Post by juniper61 on Feb 16, 2017 4:13:41 GMT 7
Hi, I found this forum last night when I was googling to see if anyone had ever had weird questions asked of them during a work capacity assessment.
Bit of background.
I had a workplace accident in 2010 which forced me to change careers. The accident left me with a pronounced and painful limp, nerve damage in my leg, osteoarthritis and instability of the knee.
I found a job in an office environment and was pleasantly surprised that I not only enjoyed the work but due to picking up the skills required very quickly, my training period was far less than my employer had said was usual. This was the start of the end of me.
the woman that had been assigned as my trainer then decided to make me a target of more nastiness than I believed possible. Bullying and harassment on a daily basis on a scale you would not believe. I reported to my manager who flat out told me this wasn't even possible, the woman concerned was a church goer and had never had a complaint levelled against her. After another employee witnessed an attack against me one day I asked if she would back me up with the manager. She refused stating that this person was like that, she had been through it herself and you get used to it eventually. I didn't think it was right to let her continue bullying others so kept reporting incidents.
This lead to mediation during which I felt attacked by not only the bully but the manager. They sided against me so it wasn't useful. Following this I started experiencing paralysing panic attacks with severe nausea, vomiting and migraines which forced me into calling in sick on numerous occasions. The manager then changed the shifts around to put another girl into some of mine due to these absences which meant that I was working in the same cubicle with the bully every shift instead of only half with the other half of my days only experiencing the harassment 5 or 6 times during the day. I became increasingly depressed and anxious, wasn't sleeping well due to nightmares, jumping at sounds, crying, making mistakes, becoming withdrawn and suffering ill health.
I had been seeing my doctor regarding all of this for several months and on antidepressants. Following a visit to my doctor when I was feeling suicidal I was put on workcover and on a mental health plan. I ended up after a time and with no improvement in the work environment, in fact it had worsened as the staff who had been friendly were now avoiding me so as not to be seen siding with me, finding a lawyer and going down that road. Not for the money but so it would be on record as I was not the first she had bullied and guaranteed I wouldn't be the last so I wanted to make sure if anyone else spoke up they could be believed. I had no more sick leave or holiday pay and was not receiving money from work which I didn't understand as I was on workcover but I think it was something to do with them being government department and self insured.
So I ended up on Newstart with exemption. During this process I began to experience a lot of pain and various other symptoms which initially were put down to the extreme stress/trauma I had experienced as well as ongoing anxiety, depression etc. I expected to start to feel better once things were settled and I was no longer associated with this workplace. That didn't happen and my symptoms were eventually diagnosed as fibromyalgia brought on my the trauma. So now I have this chronic pain condition along with the bad knee, anxiety, depression, agoraphobia and can now no longer work. This was all devastating and my depression worsened and I'm still dealing daily with the loss of the life I was supposed to have as well as all the symptoms associated with my conditions.
After being told by my treating doctors that I would never work again I began the process of applying for dsp. I was refused in 2015 due to one of my treating professionals not being recognised by centrelink. I reapplied in 2016 and have just had my work capacity assessment yesterday.
i don't feel it went well. Clearly the assessor was on a timer as he cut my answers off by saying "bear with me we have a lot to get through". I do now speak hesitantly when speaking to strangers because of the anxiety etc and I was in considerable pain as I was unable to take my painkillers and then drive to the appointment. I have more than enough trouble focussing without them.
Some of the questions were very odd though and I fail to see what they have to do with assessing me for anything.
The assessor asked me when I had last been on holiday. I answered truthfully, it was prior to this all happening but he wanted details such as how long was it for, who I went with, how we travelled etc. I answered it all but fail to see why this was an important question and one of only a few where he didn't cut me short.
I haven't slept since my appointment as my brain won't shut up and despite saying my panic attacks were under control now that I am not working and therefore in control of avoiding situations that cause me to panic, I have had a panic attack. I keep thinking about that question and it's relevance and what if the assessor thinks I am simply in need of a holiday.
