Income Support: Pensions Local Service visit

gray1404

Hi guys,

I wonder if anybody could please provide help on this letter I have received about my Income Support.

I have reveived a letter through my door yesterday from the DWP's Pensions, Disability and Carer's Service saying that someone had coming to my home to visit me to "discuss my claim for Income Support". I have been receiving IS for many years now. I was not at home and the letter said tey would write to me again with another appointment. Then today their letter (which had taken two weeks to arrive in the post) to advise of the appointment arrived.

There is no address on this letter but it is not from Job Centre Plus. There is a phone number on this letter which I called 0800 917 9149 and was told it was the Pensions Local Service and is part of the Pensions Service. Based at Holborn House, Fulwood, Preston.

Does anyone know what exactly this visit might involve? I am a little confused because it is not a visit which I have requested nor is it a visit from a DWP Compliance Officer - of which there are many posts about already on the forum.

I have autism and actually find it hard to deal with strangers moreover if it is face to face. Does anyone know if these visits from the Pensions Local Service are compulsory and would my benefit be effected if I choose not to take part. I really am finding the whole thing rather stressful. I have already missed one appointment through no fault of my own and non of the letters so far have said anything about what would happen if I missed another appointment. I know some things are compulsory e.g. work focused interviews or medicals, but how about this?

Many thanks indeed for your help!

TheHangingJudge

Pensions local service visiting officers have been helping out Jobcentre Plus recently with their compliance visits because they're snowed under. I'd treat this visit as a compliance visit. There could be any number of reasons why they're popping out to see you.

Benefit might be affected if they don't see you. I'd maybe give them a ring, or get someone to do that for you (be there when someone else calls for you), explain why you weren't at home for the first visit and see if you can come up with a mutually agreeable date & time for the next visit.

RAS

I would assume that you need to make an alternative appointmment and that if you do not, your benefits may be stopped.

WRITE (not phone) to the office in Preston and tell them that the letter arrived today for the appointment that you missed, and keep the envelope that the kletter arrived in.

Is there a friend or support worker who can help set up the next appointment and be with you on the day?

TheHangingJudge

Why write not phone ? What's the advantage in that, pray ?

RAS

TheHangingJudge wrote: »

Why write not phone ? What's the advantage in that, pray ?

Becasue you then have evidence of your communication and it is possible that someone will put the piece of paper on record. Phone calls never happen, do they?

suelees1

It can takes weeks for a letter to get the the right section now that post goes to a central address to be opened before it is directed to the right office or (as happens frequently) disappears altogether.

TheHangingJudge

RAS wrote: »

Becasue you then have evidence of your communication and it is possible that someone will put the piece of paper on record. Phone calls never happen, do they?

I sympathise with what you say. But follow your advice & this is what will likely happen.

The letter gets to pensions local service. It sits in a pile of other letters for days on end. Finally someone reads it and thinks "this isn't from a pensioner" and sticks it in a plastic envelope to send to the local JC+ benefit centre.

A few days later the letter arrives there. There's maybe a 50/50 chance the letter gets to Income Support, if not it'll end up at ESA, JSA or IB sections (where it'll sit in another huge pile of letters). The benefit centre processing officer will pick it up and think "this isn't for us, this is for compliance" ... and will stick it in another plastic envelope to send to the nearest Job Centre where the compliance officers are located.

Another office and another pile of letters later, someone finally clicks that the letter's for the visiting officers at pensions local service. And the letter gets sent to them.

By which point, 2 or 3 weeks later, Income Support, Housing Benefit and everything else have all been suspended and the OP's starving.

Eh, no. Forget the letter thang. Use the phone instead, trust me on that.