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Potential for work-related activity - in Support Group???
Interesting little para in a letter that’s been sent (dated 5.1.15) to a client in the Support Group:
‘We have decided that you have potential for work-related activity and must take part in work-focused interviews with a personal adviser to continue to receive Employment and Support Allowance in full. ‘
Hum; has the cut-and-paste machine gone awry, or is something up???
Interestingly, the last page of the letter, though it refers to entitlement of £123.70 weekly, says that entitlement is £51.85 from 13/11/2010.
Someone is confused: it’s often me, but this time I think it ain’t.
Anyone seeing similar things?
We have had problems in our area with Support Group claimants being called for WFI’s which are voluntary but nothing in the letters to say this. The letters used language that could hint at sanctions for non attendance and the appointments were on a Saturday - which scared some clients who feared they were under investigation because they were being called in at such an odd time. Letters went to some of our clients with severe mental health problems and anxiety - just getting the letters adding to their mental health issues. We liaised with the Jobcentre and got the letters and appointments stopped and informed as many clients as poss that they didn’t gave to attend. So many appointments were sent out that some days we were getting 6 phone calls one after another from worried clients. These letters are popping up in other areas now. We will be raising this yet again at our benefit forum meeting when it is eventually rearranged after being cancelled.
Disabled People Against Cuts have been looking for people called in for WFI’s who are in the support group.
Are you in the ESA Support Group? Have you been asked to attend a Work Focussed Interview?
As a result of the Oakley Review there is a specialist team currently auditing all DWP communication with claimants. They are soliciting responses from advice organisations - I’m afraid I don’t have contact details but I’m sure someone on Rightsnet will.
Im struggling with an MH client who is having difficulty going to ingeus appointments.
I spoke to Ingeus and they said it would only be voluntary if i got him into support group (he is in WRAG), and meanwhile has to attend
The letters seem not to say that though.
Unfortunately my client misunderstood, got into a “support group” of a local mental health charity and believed that would make him exempt…......
Andrew - If you send me a copy of the letter (with personal info redacted) then we will forward it with comments to the DWP communications team set up following the Oakley reveiw.
my email is firstname.lastname @ royalgreenwich.gov.uk
We have had problems in our area with Support Group claimants being called for WFI’s which are voluntary but nothing in the letters to say this. The letters used language that could hint at sanctions for non attendance and the appointments were on a Saturday - which scared some clients who feared they were under investigation because they were being called in at such an odd time. Letters went to some of our clients with severe mental health problems and anxiety - just getting the letters adding to their mental health issues. We liaised with the Jobcentre and got the letters and appointments stopped and informed as many clients as poss that they didn’t gave to attend. So many appointments were sent out that some days we were getting 6 phone calls one after another from worried clients. These letters are popping up in other areas now. We will be raising this yet again at our benefit forum meeting when it is eventually rearranged after being cancelled.
We had these in the Chesterfield area where people with severe mental health issues in the Support Group were being called in on Saturdays, usually with about two days notice. Nowhere in the letter did it state it was voluntary, but when pushed DWP staff had to say it was not mandatory. More worrying was that staff didn’t seem to have any access to the illnesses/risks that people had or the severity of these, so much for ESA50’s or additional information. Some people we work with became very unwell and symptomatic because of these appointments. We arranged to see the local Job Centre manager and all these have since been cancelled. He was actually really helpful and seemed genuinely concerned about the safeguarding issues we raised. He promised to raise it with not only his local staff but the area (which was not local to us) that had been making the telephone calls to clients. He didn’t say, but it seems to have been a decision that had been imposed on them from above and not one he was happy about at all.
Im struggling with an MH client who is having difficulty going to ingeus appointments.
I spoke to Ingeus and they said it would only be voluntary if i got him into support group (he is in WRAG), and meanwhile has to attend
The letters seem not to say that though.
Unfortunately my client misunderstood, got into a “support group” of a local mental health charity and believed that would make him exempt…......
There are equality act issues arising with this approach; it could well construe harassment and indirect discrim if they’re sending out mandatory activity notices every time. Should you wish to discuss avenues to challenge drop me a line dan DOT manville AT wolverhampton DOT gov DOT uk