Can't cope with thought of PIP home visit
Posted , 14 users are following.
I received a letter regarding a medical assessment with Atos next week. I suffer with severe anxiety and depression. No way can I attend as I don't leave the house as I also have a severe skin condition and I am too ashamed of the way I look. I contacted Atos and cancelled the appointment as my doctor and counsellor have written a letter explaining that I am unable to attend as it will cause extreme anxiety. Atoms have now said that they will request a home visit instead. I got too upset on the phone and had to hang up as I couldn't breathe. My question is, if I refuse a home visit because of my anxiety then will I get my claim closed? My anxiety us so bad and I cannot deal with meeting new people. I rarely see anyone and I don't let friends or family into the house. I just don't know what to do as I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. I feel pretty desperate and don't know how I will live without any money. Has anyone else been in a situation like this? I explained on my form that I avoid people at all costs. I can't bare the thought of them coming to my house. I really would appreciate any advice. Thanks.
1 like, 27 replies
mike09523 Toby55
Posted
Hi,
What a terrible shame. I do sympathise with you as do all the other posts.
However this is all in your hands,if you have a home visit you control the situation. You can dictate the room you feel most at ease in, you control how bright or dark the room is, if you want a toilet break or tea break you can call the shots. They don't do home visits unless they are convinced ed you end one. If you are uncomfortable being on show perhaps you could wear a veil or scarf. I think you need to show some co-operation as they have done so for you. Best of luck, mike
anthony97723 Toby55
Posted
Like everyone else I really sympathise with your situation.
I fully understand how you feel but the brutal truth is there is no way around it. You HAVE to be assessed to receive benefit no matter how uncomfortable that may make you.
All you can do is manage the situation and there have been some excellent suggestions already to how you can do that by other posters.
Your starting point is to accept this and stop running away from the problem in the hope it will go away, because it simply won’t. As well as being able to manage the situation also think about how you can turn this assessment into an opportunity.
By that I mean it gives you a window to show the assessors just how difficult your life is and you can request that future re-assessments should be paper based from now on as your condition will never improve. That would mean you have one very uncomfortable hour and in return get years of peace.
1914 anthony97723
Posted
sounds like pull your self together, if you had this problem you wouldn't say what you did, except situation, no matter how many times you repeat yourself it won't work!
Guest Toby55
Posted
denise15811 Guest
Posted
When taking someone with you to an assessment there's no need to ring the assessment providers first to ask permission. You can just take someone to support you. They may not always be able to answer questions for you but the can certianly take notes.
Pinkoctopus Toby55
Posted
denise15811 Pinkoctopus
Posted
Hi Pink.
Toby hasn't been active since posting the quesion, which is over 1 year ago. Was there something you needed help with?
Pinkoctopus denise15811
Posted
No Denise, I wondered about Toby's well being tbh
denise15811 Pinkoctopus
Posted
Toby55 Pinkoctopus
Posted
I'm doing ok thanks so much for asking.
Pinkoctopus Toby55
Posted
Hi Toby, I sent you an inbox but I don't know if you recieved it or not. My heart skipped a beat when I saw that you'd replied! Thank you for coming back to me. I stumbled across this thread as my brother is going through something very similar so I was reading and then it came to an end and I couldn't bare not to know if you were ok or not!