Today was the seven year anniversary of my Nanna’s death, and as a family we go somewhere she liked to visit. We were supposed to be going to Felixstowe today, but sadly the weather was so bad we ended up having lunch then heading to a shop in Hadleigh.
In the meantime, the lady helping me with my third DLA claim spent the day on the phone battling on my behalf. She first spoke to the Medical Centre reception and asked whether they were wheelchair accessible, and they said they were, and they couldn’t understand why Atos had told me I couldn’t have my medical assessment there on Health and Safety grounds.
She also contacted the disability help line (not sure if this is the right name?) who were shocked at what was happening. They phoned Atos on my behalf and asked why an earth I was being told I had to have a medical, and why was I being sent for a medical when they hadn’t read my claim form yet – as all the specialists letters in there give them in the information they need. (I’m not exaggerating, they were brilliant, in-depth letters that should get me DLA based on those alone.) The lady at Atos denied saying this until she finally looked up my file and apparently went quiet – so what she saw on the screen, I don’t know.
Atos (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Atos said they would write to me with a new date of the medical, but the lady helping me is very hopeful that they may actually look at my claim form first. This would mean the world to me, as I’m not sure I can face the stress of a medical at the moment, and the subsequent lies and the way they twist my words into something I never, ever said.
Thank god for this assistance. She really is doing her best to fight for me, and I don’t know what I would do without her. I’m perfectly able to fight for other people, but as soon as it comes to me I just become an emotional wreck – and you can’t when dealing with the Department of Work and Pensions or Atos! So I just can’t thank her enough.