letter hence home visit its now November so its taken five Months to get to this stage im now waiting to see if i get awarded any payment OR NOT i dont feel hopefull and i read so many dreadfull stories that other people write the whole system stinks and we are treated like criminals
Please bear in mind that many people get the right decision first time and therefore have no reason to go to the press or to post their stories online. The best thing you can do at this point is to read up about what is likely to happen at these interviews so it’s less possible for the assessor to make false assumptions. Best of luck.
i did get the pip in the end but now i have a housing officer who is trying to get me out of the house i have been in for 30yrs to move into a 2 bedroom flat ?at the moment there is a shortage of 2 bedroom accommodation and the council is converting 3 bedrooms into 2 bedrooms when will this madness end ?i was in bed ill and i had a bad infection and my daughter informed the housing officer i could not see anyone and show her a letter to say i had been given help with my bedroom tax that cleared the the arrears ?and if she wanted to check to see if it was true she was given a council phone number to ok it ? the housing officer called and banged on my door i called out that i was coming but i was that sedated i fell over trying to dress ? when i did answer the door she was gone ? i found a note saying she had called and i refused to answer the door ? a few days later i received a 7 day notice to leave the property ?the following week i received a letter with a update on my rent ? saying i owed £58 that i owed because the person who filled my form out failed to ask them to back date my claim and i was still paying that off at £20 a month ? i never received a apology ? i tried to complain and try the ombudsman etc and went from phase one to phase three but you need a clear head and someone with a bit of understanding of your illness ? i feel as if the life is being squeezed out of me by people who have been given to much authority and relish knocking the stuffing out of weaker people ? my only belief is there is a KARMA to this life and my only hope is the people who have treated me in a bad way will get it back ten fold ? sorry for the downer email ?