PIP refused a home visit

kipepeo · May 2019

I explained in my form how my agoraphobia, anxiety and IBS means I find it difficult to leave the house at all, even on 'good' days. I politely requested a home visit.

I received a letter today with an appointment for an assessment in a centre (or wherever they do the assessments). My dad called to ask for a home visit and they refused. Their reasoning is because I can attend an ESA appointment in my local Job Centre Plus building, I can attend their assessment. But the JCP is a five-minute car journey from my home, and the PIP place is over an hour. At the ESA appointments I always have a panic attack and get upset, which is humiliating, but now I have them over the phone.

My mental health has become worse lately, due to several things including two bereavements, and even a home visit would be extremely difficult for me.

My GP has helped with this kind of thing in the past, but more recently when I asked for support he said, and I quote, that I have to "get over this". I try not to see him now and more recently I was seeing a mental health nurse at the surgery but she has since left the practice.

I feel a bit stuck and scared. I was hoping to use the PIP money (if I received it) for private therapy as free therapy has worked in the past but only has a limited number of sessions.

poppy123456 · May 2019

HI,

A letter from your GP is needed stating why you can't attend the assessment centre, even then it can still be refused. If you can attend other appointments then they may not agree to a home assessment. If the assessment centre is too far for you to travel then you can cancel that and request one that's closer to home.

Topkitten · May 2019

I can't believe that a doctor would say that, it's unfair and unprofessional. I have suffered agoraphobia and anxiety for over a decade and staying indoors has only made it worse. It did improve for a while when I carefully went out to places I could trust or with people I could trust but it was very very difficult. I've never been able to have therapy because of the difficulties going out and it isn't available at home. Now that I am physically unable to go out much it has definitely got worse again. All I can suggest is to try to go out more with people you trust and get used to going to certain places. Hopefully you will, at some point, be able to go to them on your own.... even if it's only to a coffee shop.

TK

twonker · May 2019

ilovecats said:

You should investigate exposure therapy, designed to be done at home.

How things have changed. Back in the late 90's and early 00's I had this issue on top of other mental health issues.

The exposure therapy was carried out at the state of the art mental health day service unit attached to the hospital. I spent hours with my psychologist out in the grounds of the hospital being told to walk around where some people were fishing at a lake, others (nurses, doctors etc) were sitting in the gardens and in the summer tennis was being played on the courts by the hospital staff. In all of that time he shadowed me around until it became too much for me and took me back inside for a cup of tea. Year on year my fear of being near people subsided.

All in all I spent 7 years in that place sometimes going there 5/6 days a week. I was never more than 10 yards from help if I needed it. Then at times spent time under section. You never had the need to worry about claiming benefits, it was all done for you via your CPN, OT and designated Social Worker.

Now the place that was once my only place of safety is a walk in minor injuries unit.

Ironically and despite the DLA award I was given for all of those years (High Care & Mobility Indefinitely) since PIP came out the DWP have never accepted that I have ever had any mental health issues and none exist now.

kipepeo · May 2019

Thanks everyone for your replies. My dad spoke to my GP's secretary and requested a letter. I'm not sure if he gave all the correct details but my GP sent a letter off to the medical practice that I think is where the assessment is supposed to be held. So fingers crossed.

twonker · May 2019

ilovecats said:

And how does that negative anecdote help the OP?

It was in reference to the post suggesting exposure therapy. Great idea but nowadays there seems very little of it around and of the quality it was 16 or so years ago. It's the reality of the NHS today especially where mental health issues are involved.

In fact I quoted what I wrote on my PIP2 forms - resulting in no acceptance of mental health difficulties by the assessor.

Waylay · May 2019

@twonker Do you have any evidence you can send in for PIP? I know that a lot of us have stopped receiving NHS care for our MH, which makes DWP and assessors think that we're fine.Grump. My NHS secondary service is closing in October, and aside from the fear of going without any support after years of help, I'm pretty freaked out by what will happen with my benefits. My GP is happy to write notes about it, as he's a mental health specialist and has seen me through 8 years of mental illness, but who knows if that'll help? On the other hand, my last PIP assessor ignored all the evidence from the secondary service and the pain clinic, as did the MR, so *tfyuldtxciy!!* Tribunal read it all and awarded me, though. Do you get any private/charity counseling? My counselor wrote a fantastic letter. Costs money, obviously, although mine was seeing me for 10 GBP a week (recently raised to 25, alas, as her costs have increased).

PIP refused a home visit

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