Leap Review

calcotti

poppy12345 said:

.. this person didn't receive any decision letter. 

ggtazzy said: The claimant received a LEAP letter last year stating that their claim had been looked at again in line with the decisions in the MH and RJ cases and that they were not entitled to any payment of arrears.

Sorry, poppy but I can't see how you have concluded that the person didn't get a decision letter.

poppy12345

ggtazzy said:

Andrew replied saying that he had never received the letter and asked the DWP to look at the decision again.

In January 2021 Andrew applied to a tribunal after two mandatory reconsideration requests were simply ignored by the DWP.

When the case was accepted by HMCTS the DWP initially argued that it was out of time.

Andrew responded that he had never received the original letter, so the clock did not start ticking until he received the much later response to his request.

@calcotti i knew i'd seen it somewhere.

calcotti

poppy12345 said:

ggtazzy said:

Andrew replied saying that he had never received the letter and asked the DWP to look at the decision again.

In January 2021 Andrew applied to a tribunal after two mandatory reconsideration requests were simply ignored by the DWP.

When the case was accepted by HMCTS the DWP initially argued that it was out of time.

Andrew responded that he had never received the original letter, so the clock did not start ticking until he received the much later response to his request.

@calcotti i knew i'd seen it somewhere.

Mixed narrative! Confusing isn't it.

poppy12345

calcotti said:

poppy12345 said:

ggtazzy said:

Andrew replied saying that he had never received the letter and asked the DWP to look at the decision again.

In January 2021 Andrew applied to a tribunal after two mandatory reconsideration requests were simply ignored by the DWP.

When the case was accepted by HMCTS the DWP initially argued that it was out of time.

Andrew responded that he had never received the original letter, so the clock did not start ticking until he received the much later response to his request.

@calcotti i knew i'd seen it somewhere.

Mixed narrative! Confusing isn't it.

Yes, i did have to read it a few times.

ggtazzy

DWP SENDS A MILLION MISLEADING LETTERS TO PREVENT PIP BACK PAY
In the last newsletter we highlighted the fact that up to 150,000 PIP claimants may be missing out on arrears amounting to up to £12,000 each, if they experience overwhelming psychological distress when undertaking a journey.

In this edition we publish the results of over 300 responses to our survey on the LEAP project, which is supposed to be checking every PIP claim to make sure that everyone entitled to arrears gets them.

The results suggest that the DWP has rigged the LEAP review in every way it can to prevent paying out.

We also look in great detail at the letter which around one million PIP claimants should have received on the subject, though there is a question mark over how many have actually been sent.

We have so far seen just four full copies of the letter.

Each one is almost identical and includes no information specific to the recipient or their condition.

They appear to be computer generated, standard form letters communicating a decision made not by a human, but by an algorithm.

They are almost certainly unlawful.

But they almost certainly do the job they were designed for.

To confuse and scare claimants into asking no questions.

The letters start out by telling the recipient in large letters:

“Changes in PIP law – we have looked again at your PIP and it has not changed.”

Many claimants are thrown into a state of panic whenever they get a brown envelope from the DWP. It may take them days to pluck up the courage to open it.

The incredible relief at reading that although your claim has been looked at nothing has changed, in large letters at the very top, may be all that many claimants register before throwing the letter away.

Nowhere in the letter does it explain that the changes in PIP law could only have led to you getting more money, never less.

And nowhere in the letter does it explain what the changes are or why they don’t apply to you.

Even the right to challenge the decision is hidden away on a separate page, after the signature, amongst other generic information on benefits.

And our survey tells us that these tactics have worked.

Many people who received the letter didn’t understand what it was about.

“Didn’t know what the letter meant until I’ve read this news letter.”

Many didn’t realise they could challenge it.

“I thought that they made a decision and that was that.”

“I took the DWPs decision for granted and thought it was correct. Having second thoughts now having seen your article. I think I've been a fool.”

Others were too intimidated to challenge:

“Was frightened I would lose my award entirely if I challenged them.”

“I was afraid they would take away all my money.”

People who knew about the LEAP review and wrote asking to have their award looked at have had no response.

“I cannot understand why I have had no response. My letters were sent recorded delivery and the last was 3 months ago Not to get any response means I cannot even challenge anything.”

People who telephoned were fobbed off:

“I didn't receive a letter but rang DWP, they told me my claim had been looked at but there would be no change.”

“I called the DWP re. the review of all cases and have been told that I have to wait until they get round to me.”

We think there is a strong possibility that this whole review process, including the way claimants have been notified, is unlawful.

And we’re not going to let it drop.

We’ve made Freedom of Information requests to find out more, we’re working on resources to help members request back payments.

And we are doing our best to spread the word. If you can help make people aware of this shady operation by the DWP, please do.

Because ultimately, it will take much more influential organisations than ours to right this wrong.