Today I got my appointment for my pip consultation, have lots of questions I need advice on hoping you lovely people can answer them for me.

[jane59]

Firstly my appointment is in another county over 41 miles from where I live , I know there is a venue near me because I have been a few times, it does give me a sheet to claim for travel and also says my carer can claim for the fares I want to know is this one way or return ? and my husband will need to take time of work can he claim for loss of earnings ? As anyone else had to travel this far when they know full well that these consultations are held near to where they live ? At the moment I am on high rate mobility and low rate care , I understand they have done away with the low rate care and now they are just the 2 rates for both mobility and care my rates were under the DLA . My medicals before have been done though ATOS so I have not had any dealings with CAPITA ( are they any better than ATOS ? ) I will be calling them first thing on Monday morning to explain that I will struggle to get there .......long journey for me as the appointment is at 10.40 so with the busy early morning rush hour etc will have to leave at least 2 and a half hours before just to get there as Birmingham is a nightmare at the best of times . Was only 15 months ago I had a doctor call at my house to see me, took one look at me and said she had seen enough of how I cope on a day to day basis so was a little shocked that I need to be seen .I am wondering if this long distance appointment is a test to see if I can get there ? any advice would be very welcome , sending my love and hugs out to all

[Hidden]

As you are dealing with CAPITA ask for a home visit, they tend to do more home visits than ATOS.

If you do have to go, how are you getting there? If it is by car you will at least be able to park right out side the door and it is all ground floor.

Which side of Brum are you? if it is on the Wolverhampton side it is easy to get to, by car or bus.

I found them a lot more `human` than ATOS and more understanding, but having said that it still looked as though the report was about someone else not me.

If you need to know anything else please just ask.

Hugs sue xx

[jane59 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Sue ok firstly ty for reply but I am not near brum nor Wolverhampton I am in Leicestershire near to Loughborough hence its over 40 miles for me to travel I will be going by car yes but my husband will have to drive hence a day off work it will mean leaving at least 2and half hours before my appointment due to it be early morning and rush hour as it takes an hour to get to brum on a normal day

[Hidden in reply to jane59]

I think that I would try insisting on a home visit.

I had a home visit after My BP went through the roof when having the medical at their offices.

I have read somewhere that most of their medicals are at home,

Good luck.

Hugs sue xx

[fibro10]

Yes mine was with CAPITA inLiverpool 40 milesfrom home my daughter took me by car.

The lady i had was lovly and understanding gave me time to answer did not push me at all not like my medical for ESA and at my tribrual for ESA

it was horrid came out crying with the ATOS doctore and at the tribrual . when i got my appointment for PIP I did ask for somewere closer home but was told i would have had to

wait a lot longer and was glad as i could hardly move when i got their and she could see the pain i was in. Idid get it andtheback pay . So wish you luck xx

[Hidden in reply to fibro10]

Hi fibro10 it seems to me that most of these Capita assessments are at least 40 miles away. Mine was too. I think its a test if you can do the distance you don't qualify. They have you over a barrel don't attended without good enough reason and your claim is an automatic fail. It stinks.

[TheAuthor]

Hi jane59

I sincerely hope that you are feeling well today? I have pasted you a link to the Capita PIP assessment website as this will give you some ideas and information about them:

Capita PIP assessment Website:

capita.co.uk/news-and-opini...

I think that you have been given some wonderful advice so far, and that is too ask them to come to you? Another option if they say no, is to ask them to pay for a taxi for you to get to them and the return journey and see what they say? I do often wonder if asking people to travel such a long way is a test? If you go then you do not need help? And if you ask for a home visit then they may just think you need more help? I really don't to know?

I want to wish you all the best of luck with your assessment, and I genuinely hope that you ascertain you desired outcome.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken x

[gracesgrandma]

Hi Jane59 call me cynical but I think that them doing this might be the first test :o)

[jane59 in reply to gracesgrandma]

My daughter said this she says they want to see if you can sit in a car that long

[Hidden in reply to gracesgrandma]

Hi Jane59 you think just like me. But when your not well you don't always realise till its to late. What they are trying to do. I was sent to Peterborugh And I live in Leicestershire. They wouldn't accept I couldn't travel on public transport especially at 6:30am as I had to be there for 8:10am as It would make me to anxious and wound up to sit the assessment. I was refused a home visit as I did not meet the criteria. And to not comply automatically failes you.

[Hidden]

Hi there I too had to undergo a PIP assessment. I hope yours isn't or wasn't anything like mine.

I live in Leicestershire and had to be in Peterborough for 8:10am on the 30th July 2015, nearly 40 miles away. I rang Capita to find out why my request for a home visit had not been accepted, and they told me that I did not meet the criteria for a home visit. And when I asked why was there no where local I could have had my assessment I was told that there was no one to undertake the assessment in my area at that time. I suffer with mental health issues nothing physical although my mental health can affect how I can and cant do things. And one of them is public transport. I tried to explain my issues with public transport, but they were not having any of it.

The PIP form itself was not very Mental health friendly either . It seemed to concentrate on physical aspects such as bathing, cooking and dressing. I know a lot of people with mental health issues do have these issues. These are dependent on the nature of the mental illness.

Because I felt I was not being taken seriously on the phone I left Capita a very snotty email about not getting a home visit.

As I am not entitled to any care or outside support since the govement cut backs in 2010 I now have to manage the best way I can on my own. Since losing my support worker I lost services too. I now do things dependent on my health at the time.

I attended the assessment on that date, failiure to do so would have been an automatic fail to my claim. I had to get a dear friend of mine who lives in Wales to come down just so I could get to this assessment. Got home after the assessment. Only to find in my email a response from Capita regarding a home visit and when would I like it. To late now b******s!

The assessment itself was bad. I had to answer yes or no I was not free to really say how my condition affected me and when I did I was cut short, as it was not relative to the questions being asked. A few times I was told if I didn't listen or stop the assessment would end there and I would have to undergo it again at a later date, because she had other people waiting to be seen. I felt intimidated because of this and so I wanted to get out asap.

Since then my claim for PIP has been unsuccessful as I did not score enough points. I had sent in written documents of how my mental health affected me but it seems it fell on deaf ears.

I have now got to get it reassessed if that fails I have to appeal the claim. I think its wrong that they are targeting mental health in this way. I was happy on DLA.

[Hidden]

Hi Jane59

My assessment for PIP was on the grounds of my mental health. I have been moved to this from dla. My claim for dla ended in august. Capita are bad they don't understand or take into consideration how mental health affects you. Come to think of it it's the same for all conditions. I was uncomfortable about my assessment being in Peterborugh when I live in Leicestershire. I was not made to feel welcomed. It was yes no questions, you couldn't really say how your condition affected you and when you could you were cut short because she said I was taking up time as she had other clients to see. and if I continued taking up time the assessment would have to stop and be scheduled at a later date. I felt intimidated and unable to do anything. I had explained to Capita on the phone before hand my reasons for a home visit but they just said I did not meet the criteria. Fail to attend without good reason you claim also fails. I had to be at that assessment for 8:10 in the morning. I asked why couldn't the assessment have been local they said there was no one available in my area at that time. And when I asked why so early they said the assessment times are put into a computer and randomly selected. And all they seemed bothered about is wether you can cook, bath or dress yourself and if you can do this you don't score any points and you fail. I'm not trying to scare you I'm just telling you how it was for me and alot of others.

[Hidden]

My overal experience of PIP is seen as a targeted way to trying to get people off benefits and they will do it any way they choose and don't care who they hurt in the process. So anyone out there with a mental health condition such as myself doesn't stand a chance.