PIP meeting can you request change in location

[boringlyboring]

There is a pip assessment centre in the city we live but my nan has been sent an appointment in a place an hour away. To get there we would need to take public transport which will be a nightmare for her (physically). she’s already stressing about travelling for that long ☹️

Has anyone mamaged to change locations successfully? It just seems ridiculous when they have an assessment centre ten minutes away from her house.

It might also say only an hour away on the map, but there are hours worth of delays every single day on the motorways around here and she is really going to struggle.

I’m of course going to ring on Monday but I’ll be worrying about it until then so thought I’d ask for advice in the meantime.

Yes although you may need to push them. And I would phrase it as she’s unable to do it, not she’s going to struggle. Have you comsidered requesting an appt at home?

Actually just checked again and they have 2 offices here 2 minutes away from each other. Really hope they can change it so my nan doesn’t have to be in pain to get to her assessment ☹️

I have been looking at that but it seems it’s only in the case where GPs have to visit the home aswell?
Last time she had the assessment I asked for a home visit but they declined, however that was only half an hour away and they didn’t have offices here then. Plus since then her conditions have worsened a lot.

I wonder if it’s possible for a doctor provide supporting evidence that she can’t travel that far.

And thank you for the advice on how to phrase it

Yes, it can be done, but GP will need to give supporting evidence as to why ur nan can't travel

Thank you, she has a doc appointment next week anyway so I will discuss it then

I have had all of mine at home and didn't need a doctors letter

I just rang and said due to my mobility issues I needed a home visit

Dh was also given an appointment for a centre miles away despite our city having at least 3 locations all within 10 minute drives! I wonder why that is considering when I rang to request a change of location it was done no problem and within a reasonable time scale so didn't seem like it was because of lack of appointments, again

I have also phoned to request a home appointment and all that was said was they'd "have to contact his gp - is that ok?" I said yes and the home appointment was given, I do t think they even contacted the gp. Probably just wanted to see if I'd be flustered about them contacting the gp and give in to a centre appointment (in other words dh was really ok to travel/mobile enough etc)

DM got sent an appointment in the next town over. With public transport "directions" that would have meant walking several times the distance she was able to. I think it's deliberate. But anyway she rescheduled and was offered an appointment much closer (which meant a taxi was affordable).

Thanks for the replies. I never thought of it being deliberate, it could well be.

My first thought was ffs who the hell is managing these diaries!

I had my assessment at home and just said I needed one due to the nature of my disability. I didn’t need any letters or reports to support it, they just gave me one.

I think it's deliberate too. Like a test. Then when the person seems to get there with no problems (in their eyes) they'll write that down as a reason why they're not unwell enough to get it. They really are the worst.

I saw someone on Reddit say they refused her because she was wearing nail polish and wiped her own nose during the assessment. So obviously didn't have mobility issues. 🙄

Really glad to hear that many of you have rescheduled without problems.

If my nan wasn’t dependent on the money, I’d be tempted to be PA sarcastic and say she can’t attend as she’s skiing that day

I know it’s a small thing in the grand scheme, and it will hopefully be sorted but it’s really stressed my poor nan out as she was very worried about the travel or missing her appointment.

We did this for DW. The procedure is you have to not turn up at the scheduled appointment, and when they contact you to reschedule, request a home visit.

It's a shit process, and I don't trust them an inch, so call recordings and multiple copies of letters (the decision maker should receive copies of everything you send back, as well as the assessors).

When you get your assessment the assessor will not have a copy of your submission and will try and get you to re-answer all the questions again. So make sure you have a hard copy to read from, and one to give to the assessor (who will refuse it, as they aren't allowed to have sight of them).

These guys are invaluable, and well worth the fee. I can recommend them from personal experience (they explained how to change assessment location).

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum1

After the assessment DW was awarded PIP with a recommendation for no reassessment ....

They did this to me aswell, there's a centre in my home town yet they tried to send me to one that was 10 miles away! My partner phoned them and got it changed very quickly, I'm sure they do it to test you.

Yes,I did this. My initial appointment was at an assessment centre that was 3 different buses away! At 9am in the morning,too. I phoned and told them that a) I could not travel on buses at peak times,and b) the journey would take me 2.5 hours,meaning that I would have to leave home at 6.30am. The woman I spoke to was a little bit sniffy about it,asking why the journey was a problem. I explained that the buses would inevitably be packed and I never get offered a seat,despite being visibly disabled (using walking sticks). She did agree to change it though,to a centre nearer to me (but still 2 buses and an hour and a half's journey away).
Personally,I think it's ridiculous the distances they expect disabled people to travel to these assessments. It's almost as if they're testing you,with a 'you managed that journey,so you can't be THAT disabled attitude'. I believe there was a campaign/petition set up several months ago regarding this issue,can't remember where I saw it though.

It absolutely is a test. My daughter was offered (and attended) an assessment appointment in a town 40 minutes away by car, or two buses, a train ride and nearly two hours by public transport. She suffers from anxiety, in particular anxiety about travelling by public transport, and within that, severe anxiety about relying on public transport to get to a timed appointment. She didn't refuse the appointment, but instead I took a day off work and drove her there.

Those of you who've had dealings with PIP/ESA assessors will no doubt know what's coming. She was refused her ESA on the basis that she had no problem in travelling to the appointment on a complex (to her, no problem to the neurotypical adult with good mental health) journey undertaken by public transport. If I hadn't been available, she wouldn't have been able to afford the taxi fare, and so wouldn't have been able to attend.

At her appeal hearing, DWP offered no defence, and were ordered not to call her for reassessment for a minimum period of two years.

OP, make it clear - in writing if possible - that your nan is not capable of that journey, and needs an accessible appointment, or a home visit.

Just passing on some advice we were given - if you can get to one of their centres then do so.
The reason being that your home is set up for you to manage in so they may get the impression that you can manage better than you can.