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trying to speed up an esa assessment
Im referring increasing numbers of clients to our local MPs as it seems to be the only halfway reliable method of obtaining a WCA date from ATOS. I’ve had a bunch of SG supersessions outstanding for a year or more and we see many, many clients languishing in the assessment phase for 18 months.
I thought it may be helpful to draw the posts together to try to formulate a strategy to speed up ESA assessments:
(1)DWP is the first point of contact.Otherwise,as Edmund has said,ATOS will bounce you back to them.
From a workshop on the ESA Customer Journey at Stratford BDC it was confirmed to us that ATOS Fast-track does exist!Stratford fast-tracks 15 to 20 urgent cases a week at SPOC discretion (shades of Star Trek here!) Apparently all JCP outlets have a SPOC (Single Point of Contact) which is DWP speak for a named person who has authority to escalate urgent cases to ATOS.For ESA the SPOC for ATOS is likely to be the ESA Work Capability Assessment Team Leader in the Benefit Delivery Centre.Advisers should ask for SPOC direct contact details.
(2)If Fast-track fails,now is the time to use the ATOS complaints procedure.It is worth bearing in mind its bureaucratic nature.This is our recent experience:
Lodged complaint with copy of supporting evidence by email- .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Customer awarded C ESA 17 months ago (benefit stopped after 12 months) and still waiting for Work Capability Assessment to be carried out.
ATOS email response-would not talk to us without written authority to act-will not accept implicit consent
It took 5 weeks for return of authority to act form-customer on holiday then in respite care and form mislaid.
Signature on authority to act form looked like a cross (customer has rapid onset motor neurone disease)-I feared it may not be accepted.
Emailed authority to act to ATOS.This triggered allocation to a caseworker manager who responded by email within 24 hours detailing how resolution in customer favour had been achieved- placement in ESA Support Group paperwork decision.
I don’t suppose you’ve an address for ATOS customer relations?
Most local authorities will not like their employees sending things through unsecured email and ATOS aren’t on the gsi.
Hi Dan
You can writeto:
ATOS Healthcare Customer Services
Room 4E04
4th Floor South East
Quarry House
Leeds
LS2 7UA
Ta much!
On a similar note, I had a service user who had been waiting for many weeks for his assessment with no progress.
I used the following statement and sent to my local DWP liaison:
***
“I would therefore respectfully ask if *******‘s Work Capability Assessment could be considered for escalation due to financial hardship. I understand there is no formal process for this, but refer to the Parliamentary questions 186207, 186208 and 1862010 from Kate Green as follows:
Kate Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what steps he is taking to prevent applicants for employment and support allowance suffering financial hardship while awaiting a work capability assessment; [186207]
(2) what steps he is taking to fast track claims for employment and support allowance where the claimant is identified as being at risk of financial hardship; what definition of financial hardship his Department applies; and what role (a) his Department’s decision-maker and (b) medical assessors play in making a decision to fast track; [186208]
(3) what steps he is taking to ensure that applications from claimants of employment and support allowance suffering financial hardship are dealt with as a priority. [186210]
Mike Penning: Employment and support allowance is designed to prevent hardship by being payable an assessment rate equivalent to the basic rate of jobseeker’s allowance (JSA), while awaiting a work capability assessment (WCA) on the basis of medical evidence. New claims for benefit are prioritised to ensure payments are made as speedily as possible after all necessary evidence has been received.
There is no specific definition of financial hardship but there are specific arrangements in place to fast track claims such as those from people who are terminally ill.
Although there is no national formal contractual process in place to fast track the WCA, processes have been agreed locally with Atos Healthcare and the intent is that, where a claimant can demonstrate financial hardship, DWP staff can ask Atos Healthcare to urgently undertake the WCA at the earliest opportunity. Where the WCA is not completed within 91 days there are arrangements to automatically backdate arrears to the 92nd day of the claim where the claimant is found to have limited capability for work or work related activity.”
****
I know it’s not quite the same circumstance as the OP, but the above did result in an appointment being offered within about 7 days of me sending the email
Regards, John
Regards, John
How long was your client waiting and how long were comparable clients waiting?
I ask because I recently got a decision through after sending a letter before action. I’d love to think it was my aggressive approach that inspired them to dig the file out but truth be told it was about time for the decision to emerge anyway…
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Big Cheese CEO UK : .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Atos Worldwide CEO: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ESA fast track for WCA remains possible but may now need to be done TWICE to combat the ever inreasing ATOS bureaucracy!
It is worth bearing in mind that ESA can look up the current ATOS status for advisers.There are 4 possibilities:
(1) The case is still with ESA and has not yet been referred to ATOS
(2) It is with ATOS at pre board stage (ie ATOS have it but have done nothing-this means it has not gone through scrutiny to decide whether a paper decision can be made.)
(3) It has gone through pre board and scrutiny and will need a medical assessment.
This stage is known as Work Stack (This is ATOS speak for a very long queue!)
(4) Passed for medical assessment.
So fast track 1 can be requested to move from the pre board stage to Workstack.
When this is achieved fast track 2 can be requested to move from Work Stack to assessment.
The ATOS complaints procedure can be used if they fail to urgently adhere to a DWP fast track request at either stage-10 working days seems the consensus.
Regards, John
How long was your client waiting and how long were comparable clients waiting?
I ask because I recently got a decision through after sending a letter before action. I’d love to think it was my aggressive approach that inspired them to dig the file out but truth be told it was about time for the decision to emerge anyway…
It wasn’t straightforward. He had originally claimed late 2013, but couldn’t attend scheduled assessment and had phoned to re-arrange. He’d been advised a letter would be sent out regarding a new appointment but when his payments stopped he contacted DWP to be told he’d missed his appointment.
He went around 10 weeks with no money, selling possessions etc before coming to us. He was given an appointment 3 weeks after sending that email. I have no way of knowing if it influenced things.
No comparable situations due to the unusual nature of the above situation.