Thanks to this website I am realising how naive I have been. For 24 years I have cared for my disabled son, he was born with physical problems and I have always sorted out things like DLA forms.
So when my health got to the point where I realised that I should apply for DLA the assumption was that I could fill in the forms. But twice the answer was no, first time my gp said that there was nothing wrong and the second time they just said no, it seemed as if they had not even read what I put on the forms.
So this time I joined Benefits and Work and used your guides.
Yesterday I got a phone call to say that I must go for a medical next Tuesday, so much for the 'at least 7 days notice'.
Today the letter arrived. There is no where to park near the centre. If you use public transport then the bus stop and station are so far away that you would not get high rate mobility!! In the road that the medical centre is on there are two blue badge bays. Although I have no idea how far they are from the centre.
I had a medical about 3 years ago and when the doctor went into the room he dropped a bit of paper. Of course I picked it up and failed. He did not even examine me.

I just feel the whole system is set up so that everyone fails. I am sure that the DWP have organised the whole medical thing so that you have no chance of getting an award.

Sorry to hear about your problems but there really can be light at the end of the tunnel. I had a medical a few weeks ago for DLA and got an award so it's by no means impossible.

There are some ways you can help yourself so, first of all, if there are travelling difficulties can you ask to see if you can have the medical at home?

Second, if not, then ask where the two blue badge bays are in relation to the entrance and how far you would need to walk once inside and whether there are any seats for resting along the way. You would then have a much better idea of whether you can manage the distance.

Third, if you were to travel by train then there are usually taxis at stations so you could get one to the centre? This would probably only cost a small amount but means that you could be dropped at the door.

Have a look at the advice given on here regarding DLA medicals - I found it very helpful to have a really good idea in advance what would happen and it helped me considerably so perhaps it can help you?

Good luck.

kathryn seems similiar to my experience but for me with tribunals.

A tribunal I attended at the start of the year, the building was on a pedestranised road meaning a taxi couldnt drop me off at the entrance, it took me about 20 minutes to walk about the distance equivelent of 3 houses. Of course they didnt see this or if they did it was disregarded.

when I got there (late) lady was waiting for me, and we had to go to the top floor, oh sorry the lift is out of order so we go up the stairs, once upstairs as luck would have it the room happens to be at the opposite end of a long corridor, and then finally the room was very big and you may have guessed by now the table they was on was at the back of the room. It is clear that even attending was basically a physical assessment by them. I was sitting down 20 minutes before I went in (even tho I was late) in a waiting room right next to their room so when I walked in was after a period of recovery. I was turned down on the basis I managed to get to the table. It was a very hostile tribunal, only the doctor was polite to me, the carer person sat their giggling and the chairman was hostile. Also why use a carer person for a mobility claim should be a disabled person really.

What I would love to see changed is that tribunals should have to tell you to your face their decision and how they came to it, if they disregard evidence they should have to explain why.

Tribunals and atos origin should be accountable if they break the law, I have had 2 tribunals break the law in my experiences and both times have been told nothing I can do about it as I passed time limit to goto commissioner. It seems they not accountable to anyone else apart from a comissioner.

My experience of medicals is at least better, doctors have always been polite to me as well as receptonist staff doing things like bringing the form to me when they seen I would struggle to get to the front desk.

The system in my opinion tho is setup to make it easy to fail people, in your case just go in a taxi and claim the costs back its what I always do, its not your fault the alternatives arent reasonable.

Aren't they breaking the disability discrimination act by doing that?

Thanks for the advice.
My son will drop us at the door so that I don't have to walk far.
I have printed off some of the advice from here, so that I know what sort of things that they will ask.
All I need now is to stop worrying and relax.

Chris that is a disgrace. It is as if they are doing everything to stop us getting the help that we need.

I rang up and asked about parking outside the door, or at least dropping someone off, they did not know. I also asked if the meeting room was on the ground floor as I find lifts difficult. Apparently it is on the first floor, well I think that is what she said, but at the same time she was on the phone to me the lady was talking to someone else aobut a cruise and also about putting something in the drawer and not leaving it in the wrong place. To be honest I was confused about whether she was talking to me or not.
She wanted to know at one stage if I was in a wheelchair. But then started on about if I would be able to get down the stairs if there was a fire. Was that a test to see if I could manage stairs? I told her that if there was a fire my husband would carry me down the stairs if need be. Good thing she cannot see me. What is going on?

My eldest son had a medical for IS and the doctor was so annoyed that he had been made to do that. He was not examined, the doctor went off and made a phone call and came back to say that Rob had been awarded two years IS. He is on DLA for life.

Sorry to ramble but I am just convinced that this is all a ploy to try and get out of giving us the help that we need.