I've Had Enough Of The DWP!
- Thread starter Bakunin
- Start date
Bakunin
I am Noodle's bitch.
This is odd.
Unless I'm mistaken it's a Friday today (and I don't think I am mistaken as I collected my money from the cashpoint just after midnight). I just tried to ring the DWP (helpline opens from 7:30AM) and their helpline is closed. Seeing as it isn't a bank holiday and I don't think they're on strike, why is the helpline closed this morning?
Anybody?
Unless I'm mistaken it's a Friday today (and I don't think I am mistaken as I collected my money from the cashpoint just after midnight). I just tried to ring the DWP (helpline opens from 7:30AM) and their helpline is closed. Seeing as it isn't a bank holiday and I don't think they're on strike, why is the helpline closed this morning?
Anybody?
Okay, did a quick check on the DWP website (and it was before my 1st mug of tea of the day, so possibly wrong). No mention of any helplines being closed as far as I can see. It could be staff illness, could be somebody having forgotten to switch off the automatic message (left on over night), or something else. Try ringing again and see if it's still closed?
Bakunin
I am Noodle's bitch.
I just got off the phone to them and it's not good news. My consultant sent a report that was 'incomplete, apparently they sometimes do that when they're too busy to complete one fully' according to the lady who answered my inquiry so they've asked for a report from my GP instead. This would be the GP that I haven't seen since April last year and who consequently knows next to nothing about my current situation beyond what's in his notes.
On the plus side, my GP's notes will contain full details of my various ailments (which are: asthma, type 2 diabetes, bipolar, Asperger's and high blood cholesterol) which my psych consultant wouldn't necessarily know about which might add some weight to my case for general disability, and the fact that my shrink's report is 'incomplete' doesn't necessarily mean that he didn't send them any information at all, just that I don't know exactly what he sent them, if anything.
So, it's still a waiting game and I'm not necessarily looking towards a positive outcome without that supporting evidence. I still have an appeal in the works and there's always a tribunal if the appeal fails. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to start preparing for an appeal hearing now and have some solid evidence and documentation ready in case of need.
E2A: Just got off the phone to my consultant's secretary and she told me that they don't fill out DWP reports and all requests go direct to my GP. What effect that will have on my request for a review and my pending appeal I don't know, but I'm guessing that it isn't necessarily at all helpful to my case. This doesn't seem like good news to me.
Rolls up sleeves...Yes, start preparing for an appeal now (with all that it involves). At least then, if it has to go that far, it won't be quite as stressful or difficult for you. Meanwhile, keep going, okay? Every year, claimants give up and walk away from money which they're not only entitled to but also need - FFS don't be one of them.
There are ways of getting relevantly detailed supporting letters out of consultants and GPs, but unfortunately it depends on what sort of doctor/patient relationship you have. I'll send VP to this thread later (it'll be after midday) to explain about that.
Bakunin
I am Noodle's bitch.
Yes, start preparing for an appeal now (with all that it involves). At least then, if it has to go that far, it won't be quite as stressful or difficult for you. Meanwhile, keep going, okay? Every year, claimants give up and walk away from money which they're not only entitled to but also need - FFS don't be one of them.
There are ways of getting relevantly detailed supporting letters out of consultants and GPs, but unfortunately it depends on what sort of doctor/patient relationship you have. I'll send VP to this thread later (it'll be after midday) to explain about that.
Thanks for the help and advice. I've made an appointment with one of my local GP's for Tuesday afternoon to assess my general health (which should be fun if I'm as rough as I feel and look at the moment) so that's still ongoing. If I'm as rough as I currently feel then that should be extra weight for an appeal tribunal. I'm not at death's door or anything, no worries on that score, but I'm certainly not top dollar by any means.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Some issues with the DWP getting a report/letter from your consultant.
1) a decent report/letter will take yer man an hour +. The DWP offer NO payment to your consultant for doing this, therefore their PA/secretary will often do a cursory report which the consultant will sign off, but which won't tell the DWP what they need to know.
2) If your consultant hasn't seen you for a while, they may feel uncomfortable writing a report on you (I don't believe this applies to you, though).
3) Short/cursory/incomplete reports are often issued if there are time constraints.
My main weapon when reports/letters are required is to find out exactly what info is needed, and then go to the source myself. I've even scraped together the money to pay for a report before, because otherwise my consultant's secretary wouldn't have prioritised it, and I'd have been left waiting a month or two for it, rather than a couple of working days. So, if you can see your consultant and say "I really need a letter that explains X, Y and Z", that may facilitate things, rather than him having to go by the (rather laborious) form the DWP will send him.
1) a decent report/letter will take yer man an hour +. The DWP offer NO payment to your consultant for doing this, therefore their PA/secretary will often do a cursory report which the consultant will sign off, but which won't tell the DWP what they need to know.
