Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
20-10-2016, 18:25
|
#91
|
cf.mega poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Northampton
Services: Virgin Media TV&BB 350Mb,
V6 STB
Posts: 7,865
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichardCoulter
You are correct, but the rules regarding speed, manner, pain etc are often overlooked by the private companies whose sole aim is to make money out of these assessments.
This is why I think that this function should not be completely outsourced and why so many appeals are successful.
---------- Post added at 18:16 ---------- Previous post was at 18:13 ----------
As a former Decision Maker, I can say that you have hit the nail on the head (although staff cuts have played their part too).
This attitude also appears to be being taken by the banks ie just say no and let the Ombudsman decide.
---------- Post added at 18:17 ---------- Previous post was at 18:16 ----------
ESA is now a totally different animal to the one introduced by Labour.
|
How would they make more money from the assessments?
If the problems have existed BEFORE any staff cuts, then staff cuts can't be to blame.
The changes were suggested in 2009, "Work Capability Review, October 2009". Eg Changing from walking to mobilising, therefore including wheelchair use is there.
Last edited by nomadking; 20-10-2016 at 18:45.
|
|
|
20-10-2016, 20:23
|
#92
|
cf.mega poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 10,070
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nomadking
How would they make more money from the assessments?
If the problems have existed BEFORE any staff cuts, then staff cuts can't be to blame.
The changes were suggested in 2009, "Work Capability Review, October 2009". Eg Changing from walking to mobilising, therefore including wheelchair use is there.
|
They rush through them, enabling them to carry out more assessments in order to get more money.
There have been cases where assessments have inappropriately been done over the phone or not at all and been claimed for as face to face assessments.
One nurse was even drunk at work and another thought it appropriate to start slagging off claimants by saying they were lazy and taking their disabilities. After complaints and pressure, both were dismissed.
There are certainly staff problems and there has been ever since the days of Supplementary Benefit in the sixties.
There's an excellent book about this called 'DHSS In Crisis".
|
|
|
20-10-2016, 20:35
|
#93
|
cf.mega poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Northampton
Services: Virgin Media TV&BB 350Mb,
V6 STB
Posts: 7,865
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichardCoulter
They rush through them, enabling them to carry out more assessments in order to get more money.
There have been cases where assessments have inappropriately been done over the phone or not at all and been claimed for as face to face assessments.
One nurse was even drunk at work and another thought it appropriate to start slagging off claimants by saying they were lazy and taking their disabilities. After complaints and pressure, both were dismissed.
There are certainly staff problems and there has been ever since the days of Supplementary Benefit in the sixties.
There's an excellent book about this called 'DHSS In Crisis".
|
Ever heard of the expression, "One swallow does not a summer make"?
|
|
|
21-10-2016, 21:42
|
#94
|
cf.mega poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 10,070
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nomadking
Ever heard of the expression, "One swallow does not a summer make"?
|
These are not isolated cases.
|
|
|
21-10-2016, 21:48
|
#95
|
laeva recumbens anguis
Cable Forum Team
Join Date: Jun 2006
Age: 67
Services: Premiere Collection
Posts: 42,099
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichardCoulter
These are not isolated cases.
|
In January this year, there were 2,485,000 ESA/Disabilty Benefits claimants.
https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...y-mar-2016.pdf
Even if there were 1,000 of these cases (and no one has provided any evidence to support a figure that high), that would be 1 in nearly 2,500 claimants, so statistically, they are isolated cases...
__________________
There is always light.
If only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
If my post is in bold and this colour, it's a Moderator Request.
|
|
|
21-10-2016, 22:13
|
#96
|
cf.mega poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Northampton
Services: Virgin Media TV&BB 350Mb,
V6 STB
Posts: 7,865
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hugh
In January this year, there were 2,485,000 ESA/Disabilty Benefits claimants.
https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...y-mar-2016.pdf
Even if there were 1,000 of these cases (and no one has provided any evidence to support a figure that high), that would be 1 in nearly 2,500 claimants, so statistically, they are isolated cases...
|
You gave examples of the alleged behaviour of individuals. Whatever the behaviour of an individual, ultimately others are involved at one stage or another. You have the assessor, the original decision maker, reconsideration decision maker, and other decision makers involved in the appeal process.
Last edited by nomadking; 21-10-2016 at 22:37.
|
|
|
22-10-2016, 00:13
|
#97
|
cf.mega poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 10,070
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
Some further reading here:
http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com...r-documentary/
---------- Post added at 00:13 ---------- Previous post was at 00:09 ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hugh
In January this year, there were 2,485,000 ESA/Disabilty Benefits claimants.
https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...y-mar-2016.pdf
Even if there were 1,000 of these cases (and no one has provided any evidence to support a figure that high), that would be 1 in nearly 2,500 claimants, so statistically, they are isolated cases...
|
Last January, The National Audit Office stated that 36% of Capita reports were below standard.
No matter what the figures involved are, this sort of behaviour is completely unacceptable:
http://voxpoliticalonline.com/2016/0...ing-claimants/
Last edited by RichardCoulter; 22-10-2016 at 00:18.
|
|
|
22-10-2016, 08:58
|
#98
|
laeva recumbens anguis
Cable Forum Team
Join Date: Jun 2006
Age: 67
Services: Premiere Collection
Posts: 42,099
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
Totally agree that sort of behaviour is unacceptable, but it is not the norm.
