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Top Other benefit issues topic #4159

Subject: "Have you ever heard?" First topic | Last topic
Dan_manville
                              

Caseworker, Birmingham Tribunal Unit
Member since
08th Jun 2004

Have you ever heard?
Wed 18-Nov-09 09:47 AM

A letter from Derby JC+...

"Although has authorised us to send their personal information to you, it is the Department's policy in thse circumstances to issue one copy of the information to the customer only. Consent cannot be considered fully informed, as the DWP customer may not be aware of exactly what information is held about them. DWP has adopted this policy to ensure we are fully complying with our data protection obligations to our customers by providing them with their personal information"

So, with due consent we can no longer receive information directly... "Dealing with customer representatives" anyone?

What's a cat to do?

  

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Replies to this topic
RE: Have you ever heard?, clairehodgson, 18th Nov 2009, #1
RE: Have you ever heard?, Dan_manville, 18th Nov 2009, #2
      RE: Have you ever heard?, ariadne2, 18th Nov 2009, #3
           RE: Have you ever heard?, Casework team, 02nd Dec 2009, #4
           RE: Have you ever heard?, clairehodgson, 02nd Dec 2009, #5
           RE: Have you ever heard?, Dan_manville, 08th Jan 2010, #6

clairehodgson
                              

solicitor, CMH Solicitors, Durham
Member since
09th Apr 2009

RE: Have you ever heard?
Wed 18-Nov-09 10:24 AM

happens all the time when i request records in a PI case ... no matter how i have the form of authority worded to make it clear that the client DOES know what he's telling them to give me. does my head in.

the last FoA i sent, I even cited the relevant extract from the DPA; didn't stop them sending the medical report to the client!

they will even do that when its a defendant in a PI case that has authority to get the records...

I want to know what they'll do when presented with a court order reciting what has to be sent to the solicitor... but i doubt they'll tell me....

  

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Dan_manville
                              

Caseworker, Birmingham Tribunal Unit
Member since
08th Jun 2004

RE: Have you ever heard?
Wed 18-Nov-09 10:39 AM

If it gets anymore ridiculous I'm likely to start asking TS for directions as a matter of rote.

In this very case a couple of weeks ago I has presenting officer from the Pensions Service (aka DWP) asking for evidence of punter's NI history (DWP!) the judge didn't seem suprised that I was nigh apoploectic at their trying to undermine my punter's case because we didn't have info that they are mandated to hold.

Plumbing becomes an ever more attractive occupation...

  

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ariadne2
                              

Welfare lawyer and social policy collator, Basingstoke CAB
Member since
13th Mar 2007

RE: Have you ever heard?
Wed 18-Nov-09 05:30 PM

Details of the punter's NI history have to be obtained by DWP from the Contributions Agency which is now part of HMRC - not QUITE as silly as all that. It can tke quite a long time and is not necessarily up to date, especially for people who have paid contributions very recently and late (eg self employed, voluntary)

  

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Casework team
                              

Legal Casework Officer, RNID London
Member since
17th Aug 2006

RE: Have you ever heard?
Wed 02-Dec-09 01:18 PM

Oh Dear Oh Dear Would it be possible that someone within JCP is not reading their own customer charter, which includes information on working with rep organisations, advice agencies etc ? Please see below:

"Jobcentre Plus – Working with Partners

Our partners are important to us. Successful delivery of Jobcentre Plus services can only be achieved, by working jointly with partner organisations and securing their support.

Jobcentre Plus relies on its partners at local, regional and national levels. It is only through strong and productive partnership working that we can meet our aim of delivering work for those who can and support for those who cannot. Put simply, we could not effectively deliver our huge range of services without the co-operation of our delivery partners, our strategic partners and our stakeholders. And of course we must work closely with our Government partners to ensure the delivery of a seamless joined up service. Partnership working though is of course a two way process and Jobcentre Plus has to give its partners the support they need. This means active and constructive management of partnerships and means listening and acting on partners concerns. This must all come together in delivering what our customers need.

Whatever the nature of the relationship, our approach to partnership working must reflect the Jobcentre Plus vision and promote and advance:
the changes we are putting in place to modernise our customer services and the way they are delivered; the needs of our priority customers and workforce diversity; the requirement to deliver better performance with reduced resources and prioritise our partnership relationships;
You may already be liaising with staff in Jobcentre Plus, but if you want to know more about Jobcentre Plus – Check the About Us section".

  

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clairehodgson
                              

solicitor, CMH Solicitors, Durham
Member since
09th Apr 2009

RE: Have you ever heard?
Wed 02-Dec-09 04:10 PM

maybe they have, and noted that it doesn't mention repping organisations...that would be my take on it

  

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Dan_manville
                              

Caseworker, Birmingham Tribunal Unit
Member since
08th Jun 2004

RE: Have you ever heard?
Fri 08-Jan-10 09:27 AM

Details of a punter's NI record are available to JCP staff within a couple of minutes searching in their intranet. For local clients I simply ring the JSA appeals team and they fax them over straight away, simple as.

But not in Derby... Hmmmm

  

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Top Other benefit issues topic #4159First topic | Last topic