UC refusal for a home visit

Hi,
I recently found out benefit calculator that I could get UC despite my wife working. I was previously on ESA support group ( the one they don't trouble you to find work) but as soon as my wife started working they stopped it dead in its tracks. My only income over past years has been DLA/PIP what's left over after paying for the mobility car.
I suffer from Fibromyalgia as I see many others on the forums do but I personally have gotten progressively worse over the years I know some people have flare-ups and better times but I'm in a state of continues flare-up that's only getting worse.
Around the time of my application, I had a new symptom of pain in my back and leg which has left me predominantly bedbound. I was in excruciating pain mobilising before and now it's upped the anty and is agonising pain to move.
My PIP is due for renewal in May so I thought I would have reassessment due to the new onset pain and hopefully, it would lead to one continuous claim rather than slow response and loss of the Motability car and file UC claim at the same time for more income.
No surprise there has been no response from ESA but I did get a letter from UC to have an assessment at their centre. I was going to praise them for their fast turn around but it seems despite multiple instances of asking for a Home visit they've rejected this and ask for a letter from my GP before they would consider it further have the information faxed over to them.
Now, this would normally be straight forward and GP has done it in the past for DLA assessment. Only my GP has refused to come out to see me as fibromyalgia and my age isn't a reason to put me down as housebound. After much complaining, I did manage to get down as a housebound patient but GP reported without me knowing that because I was able to open the door and go back up the stairs to bed and I'm fine and I should make it to surgery from now on. I tried to escalate my complaint to NHS but they've closed this and sided with.
Now upon asking for a letter for a home visit, they have said they are happy to provide a letter stating my condition for £30 but won't mention about home visit or being housebound and it's down to DWP discretion if they give it alternatively if the DWP contact them with a form they will fill it out and send it back or alternatively I can have them contact them.
Speaking with UC they have now said they will not get in contact with the GP and if I cannot provide the letter I have to turn up to assessment and failing to do so will be seen as refusing to comply and they will cancel my claim.
So I'm in a catch 22 situation, as possible retaliation for my complaint the GP is not budging on their stance to reform their previous position and honestly It's the same type of logic from the PIP assessors that I'm receiving from my GP and UC are threating to terminate my claim if I don't show up to my assessment.
The advisor was quite rude and wouldn't let me make a complaint or escalate the issue further which in term made me even ruder having to end the conversation by hanging and literally shaking with tears.
As I said to the advisor I have no idea how they want me to get there least I learn the ability to fly or magically teleport. I'm stuck don't know what to do from here and any advice could be very helpful.

Hello Paul. From my own experience, you can be awarded UC without the need for a face to face assessment at all. The DWP sent my GP a form to fill in and it seemed to be enough to get my award without a face to face. I'm not housebound, far from it but I am visually impaired and walk with a rollator due to foot drop and balance problems.

Honestly, my GP surgery has been extremely counter productive to my health and condition and at times even antagonistic and the reason I made the complaint to NHS in the first place. My medical history is littered with the issues I have and they've provided a letter that gotten me a home visit in the past albeit it was for DLA.

Their decision isn't based on my ability to mobilise outside the house which even them refusing to do home visits I still can't make it to the surgery but rather it cost too much to visit me and avoiding making any contradictions.

Also, I have approached UC assessment office and they've refused to make any sort of contact with the GP and to be honest I don't trust the GP to be factual either.

I think I'll try writing to my MP but honestly, I've lost hope in getting any sort of help or fair treatment and with the assessment date of the 10th I don't see this being sorted.

But thank you very much for your replies.

Hi Paul, i think the key could be filling out your application form very thoroughly and well (use the guides from this site)

It certainly is possible to get awarded with no assessment. This happened very recently with my son. He doesnt have any physical disability but there must have been enough info on the form for them to realise he has poor communication skills and they werent really going to gain anything by seeing him face to face that wasnt on the form.

They called the gp for extra confirmation that he has autism and learning difficulties and he got LCWRA without seeing anyone.

If you check the guide on this site it does give examples of people that wont need face to face and i think it says if they have enough info on the form and the info given matches the evidence provided, f2f wont be needed.

So a well filled out form plus choose the reports you send carefully to back up what you have written


Worth doing is asking for a copy of your medical notes. I didnt do this for my son's application and ended up submitting 8yr old evidence.

I requested his notes for a different reason entirely and happened to find some more recent letters in there that could have been good. (Im holding onto them in case his pip application fails!)

You might turn something useful up in your notes too.


Good luck with it all!

Yep, I used all the resources on here. I even had to print off my own form since they never sent me one but sent out reminders. 3 weeks and a whole 9-page dissertation later plus supporting evidence and they still asking me for face to face assessment.

The only thing I can think of Is I had no information from when after September when bedbound due to above issues but everything still holds true minus going to appointments.

Also, Fibromyalgia might be the issue.