And Capita (and others) need to improve the quality of their assessors reports, but one should not conflate that with the first issue.
btw, it was contractual standards, not quality standards - that was around 10% (still too high).
https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/up...ssessments.pdf
Quote:
Report quality does not necessarily affect the bene t decisions made by the Department, and reports can be graded as below standard for errors in spelling and grammar. One provider also raised concerns that there could be inconsistencies
in approach and that it may not be appropriate to compare performance between providers. The Department also uses another measure of quality: the proportion of assessments returned to providers as not t for purpose. On this measure providers have performed well against targets (Figure 5a on pages 22 and 23). The Department and providers have recently developed a new audit approach which aims to improve measurement of quality and support decision-making. One of the providers told us it had already completed IT changes in December 2015 to support new performance management arrangements.
|
__________________
There is always light.
If only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
If my post is in bold and this colour, it's a Moderator Request.
|
|
|
22-10-2016, 10:35
|
#99
|
cf.mega poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Kairdiff-by-the-sea
Age: 68
Services: TVXL BBXL Superhub 2ac (wired) 1Tb Tivo
Posts: 9,812
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
I had a phonecall at 8:40 this morning ref the lad's PIP claim.
Their records showed that we do not live at the same address.
Uh, nope, we have lived together as a family for the past 25 years.
This does not bode well......
|
|
|
22-10-2016, 16:30
|
#100
|
cf.mega poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 10,070
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
Possibly some inexperienced member of staff not knowing how to read the screens properly.
A carer is not required to live with the person they care for anyway.
If the system had of held an incorrect address for 25 years, it would have been picked up by one of the computer record data matching excercises.
This is where benefit claims are compared to public and private information to detect and prevent fraud eg if you tell TV licensing that you've moved, but not the DWP, it will be picked up.
If you apply for a loan and say that you live with a partner, yet are claiming benefits as a single person, this will be picked up.
Records are checked with universities to find any benefits claimants who haven't declared this etc etc.
|
|
|
22-10-2016, 16:51
|
#101
|
R.I.P.
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Near Sandy Heath transmitter
Services: BT
Posts: 19,325
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
I still have trouble getting the dwp to send me letters in he right format - I just don't trust them one bit.
|
|
|
22-10-2016, 17:36
|
#102
|
Still alive and fighting
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: In the land of beyond and beyond.
Services: XL BB, 3 360 boxes , XL TV.
Posts: 56,308
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dilli-theclaw
I still have trouble getting the dwp to send me letters in he right format - I just don't trust them one bit.
|
Sorry to hear about that dilli but alas l cannot say l am surprised.
Have you received your PIP letter yet? as in the next 2 years they will be contacting those who were awarded DLA indefinitely.
__________________
“The only lesson you can learn from history is that it repeats itself”
|
|
|
22-10-2016, 17:39
|
#103
|
R.I.P.
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Near Sandy Heath transmitter
Services: BT
Posts: 19,325
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by denphone
Sorry to hear about that dilli but alas l cannot say l am surprised.
Have you received your PIP letter yet? as in the next 2 years they will be contacting those who were awarded DLA indefinitely.
|
Not yet, soon enough I bet.
|
|
|
22-10-2016, 23:06
|
#104
|
cf.mega poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 10,070
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dilli-theclaw
I still have trouble getting the dwp to send me letters in he right format - I just don't trust them one bit.
|
If they don't take your disability needs into account by failing to make the required adjustments, you can use the 2010 Equalities Act to force them.
If you need any help in doing this, the Equalities & Human Rights Commission can help you. I'm pretty sure that the RNIB will have people experienced in this area too.
|
|
|
29-10-2016, 02:36
|
#105
|
cf.mega poster
Join Date: Sep 2003
Services: Gig1, Hub 5
Posts: 12,040
|
Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nomadking
But do you really know the way the rules are meant to be applied or are you "listening" to the myths, which are usually at best, an incomplete explanation of the rules. Eg There's a lot more to mobilizing than being able to go a certain distance.
|
It is in the DWP handbook that they are now to assume people have aid's regardless if they actually have the aid's or not. They are also supposed to exempt people from the aid's check tho if they provide proof of good reasoning to not be using such aids, such as medical reasons or unsuitability where they live, however these exemptions are for the most part not been made hence one of the reasons the DWP is losing so many tribunal cases.
One would think the DWP and NHS talk to each other, e.g. to see if someone claiming to have a problem has even seen their GP about it (shockingly these kind of checks are typically not made). Another reasoning been if a DWP assessor says person A can mobilise with X set of aid's then it should be logical a letter goes out to the NHS to supply these aid's, however nothing of the sort happens. The aid thing is a pretty dangerous game they playing e.g. I have many doctor's and physios tell me a wheelchair is a last resort as it effectively sets your body to rot always been in a sitting position, the NHS pushes hard for people to exercise as much as possible and they dont want people to be in a wheelchair unless they have no ability to mobilise at all without one, even if someone can walk say 5 metres, that may be enough for doctor's to avoid a wheelchair. However the DWP work on an opposite ideology where they think everyone who has walking problems, should be using wheelchairs. When a tribunal is faced with this conundrum they should side with the NHS doctors which I believe is what typically happens but even with all these lost cases the DWP persist with their policies.
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 2 (0 members and 2 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 02:37.
|