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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Work capability issues and ESA  →  Thread

Support Group claimants beware!

Benny Fitzpatrick
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Welfare Rights Officer, Southway Housing Trust, Manchester

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Attached is a copy of a letter which DWP have been sending to SG recipients in our area, “inviting” them to telephone DWP to discuss the support available.

What’s the betting that these phonecalls will be used to trigger a re-assessment of the claim, undoubtedly resulting in the downgrade or removal of ESA awards?

An underhand way of tricking claimants into unnecessarily putting their awards at risk.

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CDV Adviser
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Nestor Financial Group Ltd

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This looks like a local policy probably introduced by the local SEO. They can’t even get the wording right “If you would [like] to access our support…”

Dan_Manville
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Mental health & welfare rights service - Wolverhampton City Council

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At least they’re clear that it’s voluntary. That’s a vast improvement on efforts round these parts.

Benny Fitzpatrick
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Welfare Rights Officer, Southway Housing Trust, Manchester

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Our concern is that there is no warning that these phone-calls could be used as a pretext for re-assessment.

The mention that this is a voluntary initiative may encourage people to phone, without realising the possible implications.

Elliot Kent
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Shelter

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Pretty sad that the relationship between the DWP and claimants/reps has eroded to the point that a (presumably) well-intentioned reminder of the services available to claimants if they choose to access them ends up being viewed as nothing more than an illegitimate attempt to trick claimants out of a few quid in weekly entitlements.

Benny Fitzpatrick
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Welfare Rights Officer, Southway Housing Trust, Manchester

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I agree. Sadly, past experience (e.g the review of DLA awards under the old Benefit Integrity Programme)leads me to be cynical about these sorts of exercises.