Work coach interview?

I have never given DWP my phone number, and always put on forms that they should write (and not ask me to ring them back - which they ignore, and I write again rather than ring back).

When I was called in to the Job Centre for a Work Focussed Interview I wrote and said that although I had been put in WRAG I was appealing to go in Support Group, so was the WFI necessary and if it was to give me an afternoon appointment. I asked them to reply before the date of the original interview, and I think I sent it signed for delivery to be on the safe side. They wrote that in my circs it was mandatory and gave me a new appointment which I went to.

Obviously our circs are different, your interview isn't mandatory, but the point I'm making is that I dealt with it all by post and it wasn't a problem.

All the best
Elaine

Gordon, that's good to know but the process is far more distressing than it used to be. When I walked into the PIP assessment centre waiting room at 9am it looked like the casualty room of a war zone. It was full to the rafters and my friend who accompanied me told me there were people lying on the seats with their crutches and others shaking in the corner. Even the assessor apologised to me about being called in because I was so distressed and told me that last week she had had to assess someone who was strapped into a wheelchair and could only move his/her head. I never remember it being that bad when I was assessed for DLA. In the last week I know of two people with mental heath problems who have committed suicide. They both had financial problems due to their benefits or lack of them. People are dying because of this system but they're mentally ill and don't have a voice.

Thank you so much Elaine for your advice. I'm really relieved that written correspondence is accepted by the Job Centre. I'll ask a friend to send the letter off tomorrow. I hope your WFI went well. I'll probably have to face one eventually but not right now.