Yet more evidence of Government Departments lacking even the barest of human decency.

Toko Black

Over view:

I have been on benefits for mental health issues for about 10yrs.
On and off I have had issues and problems with the reassessment process and the somewhat of a gamble every time you are reevaluated as the criteria for mental health issues are subjective and depending on the assessor and the decision maker at the DWP, you can score slightly different point totals for the same answers on different occassions.
A point here or there can make a big difference, but you are often loathed to question the decision if it is generally okay, since a new decision can end up without enough scores to get any benefits.

I've had some good and some very bad experiences with them and sometimes had to wait 6 months with no money.

So as you can tell, I have somewhat of a bias against the DWP as it stands.

This year I filled in my reassessment form and sent it back with a view to having an assessment in early June.
I managed to organise a support worker to attend with me for the appointment just before lunch - but as we got in, I was informed that there was a least a 1.5hr wait and would I like to either come back after lunch and wait till the end in case there was a free slot, or have the appointment rescheduled.
The mental health issues I have are primarily regarding social situations and therefore, spending several hours sweating with anxiety in there didn't seem like a practical situation, so we took up the offer of a rescheduled appointment.

As we left, my support worker noted how anxious and stressed I had become and decided to contact my doctor to see if I could get a letter requesting a home visit or even an assessment based on just the forms.
The DWP rescheduled the appointment very quickly, but my support worker cancelled it due to the rather strong letter my doctor just sent to The DWP got back in touch and organised a home visit. Currently my medications are all at the maximum prescribeable dose to enable me to cope, but this means I am also far more tired and sedated than usual.
Unfortunately, because the home visit was such short notice, my support workers couldn't organise the time off to spend with me, buyt what can you do !

While all this is going on, I am also undergoing assessment at the Adult Autism and Neurlogical Services - which after many hours of assessment clinically diagnosed my with Aspergers.

So the home vist day arrives, but they can only give me a time frame of 0900 - 1500 ... a support worker rang them up and managed to get that clarified to 1200-1500.
I was in all day and cat napping while waiting for them to arrive (I can only stay awake for a few hours at a time). Come 17:00 hrs with no visit, I contacted my support workers and they checked with the DWP.
According to the DWP, the assessor had been and got no response.
Where I live there are 6 blocks of flats, all with a similar names and numbering - 0 to 100 odd in one and 1 - 99 even in another etc.
It is not uncommon for people go to the wrong building and get confused.
Each block has an intercom to get though the front door. The Intercome buzzer in my flat is VERY loud and I can't imagine I had missed it, but there is still a chance.
The assessor could even have been running late and couldn't be bothered ... I just don't know.

Long and the short of it, I received a letter from the DWP asking for the reasons I had refused to answer the door.
I explained as best I could and sent off the letter immediately.

... 1 month goes by and and Sat morning I got the response from the DWP.

They have cancelled my ESA which means I can just afford to cover the rent but not the bills or food.

Sorry for the long whinge post, but I just had to get it off my chest.

Cliff

Well it's good to get it off your chest and you have my support as you have done nothing wrong.
A lot of the so called social services operate in a very questionable way. A law unto themselves.
Sorry for the stress you are going through.

richp007

I'm saddened mate by your story, but also sadly it doesn't surprise me at all. This is the type of sh*t that's been going on for too long now. I am willing to bet the assessor never even made it to your door. Yours is by no means an isolated story of where an appointment hasn't been kept, yet the claimant has been penalised.

I trust you will be fighting the decision, and I'm sure you are more than aware there is help out there to do so.

Please keep us posted as to what happens. It may also help to give your case profile. Writing to your local paper isn't a bad idea, as right now stories of this kind of thing are attracting attention.

As Cliff says too, you have my support, and I'm sure the support of everyone here.

doug56hl

Sorry to hear of this and hope you get it resolved quickly. Seems to be a case of 'computer says no'.

