[Hurtyback]

That is useful to know Monic, thank you. That is at least before my DLA award end date of September this year but I would hope that the DLA would continue beyond that if there was any delay not caused by me.

 

Yes, DWP will extend your DLA award until the PIP decision has been made (as long as you have conformed to the time scales set down by DWP). The PIP decision comes into effect 1 month after it is made, DLA continues until then.

[Fiz]

Thank you Hurty.

[Fiz]

The dreaded letter came today saying my f2f is 28th June at an address 33 miles away. In the bit of the PIP form that said what special arrangements do I need for my f2f I said that I would need a home visit and a female HCP so to be sent so far away to an area totally unknown to me, having no car now etc freaked me out like you wouldn't believe. After a cry I took 10mg diazepam and once that was working I phoned Atos (I thought Atos had been replaced by Maximus?) and said that I would find it impossible to get there as I have no transport and due to anxiety rarely ever leave my town and only keep to a small part of it. She asked if I was housebound ie never ever leave my house to which I said no and she said that was the only criteria for a home assessment so I couldn't have one. She has made a new appointment to their centre that's 5 miles away (why didn't I get offered there in the first place?) 3 days later. She's requested a female HCP and I've chosen the first appointment of the day as the longer I wait the worse I get.

I asked her if I needed to bring evidence from my GP and my psychiatric team or would they contact them directly. She said they won't be contacting them so if I want to get evidence to bring along that is fine.

I am so stressed and tearful it's untrue. Last time someone from a local charity dropped me off outside the building and I texted when ready to be collected so I'm hoping she can do that again. I suspect I may be a heap. I may have to take a large dose of diazepam to get there and deal with the situation and I'm worried I won't be 'all there' whereas a female coming to my house would have had a more realistic picture of how I am on a daily basis. This is so stressful. How do I manage if I have to take sedatives?

[Minniehaha]

Fiz, my heart goes out to you.    First of all you must get a supporting letter from your GP to explain why you need a home assessment. You are entitled to a home assessment and ATOS cannot say that, because you aren't totally housebound, they won't give you one. I'm in the very same boat as you and if ATOS had any awareness of anxiety disorders (which they clearly don't) they would know that, because anxiety is an unpredictable and fluctuating condition (which PIP is supposed to allow for) it's quite feasible for a sufferer to be able to attend a familiar location one day but not the next, to be able to travel within your 'comfort zone', such as your home town, but find it impossible to attend an unfamiliar location - especially with the added stress of undergoing an assessment by someone who may have no expertise in mental health issues. Throw into the mix difficulties with transport and/or finding someone who can accompany you and the situation becomes a complete nightmare! I have a letter sent to my MP in 2012 from Mark Hoban, then a minister in the DWP, which clearly states that assessments can be carried out at home and I'd be happy to send that to your ATOS office if you wish.

I once wrote a letter to ATOS regarding an assessment for ESA which they insisted I attend. I told them that, while I've never suffered from paranoia, I felt that they were persecuting me (I guess they consider people with mental health issues to be easy targets) and said wild horses wouldn't drag me to that assessment centre - that, combined with Mark Hoban's letter, did the trick and a decision was subsequently made without my having to be assessed at all.

ATOS carry out PIP assessments in various parts of the country, the rest are undertaken by CAPITA who will grant a home assessment request without quibble. I'm fortunate to live in an area covered by CAPITA. I believe that MAXIMUS are responsible for ESA only and they are the ones I'm taking on for a home assessment at the present time.

Best of luck to you!

[Fiz]

I don't have any fight in me. Someone has offered to come with me but I know that I will hold myself together for the appointment then fall apart as soon as I leave the building, I don't deal with stress well. And I hate people seeing me crying especially when I'm very distressed. Only a tiny bit of me thinks I should accept because there's a bridge near there that I nearly jumped off once, it's infamous for it unfortunately. I don't think I'm at risk though, it will be very stressful and I am expecting to be in a state afterwards but I won't know the answer or result so I just need to hang on. I really don't know what to do.


edit to add triangle

[Minniehaha]

Please don't let them bully you into giving up, Fiz. If we can persevere in challenging the unfairness of the ESA procedure we might eventually bring about some changes for the better.  If you can't bring yourself to take on ATOS why not ask your MP to get involved?

