Please help: PIP visit despite psychiatrist letter

Hi there,
I really need some help here.
I called Capita today as my repeat prescription has been altered. They informed me I had an appointment with an assessor next week at a destination 3 miles away. I asked if they had seen the letters from my psychiatrist and doctor requesting a paperwork based assessment only due to my PTSD and agoraphobia and the fact that if I have unknown people in my home I am likely to have a panic attack. I explained it would be impossible for me to go to the center and so they have now said someone will be visiting me this Thursday morning at home. I am terrified as the lady who helps walk my dog and clean the house and dress me (I have spinal problems meaning I cannot do much myself here and am in the process of trying to get a permanent carer) cannot be here. I have called my psychiatrist's office asking if someone from their team can come over but it is too shot notice for them. Why are they doing this and is there anything I can do about it? I enclosed so much supporting evidence from all my practitioners and asked if they would do a paperwork based assessment myself but they still say they need more information. I have no idea what further information they could possibly require. They said they have spoken to my doctor and psychiatrist but neither of them are aware of having spoken to anyone from Capita at all.

Thank you Gordon/ I appreciate that.

I am trying to arrange someone to be with me but so far not much luck. My relatives are away or live overseas and my friends have jobs to go to, but still trying.

My psychiatrist was good enough to contact Capita to state that my health would be at risk if I had a face to face and expressed reasons why as well as giving my medical conditions, but the upshot of it is that they have stated I still need a face to face.

Mu concern, other than of course my health worsening because of this, is that if they have ignored my doctor and two consultants already, why on earth is the assessor going to take anything I have to say as worth anything? I submitted over 80 pieces of paper from medical professionals etc to the DWP with my claim and it seems to have been disregarded and I still need a face to face.

I wish I had never told them my condition had worsened. I only did so because I believed it to be a legal requirement (I was on DLA indefinite award and didn't realize I would be told to claim PIP at this stage).

I am seriously now considering withdrawing my claim and canceling the appointment because I have already become more unwell because of this process and the thought of a face to face where what I say will be potentially disregarded, not to mention having a stranger in my home (one of my PTSD triggers) is simply too much for me.

Anyway, thanks again. I very much appreciate your suggestions.

I am sorry that you are going through this

You are probably aware - but I want to be 100% certain that you do - that your DLA award will be cancelled if you do not continue with the PIP claim, you do not have the option of remaining on DLA now

Thank you so much Mrs Hurtyback and Gordon. I appreciate your help and support here very much.

I actually had no idea my DLA would simply stop if I withdrew my claim. no. Thank you for letting me know that. I am still trying to get someone to sit in with me, but no luck so far, though the lady who walks my dog says she can try and maybe sit in for a little while if she can move her dental checkup, so here's hoping. At least if someone was with me when this unknown person arrives it would help me, so fingers crossed.

I am going to try my best not to cancel the appointment, but if the assessor arrives at the door and I can't let them in because I am panicking too much I just won't be able to. It is hard to predict how that will go until it happens, but I know, as you say Gordon, if it goes ahead it will be a huge trial. It already is and they aren't arriving until Thursday!

I appreciate what you said about them not necessarily having ignored the reports etc. That helped. I was just worried because they ignored the repeated requests from consultants about a paperwork based assessment only and so I then and wondered if they had even read the documents I sent them as supporting evidence an further info. Anyway, good to know it is likely they have read them. Also the fact their recommendations are usually reasoned is good. It should be pretty obvious looking at my prescription list, which includes things like morphine sulphate, amitryptalin, gabapentin, mental health meds etc etc that I am a legitimate claimant and hopefully it will be obvious watching me hold onto furniture as I perambulate around (as well as the reports) that I am in bad shape mentally and physically and it isn't like a cold... it isn't going to go away, unfortunately.

Just so upset that this has happened at all, but you have both helped me and for that I am grateful. I will let you know how things go on Thursday.