GP letter charge

stazi

No matter what ATOS has told you, JCP staff have no reason to visit you about this matter, nor will JCP pay for letters from GP's. It is you that has asked for a letter from your GP, and sorry, but it is you who will pay for any letter.

pretty_mumma

But i havent asked for a letter. Atos have told me to get a letter, therefore surely it shouldnt be up to me to pay for something thats been requested by them? Or am i totally missing the point?

TOBRUK

But i havent asked for a letter. Atos have told me to get a letter, therefore surely it shouldnt be up to me to pay for something thats been requested by them? Or am i totally missing the point?

Hi pretty mumma, It seems to me that reading your first post (below) that as you have told them that you can't attend your medical you need to get a letter from your GP to explain why you can't attend - that's the point.

They wouldn't have requested a letter from your GP if you were attending the medical and so unless you can attend the medical YOU are the one that is requesting the GP for a letter so you don't attend their medical - I hope I've explained it clearly enough.

If you were attending the medical as requested you wouldn't need a letter from your GP.

pretty_mumma wrote: »

Hi, I hope someone can help me here.

Im currently receiving esa and have recently completed the medical questionaire. They have now asked me in for a medical assessment. Due to my problems, i cannot go to the office so have requested a home visit. They told me to get my gp to write a report stating why i cannot attend. and fax it to them.

My gp is happy to do this, but the surgery want to charge me anything from £20 to £60 for this. Thats a weeks benefit for me.

My question is, should i have to pay for this? And if not, who do i speak to?

elfen

I went to the ATOS medical, knowing it would cause problems, as they want to see you how you are on a normal day. And for me, a normal day involved getting stressed about not being able to find where I was going, having to talk to people I don't know about getting there (I am proud I managed this - I never usually do) and travelling on public transport, which scared the life out of me. And they actually asked about some of this too, so it was relevant.

You'll be charged for the GP letter, unless you request it in the appointment. I asked for one for my DSA assessment, and my GP said he'd do it for me for free, even though I know he would be right to charge me. Can you get an appointment with your GP and ask in the appointment?

hermanmunster_3

I knew someone who would have had along journey to ATOS - she cannot see well - they sent her the itinerary for the journey on public transport. The journey was so long she would have had to start out v early and give inject her insulin on the bus. She thought she might scare the other passengers.

30 min drive doesn't sound too bad ... if you find driving difficult, can you get a lift?

dmg24

elfen wrote: »

I went to the ATOS medical, knowing it would cause problems, as they want to see you how you are on a normal day. And for me, a normal day involved getting stressed about not being able to find where I was going, having to talk to people I don't know about getting there (I am proud I managed this - I never usually do) and travelling on public transport, which scared the life out of me. And they actually asked about some of this too, so it was relevant.

You'll be charged for the GP letter, unless you request it in the appointment. I asked for one for my DSA assessment, and my GP said he'd do it for me for free, even though I know he would be right to charge me. Can you get an appointment with your GP and ask in the appointment?

It would not make a difference whether you ask for the letter at an appointment or over the phone. The purpose is still the same, and therefore the letter will still be chargeable.

rodeo

pretty_mumma wrote: »

Hi, I hope someone can help me here.

Im currently receiving esa and have recently completed the medical questionaire. They have now asked me in for a medical assessment. Due to my problems, i cannot go to the office so have requested a home visit. They told me to get my gp to write a report stating why i cannot attend. and fax it to them.

My gp is happy to do this, but the surgery want to charge me anything from £20 to £60 for this. Thats a weeks benefit for me.

My question is, should i have to pay for this? And if not, who do i speak

to?

Hi ,
heres our experience of basically the same situation as yours.
My partner claims long term ib and since last july as received dla medium rate care, and low rate mobility, and I claim carers allowance.
He received a letter from dwp about his incapacity benefit at the beginning of December and I filled in the form and sent it back.
He then got a letter end of December from Atos to attend a medical, I then phoned the medical centre up and explained that my partner cannot attend a centre due to his medical condition, he gets his benefits for mental health issues, panic attacks, anxiety, and agraphobia (it as taken us years to actually manage to claim for dla for him but thats another thread but can explain how i did it if anyone needs help in that direction )We did this the last time he was asked for a medical for ib and knew they would ask for a fax from our doctor, the doctor did come out to him last time on a saturday morning so how much did that cost them???? Anyway went to the doctors gave them the fax number and asked them if they would fax the medical centre, they still had the previous fax on file so all they did was change the date...!!! no charge was mentioned this time or last time.
We got a letter back last week saying after looking again at the information on the form they were not sending out a doctor this time !!!
whooo hoo what a result,,,, imo its a lot about how you fill in the forms and not about the disability in question as mental health issues are not easy to get benefits for, just to add he didnt get a medical for the dla either when he applied for that last year.
Phew sorry long post but i just wanted to get everything in.