What chance of a telephone consultation.

I sent in my PIP(2) form, with loads of medical evidence (carefully indexed) plus a GP letter stating that I was currently feeling suicidal with all the worry of this process.

The GP letter states clearly that I could not cope, travelling to unfamiliar places, without causing me considerable mental distress.

I have Borderline Personality Disorder and Fibromyalgia, with Chronic fatigue being the main symptom plus muscle pain and joint stiffness, and brain fog.

I have just received a letter today from Atos "inviting" me to a face to face interview, an hour and a half journey, each way, in part of the city I am unfamiliar with, a morning appointment when I have stressed that I am unable to leave my home before 11 am due to drowsiness from meds and bladder and bowel conditions.

I have stated throughout the PIP form that I have a social phobia and cannot use public transport and to get to an unfamiliar place for an interview that is intent on taking away my only income, I would need a lot of tranquillizers. which means I could not safely drive myself there.
The interview is set for 10 am on Friday 13th May!!!! literally days away.

(I also want it recorded if I have to attend - so how to I go about that?- I do not have recording equipment - not dual cassettes anyway)

With the amount of relevant evidence, (which answers ALL the questions as per the medical assessment form you publish in B&W) I do not see why they are asking for this interview. I am 60 years of age and most definitely unlikely to work ever again, unable to cope with stress, travelling and mental agility required in my career.

What should I do? Phone them to see what they say? Challenge them regarding the enclosed GP letter, and ask for a home visit assessment ?( I'd find that very difficult too as I am unhappy to invite hostile people into my life/home, and I feel very much that they are not out to do me any favours.
I am worried sick, awake all night thinking dark thoughts and dreaming of slashing my wrists and hanging myself, because I feel targeted and that I am going to become destitute.

What chance will I have of being offered a telephone assessment?

Also if I DO have to attend the face to face in town, will it then be concluded that I can make a journey to an unfamiliar place WITHOUT causing me much distress? and I will lose the 8 points that I need to maintain my income at the same level of DLA that I have for my Indefinite Award ( tribunal 2009)

Worried and stressed to breaking point.

Advice please,

Hi BD,

I will try ti pick apart your message and answer each question.

I have never heard of a telephone assessment, it is either a face2face or a paper assessment.

The people who make the appointments do not have access to your PIP2 form, so they have no idea of your limitations!

The maximum you can be expected to travel is 90 minutes each way, does the travel information they include with the appointment support this? If it goes over the 90 minutes you can refuse the appointment on that basis.

The claimant is able to reschedule the appointment just once without risking the claim being closed. You could cancel this one without penalty in order to buy some time - but you would then have to attend the next one, come hell or high water!

You need to decide whether you would manage better with a home appointment or oneat an assessment centre. There is no point in going to the trouble of getting this one changed if a domiciliary visit would be even worse.

The only other thing I can suggest is to get in touch with your MP and explain that your GP has said that you should not be put through a face2face assessment.

Contacting your MP

I see that you have multiple topics relating to your PIP claim. Please bookmark/favourite this one now so that you can find it easily in future. That means you will be able to return with further questions/comments without having to start a new topic each time. It helps us enormously when everything relating to the same claim is kept in once place - and I hope it will be useful for you too

Thank you for your quick response.

However I have heard that people who have had a "paper" assessment, have had calls to clarify some details, and I guess that is what I was referring too. That seems to be the best option for me, as I have sent in a large amount of evidence and additional RELEVANT stuff and they could get all that they need from that.
If I was travelling in a fast car, and there was no traffic delays then maybe I could get to the Assessment centre in the time frame you state. However the coach, train and bus trip to the place would easily add up to more like 2 hours. if I could reasonably do it in the time frame and cope with being tranquillized to oblivion then OK, but I know I cannot do it.
IF I DO GO, then, and I reiterate, will it be deemed that I can travel to an unfamiliar place and therefore not qualify for the 8 points needed to keep the standard rate mobility, that I have on my DLA award.

Thank you. I have contacted my MP via email just now.

Can you please tell me what sort of recording equipment is permitted at these assessments, and are Atos responsible to provide me with my request for a recording, as I cannot buy the equipment myself, nor would I know what to buy.