Exemption from 'Face to Face' assessment?

Hi there.

My partner has severe Dissociative Identity Disorder. She is constantly hovering on the edge of needing to be hospitalised and is extremely unstable.

She is generally bedridden, mute and in vatious states of extreme trauma.

She is being moved from DLA to PIP and I have filled out the forms for her.

Basically both the NHS Consultant Psychologist who cares for her and myself strongly feel that it would be increfibly damaging, destabilising and dangerous for us to even attempt to get her to a face to face assessment, not to mention futile as she will be mute and limp like a rag doll if not in an extreme state of agitation such that she needs sedated and hospitalized. The Psychologist is willing to testify to that.

However, the option of a home visit is even less viable because she usually does not recognise her own home and it has taken six years to build any kind of relationship with it in which she feels any safety and that she is not in imminent threat there. This tenuous safety fluctuates daily however and she can rarely leave the befroom. The home is such a sensitive space for her that NO ONE visits. Even her Care Coordinators visits were terminated by her Psychologist because they were too damaging and destabilising and would destroy the sense of.a safe place that we are trying to build at home.

Consequently her Psychologist also feels that a home visit is not a possible option either and is willing to state that.

My question is, is it possible for the DWP and Atos to be forced to conduct a purely paper based and interview with health professional based assessment when any kind of face to face with the claimant is too dangerous and destructive to the health and well-being to the claimant?

Or can they insist on this even at the risk of suicide, psychological damage and extreme emotional distress, as acknowledged and warned about by a senior NHS Psychologist?

Thanks

Calum.

Thanks Gordon,

I realised on rereading my post that it was a bit misleading.

DWP and Atos have not YET finally insisted on a home visit. They have arranged a home visit after I said on her form that she would not be well enough to attend an assessment.

In fact, she is not well enough for any kind of assessment, at home or otherwise. But this has not YET been explained to Atos or the DWP by her Psychologist.

I am hoping that, when it is, they will agree to make an assessment based solely on the form and contact with the health professionals dealing with her.

My hope was that - in their own guidelines or rules that they have to abide by - the provision has been made to not force any kind of face to face with someone who is deemed to be totally unfit and unsafe to do so by a senior Psychologist. The Psychologist is willing to make this case on her behalf. I just don't know if the DWP and Atos are bound to respect and take such professional warnings by any of their rules or guidelines.

As an extreme example, if a well respected senior Psychologist within the NHS were to write or call Atos or the DWP and say 'My professional position as this persons Psychologist is that if you were to attempt a face to face interview or visit with this individual you are putting their life at risk and may it may well lead to them being hospitalised, their condition being greatly worsened and their destabilised. It's a pointless, dangerous and highly destructive exercise.'

In that case, do Atos or the DWP have any rules or guidelines that mean they must listen to this?

Or is it simply that they MAY choose to listen to this?

Or, God forbid, that there is no chance whatsoever that they would take any notice of this?

Hello Calum,
There is hope. I didn't have to have a F2F. My GP sent in robust & thorough medical evidence (7 pages with lots of dates & facts taken from my medical records, I paid a contribution towards this). The assessor then phoned him at length for further info on the variability of my condition as I had been too distraught to keep a diary. My benefits advisor from Age UK also knew of 2 others that had a paper assessment recently.

I have also read of an appointee phoning several times politely & persuasively getting hold of case manager & discussing the person's complete inability to function during a F2F, asking what further evidence was required in a helpful manner & providing strong evidence of risk of death. Perhaps the clinical psychologist could do this for you.

I have severe mental health problems & have been hospitalised 5 times. So I was marked down as requiring' Additional Support To COMPLY ' My GP had also requested a deferment of PIP tp allow me to have planned psychotherapy treatment but DWP didn't even reply to the letter meaning I've had ESA reassessment straight into PIP. GP contacted MP on my behalf but they still wouldn't budge. However involvement of MP might mean they are being careful: the assessor was a mental heath nurse. She didn't sound particularly competent. I'm not very hopeful.

So waiting on decision letter, expect brown envelope for Christmas. Horrendous stress since June. Sadly psychotherapy has ceased as I am so ill & unstable: waited 6 years for this treatment. Whatever the decision I can't go through this torture again. I am truly shocked at the levels of distress evidenced on this forum. I am ashamed to live in this country.

Sorry such a long post I forgot to wish you both good luck & to stick at it. It seems that you have to keep phoning & pestering. They need your' help' to gather the relevant info. DWP will not have any knowledge or understanding of your partner's disability & it is unlikely the assessor will either. It's not personal, the system is not fit for purpose.
Best wishes