UC hardship payments; application, process?

As there is now an unprecedented proportion of UC claimants sanctioned, I’m interested to know if hardship payment applications still require a hardship interview in the Jobcentre, or can this be done over the phone.
Previous experience of applying for hardship involved arranging a next day hardship interview at the Jobcentre. Given that a previous research tells us that a disproportionate number of sanctioned clients are disabled, and sometimes that can make attending a JCP very difficult, has anyone been through a hardship payment application which did not involve a trip to the Jobcentre?

Advice for Decision makers chapter L

L1031 Initial contact is most likely to be
1.  over the phone to the Contact Centre or
2.  in person at the JCP office.
Claimants will then normally be required to attend an appointment at their local JCP office to provide further information and evidence in support of the application.