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is it best not to attend PIP medical?

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7 years 6 months ago #167651 by wolfchile
is it best not to attend PIP medical? was created by wolfchile
I am in hell. Unable to eat and sleep properly for weeks. Impending sense of doom feeling and sickening anxiety in the pit of my stomach and very sleep deprived. keep having night terrors. Despite carefully filling out PIP form and providing tons of evidence I have been called for a F2F Atos interview at 0800 next week along distance from my home. All this has happened simultaneously with a WCA requiring me to duplicate evidence. All this has happened and time of bereavement and when I am very unwell and nothing left to live for and no support. I have severe mental health problems and I am underling autism assessment ad have serious long term health conditions as well which affect my ability to do things. 

The psychiatrist sent a letter to ATOS saying I have agoraphobia and would need a home visit and I am at risk of harm by having me attend. They then cancelled the appointment for the assessment before writing again to reinstate it. They insist I come or they will tell DWP and my money will be stopped. I am on DLA indefinate award at the moment (HRC LRM) but that is just my mental health. Things got worse since then . 

I read on ATOS website that they only call people in for a F2F who they consider it won't be a problem for them travelling to an assessment centre. I spoke to CAB who won't help and said it is a bad sign they have called me in and must mean they are quizzing my entitlement. They said they must have looked at the evidence I provided and were not happy with it or it would have been done on paper. I even contacted my MP who told me to go to CAB! The CAB did suggest that I don't attend the interview as it may be construed as being evidence of me being able to go out unaided which is not the case. They said I should consider appealing when my file goes back to DWP. 

What have I done wrong? Did I put too much evidence in? I am at the hospital all the time several times a week I go by patient transport and I don't go alone but I struggle terribly with people and get so sick with nerves I cancel. However as CAB said this has demonstrated I go out. (its the only place I go) and they will say it's evidence I don't have problems going out which is not true.  I am total mess and keep getting dicharged back to GP if I cancel two pointments. I should not have put all the emdical evidence in I did. It has spectacularly backfired. I wanted to show how ill I am and the difficulties caused by medication side effects for example as I am on 32 types of medication. I am going to be refused PIP and lose my premiums and my ESA.  I cannot breathe at the enormity  of it. I can't stop crying. It is too much.  

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7 years 6 months ago #167669 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic is it best not to attend PIP medical?
wolfchile

Your attending appointments at your hospital has almost certainly counted against you.

You can cancel this appointment, if it is the first you have received, but all that will happen is that a second one will be booked which you will need to attend or you risk your claim being closed.

Ignore the comments of the CAB, it is very difficult to get a home assessment, it does not mean that there is anything wrong with what you have sent in.

Would your GP by willing to write a letter confirming why you cannot attend at their offices?

The suggestion from the CAB not to attend is particularly bad advice, it would result in your claim being closed and even if you managed to get that Decision overturned, you would likely still have to attend at their office.

Would it help if they provided a taxi, there and back?

Is there anybody who could attend with you?

Gordon

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7 years 6 months ago #167682 by wolfchile
Replied by wolfchile on topic is it best not to attend PIP medical?
I had a Consultant Psychiatrist and a Community Psychiatric Nurse say I am too unwell to attend. They won't budge. They asked if they could give some info about the venue and if they would say if there are a lot of people as I panic being around people. Also asked about the qualifications of the assessor and if they are specialist in metal health. They told me they cannot divulge the information but all health professionals are trained to a high level. I didn't realise I was doing wrong thing putting in all my medical evidence. I seem to have made it a whole lot worse. I go to hospital using patient transport and cancell a lot f appointments because I am too anxious. I have no chance of getting PIP now. I am not going for appointment as clearly they have an issue with me and want to make an example of me. I couldn't pay for a taxi its too far away. I will have to have a face to face interview for ESA too now I have filled in WCA. I will lose that and I am not fit for work so I will just go under. I shouldn't have put in medical information