Another question or series of was my relationship status. Also not relevant to my ability or lack of to work. I've been single for many years and now with fibromyalgia I have no intention of getting into a relationship at anytime in the future as it causes me pain to be touched.
The third of the questions that he seemed to feel important, as in not cutting my answer off, was had I attended a pain clinic. Given the closest is a 3 hour drive away and I can drive for a maximum of 20 minutes before fatigue and confusion renders me a danger to others as well as myself and the only times since onset of symptoms I have been to the city which was necessitated during the workcover claim; I had to have someone else drive me and even then sitting for 3 hours each way in a car caused me to go into a flare that saw me bedridden for close to a week afterwards.
So my mind being in a heightened state of panic, anxiety, depression I have been terrified they will reject me and say I'm not fully treated until I go to a pain clinic.
I see numerous medical and psychiatric doctors and have been compliant and active in my treatment and had been stable mentally until yesterday. The fibromyalgia is not a stable condition as outside influences such as weather impacts on the pain levels. That has all been explained in various letters from various specialists. But as far as treatment for it that is stable.
So I know I'm overreacting and overthinking but are these weird questions? How much store will they put into the irrelevant questions as opposed to the actual questions which I was unable to fully answer due to being cut off.
I did have someone from advocacy with me during the first part of the interview but he had to leave for another appointment due to mine starting late so wasn't there for the weird stuff.
I can't afford to keep going on Newstart as once everyone took their share of the meagre settlement I received, I had only enough to catch up on the bills I was behind in. Now I am again behind in everything as I have a mortgage of $324 a fortnight and am receiving $528. I have no other debts as such, just bills but with rates, insurances, phone, power, water, car running costs and my meds....well.. no amount of budgeting makes the money go all the way.
I tried going to the local charity for food assistance but due to having a mortgage I was lectured about how much better off than others who seek the services I am. I felt like crap after that so haven't been back. I'm in danger of becoming homeless if I get knocked back this time and my fear is those questions will be the deciding factor. Oh and to make matters worse my forced resignation as part of the settlement was backdated to before I went on workcover so it feels like that was all for nothing and they can hide my complaint in red tape and it won't help anyône else.
Bit of background.
I had a workplace accident in 2010 which forced me to change careers. The accident left me with a pronounced and painful limp, nerve damage in my leg, osteoarthritis and instability of the knee.
I found a job in an office environment and was pleasantly surprised that I not only enjoyed the work but due to picking up the skills required very quickly, my training period was far less than my employer had said was usual. This was the start of the end of me.
the woman that had been assigned as my trainer then decided to make me a target of more nastiness than I believed possible. Bullying and harassment on a daily basis on a scale you would not believe. I reported to my manager who flat out told me this wasn't even possible, the woman concerned was a church goer and had never had a complaint levelled against her. After another employee witnessed an attack against me one day I asked if she would back me up with the manager. She refused stating that this person was like that, she had been through it herself and you get used to it eventually. I didn't think it was right to let her continue bullying others so kept reporting incidents.
This lead to mediation during which I felt attacked by not only the bully but the manager. They sided against me so it wasn't useful. Following this I started experiencing paralysing panic attacks with severe nausea, vomiting and migraines which forced me into calling in sick on numerous occasions. The manager then changed the shifts around to put another girl into some of mine due to these absences which meant that I was working in the same cubicle with the bully every shift instead of only half with the other half of my days only experiencing the harassment 5 or 6 times during the day. I became increasingly depressed and anxious, wasn't sleeping well due to nightmares, jumping at sounds, crying, making mistakes, becoming withdrawn and suffering ill health.
I had been seeing my doctor regarding all of this for several months and on antidepressants. Following a visit to my doctor when I was feeling suicidal I was put on workcover and on a mental health plan. I ended up after a time and with no improvement in the work environment, in fact it had worsened as the staff who had been friendly were now avoiding me so as not to be seen siding with me, finding a lawyer and going down that road. Not for the money but so it would be on record as I was not the first she had bullied and guaranteed I wouldn't be the last so I wanted to make sure if anyone else spoke up they could be believed. I had no more sick leave or holiday pay and was not receiving money from work which I didn't understand as I was on workcover but I think it was something to do with them being government department and self insured.
