No-one can be found capable of work unless they’ve first been given the chance to attend a medical carried out by a private sector company called Atos.

But many people are very unhappy with the way their medicals are carried out.  They complain that the doctor or nurse spends most of the time staring at a computer screen and clicking with a mouse.  They say that they are asked questions that seems confusing and irrelevant and the doctor or nurse seems to have very little interest in the answers they are given.

Often, when people appeal against a decision about their ESA and are given a copy of their medical report, they are astonished by what it contains.  They say it doesn’t seem to be about them and includes things that they are quite certain they didn’t say.

Pitfalls

Benefits and Work can’t do anything about the standard of some medicals, but we can help you prepare for – and hopefully avoid – some of the biggest pitfalls.  For example: 

• We explain the enormous importance of how you travel to the medical.
• We tell you what sort of questions you’ll be asked.
• We explain the sort of unfair assumptions that can be made based on your answers and how to guard against them.
• We tell you about the sort of observations the doctor may make before, during and after the medical.
• We explain how the software the doctor uses works and show you screenshots of what the doctor is looking at on their computer.

You can download sample pages from our extremely comprehensive Guide to Employment and Support Allowance claims on physical health grounds (Full guide, 65 pages A4).

You can download sample pages from our equally comprehensive Guide to Employment and Support Allowance claims on mental health and learning difficulties grounds (Full guide, 88 pages A4).

Our guides also give detailed information on what happens at a work-focused health-related assessment and members can also download a detailed guide to pathways to work (work-focused) interviews,

Don’t miss out on benefits you’re entitled to because of an inaccurate medical assessment.  Become a Benefits and Work subscriber and download all the guides you need as often as you need for a year.  And, remember, our 7 day money back guarantee means there’s no risk involved.

Read members’ feedback about our guides.