My colleague has just phoned to say that while she was helping a client make an IS claim the 'helpline' started to ask questions about whether the client had a car and how many points did he have on his driving licence. I assume that these questions are asked when making a JSA Claim (I can't see what possible relevance they have to IS)in order to help the claimant find work. Does this mean he's made the wrong claim?

I get this most of the time when making claims for IS/IB for adults with learning disabilties and people with enduring mental health problems. The caller centre staff follow a daft, often inappropriate script, the answers to which I presume are used in any follow-up deferred interview (due 8 weeks after claim?). These often never actually takes place, because the Jobcentre staff who follow up the cases understand that there are no points to be gained with these clients. I think that the script is inflexible in that it takes the line of 'First I need to ask you a few questions to see what benefit would be appropriate...'Well, we always bloody know the appropriate benefit, but they still have to go through the rigmarole. However, you will occasionally come across a free-thinker who will ask 'Shall I just send out a clerical claim?' It's only a matter of time before the hive mentality will get to those few remaining brave spirits. 'Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated'.

Thanks for that, I,ve never come across the driving licence questions
before, I made an IS claim on the Wedenesday where I was just asked straightforward, sensible questions and yet my colleague did the same on Friday and got all this nonsense.