Incapacity Benefit Stopped Please Help

radarman1980

Hi,

This is my first post on MSE so please bear with me.

I have been claiming Incapacity Benefit since March 2002 and have gone to all the ATOS medicals that I have been instructed to attend until now.

I received an IB50 last year in October, but it was sent to my old address after I had informed the DWP of my change of address, not to worry as the new tenant of my old address forwarded it to me and I filled it in and sent it back but I never heard another thing about it.

On friday assuming that I was to be paid my normal amount of money as usual I went along to the post office to collect my money but it wasn't in my account, so I returned home and called the DWP and was told sorry but your claim has been stopped as you did not attend a medical arranged for August 18th and you did not respond to a BF223.

So I was called back by someone from the DWP who filled in a BF223 for me and said he would pass it on to the decison maker today and I would have to await their decision, they are going to be basing their decision on the genuine case that I had not received notification of a medical or the BF223.

My question is this, if the decision maker does not find in my favour what happens next? as trying to get information out of the DWP is almost impossible as every time I am told something different.

What benefit will I have to claim next?

I would appreciate any advice that people have for me,

speedfreek1000

Simple if they do not accept it you must.

1, appeal

2, seek help from a local CAB/Welfare Rights office.

3, write to your MP! The MP part is very important as if they get involved the DWP tend to pull their fingers out and get things resolved.

4, complain about both the DWP and ATOS. I assume that you corrected any wrong addressing when the IB50 was sent out and have proof of the address change?

There's a bit of info on appeals and writing to ATOS/MP here http://www.mssociety.org.uk/get_involved/policy_campaigns/key_issues/benefits_and_work/esa_appeals.html

DWP complaints should be on their website.

viktory

Following the DWP's mistake of sending your post to your old address, did you phone and check that they had the correct address on file for future reference?