DWP - Multi-Benefit Officer visit

MissInNeed · 17 September 2013 at 2:22PM

Hi,
I am looking for advice I have just been for my Atos medical and received a call on Friday to advise I have been awarded ESA for the next 18 months and I would receive a letter confirming this.
Instead I got a letter from a Multi-Benefit Review Officer from the Performance Measurement Dept looking to come to my home to visit me to make sure that I am getting the correct levels of ESA & Housing Benefit and have asked that I provide 2 Forms of I.D.

I have never heard of this before and the person from DWP is coming from quite far away to do this visit. Has anyone else heard of this before?

What should I expect? I suffer from agoraphobia and I am very anxious anyway and this has sent my mind into overdrive.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated - Thanks

pmlindyloo · 17 September 2013 at 2:38PM

Seems it's nothing to worry about - just a check to see that you are getting everything you are entitled to.

See here:

http://www.youreable.com/forums/showthread.php/1794-incap-benefit

Just make sure that you ask for their ID (since they're asking for yours!) In the nicest possible way, of course.

Have a friend with you if you're feeling anxious.

portly1 · 17 September 2013 at 6:53PM

MissInNeed wrote: »

Hi,
I am looking for advice I have just been for my Atos medical and received a call on Friday to advise I have been awarded ESA for the next 18 months and I would receive a letter confirming this.
Instead I got a letter from a Multi-Benefit Review Officer from the Performance Measurement Dept looking to come to my home to visit me to make sure that I am getting the correct levels of ESA & Housing Benefit and have asked that I provide 2 Forms of I.D.

I have never heard of this before and the person from DWP is coming from quite far away to do this visit. Has anyone else heard of this before?

What should I expect? I suffer from agoraphobia and I am very anxious anyway and this has sent my mind into overdrive.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated - Thanks

I'm sorry if I sound a little bit suspicious of this, but I have never yet met anybody from the DWP that is willing to put themselves out to offer to see if they can pay more money to a claimant.

There is always a hidden agenda. Personally I keep well away from these people and have in the past had quite a few of these so called 'visiting officers' pretending to want to help me get more money who I never let in.

MissInNeed · 18 September 2013 at 2:04PM

Thank you to you both for replying. I am still not sure what to think :-S The person I spoke to on Fri 13th who advised that I had passed my medical and said I'd get my new award letter is the same person that sent the letter and is coming to visit (I wrote the name and what she said down, I dont retain info all that well) the point im making why wouldn't they have just advised of
the home visit there & then during the call?
The visit was arranged for 3 days after the call,rather short notice too.
I've had my Support worker re schedule it to when they could come and sit in with me and the person from DWP is coming on the 26th. Can you refuse to let them into your home Portly1?? What happened when you didn't let them in? I feel intimidated as a mans coming. This is so stressful.

superwoman4 · 18 September 2013 at 4:22PM

MissInNeed wrote: »

I've had my Support worker re schedule it to when they could come and sit in with me and the person from DWP is coming on the 26th. Can you refuse to let them into your home Portly1?? What happened when you didn't let them in? I feel intimidated as a mans coming. This is so stressful.

Ignore portly, he is a troll.
Do as pmlindyloo suggests and ask for his ID then offer him cup of tea. You've done the right thing having your Support worker with you. Relax and you'll be fine. Let us know how you get on.

MissInNeed · 18 September 2013 at 4:57PM

superwoman4 wrote: »

Ignore portly, he is a troll.
Do as pmlindyloo suggests and ask for his ID then offer him cup of tea. You've done the right thing having your Support worker with you. Relax and you'll be fine. Let us know how you get on.

Thanks Superwoman :-)
I've just heard from a friend that's they to are having one of these visits too as is one of thier relatives, so it appears as though DWP are doubly checking ones entitlement and to see if they can assist you further.
I trust they'll find all to be in order when they visit so im not going to worry :-) I'll certainly report back to advise yous on how it goes.

portly1 · 18 September 2013 at 5:07PM

MissInNeed wrote: »

Thank you to you both for replying. I am still not sure what to think :-S The person I spoke to on Fri 13th who advised that I had passed my medical and said I'd get my new award letter is the same person that sent the letter and is coming to visit (I wrote the name and what she said down, I dont retain info all that well) the point im making why wouldn't they have just advised of
the home visit there & then during the call?
The visit was arranged for 3 days after the call,rather short notice too.
I've had my Support worker re schedule it to when they could come and sit in with me and the person from DWP is coming on the 26th. Can you refuse to let them into your home Portly1?? What happened when you didn't let them in? I feel intimidated as a mans coming. This is so stressful.

You have every right to refuse entry to them. If you don't feel comfortable about the visit, you are well within your rights to say 'I don't want to see you'.

Most of these 'visiting officers' come on the pretext of wanting to help - the DWP want to help??? Ummm.
It's up to you, but personally I won't have anyone in my house unless they either have a warrant of entry (in which case I have no choice) or I decide if I want to see them.

