Hi guys so I started to document my life since diagnosis to send to Capita as additional evidence but this Thursday I received a TEXT to say that they want to see me for a f2f on Tuesday the 4th next week!
No letter just a text, they tell me to bring eveidence but my healthcare providers cannot do it in time and I am now at an absolute loss as to what to do or even how to format and write up my own ‘report’ or diary of my condition.
It is at the same place my first one was which is a huge building with long corridors etc and I don’t know if anyone can come with me to help me manage the distances involved due to the short notice so at the moment I’m beside myself and getting quite upset but have been told to cancel is not a wise option, any advice would be greatly appreciated?
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iAce
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Try not to get upset . Collate everything you actually have . Call your surgery and speak to the secretary explain to her and ask if you can have copies of relevant hospital letters if you have to pay it's needed and so unfortunately you may have to but I must say my surgery were very good as they just printed it out for me . Get your last two weeks written up how your day has been what help you have not on the form but as a chunk of your life . If you have a family member or friend can they also write something to support you . Finally arrange for someone to go with you . It's important to go but if you are going you need to be supported if you can't see if you can rearrange the date . Remember it has to be mutually convenient appointment so don't be pressured . Apart from sending you a hug this is all I can think of 🤗🤗🤗💐
It may seem it now but this isn't a big problem, if you turn it round & think about it as a positive, earlier award, maybe even extra Christmas surprise if you hear promptly, though it is very short notice. It's unrealistic for you to gather all the medical evidence you need to take to the assessment if you've requested specific reports or latest info, they must realise that & they're too important to not have included. One option could be you sending them to the DWP once you have them all but you'd have to check first before going to the assessment not when you're there because it may not be allowed. Another option could be going to your GP Practice on Monday morning, or if they're open on a Saturday morning all the better, & request copies of your medical records, all your Rheumy's reports to your GP will be included as will any other Specialists, OT, Physio etc you see which are relative to your claim. You only need request them back to when you were diagnosed if only RD (or whichever you have) is relevant to your PIP claim, of course if other conditions affect you include those too. Unless you've requested them before they shouldn't charge you for them, otherwise they are at liberty to.
Well, at least you've not long to wait. I'm not sure it would count against you if you refuse this one if it's too late to arrange for someone to accompany you, it is very close & it's a valid reason, I certainly wouldn't go alone, I didn't to my first & didn't at my review assessment.
All the very best & let's hope it's straightforward.
Thank you NMHs I will definitely try the doctors but they have just changed their whole computer system and so we’ve all been warned last week about access issues but t won’t harm to try and if it is a successful outcome then yes it will be a great end to the year and a huge stress off x
Oh heck. We had a system change in the summer & my GP was so scathing of it. The automated prescribing isn't as user friendly as the previous one either, it must be a nightmare working with it. Anyway, I hope it's a simple enough exercise & they are able to print off all you need.
Take care & let us know how you think it went. I was awarded more at my review, extended to 8 years too (or 7 seeing as they nick off with a year!), so everything's crossed for a more positive outcome for you too.
NMH that’s great news congrats I’m glad you don’t have to face convincing them you’re deserving! I already feel better armed and hope it turns out well for me also will let you know x
Hi can I ipipe in here , I have a dwp meeting to be arranged they’ve cancelled twice on me today exactly one hour before they rang to cancel, so annoying , I was just going to take my medication along and my letters from occupational health to say why I was finished from work I started rtx six weeks ago there about, it’s pretty useless been my gp today she given me pain patches as I’m in a lot of pain nothings working it’s so stubborn this condition, I’m at a loss with it all.
Should I get more notes ie dr reports to take with me to the assessment ? I’m knew to all this or should I just explain how it is for me take my drugs as proof it’s stressing me out they keep cancelling ?
Vonnie any evidence is good evidence I am starting to learn! Anything you can get from diagnosis just get it keep a file for future reference too apparently and a few people have said that a personal log is a good thing to tell what the doctors can’t, I just have to write up my own by Tuesday and hope it’s enough with evidence to follow
Thanks Iace it’s aminefield. Dread it all is all else fails I shall sell our house and downsize, it’s very maddening I know a few people who have cheated the system ther whole life and get all sorts and apparently there getting thousands and thousands back payed what the government owe due to a mistake on there part, who will foot the bill for this ? Probably the tax payer,I’ve worked my whole life im really struggling I feel terrible going these places and asking for help feel like I shouldn’t go it’s so hard .
