Work focused interview

I've sent off my ESA claim form (couple of weeks ago) and am waiting to hear about needing a medical assessment or not (probably will have to have one). Was surprised today to receive a letter telling me to attend a Work-focused interview at a Jobcentre next week. The Jobcentre is 35 miles away and the interview at 11am. But on the ESA claim form, at the end where it asks you to tell them what problems you would have attending assessment venues, I made it clear I can only drive myself a few miles, can't cope with unfamiliar places when driving, and can't see anyone anywhere in mornings due to......um...let's say severe diarrhoea issues which last until at least midday. And it takes me at least a couple of hours just to get out of bed, showered, dressed, fed, and to clean up any mess I've made. Then I'm exhausted and in pain. (I have Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis as my main disabilities). To get to this interview for 11am means pushing myself well beyond what I can do. I will do it if I am given no choice; but will be in pain, needing the loo, and will have to dose myself up on Cocodamol before driving as this sometimes calms the diarrhoea a bit. But driving on a maximum dose of Cocodamol could be dangerous - it makes me whoozy, and you're not supposed to drive while on it if this happens. I can't find anything on the Benefits&Work website about whether I HAVE to attend this interview; can only find a mention of rearranging it if you are ill at the time. I'm not ill; I'm disabled. So, can someone please tell me what I do about this interview? Thanks!

Thanks. There's nothing on my letter to say whether the interview is mandatory or voluntary. But I did manage to speak to someone at the Jobcentre today (it has taken all day getting through to various DWP phone numbers and someone finally saying they would get Jobcentre to phone me). Jobcentre person said she will get my Personal Advisor (?) to phone me tomorrow about the interview (so I don't know why this first person bothered to phone me as she didn't know anything about my interview). But interestingly, she happened to mention that I have been put in the ESA Support Group. I said no, the two men I spoke to on DWP numbers earlier said they couldn't see that I had been placed yet. But Jobcentre woman was adamant that I am in Support Group. I said in that case I am not obliged to attend a WFI. She said she didn't know about that and my Advisor will talk to me about it tomorrow. The mystery deepens.......

It's looking like my JC+ advisor is not going to phone me as was promised by the DWP man I spoke to yesterday. It's 3pm now and the interview is in a day's time. I know your advice is to contact my JC+ advisor - but how do I do this? Jobcentres don't give out their phone numbers - you have to phone a DWP number, and (after waiting for a long time for someone to answer the phone) the DWP person emails the Jobcentre for you, and asks them to phone you. YOU cannot phone THEM. This gives Jobcentres complete power over whether to phone you or ignore you. I feel very stuck. I cannot get to this interview; and I may be in the Support Group anyway (still no letter has arrived on this). But I have no idea what's going on; and if I don't attend the interview, what happens to my claim? Many thanks for your help.

Thank you so much! My letter does not mention either mandatory or voluntary, so I am now reassured it is not mandatory. After a couple more hours of phoning various DWP/JC+ numbers one of them gave me the phone number of my Jobcentre - just like that! After 2 days of them telling me they cannot give out JC numbers! Once I'd got that, progress was finally made - perhaps. Personal Advisor says my records show I am not going to be called in for an ESA assessment - they have placed me in the Support Group on the strength of my claim form. This decision was made last week and she says a letter is on its way to me confirming this, but she said DWP letters can take 1 to 4 weeks to arrive (!). So, she says yes, the JC+ work-focused interview is voluntary. I have now cancelled it. It all sounds a bit too good to be true - no assessement? Placed straight into the Support Group? I guess I'll now just have to wait for that letter. I'll be distraught if it's not true, after what I've been through these past few days! Very grateful to you for your help anyway.