Home Assessments

My sister's CPN, who phoned ATOS on her behalf on receiving the initial DLA->PIP letter, told them that her severe mental health problems meant she needed a home assessment. Regardless, she recently received a letter telling her to attend an assessment centre and when her CPN phoned to question this, she was told that only people who are bed bound can have home assessments!

I also advised that my health problems meant I required a home assessment and I provided a report from my GP in which he detailed my problems and requested a home assessment, if an assessment was necessary. They ignored this too and sent me an appointment at an assessment centre at 9.15am in about a week.

My Mum phoned on my behalf to question this and they said it was because I said I can lash out at people but what I actually said was that out in public on my own with lots of strange people around me I can become anxious and paranoid and become verbally aggressive if I feel threatened, so there's not really any reason for them to think that it would be unsafe to visit me. I'll have an advocate with me for any home assessment anyway, so I won't be alone.

They've said they're going to see if they can obtain further evidence that might enable them to make a report without needing an assessment but I've e-mailed them to confirm that my Mum spoke to them and advised that I won't be able to attend the appointment, so they can't say I just didn't turn up without explanation.

Seems like they're making up lots of excuses not to do home assessments though.

Gordon

In the good old days I think the opinions of CPNs and the like carried more weight but I guess things have changed. Anyway, ATOS have offered my sister an appointment nearer to where she lives and her CPN is going to take her, so that should be OK.

For myself there's nothing I can do. I can't travel to an assessment centre and despite having a letter from my GP, they're saying it's too risky for them to do a home assessment and so they're looking to see if they can do a paper based report (PBR) and they'll get back to me. So all I can do is wait and see what they decide.

I've received another letter from them today, saying that "a health professional has reviewed all the evidence available and has confirmed that we will still need to see you for a consultation in an assessment centre" and that they'll send me an appointment when one is available.

Considering that it was only a couple of days ago that they said they were going to see if they could obtain further evidence to enable them to do a PBR, it seems unlikely that they were able to, or even bothered to try, before making this decision. They could have told me what further information they needed so that I could have tried to get it for them.

It's a waste of time sending me another appointment as I still won't be able to go to the assessment centre and I'll just have to tell them that again when I get it and then appeal the decision if the DWP closes my claim.

Gordon

That might be a good idea. I'm hoping we manage to replace the Tory incumbent with our old Lib-Dem candidate, as he was always very keen to help in the past.