Please can you help me - PIP F2F Appointment !!

Dear Benefits and Work,

Firstly thank you for your incredible guides and advice.

I have chronic anxiety with catastrophising thoughts with brittle insulin type 1 diabetes - both have their own effects and both effects each other.

I am in the support group no f2f.

I applied for PIP Sep 11th and have today (Jan 6th) received a F2F appointment with ATOS dated Jan 4th.

I have some questions please if I may:

1) The appointment is on a date that I have a key consultation already arranged.

The ATOS f2f is also at a time close to lunch which is impossible due to my conditions. You could rearrange countless appointments just on the time. The appointment is also very far away (my family would bring me as I couldn't do it / drive it / public transport due to my mental health and physical conditions. There are closer places to see them. Despite this I would still need the same help even for a short distance.

I know I can rearrange appointments but meetings have a hugely detrimental impact on my health in terms of acute anxiety and the way this effects my brittle diabetic control in terms of hypos / effecting cognitive ability.

My health team acknowledge this fact. Does this medical have to occur?

Is there anything that can be provided to backup that this meeting would chronically impact me?

It was at the end of my form and I was exhausted and getting another piece of evidence felt too much for me but I'm sure they would have provided a letter confirming this. I never requested a home visit stupidly because getting the extra evidence would have taken too long and I was seriously unwell to deal with anything else.

Even with my family bringing me and my partner accompanying me the effects it would have on me would be severely detrimental.

Is it too late to request a home visit now a F2F has been arranged?

2) Since my application I have had a separate consultation which I referred to within the PIP2 (that it was going to happen after returning the PIP) . The report highlights in detail (in conjunction with all of my other evidence) how my condition effects me. I didn't send it afterwards due to my health and it was too much after the process of the pip2 application. I thought if I needed extra evidence at a later stage this was it (I already have a lot but this piece does highlight how my disabilities effect me in more detail).

Should I send this now? Or wait until I see someone at home or f2f?

3) Even a home visit - the run up to it and the after effects will seriously set me back. The effects it has on my blood sugar I can't describe.

Obviously this new evidence won't cancel the appointment now it's been made?

Are there any alternatives?

I suppose due to my conditions, experience with Esa and my health team's view I didn't think a f2f would happen.

4) A phone call is out of the question for me - can my partner ring on my behalf? Will ATOS need to verify details with me (so I know in advance)?

A final point is that both my conditions require consultants at the highest level.

It's unclear currently what treatment methods are required for my mental health. I have had different treatments so far but things are still chronic. If asked about it all I can do is be honest - it's still being worked out with my health team.

My health team are working out what is the best choice and new avenues can be discussed soon - I have a new CPN also which is a trigger for me too - anxious about that. See him soon for first time properly.

I hope I can relay that to an assessor. It is simply up in the air.

Any advice and support would be deeply appreciated. This site, its moderators and members provide an invaluable service. Thank you.

Thank you very for your response Gordon. I really appreciate it.

In September for my PIP2 I stated my first consultation date for November. Following this consultation another one was arranged however which is the date 27/01/2014 (date of f2f too).

Due to it not being arranged until after sending back my PIP2 - it was arranged after my first consultation! Can I re-arrange with no fault? Or will the limitation apply? Should I have notified them when I found out the additional date? It was just too much to do that.

Please could you advise me also regarding the PIP & DWP addresses.

For ATOS is the address on my f2f appointment letter the correct address?
For DWP is the address that I originally send the PIP2 the correct address?

Sincere thanks.

Thank you so much again for your great response.

I have sent the new evidence to both ATOS and the decision maker.

I signed the covering letters but somehow forgot to put a date on the letters unfortunately. As this is simply a letter at this stage informing them of and attaching the addtional supporting evidence does the lack of date matter etc? Can it all still be accepted etc?

Sincere thanks for your help.

Glass wrote: Thank you so much again for your great response.

I have sent the new evidence to both ATOS and the decision maker.

I signed the covering letters but somehow forgot to put a date on the letters unfortunately. As this is simply a letter at this stage informing them of and attaching the addtional supporting evidence does the lack of date matter etc? Can it all still be accepted etc?

Sincere thanks for your help.

Hi G,

As it is simply a covering letter drawing attention to attached evidence, the lack of a date "shouldn't" stop them accepting it.

However, if you wish to be absolutely sure, you could resend copies of the information already sent, dated as current, explaining that you have re-sent the information as you forgot to date the previous letter :

Sending Documents to the DWP or ATOS

bro58