ESA, DLA and PIP chaos - DWP overturning more than half of it's own decisions on MR..

jennyjenkins · 16 June 2014 at 2:27PM

They want all of this kept quiet because of the election coming, milllions and millions have been wasted, new forms printed, people going away for training courses, I went on a 2 week training course in London, and I stayed in a 5 star hotel, with anything I wanted off the menu, just imagine how much this has cost the country. I have a feeling that they are going to use this as part of their election manifesto, claiming that PIP is too difficult for people to get what they are entitled to so they are leaving the DLA, as it is, I pity the next government that takes over, it is a complete mess.

50Twuncle · 16 June 2014 at 2:36PM

jennyjenkins wrote: »

They want all of this kept quiet because of the election coming, milllions and millions have been wasted, new forms printed, people going away for training courses, I went on a 2 week training course in London, and I stayed in a 5 star hotel, with anything I wanted off the menu, just imagine how much this has cost the country. I have a feeling that they are going to use this as part of their election manifesto, claiming that PIP is too difficult for people to get what they are entitled to so they are leaving the DLA, as it is, I pity the next government that takes over, it is a complete mess.

I assume that you are not doing this from work ?
Because you will be tracked down !!
As you have been informed - you will receive no protection as a whistle blower - just want to ensure that you are aware of all the facts ?

jennyjenkins · 16 June 2014 at 2:42PM

50Twuncle wrote: »

I assume that you are not doing this from work ?
Because you will be tracked down !!
As you have been informed - you will receive no protection as a whistle blower - just want to ensure that you are aware of all the facts ?

No I am at home, another day where we have all been sent home early, we still receive the same amount of pay though. There is a skeleton staff of two in the office, out of 7, we take it in turns to man the phones.

I have been working with the DWP for 23 years, I have never ever been so sick and tired of the whole system, I have loved my job, but now I am truly thinking of taking another post, or leaving altogether, if I take redundancy I will receive £54,000, but as I am only 45 it is a big decision to make.

50Twuncle · 16 June 2014 at 2:49PM

jennyjenkins wrote: »

No I am at home, another day where we have all been sent home early, we still receive the same amount of pay though. There is a skeleton staff of two in the office, out of 7, we take it in turns to man the phones.

Right - so you are in a local office ?
I won't try to find out anymore

Why are you reporting this now - and what do you hope comes of this news ?

50Twuncle · 16 June 2014 at 2:52PM

Have you thought about leaking this directly to the press ?
certain papers LOVE this kind of thing..
ie The Mirror & Guardian

jennyjenkins · 16 June 2014 at 2:59PM

50Twuncle wrote: »

Have you thought about leaking this directly to the press ?
certain papers LOVE this kind of thing..

I work in one of the main offices, we did have a staff of 98 people, most have moved on to other departments, as I am in a senior position, I have been kept on, I think mainly to train other people when the mess is sorted. If I give this information to the newspapers they will want to interview me, and the government now have a right to information about who has blown the whistle, I am reporting this here as this is one of the main forums in the country that people follow.

If I decide to leave the DWP I will be going to the newspapers, and I will have the documents to prove what is going on, at the moment, I am just waiting to see what is going to happen, but there are going to be many more months of waiting, people are now having their claims renewed with out medical back up, no checks are being made, because we do not have the staff to do it.

mandi · 16 June 2014 at 3:00PM

jennyjenkins wrote: »

I actually work in the tribunals office, for DLA, ESA, etc etc, I will be quite honest and tell you that we have had no work at all for the past 6 months, this is why no one are having appeals, or reassessments done. At the end of last year our office recruited and trained, 32 extra staff to deal with appeals, these people have now been dismissed, because of the lack of work, many of the experienced staff in our department have been advised to apply for voluntary redundancy, or apply for a posting in a different department.

The reason why we have no work is because ATOS will not release all the medical files that they have, until their contract has been resolved. ATOS were not up to doing the job, they did not realise how difficult it will be. We have some people on our system that have been waiting for 3/4 years for answers, and we can not do anything about it.