On one occasion I had a letter telling me the name of someone that was to come along and that I should have all sorts of info available for them. The letter gave no indication what it was about - they were from the DWP Local Visiting Team'. I telephoned and told them that unless they told me upfront exactly why they were coming they weren't going to get over the door step. Never had a reply but on the appointed day and time they knocked on the front door put up their ID cards and made a move to come in. They managed one step forward when I told them to go away and write to me telling me what they wanted and why before they would be allowed to enter.

I heard nothing more after that and didn't have any more visits. Still don't know what they wanted.

It was like as you see on the telly when two detectives turn up at your home.

portly1 · 18 September 2013 at 5:09PM

superwoman4 wrote: »

Ignore portly, he is a troll.
Do as pmlindyloo suggests and ask for his ID then offer him cup of tea. You've done the right thing having your Support worker with you. Relax and you'll be fine. Let us know how you get on.

Am I?? That is news to me.

Surely you should not invite anybody in, and certainly not from a government department, without finding out WHY they want to come to the house?

MissInNeed · 18 September 2013 at 5:43PM

portly1 wrote: »

Am I?? That is news to me.

Surely you should not invite anybody in, and certainly not from a government department, without finding out WHY they want to come to the house?[/QUOTE

Im new to forums so dont know what a troll is?
Anyway Im greatful for both of your advice.

Porty they want to visit to make sure I'm getting the correct amount of ESA & Housing Benefit I've just found out from a friend what the visit from them entails. They got one the last time they passed thier medical and have just passed the review and are having another home visit.
I'll defo check I.D etc and then let them in and if it gets too much for me during the visit, i'll ask them to leave.
It's Stressful & frustrating all these hurdles from DWP when your ill and dont need the additional stress. (Big Sighs :-( !!!!)

portly1 · 18 September 2013 at 6:18PM

MissInNeed wrote: »

portly1 wrote: »

Am I?? That is news to me.

Surely you should not invite anybody in, and certainly not from a government department, without finding out WHY they want to come to the house?[/QUOTE

Im new to forums so dont know what a troll is?
Anyway Im greatful for both of your advice.

Porty they want to visit to make sure I'm getting the correct amount of ESA & Housing Benefit I've just found out from a friend what the visit from them entails. They got one the last time they passed thier medical and have just passed the review and are having another home visit.
I'll defo check I.D etc and then let them in and if it gets too much for me during the visit, i'll ask them to leave.
It's Stressful & frustrating all these hurdles from DWP when your ill and dont need the additional stress. (Big Sighs :-( !!!!)

Right so you now know what they want to talk to you about. That is the first step.

If you feel that you would be able to cope then of course interact with them. But if for any reason you become unwell, panicky, frightened or nervous you are well within your rights to end the discussion and ask them to leave and give the reason why.

Remember you are always in control of them - they are in your home with your permission. If you think that they are not there for the reasons they gave then show them the door.

I think that this is terrible that the DWP put this amount of pressure and worry on people that are either vulnerable or on their own/sick/ill.

Personally I don't know why they simply can't write to you to see if things are as they should be (making sure that you are getting what you are entitled to).

jdaraf · 6 August 2014 at 7:01PM

Simply an excuse to see if you are witnessed behaving against what you have submitted in your ESA50, and during WCA, the MRO can report anything they see which is in their non medical opinion is contrary to the medical or personal information you have given to the DWP.

You are within your rights to refuse the home visit and choose to go to a DWP office instead and take someone with you as a witness, the DWP should also look at each case individually and see if your medical condition fulfils their criteria of a vulnerable person and if so you should not be targeted.

Fortunately, for you they informed you of their proposed visit they do not have to and can just turn up at your door show ID and try and get you to agree to let them in for an hour or more interview. Most advisers are suggesting you should refuse any door step visit (especially if you do not have any witness) and you should ask for a formal letter and date of interview to be held in a DWP office.

This is the latest Government DWP tactic in targeting sick and disabled vulnerable people so as to get more of benefit and achieve their strict targets and everyone should complain to their MP about the underhanded methods being used.

Hi,
I am looking for advice I have just been for my Atos medical and received a call on Friday to advise I have been awarded ESA for the next 18 months and I would receive a letter confirming this.
Instead I got a letter from a Multi-Benefit Review Officer from the Performance Measurement Dept looking to come to my home to visit me to make sure that I am getting the correct levels of ESA & Housing Benefit and have asked that I provide 2 Forms of I.D.

I have never heard of this before and the person from DWP is coming from quite far away to do this visit. Has anyone else heard of this before?

What should I expect? I suffer from agoraphobia and I am very anxious anyway and this has sent my mind into overdrive.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated - Thanks[/QUOTE]

DWP - Multi-Benefit Officer visit

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