I have had two F2F assessments from Capita and on both occasions the assessor would not accept any additional evidence direct from me. One piece of evidence being a diary of my symptoms, which she wouldn't even look at. I was told I would have to post it in, so I am confused that they asked you to bring it with you. Hope all goes well.
Thank you MM and yes the very last paragraph on the back of the letter says “if you have anymore evidence that may help your claim and which you have not already provided , you can show this at your consultation yours sincerely Capita”
I’m shocked your assessor would do such a thing and refuse when they actually ask for it on the letters unless it’s new or because I didn’t send any in in the first place.
Sorry my brother was also told they would not accept further evidence . He lost his f2f took it to a tribunal and literally an hour before they reassessed and he won so try not to stress take more evidence if you have it and see if they will accept it . Wishing you well 🤗
Nessa I will take what I can gather and they WILL accept it as I shall also bring the letter which is telling me to bring it, I stupidly didn’t send anything at all with my review form so t could be because of that they are asking now?
It's always so hard . It is so sad that you have to prove that you're not fibbing to start with , against a system that doesn't want to pay out anyway . I wish you luck ,be honest do what you can comfortably do if you can't remember you won't get a medal and putting yourself in bed afterwards is not the way forward . But please try to get someone to go with you xx
Really IDW!? If I cannot get someone to come I will request that it’s funny, the letter stresses they’ll stop claims if you do not attend but not that you have one chance to rearrange! Thank you x
Really, you Do have to give a reason and you would then HAVE to accept whatever date and time that they give you, or you Would then be recorded as not attending, so be \very sure that thi is what you want to do. remember you might be given an early or late appointment that you would Have to accept.
Just to add to LDW's advice, though it may not apply to you, you can change the venue if it's not convenient or if they've allocated one & there's another closer to where you live. If you check here capita-pip.co.uk/en/locatio... & if there's one closer to you can request to change it. As has been said you can only do this once though. I changed mine to one closer to home with no problems & it was only a week on from my original appointment. I was a bit wet behind the ears for my first & didn't realise they take miles as the crow flies, not real travelling time/ distance.
Only because I've done it myself iAce. They changed the assessment centre where I had my first face to face to one on the other side of the city, up lots of stairs with no lift & the nearest car park a multi storey on the other side of a dual carriageway, pelicans a distance either side of the road the venue. So in ire I went on the site searching for alternative assessment centres & there was one in the next town far closer. So I rang up to request it was changed to that one.
When needs must you shall find a way lol! It’s as if they purposefully pick these places with the hardest access I just don’t understand why they’d do such a thing!
Neither do I. I think in general you're right but I must say that the place where I had my review was good, dedicated spaces in the car park right outside the building & automatic doors. Not as far to walk once in the building or to the assessment room either.
Just a thought I read somewhere they should give you two weeks notice for appt maybe you should ask them to change it if its first appt you are able to do this. As others have said they won't take extra evidence and usually ask you to send it to dwp yourself.
Hi Alexann the letter tells me to so I will and I will bring the letter as proof that they asked me too, this is a review so they’ve definitely bent the rules as it’s less than 1 wks notice let alone 2, thank you for that I shall look into it x
When I submitted my Pip form had to send all my hospital letters and docs with it. These are what they are assessing you on didn't take any other letters as these wouldn't have been looked at. Just a thought do you get copied in on all letters that I sent to your Dr from the hospital ? I do and keep them all and photo copy them. Hope you get a good result and try not to worry xx
Ajay you’re right it is a f2f after I sent back the review form I just didn’t send any evidence with it and so this is the result.
It is my own fault as I have remained the same and assumed they’d have all my old eveidence but I now know it doesn’t work like that and will not make this mistake ever again!
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I took it to be send all evidence in with completed form to be assessed and wouldn't accept any letters at face to face 🤔 I wasn't asked for any extra letters at my meeting, I think its8to late by then.xx
I’m not sure when you all were written to or if it’s because I sent nothing at all with my review the first time around but on my letter the very last paragraph on the back of the letter says
“if you have anymore evidence that may help your claim and which you have not already provided, you can show this at your consultation yours sincerely Capita......”
But it does say SHOW so I will also SEND in so that it can hopefully be put on the record.
I took further evidence to my first PIP assessment & it was accepted. The assessor said she'd include it with my report when she sent it back to the DWP.
Oh that’s good hopefully mine will do the same may I ask did she read it there and then and did she use the evidence to write her final report or just send it on to the DWP without including it in her own findings NMH?
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Update on f2f appointment
PIP f2f next Thursday
Pip
F2f this morning 
