Capita home visit query

I sent my PIP claim form in last week and my consultation letter from Capita arrived this morning.
My face to face is in twelve days in my home.

It all seems a bit quick and I also did not request a home visit.

Is this something I should be concerned about or am I just being paranoid ?

Dooley wrote: I sent my PIP claim form in last week and my consultation letter from Capita arrived this morning.
My face to face is in twelve days in my home.

It all seems a bit quick and I also did not request a home visit.

Is this something I should be concerned about or am I just being paranoid ?

Hi D,

Yes, the process does seem to have speeded up somewhat !

Capita do tend to offer more Home Assessments than ATOS.

If you want to have your face to face at one of their Centres, I am sure that you could contact them to arrange this.

However, you should be aware that how you manage the return trip to/from the Assessment Centre will be taken into account as part of the actual assessment.

You may be observed on approaching, leaving and whilst inside the centre.

Assumptions may be made by the assessor with regards to the above.

These assumptions could result in the assessor writing comments/recommendations within the PA4 Medical Report which they compile and send to The DWP.

Most people are really pleased that the face to face will take place in their home and not at a Centre.

If it is not convenient, you can rearrange once, but if you do so, you would have to ensure that you took part in any rearranged assessment or face the risk of your PIP claim being disqualified.

Contact Capita.

You can generally choose the room in your home where you want the assessment to take place, you can have someone else present, and the Assessor should not want to look round your home, although you may want to bring their attention to any aids or adaptations that you have.

You can read what to expect at your PIP face to face from around Page 70 of our : PIP Claims Guide. (2nd Link down the page)

Good luck and please let us know how you got on !

bro58

I m quite happy mine is a home visit, its easier for me and they can see my bedroom is on the ground floor. Just curious as I did not request it.

I was just a bit surprised at the speed of it all.
Nineteen days from posting the form to a face to face at home.

Not wanting to highjack Dooley's thread, but could you clarify your comments re: you can generally choose the room the assessment takes place in, and they should not want to look around your home?

Surely it being the claimants home, that the claimant can insist that the assessor uses the room that the claimant has chosen as being most comfortable for the claimant, and the assessor does not have a right to go into other rooms without the express permission of the claimant? I also would expect that this does not affect the claimants, claim if the assessor would like to use another room and is refused or asks to see around a persons home and again is refused?

I realise that mostly it is probably more convenient that medicals take place at the claimants home, but it is an infringement of privacy somewhat. Or I consider it to be so.

Also, can the wrong interpretation be put upon visiting someones home in the regard that lost of posters state that their home is a 'tip' because they are unable to cope - which is understandable..but my home is immaculate as my two daughters visit on a daily basis to carry out my care and keep it that way for me, as I get stressed if things are out of place. Does this mean that I am personally capable of caring for myself?

mommaduck wrote: Not wanting to highjack Dooley's thread, but could you clarify your comments re: you can generally choose the room the assessment takes place in, and they should not want to look around your home?

Surely it being the claimants home, that the claimant can insist that the assessor uses the room that the claimant has chosen as being most comfortable for the claimant, and the assessor does not have a right to go into other rooms without the express permission of the claimant? I also would expect that this does not affect the claimants, claim if the assessor would like to use another room and is refused or asks to see around a persons home and again is refused?

I realise that mostly it is probably more convenient that medicals take place at the claimants home, but it is an infringement of privacy somewhat. Or I consider it to be so.

Also, can the wrong interpretation be put upon visiting someones home in the regard that lost of posters state that their home is a 'tip' because they are unable to cope - which is understandable..but my home is immaculate as my two daughters visit on a daily basis to carry out my care and keep it that way for me, as I get stressed if things are out of place. Does this mean that I am personally capable of caring for myself?

Hi md,

I don't "get" your comments !!

I have stated that the claimant can choose the room where the assessment should take place.

I have also stated that the claimant might want to point out any Aids/Adaptation that they need/use that are in other rooms.

Remember. you can score points for Aids/Adaptations.

In "the old days" nearly all DLA "Medicals" where carried out in the home, and it was not unknown for the EMP to ask to go to wash their hands, etc to have a nosey round.

Obviously, an Assessor has no legal right to go wondering around your home.

In the circumstances posed by you, where a claimant's home being tidy was in contradiction to their stated limitations, one would have to make it clear who did the tidying up.

I am sure that ATOS/Capita would be only to willing to provide an assessment at an Assessment Centre if the claimant insisted. After all, it is a lot cheaper for them to do so.

bro58

Hi bro58.

It was the word 'generally' that you inserted. 'Generally', can choose the room the medical takes place in, which to me indicated that the assessor had the right to ask for it to take place in another room.. sorry for the confusion.