So I ended up on Newstart with exemption. During this process I began to experience a lot of pain and various other symptoms which initially were put down to the extreme stress/trauma I had experienced as well as ongoing anxiety, depression etc. I expected to start to feel better once things were settled and I was no longer associated with this workplace. That didn't happen and my symptoms were eventually diagnosed as fibromyalgia brought on my the trauma. So now I have this chronic pain condition along with the bad knee, anxiety, depression, agoraphobia and can now no longer work. This was all devastating and my depression worsened and I'm still dealing daily with the loss of the life I was supposed to have as well as all the symptoms associated with my conditions.
After being told by my treating doctors that I would never work again I began the process of applying for dsp. I was refused in 2015 due to one of my treating professionals not being recognised by centrelink. I reapplied in 2016 and have just had my work capacity assessment yesterday.
i don't feel it went well. Clearly the assessor was on a timer as he cut my answers off by saying "bear with me we have a lot to get through". I do now speak hesitantly when speaking to strangers because of the anxiety etc and I was in considerable pain as I was unable to take my painkillers and then drive to the appointment. I have more than enough trouble focussing without them.
Some of the questions were very odd though and I fail to see what they have to do with assessing me for anything.
The assessor asked me when I had last been on holiday. I answered truthfully, it was prior to this all happening but he wanted details such as how long was it for, who I went with, how we travelled etc. I answered it all but fail to see why this was an important question and one of only a few where he didn't cut me short.
I haven't slept since my appointment as my brain won't shut up and despite saying my panic attacks were under control now that I am not working and therefore in control of avoiding situations that cause me to panic, I have had a panic attack. I keep thinking about that question and it's relevance and what if the assessor thinks I am simply in need of a holiday.
Another question or series of was my relationship status. Also not relevant to my ability or lack of to work. I've been single for many years and now with fibromyalgia I have no intention of getting into a relationship at anytime in the future as it causes me pain to be touched.
The third of the questions that he seemed to feel important, as in not cutting my answer off, was had I attended a pain clinic. Given the closest is a 3 hour drive away and I can drive for a maximum of 20 minutes before fatigue and confusion renders me a danger to others as well as myself and the only times since onset of symptoms I have been to the city which was necessitated during the workcover claim; I had to have someone else drive me and even then sitting for 3 hours each way in a car caused me to go into a flare that saw me bedridden for close to a week afterwards.
So my mind being in a heightened state of panic, anxiety, depression I have been terrified they will reject me and say I'm not fully treated until I go to a pain clinic.
I see numerous medical and psychiatric doctors and have been compliant and active in my treatment and had been stable mentally until yesterday. The fibromyalgia is not a stable condition as outside influences such as weather impacts on the pain levels. That has all been explained in various letters from various specialists. But as far as treatment for it that is stable.
So I know I'm overreacting and overthinking but are these weird questions? How much store will they put into the irrelevant questions as opposed to the actual questions which I was unable to fully answer due to being cut off.
I did have someone from advocacy with me during the first part of the interview but he had to leave for another appointment due to mine starting late so wasn't there for the weird stuff.
I can't afford to keep going on Newstart as once everyone took their share of the meagre settlement I received, I had only enough to catch up on the bills I was behind in. Now I am again behind in everything as I have a mortgage of $324 a fortnight and am receiving $528. I have no other debts as such, just bills but with rates, insurances, phone, power, water, car running costs and my meds....well.. no amount of budgeting makes the money go all the way.
I tried going to the local charity for food assistance but due to having a mortgage I was lectured about how much better off than others who seek the services I am. I felt like crap after that so haven't been back. I'm in danger of becoming homeless if I get knocked back this time and my fear is those questions will be the deciding factor. Oh and to make matters worse my forced resignation as part of the settlement was backdated to before I went on workcover so it feels like that was all for nothing and they can hide my complaint in red tape and it won't help anyône else.