Our bosses told us this morning, that this is going to be like this for at least another 6 months. And in the meantime, the trained staff are leaving for other postings, and when the work does start coming in. There will be no staff capable of doing the job everyone will have to start from scratch. It is so damned annoying, all I do all day is play solitaire on the computer, or read magazines, I want to work, but there is no work to do.

This is the reason why the decisions are being overturned, we know that we do not have the paperwork to fight an appeal, so until things change people are being allowed to keep there benefits.

jennyjenkins wrote: »

It will stop as normal, but as soon as you appeal, the money will restart being paid. this is supposed to be kept quiet, hoping that people will go away, but appeal, and we have to pay you until, something is sorted out with another firm, apart from ATOS

jennyjenkins wrote: »

No it is not my name, those of you on PIP at the moment will be the only ones, it is all going to revert back to DLA, this is why people who are applying for PIP are being send DLA forms out. We have had to stop all the contracts with the Doctors, because we can not hold appeals.

.......................:eek:

mandi · 16 June 2014 at 3:03PM

jennyjenkins wrote: »

Everyone knows what is going on, the government don't want any whistle blowing, as it will prove their incompetence. PIP was the worst decision made, we knew it the Doctors knew it, and we all said it will not work, but of course it had to look as though the government was doing something, it will not happen, they will come out with some claptrap sooner or later that they are going to make things easier for claimants, the government will not admit what a !!!! up it has all been.

jennyjenkins wrote: »

They want all of this kept quiet because of the election coming, milllions and millions have been wasted, new forms printed, people going away for training courses, I went on a 2 week training course in London, and I stayed in a 5 star hotel, with anything I wanted off the menu, just imagine how much this has cost the country. I have a feeling that they are going to use this as part of their election manifesto, claiming that PIP is too difficult for people to get what they are entitled to so they are leaving the DLA, as it is, I pity the next government that takes over, it is a complete mess.

jennyjenkins wrote: »

I work in one of the main offices, we did have a staff of 98 people, most have moved on to other departments, as I am in a senior position, I have been kept on, I think mainly to train other people when the mess is sorted. If I give this information to the newspapers they will want to interview me, and the government now have a right to information about who has blown the whistle, I am reporting this here as this is one of the main forums in the country that people follow.

If I decide to leave the DWP I will be going to the newspapers, and I will have the documents to prove what is going on, at the moment, I am just waiting to see what is going to happen, but there are going to be many more months of waiting, people are now having their claims renewed with out medical back up, no checks are being made, because we do not have the staff to do it.

Thanks for the information Jenny :T

Ladyshopper · 16 June 2014 at 3:19PM

That's very informative jenny, thanks for your insider perspective. Can I ask a question on what you think might happen in this particular situation?

My son was 16 in November 2013 and his dla was supposed to stop then. However, they automatically renewed it for a year as they said he would have to apply for pip, they were aware of delays, and didn't want his money to stop.

So, dla now runs til November this year. Pip application sent to us in jan, and had to be returned by February, which I did. Heard nothing until a couple of weeks ago when a letter came through saying application received and there would be a medical assessment at some point.

Our area is done by capita rather than atos. Bearing in mind it's already 4 months since application went in, if my son didn't hear anything by November do you think his dla would be extended again?

I appreciate you might not know the answer, just thought I'd throw it out there!

jennyjenkins · 16 June 2014 at 3:27PM

He will not go onto PIP as there will be no such thing, at the moment they are stalling for time, Capita and ATOS are not giving us the information we need, it is kept in their offices, and until their contract is sorted, they will not release the paperwork, meaning we have nothing to assess a case, this is why people are having extensions. Not because it is thought that people are entitled to the money, but because we have no information. Your son, if it has not been resolved by November will get another 12 months extension. Hope that helps. Forget about PIP that is going to disappear.

ESA, DLA and PIP chaos - DWP overturning more than half of it's own decisions on MR..

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