which is better for esa - home visit or atos centr

Hi there,
I'd appreciate some advice about which would help my situation for an ESA claim. I have been automatically been given a date (26th July) to visit ATOS for my ESA medical examination. However I have been advised by my welfare advisor to request a home visit. My GP is prepared to make the request based on my illness (chronic pain condition).
I was just wondering about what a home visit would entail - would my home also be evaluated as a marker of how ill I am? I am a private person and don't really like the idea of someone looking through my home for "clues" about me. I have been wondering if I were to get someone to get me to the medical centre, that it might be a more neutral setting where the emphasis would be on the illness and me.

Can anyone recommend what might be the better strategy/approach re location for the medical exam? Will the home visit give me an advantage at all or does it really make absolutely no difference at all?

Many thanks for your help!
Nic

It seems by reading some of the posts in this forum it all depends what kind of health care professional you get there are some that do not put everything down as you have told them and are some that do giving you more points.

So going to the centre by yourself only decreases your chances as you did manage to get to the centre.

My advice is to take someone with you if you do go to the centre and see if you can get a taxi there they will provide that in some cases.

Best of luck

According to Section 3.11 of the 'Medical Srvices's Training & Development ESA Handbook' available from the Members Section

it states:-

3.11 Domiciliary visits
Not all benefit assessments are conducted at the examination centre. On
occasions a claimant will indicate that they are unfit to travel to or to attend the MEC and a domiciliary visit becomes necessary.


Of course the problem is that what is written in the Medical Services Handbook and what Atos will actually do are two completely different things as we've seen with respect to the regulations surrounding IB113s Atos make up the rules as they go along with total impunity!!

Unless someone with more experience in this matter can suggest a course of action I would explain to Atos the situation and the support you will receive from your GP and should they kick up a fuss and say they can't or don't do home visits point out what it says in their own Handbook and see what they say. It may also be helpful to get prior advice from the CAB (if they're not too busy) or your local Council Welfare Rights Office regarding home visits.

As for them snooping around your house I wouldn't worry too much about that. If they ask if they can use your loo tell them to cross their legs

Forewarned is forearmed when it comes to dealing with Atos.