PIP assesment at home, in 2 weeks!

[Gymbabe]

Help! Is it normal to have an assesment at home? How long do they take? Starting to panic now.

I am UDCTD at mo but I think it is progressing towards Lupus now as I have Lung damage.

I have good and bad days, but to be honest never have a normal day, ie before I got sick. My brain is shot and some days I am not fit to be let out alone!

My local hospital is rubbish and I have very little paperwork, I have been reffered to Leeds but am awaiting an appointment.

It's Atos

[LupusKaren]

Hi GB

As you are in Leeds, you have an excellent Welfare Advisory Serviced available to you, DIAL, details in link below.

dial-leeds.org.uk/

Alternatively register on forums Fightback4Justice or Benefits and Work. FightBack is a free resource, and you will have all your questions correctly answered.

In the meantime, please write, either email or recorded post, and inform them that you have not been given enough notice for this home assessment and you are (a) unwell at the moment, you should get a GP sickness certificate to support this. Please do ensure that you make your GP aware that you are dealing with the DWP and Atos and that you are under immense stress, this will then be added to your medical notes, and (b) you need time to arrange for a family member to be present with you at the assessment and (c) please copy your local MP in on ALL your communications, and make sure that any correspondence to Atos or DWP you put c.c. {insert the name of your MP}

Please do not try to sort this out on your own, insist all communication must be in writing, and please do not even think of having this assessment unsupported, there are reasons why I say this, but I would have to PM you why.

Again for everyone else that might be reading these boards on Benefits, with the next rounds of culling announcements due (sometime in July), I am afraid all of us, are going to have to fight for what we need and are entitled, I have had to find out the hard way, and I will never ever deal with the DWP or their assessors without a solid Welfare Rights Representative, I know of a couple of good ones that do charge, but will only PM details of these for anyone interested.

Anyone on DLA, it matters not if you have only just been successful in obtaining it, the roll out migration from DLA to PIP is now speeding up, please note indefinite award or lifelong award is no longer applicable, to anyone.

Check your schedule phase by postcode on this link:

benefitsandwork.co.uk/perso...

Good luck.

[Gymbabe in reply to LupusKaren]

I am not in Leeds, but my Gp has reffered me to Leeds Chapel Allerton as I am unhappy with the service from my local hospital, can I still use Dial?

To be honest I have no trouble with date of assessment, just abit shocked it will be in my own home.

[willowwag]

Hi gymbabe, I had a home assesment and the lady that came was very nice..my husband was with me. He explaines that due to the brain fog i forget my words and lose track of where i am in a conversation. My husband photocopied my application and we asked could i read it to her a she asked me questions. She said it was fine so as she asked each point i read what i had put on the form and my husband help..i was very unwell on the day as was so glad i had a home visit as i was more relaxed in my own home. She took her time asked if i needed to rest abit while she typed what i said. I got a little upset telling her how difficult life has become. She showed compasion, i know they are not all like the lady i had but if you can copy your original application it may help you like it did me. I also showed my local welfare rights my application to make sure i had completed it correctly. Good luck

[Limerick5]

Hi gymbabe as said above have some one there with you and what every you do don't say you have good days and bad days because they will only take the good days into consideration that's what happened me and I got nothing and don't know I have the energy to fight back best of look and tell them how bad you worst day is they asked if if I could used the toilet on my own I said yes but have often missed when on my bad days so that to them I was fine and got no pionts for it so be careful best of luck

[onamission]

I thought Atos had been given the push ? when I sent off my form I sent letters in to support my claim and then had a assessment at home.

I understand that they are going to start on the new benefit universal credit or something like that it will take over all other benefits.