Assessment cancelled???

I posted last week or so at my surprise in being called in for an assessment and I am now even more surprised at receiving another letter from ATOS to inform me that my appointment has been cancelled. It states " we have now received more information and we no longer need you to come for this assessment" I was placed in the support group in October 2011. Why have they cancelled my appointment? Does this mean I will remain in the support group, all evidence from GP and Consultant support unable to mobilise 50 metres can I expect to be left alone for a while longer, supporting evidence clearly states no improvement in condition will be forthcoming, condition is degenerative, expect and have accepted I will spend my later years housebound.

lester wrote: I posted last week or so at my surprise in being called in for an assessment and I am now even more surprised at receiving another letter from ATOS to inform me that my appointment has been cancelled. It states " we have now received more information and we no longer need you to come for this assessment" I was placed in the support group in October 2011. Why have they cancelled my appointment? Does this mean I will remain in the support group, all evidence from GP and Consultant support unable to mobilise 50 metres can I expect to be left alone for a while longer, supporting evidence clearly states no improvement in condition will be forthcoming, condition is degenerative, expect and have accepted I will spend my later years housebound.

Hi L,

It means that ATOS have now decided that they have enough information to compile an ESA85A medical report, and make recommendations with regards to which group of ESA you should be placed in.

This could be as a result of information that you have provided that has not previously been read, or extra information gained from your G.P. in the form of an ESA113 Questionnaire.

It means that you cannot now be found fit for work. You can only be placed in The WRAG or kept in The SG.

As ATOS will now return your file to The DWP, where it will be the DWP DM who actually makes the decision, it is the DWP that you should contact regarding an update.

bro58

If all the Evidence shows that I qualified for the Support group previously and it is the mobilising descriptor that qualified me on that occasion, is it not only to be expected that as the same remains that unless they had examined me they have to return me to the same group. Surely they can't expect me to go through all this every 18 to 24 months.

The ATOS assessor, who makes the recommendation to the DWP Decision Maker, will not know what group your are in at the moment. The decision will be made solely on the information and evidence that you have provided this time. I'm afraid that it is not impossible for claimants in your situation to be put into the WRAG. Let's hope that does not happen - if it does you can, of course, appeal.

The whole ethos of the welfare reforms is that everyone claiming benefit will be reassessed at intervals. ESA can be reassessed at any time after 3 months has elapsed since the decision and 3 years is the maximum. So, I'm afraid, we all face the prospect of periodic assessments, even if our conditions are incurable/degenerative.