PIP face to face assessment.

I have received an appointment for an assessment with Atos on the 24th November. On the PIP2 form where it asked if I had any special needs I said that I would be able to travel to a local centre (there are three in my locale, one fifteen, one 20 and one 35 minutes away) instead I have been sent to a centre that will take at least 75 minutes to travel there. I find sitting for that amount of time to be almost unbearable and I am extremely anxious about travelling to unfamiliar places but I am worried about asking them to change the location to a local one in case it prejudices my application.

I wish that I had not asked for a local assessment centre perhaps I'm being cynical but it it feels like the distance of the centre is a deliberate challenge.

Can you please advise.
Thank you.

Ring them immediately and tell them you cannot make the appointment.
Tell them you know where the three nearest ones are and you cannot understand why someone would deliberately book you into a centre so far away when you told them on the form that you cannot make it.
Burst into tears. Go crazy if need be. Threaten to make an official complaint.
You'll get a nearer appointment.

I seem to be reading more and more about this happening to people who have put in requests such as this, which is worrying.

Surely, if one has put in such a request on their PIP2 form in the relevant section, than to ask to be change to a suitable venue/time etc, (which Atos/Capita do) this should count as their first appointment and not be considered 'you are only able to change your appointment once' scenario.

It smacks of deliberately setting out to put claimants off being able to attend there assessements (or at least it does to me)

I think they think of it as a test.
If someone makes the appointment then they will discount information on the form.
If someone doesn't make it they lose their claim after two appointments.
Its all about getting the claim numbers down by any means possible.
Shame on them.

At my last ATOS meeting there was a lady with two walking sticks and i overheard her say it had taken her over an hour and half by train to get there,it made me curious if there was'nt somewhere nearer .

As & when I am called for a re-assessment for ESA (currently SG with no recommended timescale) & DLA to PIP (currently indefinite since the summer, previously for 4 years) I will include on the forms & covering letters that if I am required to attend a F2F I expect to be seen at the nearest assessment centre to my home as a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act.

mayflower