Take care. Xx

[NeuralgicNeurotic]

Fiz

[KizzyKazaer]

Stay strong hun - Strength in Unity and No Surrender   

[Monic1511]

Please don't take the diazepam if it calms you down enough to function because that's what they will see as normal. your distressed state may have to be seen _ I know you don't want folk to see you like that but if they wont provide a home assessment then you have to show the true picture of what you are like if you have to go out.
Monic

[Fiz]

I did wonder that Monic but I can get so all I can do is cry and not talk at all, I wouldn't be able to answer any questions without diazepam. I take diazepam to leave the house normally. I'm glad I've got a lift to the door, one less thing to worry about. I also think I might have to take a sick bowl in a bag because without diazepam anxiety can make me sick, literally. I've got the grey cardboard nhs ones so could take one of those.

I'm definitely going to the assessment as I can't financially afford to live without PIP and that's half of what makes it so scary.  I'm also worried that although they've agreed I can have a female HCP that it won't be sorted and it will be a male and I will never go into a room alone with a male. I can't even see a male GP. Then they'll say I'm refusing the assessment.

I'm actually pleased it's happening soon, the worry and stress is awful. I just want it over with.

[Minniehaha]

I'm just so angry! Not with you, Fiz but ATOS, DWP and the whole damn procedure for claiming benefits ... that they can drive already vulnerable people to such worry, stress and anxiety is unforgivable.

[Noisyworld]

Fiz- do you have any paperwork to back this up?

Only a tiny bit of me thinks I should accept because there's a bridge near there that I nearly jumped off once,

I personally think (in absolutely no official capacity or with any inside knowledge) that this is a valid reason for you requesting a home visit, they should not put you at risk of harm if that bridge is nearby- i.e. for repeats of the incident or relapses of your PTSD.

Also you need to take with you a letter from a professional which SPECIFICALLY says it MUST be a woman, if a man is sent out into the waiting room to get you, you can wave it in the air (and under their nose) and refuse on medical advice. The same applies for a home visit.
I so, so hope you can make it through this without setbacks. The change from SDA to ESA messed with my head and I didn't have underlying mental health issues
 

[Fiz]

Yes I do have evidence, the discharge letter from hospital says I was brought in by ambulance from the bridge having taken a mixed overdose which I'd taken because I'm not a great fan of pain and I was expecting that I'd have a minute or two of it. I overdid the amount though because I have slight memory of a paramedic sitting me down on the bridge, a brief memory of the ambulance woman wrapping me in foil saying I was cold and then no further memory until 24-36 hours later when I was very wobbly and couldn't walk. That was 20 months ago but it was one of two occasions when I was close to succeeding. I'd not thought about that being a reason for a home visit but it's true that I worry about being so close to it when stressed. The woman on the phone said that because they've changed my appointment from one a county away to one in my nearby city, that I am only able to change the appointment once so can't change it again for any reason.

I'm dropping a letter in to my GP surgery today to ask for an evidence letter, she knows everything about how all my diagnoses affect me, mentally and physically but she only works Wed and Thurs so she'll need to get the letter done this week as my appointment is next week which will be tough for her because her surgery starts with appointments at 8.30 and the last appointment is officially 5.30 but she over runs in both her morning and afternoon surgeries so has no gaps. I think an appointment with such short notice is better for me stress wise but not fair on the professionals especially when the PIP claim form specifically says that they will request evidence from the professionals you name which turns out to be rubbish. Had the form told the truth that it was my job to get their evidence I'd have started the ball rolling from the start to reduce the pressure on the professionals.

I've spoken to two local people now who's first appointment offered was the centre a county away and they both had to change theirs to the local centre. I think ATOS deliberately offer you a place hard to get to because if you get there you've proved anxiety and/or mobility aren't a problem. It's too much of a coincidence for that to have happened to all 3 of us. Trouble is that means we use up our one and only allowed change of appointment changing the venue to an accessible place. So there's no leeway to be ill on the day or anything.

11 days to go.

[Fiz]

I barely slept last night for worry ad with 9 days to go that's not good. At this rate I won't need diazepam I will be sat there like a zombie wondering what the heck is going on. I'm panicking because I can only find one of the 2 acceptable things needed for ID. I have a drivers license despite not driving at present but I can't find an HB letter for love nor money is this chaos. Though it's not listed, will a bank statement do?

[Monic1511]

Yes the bank statement should do - it has your name and address on it
Monic