Challenging bureaucracy and upholding my right to protect my information.

ben500

Conor wrote: »

Because he's already been told.

That doesn't answer the question of what is unreasonable of him asking to see some documentary evidence that the photocopying of his personal records is a condition of his application for benefit, "I told you so" doesn't cut it with everyone you know!

healy

ben500 wrote: »

Unfortunately too many benefits staff are so far up their own backsides they seem to think they have a god given right to demand all sorts of documentation they quite often have no business demanding, they get off on the power trip of being able to cut a claimants money off on a whim. How is the claimant supposed to determine what is necessary and what isn't if they don't challenge such requests? Why is it unreasonable for the claimant to ask for evidence but not the advisor? Why is it assumed that because a request to supply information is challenged the claimant "must have something to hide" some people like to try and retain a little dignity in such situations.

Unemployed does not equate to undignified advisors should bear in mind they may be sitting across the desk themselves one day.

Before anyone asks no I am not in receipt of any benefits and not likely to ever be so either.

I do not think that DWP staff would ask for anything that was not required, they have enough on their plates with increasing workloads and staff cuts to want to create extra work for themselves!

seven-day-weekend

When I worked in Town Planning, if an Application was received that was to enable a disabled person to have a better quality of life (e.g. an extension to contain a downstairs bathroom and bedroom) the planning fee was waived. However, we had to see proof of their disability - a copy of a benefits book/entitlement letter would usually suffice.

However, because the person registering the application was not normally the case officer, we had to provide a photocopy of the evidence (I hasten to add that this was not kept on the public file).

Maybe something like this is the case here, in which case it might be good for the DWP staff to explain that to the OP, like I used to when explaining why I needed to photocopy their document.

I personally can understand why he queried it, but if I wanted my benefit I would supply the evidence and make a written enquiry later.

ben500

healy wrote: »

I do not think that DWP staff would ask for anything that was not required, they have enough on their plates with increasing workloads and staff cuts to want to create extra work for themselves!

Perhaps the threat of job cuts may serve to educate them as to the value of empathy in their role rather than the usual contempt displayed by so many.

Oldernotwiser

ben500 wrote: »

Unfortunately too many benefits staff are so far up their own backsides they seem to think they have a god given right to demand all sorts of documentation they quite often have no business demanding, they get off on the power trip of being able to cut a claimants money off on a whim. How is the claimant supposed to determine what is necessary and what isn't if they don't challenge such requests? Why is it unreasonable for the claimant to ask for evidence but not the advisor? Why is it assumed that because a request to supply information is challenged the claimant "must have something to hide" some people like to try and retain a little dignity in such situations.

Unemployed does not equate to undignified advisors should bear in mind they may be sitting across the desk themselves one day.

Before anyone asks no I am not in receipt of any benefits and not likely to ever be so either.

If you'd bothered reading the OP you'd see that the JCP Advisor was happy to accept the details and to copy them down. It was further up the line at the "Processing Centre" that the photocopies were requested. You may still feel this to be unnecessary but it shows how uncalled for was your rant about JCP Advisors!:mad:

ben500

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

If you'd bothered reading the OP you'd see that the JCP Advisor was happy to accept the details and to copy them down. It was further up the line at the "Processing Centre" that the photocopies were requested. You may still feel this to be unnecessary but it shows how uncalled for was your rant about JCP Advisors!:mad:

Hardly a rant more of an observation. I read the op.

Oldernotwiser

ben500 wrote: »

I read the op.

Nobody else would have noticed the fact!

If you don't consider that "Unfortunately too many benefits staff are so far up their own backsides they seem to think they have a god given right to demand all sorts of documentation they quite often have no business demanding, they get off on the power trip of being able to cut a claimants money off on a whim. " is a rant then you must be using a very different dictionary from mine!

ben500

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Nobody else would have noticed the fact!

If you don't consider that "Unfortunately too many benefits staff are so far up their own backsides they seem to think they have a god given right to demand all sorts of documentation they quite often have no business demanding, they get off on the power trip of being able to cut a claimants money off on a whim. " is a rant then you must be using a very different dictionary from mine!

You speak for everybody do you?

Yes we obviously do use differing sources for our definitions.

zappster1966

Do you not think Job Centre staff, who have seen hundreds of offices closed and thousands of their colleagues lose their jobs, have got better things to do with their time then argue with a vexatious complainant about a few bits of photocopying ?

I don't envy them at all. If they're not getting threatened & assaulted by a tiny minority of the public they've also got to put up with people like you, out making some la-de-da case about government oppression/incompetence at the expense of some poor clerk who probably qualifies for working tax credits themselves and who might as well be on the dole themselves for all the supposed advantage of working in DWP.

zootet

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

If you'd bothered reading the OP you'd see that the JCP Advisor was happy to accept the details and to copy them down. It was further up the line at the "Processing Centre" that the photocopies were requested. You may still feel this to be unnecessary but it shows how uncalled for was your rant about JCP Advisors!:mad:

Hmmm,

I did say in the OP "to cut a long story short" part of the longer story was that the JCP advisor had to be persuaded by me to do it my way, the fact that I was outright refusing to do it their way, meant that the JCP advisor had no option but to "happily" comply with my request.
Edited to add, looking back, I actually did not use the word 'happily' I just said they did as I requested.