You're probably aware of it but if not this may be useful.
The ESA Decision Makers guide with info on failure to attend/submit to medical examination and good cause for non compliance.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/794983/dmgch42.pdf

Also the various amendments Decision makers’ guide: Vols 8 and 9: Employment and Support Allowance: staff guide

The DWP seems to have treated your alledged home visit and not answering the door as a deliberate action of non compliance with an assessment and hence a reason that you are not eligible for LCW/LCWRA. Although you will be likely to get your ESA reinstated after an appeal, this can be a long process and also very stressful.

Have you/your support worker tried a direct contact with a decision maker asking that the case be reviewed?

EarthRod

This is all very sad and annoying.

From what @Toko Black has posted I get the impression any excuse will lead to vulnerable people loosing their ESA entitlement because the inclination to fight back is generally lacking, and DWP are taking advantage to meet their financial targets.

I hope I'm wrong, but it seems the current government's inclination is to make cuts in a brutal and uncaring way. Toko's post highlights this.

I have to agree with @Cliff on this one.

Garrett

A lot of these assessors are inhuman and think they have a quoter to get people off benefit. I heard lots of tales over the years since they introduced them.

A acquaintance of mine who was elderly, but not retirement age yet and quite frail and had two heart attacks and was assessed  fit for work and his doctor sent them a letter if he died he would hold them accountable for it, which they reinstated him.

Also there was a girl so unbelievably unable to do anything without assistance and got to the final assessment(all the others said she was fit for work) they was a huge protest outside the building. They did find in her favour at that assessment but why had it got that far.

Another someone was that frail with some condition(brittle bone?) someone just bumping into him could kill him they said was fit for work.

And yet another a ex footballer who been assessed unfit for work his head was pinned up all over(I take it ino his skull) in a cage and the club for some reason started the season of by getting him back and just had him tap the football, and he got knocked of benefit.

I seem to recall an ex navy doctor had retired and gone working for ATOS and was on the BBC saying he resigned something like of the ridiculous way claimants were assessed.

BTW Toko it was OK for them to piss you about at the first appointment when you had a set time to see them but they did not honour it yet when they came to your building, if they did probably only rang once and off they went.
The medication your on probably well known to have side effect of making you drowsy so even a 3 hour slot being full awake be a task for you.

Best of luck with getting reassessed.

BTW anyone reading this thread wants to watch I Danial Blake which was well researched and a true representation  when the doctors say your that bad you have not to work, and yet a pen pusher who controls the purse strings says you are.

Garrett

Just quickly found it about the navy doctor and Atos.
Benefit assessments 'are unfair'

tapzilla2k

You have my support as well. PIP is usually an utter nightmare, I finally got a decision on Universal Credit where they've decided I'm not fit for work. Only taken them from December to August of this year to get that done.

The entire benefit system is broken, I know I sound like a broken record. It's more akin to a virtual workhouse than a safety net. The assessment system is either flawed or deliberately set up to force people into the appeals process. Which takes months or years in some cases depending on the courts and tribunal services case load in an area. The DWP representative at my PIP appeal was out of his depth in terms of knowledge about mental health and resorted to aggressive tactics, which the Appeal Judge shut down immediately.

I'm lucky in that I have supportive parents, Mind has an excellent benefits team in Oxfordshire (but they are understaffed and overworked) who've helped me a lot over the years and that my GP is proactive when it comes to the DWP. In fact he sounds slightly annoyed at having to pick up the pieces when vulnerable patients get hit by unjust DWP decisions. There really does need to be an inquiry into the DWP, but that won't happen until there is a change in Government.

richp007

Don't ever worry about sounding like a broken record, that's what these fudges want you to think of yourself so the system isn't challenged.

I'm glad we are increasing our mental health awareness now, and the more stories like yours and Toko's that are exposed, the more pressure it puts on the system to change. It's completely broken and the consequences of it have become too severe.

Trollslayer

It's like Universal Credit, things like the six week delay is deliberate thanks to Ian Duncan Smith.