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7 years 6 months ago #167684 by benion
Replied by benion on topic is it best not to attend PIP medical?
I wanted to respond in detail to your post as I was in a very similar position to you last week, although from what you have written I think you are more unwell than I am (no offence meant by that).
I have bipolar, borderline, autism, dyspraxia, anxiety and migraines.
I too got medical evidence and even got MP to write to DWP on my behalf. I also wrote my own letter stating a F2F would place me at a self-harm risk.
Nonetheless I got sent to a F2F 30 miles away.
My advice is this. You must turn up. 100% must. You must attend with another person (friend, family or advocate).
Do not read anything into being asked to a F2F.
You are entitled to your taxi fare there and back. You pay the cabbie on the day, get receipts and they give you a form on the day to fill out to reclaim the expenses. Do not worry about this form as it is not urgent and you can leave it until after you bounce back from the stress of the assessment.
I was actually stable and happy prior to the dreaded brown envelope landing on my mat. I was on indefinite DLA and dreaded the switch over to PIP. Was bordering on delusional last week when I rocked up at the assessment. Now making a good recovery.
You must record the assessment. You may need this evidence if your case needs to go to tribunal. I bought some old fashioned cassette tape recorders from Argos. You need to record on 2 devices or preferably on one device with a 2 cassette function.
Do it. Get it over with. If you want to shout and scream at the assessor, do it. I gave her one almighty rant. I came within 2 inches of punching the rude receptionist out cold (although I do strongly advise against violence) Now I am recovering I can see this was overly aggressive of me, but if anything my Def Con One rant will probably work in my favour. If you want to cry, do it. Just be yourself as you feel on the day.
As soon as it is over, spend the rest of the day doing soothing activities. Perhaps a long bath, or some aromatherapy. Whatever you find works for you.
I can promise you it will take a few hours or days to "come down" from the assessment. However once it is over it is like a massive weight off your shoulders. I am now on the road to recovery and so glad I went through with my F2F.
The following user(s) said Thank You: wolfchile, unBat412Fd, slugsta

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7 years 6 months ago #167697 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic is it best not to attend PIP medical?

wolfchile wrote: I had a Consultant Psychiatrist and a Community Psychiatric Nurse say I am too unwell to attend. They won't budge. They asked if they could give some info about the venue and if they would say if there are a lot of people as I panic being around people. Also asked about the qualifications of the assessor and if they are specialist in metal health. They told me they cannot divulge the information but all health professionals are trained to a high level. I didn't realise I was doing wrong thing putting in all my medical evidence. I seem to have made it a whole lot worse. I go to hospital using patient transport and cancell a lot f appointments because I am too anxious. I have no chance of getting PIP now. I am not going for appointment as clearly they have an issue with me and want to make an example of me. I couldn't pay for a taxi its too far away. I will have to have a face to face interview for ESA too now I have filled in WCA. I will lose that and I am not fit for work so I will just go under. I shouldn't have put in medical information


I want to tell you that you have ABSOLUTLEY NOT done the wrong thing by including detailed evidence with your claim, the person who suggest this to you is, frankly, an idiot!.

If you don't attend then the only person who loses out will be you.

Can anybody go with you?

It really is worth your speaking to your GP to see if they will write a second letter, it's possible that your mental health team have not explained your issues in sufficient depth, your GP will have more experience of doing this.

Even if they still want an assessment at their offices it may be possible to get the Assessment Provider to pay for a taxi, there and back.

Gordon

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7 years 6 months ago #167709 by benion
Replied by benion on topic is it best not to attend PIP medical?
I have just read your updated post where you clearly believe you have approached the form filling in and gathering of evidence wrong.
It is common when you are low to start blaming yourself for everything and anything. You have not done anything wrong whatsoever. It sounds to me that despite being unwell you have got lots of evidence together which is a good thing and you should be proud of yourself! it is tough even getting out of bed when your mood is low and you have worked really hard.
I do not mean to sound patronising, but I think this is your depression talking. Seriously you have done nothing wrong.
You must attend. Even if you are really ill. If you fail to show up they will stop your money and it will be a lot of hassle and letters from specialists to explain why you had good reason.
I met a lady once when I was an IP on a psych ward who was under a Section of MHA for severe depression. The ATOS people were sending her letters while she was under a Section, threatening to stop her ESA unless she attended a F2F miles away She was not even allowed to step foot outside the door without a 2 nurse escort!
The reality is that DWP probably did not even bother reading your PIP2 properly, they probably just referred straight to ATOS, as they are doing with everyone.
I repeat you have done nothing wrong. You must attend and you must approach your CPN or another person (eg friend, family) to show up with you.
The following user(s) said Thank You: wolfchile, unBat412Fd, Gordon, slugsta

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