PIP home medical assessment appointment

Hello Gordon

My son has been sent an appointment for a home visit by a Health Professional from Independent Assessment Services. (We didn’t request a home visit but we did ask them to consider doing a paper only assessment due to the risk of psychosis from stress of an appointment- - this was supported by the GP) This has already impacted his health as he’s ill in bed today and the letter only came yesterday. I would be very grateful for your answers to the following questions. I am really sorry if they’ve been covered before - I’ve tried to search to check.

1. It says the HP will arrive between 9:00am and 11:00am. He is very stressed that they’ve not given a proper appointment time as his conditions mean he struggles in the mornings. Is it reasonable to ask for a more specific time?

2. If it’s at his home can he have more than 1 other person present to support him?

3. What are the rules around recording the assessment when it’s in your own home?

Many thanks in advance for your help with this.

Thank you very much Gordon.

He has now cancelled his home visit. He rang and explained that he’s already ill just one day after receiving the letter. He asked if they want to take the risk of him having a psychotic episode especially as his GP had written about it? She checked the information they have on their system and, after having some difficulty finding it, she cancelled the appointment.

The letter with the appointment said that, “one of our health professionals has looked at the information you sent the DWP,,,,” I’m having trouble believing that now.

I just hope he gets a good outcome - this process is very wrong for vulnerable people who were awarded DLA indefinitely. The risks to their lives are too high. And the consequences to those who care for and support them is massive. It’s very wrong.

Thank goodness for this support. Thank you.

Kind regards

Good to hear that your son got a cancellation before he became too unwell with the stress. I wonder whether the advisors here know if this is a rare result?
I have physical mental and neurological health problems and I think I am in the Vulnerable category as given more time for PIP completion without asking them. I am expecting home assessment for ESA quite soon via prearranged home visit and then soon after no doubt the PIP one unless they take heed of my Neurologists letters and do a paper review. I am already feeling very sick and agitated (but not prone to psychosis) but will try to get through it all. If I feel really unable to go through one or both visits close to the date is it worth asking a friend to ring the DWP to cancel or postpone the visit? It seems so mean to do one followed by another as the strain is already affecting my health and will no doubt cause a prolonged relapse of my fatigue and neurological issues. Thanks.

Hi again

Just to add that we requested a paper only assessment supported by his gp when completing the form because of the risk of psychosis so that is what he asked for when he rang the DWP and it was the DWP who cancelled the medical. So me saying he’d cancelled his home medical was misleading - sorry.

Kind regards