DLA turned down - don't understand why?!

Indie_Kid

WhiteHorse wrote: »

That is why so many genuine people are initially refused.

The DWP is not the only organisation to do this sort of thing. Financial institutions know quite well that only a small number of people are likely to notice or complain about small 'errors'.

Where have you heard this please? I've never come across anything that says they have to fail x amount of people.

WhiteHorse

sh1305 wrote: »

Where have you heard this please? I've never come across anything that says they have to fail x amount of people.

Read post #61.

I am not personally aware of a Policy document to that effect. Perhaps someone should submit a suitably worded FOI request.

There certainly are documents referring to targets, as these have been mentioned in the national press. The difference is a subtle one, but the effect is similar.

kusadasi040667

WhiteHorse wrote: »

Read post #61.

I am not personally aware of a Policy document to that effect. Perhaps someone should submit a suitably worded FOI request.

There certainly are documents referring to targets, as these have been mentioned in the national press. The difference is a subtle one, but the effect is similar.

Yes there are targets I agree but no not the type mentioned i.e to bin claims or refuse x amount. Many many years ago I have heard some of the staff talk fondly of the days when if a customer was horrid to them or a complicated claim say lots of properties that it would get binned to bottom of pile & even one person laugh about chucking a claim when spilt coffee on it!!
It is not possible to even bump a call now as the systems are that advanced every single movement is recorded and every min monitored from another room with time & forecast planners who can see what screens you are at on PC . To go to the toilet you have to put a code into your phone & how many of these comfort breaks you take are monitored,you are challenged if you take too many !!!
No claim can be binned as even if claim was clerical(fast dying out) The date you requested tele call recorded kept for 18 mths plus ,your NINO also triggers record against you etc etc. So even if your claim were to be lost as my DLA was ,firstly you WILL have photocopied it (please please) & every footprint of your claim request is still logged so yes pain in bum to copy onto new form but not lost as you the customer knows its recorded & you point that out if it ever happens to you and add onto new claim form to DM exactly that so you do not loose the period from first request.
Targets are for eg. - sick/disabled style benefits or lone parents helped into work used to gain more points. Also targets of how many customers/claims you manage a day .
Heh as in any walk of life some people dont care about work but in my opinion you should take pride in helping somebody go home knowing you have made a bit of a difference sorry if that sounds cheesy but again my opinion do not work in that field if the person infront of you or on phone is only a number then work in an office but within another field K

yubyub31

Hi there - the other thing to check is did they write to your GP.

My husband has just been awarded DLA and we had a doctors appointment and the doctor turned round and said oh I have a form here to fill in for the DWP about you and I can check some things out about you that I wouldn't normally ask ...... she then proceeded to say well you don't have any issues preparing food do you ....... but he does as his hands seize up due to arthritis if he tries chopping things etc...... she went through various things with him and as I said he did get the award ..... so what I am trying to say is that your GP might have given a different view of your condition due to not realising how it affects you and making assumptions.... so when you are putting in your appeal check out who they asked about you ...... and then check that those people knew the truth.


All the best

WhiteHorse

kusadasi040667 wrote: »

To go to the toilet you have to put a code into your phone & how many of these comfort breaks you take are monitored,you are challenged if you take too many !!!

Hm. I would like to see that substantiated by a member of staff. The last time I went to a DWP office, one member of staff was sitting idly, surfing the internet property pages.

No claim can be binned as even if claim was clerical ...

I've had three paper claims binned, one of them fairly recently. Sent Recorded delivery too, so that shows how thick some of them really are.

The date you requested tele call recorded kept for 18 mths plus ...

This raises another issue.

I've had two preliminary over the telephone claim questionnaires. On both occasions the printout that was subsequently sent to me bore no resemblance to the answers I had given. Non-existent mortages were listed (including amounts!), non-existent bank accounts (and balances!), some questions were listed as 'refused to answer' (they were answered), and so on.

On one printout, I stopped counting mistakes when I reached 60. I later took this up in person at the office, but they just shrugged and said that it 'happened all the time'.

How is this possible?

lyniced

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Another good reason why people getting help filling in forms is unfair and cheats the system!