2) If your consultant hasn't seen you for a while, they may feel uncomfortable writing a report on you (I don't believe this applies to you, though).
3) Short/cursory/incomplete reports are often issued if there are time constraints.
My main weapon when reports/letters are required is to find out exactly what info is needed, and then go to the source myself. I've even scraped together the money to pay for a report before, because otherwise my consultant's secretary wouldn't have prioritised it, and I'd have been left waiting a month or two for it, rather than a couple of working days. So, if you can see your consultant and say "I really need a letter that explains X, Y and Z", that may facilitate things, rather than him having to go by the (rather laborious) form the DWP will send him.
Bakunin
I am Noodle's bitch.
1. It looks as though they didn't even do a report at all, or if they did it was a very cursory one. All my shrink's secretary said was that they don't do DWP reports as a matter of course so I'm thinking they didn't even complete one.
2. My consultant saw me three months ago and my GP saw me last April, and it's my GP who'll be doing the report assuming they actually do it as, according to the surgery website, they don't do DWP reports as part of their NHS work and there's usually a fee to pay. And they don't always do DLA reports either. That and my current GP only works at my surgery on Thursdays now and is booked up weeks in advance. I have got a doctor's appointment with another of the practice GP's on Tuesday afternoon at which I'll be requesting a full health assessment with all the whistles and bells and tests and whatnot and will be finding out what I need to do (and have to pay) to get a DLA report from them after my assessment has been completed.
3. See answer 1 above.
I'm currently researching how to best prepare for an appeal (I've already filed a late, written appeal), what I need to do and how best to go about it from as many different websites as I can find. I've already made a list of potential sources of supporting evidence and where/who to try and get it from and I'm working on the assumption that I'll need to take it to an appeal as I doubt now that I'm going to get a positive outcome from my request for a reconsideration. So, it looks as though it'll be even longer before I can expect to be able to pay off debts and get things back on track again.
Bakunin
I am Noodle's bitch.
Gits.
I finally got a decision (05/09/11) and it was what I expected, no change in my decision or benefit rates so now I'm going for an appeal. The DWP sent me their appeal submission dated 14/09/11 and when I called the Tribunals Service about my appeal date they told me that they didn't have my appeal on file as the DWP hadn't sent them anything. That and the DWP decision maker made the new decision based on the fact that I can walk 250 metres normally (I can't) instead of the 25 metres that I can manage without using my inhaler for a couple of puffs. The medical examiner's report is, unusually for an ATOS medical, very supportive as was the examining doctor and also mentions my extreme blood cholesterol level while the DWP decision maker doesn't even list my dangerously high blood cholesterol on the initial form they sent to the examining doctor.
So, to sum up,
1. I got the review I expected instead of what I wanted.
2. The DWP's submission to the Tribunal Service has mysteriously been lost in the post which I would have known nothing about and thus my appeal time could have lapsed without my even knowing it.
3. The DWP decision maker made the review decision based on a partially completed and inaccurate set of facts and doesn't seem to have realised the fact. Whether or not this is a good thing for me at the appeal I don't know, but it certainly seems like a couple of useful shots to fire.
I finally got a decision (05/09/11) and it was what I expected, no change in my decision or benefit rates so now I'm going for an appeal. The DWP sent me their appeal submission dated 14/09/11 and when I called the Tribunals Service about my appeal date they told me that they didn't have my appeal on file as the DWP hadn't sent them anything. That and the DWP decision maker made the new decision based on the fact that I can walk 250 metres normally (I can't) instead of the 25 metres that I can manage without using my inhaler for a couple of puffs. The medical examiner's report is, unusually for an ATOS medical, very supportive as was the examining doctor and also mentions my extreme blood cholesterol level while the DWP decision maker doesn't even list my dangerously high blood cholesterol on the initial form they sent to the examining doctor.
So, to sum up,
1. I got the review I expected instead of what I wanted.
2. The DWP's submission to the Tribunal Service has mysteriously been lost in the post which I would have known nothing about and thus my appeal time could have lapsed without my even knowing it.
3. The DWP decision maker made the review decision based on a partially completed and inaccurate set of facts and doesn't seem to have realised the fact. Whether or not this is a good thing for me at the appeal I don't know, but it certainly seems like a couple of useful shots to fire.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
I wish you all the best in your fight, bakunin, and I admire your tenacity in the face of all this. Keep up the fight, and good luck.
Bakunin
I am Noodle's bitch.
I've been checking some of my paperwork since I arrived at my new home and it's been a month now since my new MP (Geoffrey Cox) recieved my letter detailing my problems with the DWP and promised in his reply to have a little chat with the DWP's Chief Exec. In his reply he promised to have me sent out a copy of the DWP Chief Exec's response and as it's been four weeks and nothing from either the MP or the DWP I think I should ring the MP's office (I'll have to wait until Monday to ring the DWP's DLA department as that office-full of timeserving clockwatchers only bother to open up between Monday and Friday).
