Work coach on income related esa

Sweetiecatx

Hi my hubby got a letter from the jobcentre offering help and support from a work coach if wanted,we ignored it as he is in the old style income related employment and support allowance benefit,if they had bothered to check they would have seen that he has several chronic health conditions one being severe depression,I'm his full time carer and fill in all the forms and take phone calls from hospital doctor's ect for him,so a few weeks later another job centre letter arrives offering help and support again with a phone call meeting lasting an hour,am i right in saying that people in the support group of esa don't have to deal with this unless they voluntary want to?
So either i ignore them or answer the call and say he can't speak on the phone due to his health conditions,the letter does say it won't affect his money if he does not want to do the meeting,I'm just wondering if anyone else has been getting letters like this,usually a 3 yearly review to fill in the questionnaire would have been here in november/december but there was none so wondering if it's anything to do with that. 

tomtom256

It's a new thing called additional work coach time.
It won't affect your benefit, just ring up and tell them he doesn't want any support.
It's another hair brained scheme to cut the benefit bill. Originally roled out for Universal Credit claimants and no open to anybody with a health condition on any jobcentre style benefit.

huckster

Thought DWP were contacting those in work related activity group that had not been contacted for a long time and not those in support group ?  Surprised that Job Centres would have Work Coach diary time to enable hour long appointments with those in support group. 

Would suggest that Job Centre is contacted to confirm none of the personal claim information had changed, that they are in support group with no significant changes to health since assessment.

tomtom256

That is a different piece of work following COVID easements.
These are 30 minute appointments every two weeks. Orignally trialled with those awaiting a Work Capability Assessment, then offered to LCW/WRAG and now being offered to LCWRA/SG.
There is also an over 50's part of this programme as well.
Coaches are being given time to do these appointments as it's a ministerial steer.

Jyana

Unfortunately not, it is anyone on UC or ESA who has a "health condition", which is one way describe some of the vulnerable people who may feel targeted or pressured by this approach, I guess.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/money/universal-credit-esa-claimants-employment-28397771

gbhxu

Another poorly thought out Government scheme.

I know when having to claim JSA after having my ESA stopped 10 years ago, before I got it reinstated at a tribunal. Being forced to apply for jobs on the old Work Programme scheme. At job interviews, once you tell the interviewer about your medical conditions, the atmosphere changed and you could tell you wouldn't get the job. Even my work coach could not understand why I had not got ESA!

The thing is that employers are not going to employ us because we'll never hit the productivity level required by them. They will probably have to employ 2 or more of us to equal the productivity of an able bodied person. This is simply no economically viable

Sweetiecatx

tomtom256 said:

It's a new thing called additional work coach time.
It won't affect your benefit, just ring up and tell them he doesn't want any support.
It's another hair brained scheme to cut the benefit bill. Originally roled out for Universal Credit claimants and no open to anybody with a health condition on any jobcentre style benefit.

Phoned them up and was stressed out kept saying hubby can't deal with phone calls he has chronic health conditions and severe depression,made me put him on the phone even when i said he was in bed ill consultant had started him on antibiotics dizzy breathless and sick,he failed the security questions of course he did he doesn't do phone calls!!spent over an hour getting put through to different departments and put on hold spoke to four different people,again had to put hubby on the phone for security questions and i had to help him,i was told it's something they do every three years?when i said he was in the support group of esa,appointment guy said i can't cancel the appointment i can only put he can't do it i think they were not taking in what i was saying i did explain myself,then he mentioned about being an appointee and gave me a phone number to call,all that just for a work coach letter and in the end the guy from the jobcentre still phoned,he was very nice and said he didn't have to do it and he won't get any more letters or phone calls,i said about the experience i had trying to sort it out he couldn't apologise enough,he said they must have got it wrong as i said i think maybe they thought i was talking about a medical assessment appointment or something,now imagine somebody with serious health issues dealing with all that my head was bursting!! 

poppy12345

The problem here is when you ring any DWP department you only speak to someone from a call centre, who usually have very little knowledge and/experience of the benefit system.

I've been in the Support Group for 10 years and have never received an appointment or letter regarding this. Rather than go through the stress of ringing the call centre it would have been better to just speak to the work coach instead, which you've now done.

As for the appointee, if your partner is unable to manage their own claim because they are either severaly disabled or mentally incapable then it maybe worth thinking about. You would be responsible for reporting any future changes, filling out forms, as well as answering any questions for any future assessments. https://www.gov.uk/become-appointee-for-someone-claiming-benefits

HillStreetBlues

Sometimes even work coaches get it wrong
While in the Support group I had a call from a WC and insisted that I came in for an appointment that he made.
I pointed out that being in the SG I don't have to attend any of these appointments and would not be attending.
He then threaten me with sanctions, I just replied  "you got to do what you got to do"  and the call ended.
I rang the DWP  stated I do not want to attend any appointments, please put that on record.
Never any contact since then while in the SG