Yet another gatekeeping exercise by SF secion. Client yesterday made telephone enquiry into claiming a CL. Told no entitlement and she would have to claim a BL (even though she had immediate short term needs). I phoned the SFO today who was adamant that as my client "...had been on IS in excess of 26 weeks she was going down the wrong avenue...". Absolute refusal to provide a claim form so thank god for t'internet. I phoned the IRS to complain and they asked for a written precis of the problems we regularly encounter as they need all these type of complaints in writing. The IRS know it goes on but when they approach the various local agencies it is always denied. IRS accept we're all busy but would appreciate any such incidents in writing so I suggest we all get our quills out.

definitely worthwhile

this from the recent IRS annual report -

"The Social Fund Commissioner stresses that the DWP must take steps 'to ensure that these practices are eliminated and provide suitable assurance that this has happened.'"

see Claiming crisis loans by telephone: Problems and poor practice continue

I've been aware of such gate keeping tactics by the social fund for some time. However, what I have recently become aware of is that social fund reviewing officers(in my locality anyway) are refusing a client's request for a face to face interview with an interpreter for a CCG review. I've been told that the interview MUST be done over the telephone and that the DWP will only arrange a face to face interview under exceptional circumstances (this apparently, not being one of them). The reviewing officer conducted the review anyway, even though the client said that they really needed an interpreter during the review interview.

In another very recent case, I found it very difficult arranging an interview for a client who wanted to apply for a Crisis Loan who required an interpreter. After about 20 minutes, the local office agreed to arranging the interview with the use of language line. Revealingly, the worker who was taking the calls for applications for Crisis Loans told me that this was all new to her,(she was unaware that clients could request an face to face interview and that interpreters could be used) and in her two months doing this particular job, she had never arranged an appointment with an interpreter (this in on of the most multiracial parts of Manchester).

I will be writing to the SF commissioner.

We should bombard the SF Comm with letters. I know we're all pushed but if each one of us did one letter it'd hopefully make a difference