A 39-YEAR-OLD father who has severe hearing problems finally had all his benefits restored this month after a flawed medical assessment by old Eye favourites Atos in 2011 had found him fit for work.
Among other things, the Atos nurse recorded that Mark Stevens (not his real name) had heard his name called in the waiting room – failing to record that it was his wife who had heard and tapped his knee to alert him. When the nurse also recorded that he was able to “hear, see and talk” through the 34-minute interview, she failed to note that it was in reality his wife who provided all the answers.Bullying and ridicule
Mr Stevens also has musculoskeletal problems and suffers from anxiety and depression, but again the nurse decided these were of no significance, awarding him zero points towards the 15 he would need to “prove” he could not work.
Last year he successfully appealed, and because the tribunal found him unable to work on account of his deafness alone, it did not need to consider his other problems. Mr Stevens had also claimed disability living allowance (DLA), which had been similarly rejected as a result of the Atos assessment in 2011. This month, some 20 months later and again on appeal, he was finally awarded both care and mobility allowances.
The news is not so good for another woman with inherited degenerative hearing loss and associated mental health issues, brought about partly from bullying and being ridiculed because of her deafness. Despite previously winning a tribunal appeal against an earlier Atos finding over her condition, she has just fallen foul of the assessment processes again and lost her entitlement to employment and support allowance.
Cat, dog and phone
This time, the Atos assessor judged her hearing in part by standing behind her and giving a list of three short one- or two-syllable words, like cat, dog, and phone. It was recorded that she was generally able to discern two words out of three. (Interestingly in this example where two words were easily associated, she did not pick up “phone”.)
Being presented with three, short and mostly associated words spoken clearly from close distance (the Atos claim that it was three metres is questioned by her husband), in silent surroundings, bears no relationship to reality. Nor was it recorded that it took some time for the woman to recall the words – again a luxury not afforded deaf people in conversation – or that she could hear nothing from further away.
‘Minimise disability’
Her husband told the Eye: “It is obvious that the system is designed to minimise disability. My wife’s condition is hereditary, her mum was stone deaf, as is her sister, and her hearing continues to deteriorate. This problem we have with Atos and the Department for Work and Pensions is having a serious detrimental effect on my wife’s wellbeing… We are not sure we can go through the ordeal of appealing again.”
He asked: “Is that what the DWP wants from the weak and vulnerable, who do not have the means or the wherewithal to continue the fight?”
- Disabled people who have been unfairly denied benefits thanks to dubious Atos assessments have been given a new way of delaying that trip to the food bank – if they’re lucky. Those who fill out a questionnaire about their experience with Atos are being entered into a prize draw for £100 worth of Marks and Spencer vouchers. Cold comfort if the winner has been denied employment and support allowance in spite of a genuine disability. But then this is not just insensitivity, this is Atos insensitivity…..
Private Eye
