Today was the day of my medical assessment by the benefits office. They have to decide whether I am worth giving benefits to by putting me through a pointless interview.
I was not impressed by the process at all. The woman who conducted the assessment was fine. The benefits office contract it out to a healthcare company called Atos Healthcare. They sent a psychiatric nurse to assess me.
However, the benefits office set the questions she asks. So while she is a medical professional who knew all about mental health issues the form she is working from is not. They ask very targeted questions that I don't feel accurately represent people.
They are supposed to be judging how able to cope with work I am since I am claiming that I cannot cope with it at the present time. And I can't, I had a complete meltdown and couldn't leave the house last time I was supposed to go to work. It was my first day and I just couldn't make it out my room. I had to quit. Which is why I'm in this position. But despite that, the assessment questions never once asked about my feelings and reactions to a work environment. The only thing that they ask about is how I cope at home.
The problem with my OCD anyway is that I can cope to an extent at home. I don't have trouble taking care of myself in the house. I just go the long way about doing things and I get stopped by panics and intrusive thoughts. I find it difficult to be out the house without either drowning out thoughts with music or having a friend of family member there with me. But I can walk around the area I live by myself. I can cope to an extent but not enough to work.
I feel like the questions they ask are designed not to ask about work. So that anyone who doesn't need someone to dress them and stuff sounds like they are perfectly fit for a working environment. I feel let down by the system.
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