ESA - Jobcentre Plus want to do a Customer Benefit Review

liannalondon

I am in exactly the same situation, also had to arrange a home interview, am dreading it! I have ptsd (just one of the reasons I cannot work) and it's really triggered me. Sometimes I think they deliberately pick on vulnerable people thinking they won't stand up for themselves and will accept being taken off benefits they have every right to. I have a friend coming over for support, my problem is that my original letter strongly suggested I was on contribution based esa but when I spoke to them they said it was income related and a loan pushed me over the 6 grand. (I've found something that says loans for essential repairs should not be treated as income so I SHOULD be ok but can't help panicking coz I'm a nervous wreck!!!) Can you be with your wife during the interview?

HB58

A friend of mine got one of these letters just before Christmas, having only being assessed and put into the Support Group in August. It caused a huge amount of anxiety but turned out to have been a 'clerical error' on behalf of DWP.

Anyone would think they do it deliberately to try and drive people off the benefit...

liannalondon

HB58 wrote: »

Anyone would think they do it deliberately to try and drive people off the benefit...

You mean they don't???
Everything I have I've had to fight tooth and nail for, if I didn't already have ADD depression and ptsd I would by the time I'd finished dealing with them. I desperately tried to hold down jobs when I was in no fit state to work. If I didn't have the support of a loving dad and great friends I don't know where I would be.

tomtontom

liannalondon wrote: »

You mean they don't???
Everything I have I've had to fight tooth and nail for, if I didn't already have ADD depression and ptsd I would by the time I'd finished dealing with them. I desperately tried to hold down jobs when I was in no fit state to work. If I didn't have the support of a loving dad and great friends I don't know where I would be.

In your case they are doing it due to a failure to notify them of a change in circumstances. What do you think they should do, ignore it?

freezspirit

It could be something like a random check. I 've had a couple in the past, the weirdest was I got a letter on the Friday afternoon post to say someone would be making a home visit on Monday no other details or a contact number to find out. So the weekend was all stressed out finding medical letters, bank and building society statements, my passport etc what ever I could think of we had it all laid out on the table. Anyway at 9:30am, person came from DWP and all he asked was my name and date of birth and signed a form to say he had seem me in person living at this address. He got a list of people to visit on the Friday and I was the first of the day and he didn't even stop for a coffee as it was a list of 30 people. He just said it was a random computer generated list and so wouldn't see him again.


Another time I was sent to the local job centre, and we just talked about how I was feeling physically and mentally then again a couple of weeks later same person interviewing me asked if I wanted to go to college they could help. He admitted the "talks" were to put a face to the name on their list and to fill their quota of meeting claimants.


I wonder if the visit is to see if your wife needs additional support or financial help who she possibly need a carer?

liannalondon

tomtontom wrote: »

In your case they are doing it due to a failure to notify them of a change in circumstances. What do you think they should do, ignore it?

Actually it's a failure on THEIR part to clarify which esa I was on, the original letter stated it was contribution based so as far as I was concerned I had no change in circumstances. Anyway apparently a loan for essential repairs is NOT counted as income.

Was there any need to be quite so confrontational, especially to someone who has ptsd?

tomtontom

liannalondon wrote: »

Actually it's a failure on THEIR part to clarify which esa I was on, the original letter stated it was contribution based so as far as I was concerned I had no change in circumstances. Anyway apparently a loan for essential repairs is NOT counted as income.

Was there any need to be quite so confrontational, especially to someone who has ptsd?

I was not confrontational, I asked a question. The letter received indicated you receive an income based top up, as explained on your other thread. Unfortunately you chose to ignore that part

back2square1

My wife has got complex PTSD as well as chronic back problems due to four slipped discs and has been on morphine since 2013. Her anxiety is so much worse since she received letter for interview. They are going to do home interview but the two dates they've given so far we have had to cancel becUse I am working away and she won't let anyone into the house unless I am there. I have spoken to Job Centre about how this is affecting my wife and they are relentless about checking for change of circumstances even though I've told them there aren't any in fact her PTSD is a lot worse at the moment.

nannytone_2

its unfortunate, but they do have to make random checks.
if no one abused the system, there would be no need to, so instead of blaming the DWP, try blaming the people that cause the finger to be pointed at anyone that needs to claim .... the fraudsters!

Weary_soul

Of which judging by the DWP own figures are very low of course.