DWP told doctor to stop medical certificates

satarical

john539 wrote: »

This is all wonderfully theoretical & a game of chirades & semantics, as most will not get work.

But it keeps a political ideology happy.

Who said anything about there being jobs? Not having any jobs available is no reason to award ESA.

You simply look for one and sign on for JSA.

satarical

bbsband wrote: »

the GP is the master in this not the servant as the DWP are.Master as in qualified.....this whole thing is a part of the plan to get people off benefits nothing more nothing less..

How can you say that?

Where does JSA feature in your opinion? Err it still exists you know.

People off benefits - rubbish - it is about getting people onto the right benefit!

satarical

bbsband wrote: »

''showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt''
Yes you are vindictive...
you are no help to this forum and the people who use it because you believe ATOS is above a qualified GP-Go away you idiot

Ah so everyone on this forum must believe that the GP will always trump ATOS. If that is not your way of thinking - p**s of*!!

Much like our current government don't you think?

If you don't agree that Cameron is the next Messiah, we don't want to know you!
Very narrow minded I must say
Errr yes they are when it comes to disability medicine and carrying out an assessment for ESA. Or have GP's now become OT's, Occupational Health Advisors overnight?

Would you ask a plumber to rewire your house?

john539

satarical wrote: »

Who said anything about there being jobs? Not having any jobs available is no reason to award ESA.

You simply look for one and sign on for JSA.

But people are discussing sick (fit) notes & DWP/ATOS/Doctor assessment of what work sick & ill people can do.

satarical

missapril75 wrote: »

That wasn't my impression. Morality issues aside, I thought it was simply pointed out that for benefit purposes ATOS has some legal authority while a GP doesn't.

We don't have to agree but that is the legal position isn't it?

Thankyou for bringing some sense to the table.

strangeotron

This is scandalous! This needs to be brought into the public domain ASAP and your doctor, with respect, should absolutely not fall for this or be bullied in this way. It is unconscienable that trained medical doctors are being treated like this and it is no wonder that the BMA has called for the immediate scrapping of this test. Caroline Lucas MP is calling for a moption to deal with this and she deserves support in this.

strangeotron

satarical wrote: »

This is also happening in my town. Over a four week period two friends have told me the same thing that the DWP have contacted the GP instructing them to stop issuing any further sicknotes during the appeal process. It is a standardised letter that informs the GP that they have no qualification to assess anybodies capability under the ESA regulations.

It has nothing to do with losing the appeal, it has everything to do with stopping payment of benefit at the assessment rate whilst waiting for a hearing. Presumably trying to put pressure on the claimant to claim JSA whilst waiting and not ESA.

In both cases the GP has continued to issue sicknotes regardless.

I presume that, if you were to claim JSA while waiting for a tribunal, you would find that your ESA is cancelled.

strangeotron

satarical wrote: »

Not really, it seems that the DWP are just reminding GP's that are continuing to issue sicknotes that the claimant has been found fit for work and that GP's are not qualified to assess anybody in accordance with the rules of ESA - only ATOS can assess that way.

but claimants have a right to an appeal through a tribunal. so there cannot be any legal basis for this.

obviously this is just more government bullying. They know they can't just dismantle the appeals system, and they know that appeals take a long time (because the WCA process is so broken) so instead they bully GP's. I suspect any doctor worth his salt would stand up to these bullies with nothing really to fear. Hopefully the OP's GP is strong enough.

missapril75

strangeotron wrote: »

This is scandalous! ... your doctor, with respect, should absolutely not fall for this or be bullied in this way.
...obviously this is just more government bullying.

The current government seems to be the nastiest, meanest, uncaring since Thatcher and there are many faults with the current benefit systems, procedures and decision making.

I suggest it's better to focus on the real faults rather than some bullying letter that either doesn't exist, has been misunderstood, exaggerated etc or is simply the work of some reactionary rogue member of staff.

Dear Doctor

Will you please refrain from issuing medical certificates. Failure to do this will result in prosecution for Fraud

Yours sincerely DWP

Come on people, does anyone seriously believe this would be policy?

satarical

strangeotron wrote: »

but claimants have a right to an appeal through a tribunal. so there cannot be any legal basis for this.
.

Who has ever mentioned that they don't have?
Of course they do. I think what is being discussed here is the ridiculous continuation of ESA being put into payment whilst waiting for the Tribunal hearing.

You must see that if the regulatory body (DWP) has made a decision in the name of the Secretary of State that someone is fit for work - then that decision must stand until it is possibly overturned by a higher authority.

But here we have the crazy situation that a GP continues to issue sicknotes willy nilly that go against the decision. Yes the GP may have a medical reason for certifying that someone is having difficulties in working, but that cannot and should not be treated as justification to claim that the DWP's decision is wrong.

ESA is the only benefit that continues in payment after someone has been found not to be entitled to it!

GP's are overstepping their authority, they may have a medical opinion, but that means nothing when the test of entitlement to ESA has shown it to be the opposite.

If you are saying that GP's have more authority than the DWP in deciding who should or shouldn't be awarded ESA then the whole legal system will fail.

The easiest way of sorting this out is to stop these ESA payments being mede whilst waiting for the appeal hearing. Why is ESA so different to any other sickness or disability benefit?
JSA should be claimed instead - the DWP have certified that they are fit for work haven't they?