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

Maximus cancelling appointments and telling DWP that claimant failed to attend

neilbateman
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Welfare Rights Author, Trainer & Consultant

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I have had a couple of cases where people have had their medicals with Maximus/CHDA cancelled by phone at short notice because of staffing issues.

I have also noticed that Maximus have told DWP that the claimant failed to attend which of course is nonsense and places their ESA/IS/IB in jeopardy. 

I have managed to resolve the problems in each case but are other advisers having the same thing happen?

Benny Fitzpatrick
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Welfare Rights Officer, Southway Housing Trust, Manchester

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Plenty of clients having appointments cancelled at short notice. More than one when they arrive at the assessment centre! So far though, no issues with DWP being advised it is a FTA.

At our local assessment centre (Manchester), last minute cancellations are routine. Rumour has it that all appointments are double, or even triple, booked to avoid loss of revenue from “no shows” (maximus being paid by assessments completed, of course). Inevitably, this leads to cancellations when both bookings turn up. However, I stress this is only rumour.  Maximus themselves are reluctant to discuss the matter in any detail (wonder why?).

Mike Hughes
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Senior welfare rights officer - Salford City Council Welfare Rights Service

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I didn’t think that was rumour at all. Double booking is routine as is booking for distances more than 90 minutes away. Onus on claimant to pay attention on the latter; complain and mysteriously get a local gig without much further ado.

Also not had people done for FTA on this basis.

Helen Rogers
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Welfare rights officer - Stockport MBC

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It’s not a rumour - Mario Dunne, Communications Director of Maximus, told us at a meeting of the Greater Manchester Welfare Rights Advisers Group that double booking is done routinely for the very reason that Benny Fitzpatrick gave in his post.

Benny Fitzpatrick
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Welfare Rights Officer, Southway Housing Trust, Manchester

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Indeed. I was at that meeting! However, staff at Albert-Bridge House are not singing from the same hymn sheet as Mr Dunne!

Uphill Struggle
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Community Advice Team, Falkirk Council

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Benny Fitzpatrick - 05 December 2016 01:30 PM

At our local assessment centre (Manchester), last minute cancellations are routine. Rumour has it that all appointments are double, or even triple, booked to avoid loss of revenue from “no shows” (maximus being paid by assessments completed, of course). Inevitably, this leads to cancellations when both bookings turn up. However, I stress this is only rumour.  Maximus themselves are reluctant to discuss the matter in any detail (wonder why?).

Ah, love it - the EasyJet business model put to use: pile ‘em high, sell ‘em (up the river?) and expect plenty of cancellations.