Tony here's a few brief thoughts following on from Ariadne's.
1, Have look at R (IB) 2/09 and memo DMG 06 -09 (which confirms applies to ESA) if you haven't already.
2, Paragraph 34 of the above may well apply to some of your clients i.e. a psycho-stressor like loss of benefits leading to relapses etc in mental health condition e.g. conditions such as bipolar affective disorder, other mood disorders, eating disorders and psychotic illnesses.
3, I remember Tamara from Colchester borough council's method of block exemptions (posted on rightsnet and NAWRA website) but that was reg 10 incap regs. But for exceptional circumstances i'm struggling too.
4, The only other thing i can think of is trying to arrange meetings with ATOS medical service managers and their ADA's and the JCP DM's having first convinced professionals from the therapy unit to take part in the hope (or should that be aspiration) of raising the awareness and the quality of medical examinations and decision making.
Andy
PS
I know this is stating the irritatingly obvious, but the absence of ESA equivalent of reg10 exemption has surely got to be worthy of a single issue campaigning issue for mental health lobbying groups, just as they were apart of the successful campaign against the old discriminatory hospital down-rating of benefit rules for IS etc.
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