[MargaretR]

I was on Incapacity benefit for 9 years until I got retirement pension. I have had one of those 'point scoring' medicals.

They are a bit of a farce really because they are full of trick questions. I got a copy of The Disability Rights Handbook which shows you what your score will be for each answer. By knowing that a score of 15 will ensure you stay on benefit, you can tailor your answers to fit the bill, whilst giving the appearance that you are capable of some activities in your answers to the trick questions, which give no score at all, and so increase your credibilty.

It is neccessary to do this because the system used for the assessment looks at physical limitations and places little weight on PAIN.

Pain is a very subjective sensation and the capacity to tolerate it varies widely from person to person and can vary for that person from day to day.

A person who lives with cronic incurable pain will know exactly what I mean - a fit and healthy person who has not been there will consider 'taking a pain killing pill' will do the trick -- it wont!--- it doesn't!

Constant pain is something your body learns to adapt to and only becomes apparant to others when your capacity to cope with it is reduced by other factors -- eg by having to be 'capable' at 8 set hours of the day, for 5 set days a week.(work)

I have all my limbs intact and there are days when I have the energy to do springcleaning and decorating, but I know that for any day like that I will have 2 afterwards where the pain gets to an intolerable level and I just rest and sleep.

Until they invent a gadget whereby the examiner can feel the degree of pain experienced by the person being tested, tests will never be infallible.