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Friday rant - PIP medicals, to start with

ellie
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Tribunal judge

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Joined: 4 August 2014

On a more serious note before I get started and to avoid being moderated for immoderate posting, is there anyone collecting examples of these sort of things?

I saw a client yesterday refused PIP claim because DWP didn’t accept good reason for not attending the medical. She lives in North London and was sent appointment by ATOS to go to Milton Keynes for 9am on a weekday. She phoned beforehand to explain she couldn’t get there, asked for another nearer her home which she would be able to get to and sent a letter from doctor confirming she is visually impaired, suffers from vertigo and anxiety and can’t safely travel alone. Incidentally, she did consider it but daughter couldn’t take time off work to go with her.

The journey would have taken at least 2 hours including bus and tube journey at the start of the morning rush hour, negotiating major London terminus station in the rush hour and totally unfamiliar journey when she got to Milton Keynes. And cost at least £100 for her and daughter. Which although would be reimbursed, she would need to pay up front . Which might be possible, only it’s not because she is paying the bedroom tax and hasn’t been seen by ATOS for ESA claim 9 months ago, so is still on assessment rate.

Obviously good cause will be accepted now but why oh why oh why? I understand this is actually not uncommon! How much more can the welfare system and those who have to rely on it take, if the bulk of further cuts land here again. Its not just the cuts in payments, it’s the increasingly whacky world of decision-making and administration of benefits and tax credits. Feels like we spend all day mending holes in a wet bucket with a tissue. Grrrrr. There you go, Friday rant, but its only Thursday night

Paul_Treloar_CPAG
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Advice and Rights Team, Child Poverty Action Group

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Who needs the law Ellie when we’ve got common sense IDS?

John Birks
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Welfare Rights and Debt Advice - Stockport Council

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I had hoped we would be nearer to peak stupid than we are.

Sadly, every day brings more evidence to show administrators are achieving newer, bigger and better stupid than ever before.

Dan_Manville
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Mental health & welfare rights service - Wolverhampton City Council

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I collated examples last year; the longest distance was Watford to Portsmouth; 85 miles. Ironically at the same time people were being referred from Watford to Portsmouth, people were also being sent from Portsmouth to Watford.

The whole system; at least in ATOS areas, is a joke.

benefitsadviser
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Sunderland West Advice Project

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We all know how awful the system is, and that IDS and Mcvey would stop ALL benefits if they could get away with it, but cases like yours Elle must be made more public.

Are there any local papers or national social media/welfare rights groups that can highlight such a shocking situation?

ellie
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Tribunal judge

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Thanks all - calmed down, for now.

Have good weekend. Will come back if I do hear of anything other than weeping and endless daft MRs.

Although,  while I’m at it.. ... do HMRC routinely refuse to accept late MRs or is it my imagination and do their letters ever arrive less than 3 weeks after the date they purport to have been notified?

1964
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Deputy Manager, Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit

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PIP assessments:

Our record so far is the client with agoraphobia/severe anxiety (who doesn’t drive) asked to attend 8.30am appointment in Southampton.

HMRC:

Yep. Had to refer case to CPAG only recently (who threatened JR after which the late MR was miraculously accepted and decision subsequently revised).