If people have learning difficulties (some can't read or write) they need help. I had to have help filling mine out, because I can't hold a pen and my handwrting is very shaky. That was 10 years ago, so thank goodness you now have the option of filling forms on-line, although it won't help people who are illiterate.

BLT_2

kusadasi040667 wrote: »

Yes there are targets I agree but no not the type mentioned i.e to bin claims or refuse x amount. Many many years ago I have heard some of the staff talk fondly of the days when if a customer was horrid to them or a complicated claim say lots of properties that it would get binned to bottom of pile & even one person laugh about chucking a claim when spilt coffee on it!!
K

It beggars belief that anyone is even stupid enough to actually apply for benefits and then abuse the person dealing with the case - they are just asking for their claim to suffer delays.

Its tantamount to walking into the kitchen of a restaurant, telling the chef his food is total pig swill, and then placing an order. You just know what the outcome is going to be

kusadasi040667

BLT wrote: »

It beggars belief that anyone is even stupid enough to actually apply for benefits and then abuse the person dealing with the case - they are just asking for their claim to suffer delays.

Its tantamount to walking into the kitchen of a restaurant, telling the chef his food is total pig swill, and then placing an order. You just know what the outcome is going to be

(BLT what a great comparision I liked that )
Sadly there are many people who think that they can be abusive almost think that they have to be.There are no set rules in JCP about the level that you can or cant put up with it's what is an adviser deems ok . So for eg. I never had a problem with customers swearing in their speech such as OH my god I've been made F-ing redundant! That would never offend me as thet was how the guy felt & who wouldn't but other members of staff would end the call/interview as they were upset by that. If you were taking a claim over the phone it may start with hysterical screaming abuse,in those instances what worked the best would stay almost silent wait until the rant had calmed a little then start by I'm sorry to hear that or I apologise on behalf of JCP (lots of customers are so positive that you were the horrible member of staff even if there were 100 miles and hundreds of staff in office) because regardless of who took the claim it's only right to say sorry. Then I would say ok lets try & get this sorted out.Thankfully by the end of the call they would be so thankfull & apologise .I used to get one guy who was an addict he used to say your a lovely benefit lady how come you are always nice to me? Well why wouldn't I be different turn in life & could be any one of us.I think what helped me was the fact I had been on benefits myself before.
.:beer: K Have a good weekend everyone K

formaldehyde_perfume

This thread makes me very worried.

I have hypermobility syndrome, which in laymans terms is usually a less severe and less debillitating condition which affects the joints in similar ways to the OP. After coming home from uni and realising how ill I really was, I applied for my blue badge (and got it) and also applied for job seekers allowance which I am receiving, but I was also told that I could get DLA so I looked in to it and on the surface I am probably eligible but reading through all this makes me feel so despondent about it all.

At my 'back to work' JSA session I was told I might be on the wrong benefits and I should talk to the disability adviser at the Job Centre but that place is so awful (the place, not the staff) I couldn't face going in when I didn't have to. I just don't know what to do. I already feel like a fraud, to have my claim turned down would be a nightmare. Also, I am worried because I am dyslexic but I don't know where to turn to for help in filling out the form, and if I did get help would I then get a higher rate than I actually need?

It feels like my head is going to explode!

Mojisola

formaldehyde_perfume wrote: »

This thread makes me very worried.

I have hypermobility syndrome, which in laymans terms is usually a less severe and less debillitating condition which affects the joints in similar ways to the OP. After coming home from uni and realising how ill I really was, I applied for my blue badge (and got it) and also applied for job seekers allowance which I am receiving, but I was also told that I could get DLA so I looked in to it and on the surface I am probably eligible but reading through all this makes me feel so despondent about it all.

At my 'back to work' JSA session I was told I might be on the wrong benefits and I should talk to the disability adviser at the Job Centre but that place is so awful (the place, not the staff) I couldn't face going in when I didn't have to. I just don't know what to do. I already feel like a fraud, to have my claim turned down would be a nightmare. Also, I am worried because I am dyslexic but I don't know where to turn to for help in filling out the form, and if I did get help would I then get a higher rate than I actually need?

It feels like my head is going to explode!

Your council should have Welfare Rights Advisors. Ask them for help. They will know which benefits are appropriate for you and will fill in the forms for you.

If you answer their questions accurately, you should get the benefit that's right for your needs.