Atos 'invite' me to a F2F after PIP Review, URGENT advice please

Will do, Gary.

Apologies for the length of this, here is the formal written version of the phone call I'm going to make (the call itself will just be the very quick 'bullet points', it's the most I can manage ). I need an opinion on it so I'm just wondering if it covers everything or even if it's too much (I get fixated on points easily and overemphasise stuff, one of The Joys Of ASD). I need to get it posted ASAP though and here is the only place I can think of for a quick enough response.

"RE: PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT AWARD REVIEW 2023
FACE-TO-FACE CONSULTATION APPOINTMENT XX/XX/2023

REQUEST FOR REVIEW OF ASSESSMENT TYPE

I would like to make it categorically clear that I am not refusing to take part in the above PIP assessment. However, I wish to request an urgent review of the type of assessment I am expected to undergo and the decision to require me to attend a face-to-face consultation. I consider that it is neither safe nor reasonable to require me to attend a face to face assessment, and whilst still not ideal for me from the standpoint of my own psychological distress, a telephone consultation would be safer for me and more appropriate to a fair assessment, for the following reasons:

1. Sensory perception issues associated with Autism (ASD) and Social Phobia mean that I cannot reliably engage in any form of face to face interaction, but especially so with a complete stranger in an unfamiliar enclosed space. Whether it is ISA's intention or not, I will feel that my personal safety is at risk and I will perceive a face to face consultation as a potentially hostile interrogation. Therefore any responses I give will be highly inaccurate and will certainly be unreliable as they would effectively be obtained under psychological duress, which would not constitute a fair assessment and would defeat the whole object of having one.

2. I have no support or familiar person to accompany me to a face to face assessment (which would be ESSENTIAL for my own safety and psychological wellbeing in such a distressing situation as a face to face consultation).

3. Even if I were to be accompanied, I am unable to travel by public transport due to social phobia and ASD associated sensory perception issues, and physical mobilty issues. Travel in any vehicle including a taxi for more than a couple of miles soon becomes an overwhelming and distressing experience for me and the cost of traveling by taxi is prohibitive (I believe it will cost approximately £25-30 each way). I very rarely leave home at all and a long and distressing journey to a consultation centre will only serve to make any assessment that follows it that much more unreliable.

4. I would be so distressed by the prospect of traveling to the venue and having to interact with other people on the day that I would be very unlikely to even be able to organise myself properly to attend, and there is no-one to help me prepare to do so.

I would like to remind the reader that all of the above points were fully documented (and explained in much greater detail ) in the attached notes and specialist evidence that accompanied the original PIP 1043 Review form that I completed and returned to DWP in July.

I am reliably informed that assessors working with the DWP are required to choose ‘the most appropriate and safest’ method of assessment and to make 'reasonable adjustments' to accommodate claimants' needs and vulnerabilities. I do not consider that my needs and vulnerabilities are presently being accommodated in any way by being required to attend a face to face assessment, when face to face interaction in and of itself is the main trigger of any overwhelming psychological distress I am certain to suffer through such an experience.

It seems that because I can express myself adequately in writing it has been assumed that I can also do so in person, when this is very far from the truth. My ability to express myself in writing is entirely in compensation for not being able to express myself reliably through any other form of communication - face to face interaction being the most distressing and overwhelming for me - and even in writing I can only express myself clearly after much time and effort.

In my case, although still not ideal, a telephone consultation would be a more appropriate and reasonable method of assessment. It would allow me to be assessed with the minimum of emotional and psychological distress, while still making me immediately available to provide any extra information required in a more reliable and effective manner."

Sorry that's so long, is that appropriate or could/should it be more concise? If nothing else, even if the ATOS 'Health Professional' who reads it just immediately chucks it in the bin, is it usable as evidence that I did everything within reason to comply with DWP demands?

If it's more or less good to go, then other users might find it useful to read, so there's that at least...

UPDATE:

Got onto both CAB and Welfare Rights first thing this morning, both also say I should call to request a change. Both also agree I should also put it in writing to cover myself if the DWP get involved. Instead of that last terse (but still long-winded) and panicky version of the written request, I've come up with this which is a bit more concise:

"RE: PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT AWARD REVIEW 2023 : FACE-TO-FACE CONSULTATION APPOINTMENT 30/10/2023
REQUEST FOR REVIEW OF ASSESSMENT TYPE

I would like to formally request an urgent review of the decision to require me to attend a face-to-face consultation on 30 October 2023. I am not refusing to be assessed, but based upon professional advice I wish to request a change of assessment type from face to face to paper-based or telephone as a reasonable adjustment. This is due to me suffering from clinically diagnosed autistic sensory perception issues and long-standing social phobia that makes face to face interaction with strangers impossible, and also the fact that these issues coupled with chronic physical mobility and nervous incontinence issues make use of public transport and long distance travel to an assessment centre impossible.

I also at present have no-one to support me or accompany me to a face-to-face consultation or on the journey to it, which would be ESSENTIAL for my own safety and psychological well-being.

Autistic hypersensitivity means that I cannot reliably retain or relay verbal information and cannot read social cues or correctly interpret physical body language in a face to face situation. I would suffer what is clinically referred to as 'sensory overload' in such a situation and I would be so distressed and disoriented that any answers I would give would be totally unreliable and would compromise a fair assessment.

Face to face interaction with a stranger is in and of itself the main trigger of any psychological distress I am certain to suffer through such an experience. Having to attend a face to face consultation without any support would therefore not be safe or appropriate for me, as it would certainly trigger overwhelming psychological distress and ultimately it could not be considered a fair assessment.

I did not receive formal notice of the appointment until the 23rd October, which allows little time to seek advice and take action, but I have already requested this change by telephone (with some difficulty, due to my conditions). After seeking professional advice I have decided to also put the request in writing to allow for further detail and clarification. I would rather have emailed this request for a swift response, but as IAS offers no email contact option, I am having to make this request in writing and send it by post.

I can be contacted at the addresses above (in writing or by email preferred). "


Any more advice (or just literary criticism) will be gratefully received.

I'll call them in the morning, and send that off Special Delivery in the afternoon. I'm done with this for today, now.

Good points BIS, thanks.

I'll report back on how it goes...

UPDATE:

Right. Well. I called IAS first thing this morning to try and change the assessment. Spoke to a lovely and polite soft-spoken Scotsman, who was very adamantly having absolutely none of it, and in his lovely and polite soft-spoken accent he very firmly told me it would be impossible, in fact.

Some way into this exchange, I realised we were at cross-purposes and he seemed to think I wanted to cancel it altogether. I restated that I realised they didn't have the basic human compassion weren't going to do that and I just wanted it changed to a paper or telephone assessment.

After some more to and fro where I ended up breaking down and more or less having to say I was going to kill myself if he didn't help me, he finally agreed to change it to a telephone assessment.

All very draining and humiliating. Debasing, even.

But I got it done.