Home Assessments

Their latest excuse for refusing a home assessment is that I've attended "other" hospital appointments (apparently they now think their assessments are equivalent to a hospital appointment).

I've filed a formal complaint explaining how absurd this argument is, as I get about 6 months notice of hospital appointments which allows me to arrange for someone to take me; I can schedule them for the afternoon when I feel more able to cope with travelling; it's clearly impossible for the consultants to bring their machines and support staff to my house and the appointments are essential for my healthcare. In contrast, I've only been given about a week's notice of the assessment appointment at 9.15am and it has nothing to do with my healthcare and rather than trying to help me, I know their aim is to cut my benefits and leave me unable to care for myself, so it will only distress and harm my mental health, as my GP's report explained.

The acknowledgment e-mail says my e-mail has been forwarded "to the Client Relations Team, who will contact you direct concerning the issues you have raised" but I've written to my MP asking for his help now and spoken to one of his caseworkers who's going to discuss it with him.

I was surprised that one of the e-mails from someone in "PIP Customer Service Support" says "I have reviewed your claim and due to the multiple variable condition(s) a face to face assessment is required." I thought only HCP could make decisions about whether a F2F was required and if so, whether a Home Assessment is needed?

Should I copy my e-mail correspondence with ATOS to the DWP before 29 June to ensure they're aware of why I didn't attend? I'm just a bit concerned that ATOS might not bother forwarding this information with their report

Some great news! I've been awarded enhanced rate for both components without needing a F2F. I only got 4 points for Planning and Following a Journey due to needing prompting and I think I'd have a good case legally to argue that I should have been awarded 10 points as the majority of the time (i.e. reliably) I cannot undertake any journey but I was awarded sufficient points under Moving Around to qualify, so there's no point arguing it now. Hopefully by the time I need to re-apply this section will have been made fairer to claimants with mental health problems.

ATOS/IAS sent me a reply to my complaint, explaining that after several different HPs had considered my request for a Home Consultation and decided it might be possible but would require two HPs to attend, a Client Relations Medical Advisor reviewed the evidence and felt a Musculoskeletal Exam was required as the medical evidence was insufficient but requested a GP factual report to see if that would provide sufficient information.

In the meantime my claim was returned to the DWP as a Did Not Attend but then ATOS asked for it to be returned and decided I could have an HC with only one HP after contacting my GP to confirm that I did not pose a risk.

However they then received the GP Factual report back and decided a PBR was sufficient. The surgery has told me that as this was a form my GP just filled it in and returned it and they don't have a copy, so I don't know what it added to the letter and report from my GP that I sent in with my claim.

I had an e-mail from my MP today, who I wrote to on 19 June, apologising for the delay in replying due to setting up his office and asking if I still needed any assistance, so this happy outcome had nothing to do with him.

They also suggested I might want to apply for the SDA component of ESA and enclosed a short form for this.

Is there any risk that sending this in might trigger a whole new reassessment of my ESA?

Do you know how much the SDA will be, as if it's not a lot and there's a risk of reassessment, I think I'd leave it as I've had enough stress lately.