A number of possible reasons spring to mind;
1. That I was sent something that was lost in the post. Possible, but IMHO unlikely as the MP's office have my new address and correct postcode.
2. That the DWP are stonewalling and/or lying to my MP in the hope that said MP will find something else to do, so will go away and leave them alone. Quite possible, seeing as stonewalling and outright lying are things at which the DWP are very, very good and have no scruples about doing as long as they think they can get away with doing.
3. That the DWP people are so far behind with their mail, owing to their habitual incompetence and/or laziness, that even an enquiry from an elected public official isn't given a proper level of priority. Possible, but unlikely, seeing as my new MP stated that he would be enquiring about my case to the Chief Exec personally.
A number of possible reasons spring to mind;
1. That I was sent something that was lost in the post. Possible, but IMHO unlikely as the MP's office have my new address and correct postcode.
2. That the DWP are stonewalling and/or lying to my MP in the hope that said MP will find something else to do, so will go away and leave them alone. Quite possible, seeing as stonewalling and outright lying are things at which the DWP are very, very good and have no scruples about doing as long as they think they can get away with doing.
3. That the DWP people are so far behind with their mail, owing to their habitual incompetence and/or laziness, that even an enquiry from an elected public official isn't given a proper level of priority. Possible, but unlikely, seeing as my new MP stated that he would be enquiring about my case to the Chief Exec personally.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
You omit the possibility that your mp simply lied to you
Agreed, although in a perfect world there'd be no need to do this.
Bakunin
I am Noodle's bitch.
There'd be no need for me to pursue the course of action outlined in the link below, but as a result of today's response to my MP hitting my doormat I've finally lost patience with the DWP and its drones so one of them is about to recieve a letter threatening to sue them as a private individual for false representation when dealing with my original claim form back in November 2010. The DWP might be able to close ranks if it's under legal fire as a whole department, but I doubt the original decision maker will be quite so intractable now that I've cut them from the herd and singled them out for particular attention:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/suing_the_dwp
The letter is due to be posted tomorrow and I'll be doing the rounds of Legal Aid firms that specialise in welfare rights cases and civil litigation. Watch this space.
^^^This.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
How's it going, Bakunin? Any progress? Hope you're doing ok.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
Can you start the legal process to sue or do you have to wait until the appeal is over?
Sorry to hear they're being such knobends about the whole thing. Best of luck.
narrowboat boy
New Member
Only comfort I can offer you is I've been there, done that in the past. To cut a very long story short, you have zero chance of getting anywhere now with your claims from the DWP. Your only hope is the actual tribunal. I went to that, the tribunal people were great, they completely belittled the DWP representative there for her incompetance in my case which was so obviously genuine. ( Mind you the fact I actually had an epileptic fit bought on by all the stress at the actual tribunal may of helped I admit, but epilepsy wasnt my only medical problem.) but they all agreed that my case was so obviously genuine, and should never have gone this far, and I should never have even been put through all this stress. I was awarded all my money back, and it all backdated over the year it took from my first appeal, until I got to the tribunal. That was about 4 years ago now, I was also awarded for an indefinate period to stop this from happening to me again.
So dont give up hope! fight until the end, they hope you wont, thats why they put you through this, But the appeals people are independent. Just make sure you take along with you as much evidence as you can. Also do like I did, go see a solicitor. They are not allowed to reprisent you at the hearing, but they can write suportive letters for you which all helps.
Very good luck to you!
My only worry now is what happens in a year of two's time when this 'PIP' thing starts? Is everyone going to be re-assed again? or are the people who have got it for an indefinate period at least going to be exempt?? I really dont want to go through all this hassle again In a year or so's time. The worry of it is already starting to affect my health. I'm hoping we'll have a general strike or something by then and the gov will have to do a 'U' turn on it or something.
So dont give up hope! fight until the end, they hope you wont, thats why they put you through this, But the appeals people are independent. Just make sure you take along with you as much evidence as you can. Also do like I did, go see a solicitor. They are not allowed to reprisent you at the hearing, but they can write suportive letters for you which all helps.
Very good luck to you!
My only worry now is what happens in a year of two's time when this 'PIP' thing starts? Is everyone going to be re-assed again? or are the people who have got it for an indefinate period at least going to be exempt?? I really dont want to go through all this hassle again In a year or so's time. The worry of it is already starting to affect my health. I'm hoping we'll have a general strike or something by then and the gov will have to do a 'U' turn on it or something.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
I'm glad the appeal worked for you, narrowboat boy 
Bakunin, any progress on the legal aid stuff?
Bakunin, any progress on the legal aid stuff?
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