Help - Refused home visit for medical for ESA

Please can anybody advise me. My daughter has severe ME and is going through the changeover from IB to ESA at present. We followed your excellent guides but she has been called in for a medical. Because she is totally housebound and has been since 1999 we asked for a home visit for the medical, which she has done and received every other time for both IB and DLA renewals. The GP has written a letter in support of this, we assume but my daughter has today received a letter from Atos stating that "A Medical Advisor has reviewed all circumstances regarding your claim and has decided that a home visit is not justified."

We are at our wits end as we had to get the not supportive GP out to her yesterday because she is so ill and to travel to the medical centre will take each way in a taxi approximately three quarters of an hour.

Can anybody help us please because I just do not know what to do. I do not want my daughter to go any further into relapse which a journey and medical of this magnitude will do to her.

If your daughter does not attend her medical, it will be for the DWP decision maker to determine whether her reason for not attending was reasonable in all the circumstances.

Further thoughts - it may be that approaching your daughter's MP for help would bear fruit. Many of our members have found their MPs helpful with difficulties with the benefits process.

I have belatedly noticed that you are using an email address as your forum name. If you wish to change this, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Thank you for your messages. I will contact my MP to see if they can help.

Not attending does not appear to be an option unless my daughter wants to lose her benefits it would appear.

Can we write/ring to Atos and ask their reasons for refusing a home visit?

Many thanks again.

disillusioned wrote:

Thank you for your messages. I will contact my MP to see if they can help.

Not attending does not appear to be an option unless my daughter wants to lose her benefits it would appear.

Can we write/ring to Atos and ask their reasons for refusing a home visit?

Many thanks again.

Hi D

With regards your forum name could you please read below -

My full name is showing, how can I stop it?

I would suggest in the first instance you complain/write to the DWP, as it's them who arranged the medical through their preferred contractor. I note you are contacting your MP as well -

Complaining to the DWP

I hope this is of help.

Michael