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Request for case studies by DWP
Has anyone else had sight of this rather extraordinary request for positive case studies of ESA and PIP claimants, sent out via the DWP Operational Stakeholder Engagement Team?
The Communications team are looking for case studies for ESA and PIP which can be used both externally and internally. They are keen for case studies from all our stakeholders who will offer a positive perspective on the changes to the claimant process. Some examples of what they are looking for is listed below:
Stakeholder: Claimants who have gone through the ESA and PIP process
• Individuals who have come off long term unemployment to now being employed
• Individuals who are happy with the support being received through a Support Group
• Individuals who have received financial support to enable them to work (through Access to Work)
Stakeholder: partners / supportive organisations / representative groups
• Any group which can see the long term goal of ESA and PIP, and believe we are moving towards a more effective system
At this stage they are looking for any positive feelings towards the changes which have been implemented to both ESA and PIP. Positive case studies could also include people who recognise that while the system isn’t perfect, we are making progress.
The team are keen for any case studies before the end of the month, and ideally within the next 2 weeks – however any contribution after these dates will still be welcome. Can you send any examples to me please and I will collate and forward on.
Gary Vaux has drafted an extremely robust response, which he or colleagues may wish to share. I would share the email of the original sender of the email but I’m not sure that it’s appropriate, although I did think that we could all send some of our examples of ESA and PIP cases where things maybe aren’t quite so rosy.
p.s. thanks to Neil Bateman for sharing this with me.
“rather extraordinary”!!! Goodness. Mild understatement. 4 quite extraordinary bullet points really. Had to laugh out loud just to relieve the stress it caused just reading it.
Won’t be top of many peoples lists but it’s hard enough nowadays to get Access To Work support when you’re in employment. There is some good work done when people are employed but the driver for that tends to be a good employer not the wonderous support of the benefits system.
It’s not Friday 13th is it?
I was thinking April 1st to be honest Peter.
Maybe as they were unable to find any of those thank you cards from JSA claimants who had been sanctioned that JCP claimed to have been inundated with they are now looking for evidence to claim something similar for the Support Group and Access to Work?
I don’t understand what it is they want to claim of the support provided to claimants in the Support Group. £7.00 pw and not being mandated to participate in ‘work related activity’ that’s inappropriate to their personal circumstances?
Oh for pity’s sake…
It truly does beggar belief doesn’t it? They’ve got more front than Tesco.
No wonder you were sorely tempted to include the sender’s email address Paul. I do hope Gary/Neil will share the ‘extremely robust response’ which I would very much like to read & appreciate.
DWP are now “inviting” people in the support group of ESA for help into looking for work.
This is putting the fear of god into many clients (especially with mental health issues) who have already been assessed as having no real capacity for work related activity.
They cant let it lie can they? Why arent they focussing more on helping people who CAN do a bit of work??
Perhaps they would be interested in the details of a PIP appeal from last week. The client waited 7 months for an assessment which did not assess her problems or apply the law correctly, then another 4 months to exhaust the DWP’s internal decision and dispute processes during which they constantly claimed the assessment was reliable.
Within 6 weeks of her getting it out of the DWP’s hands, a Tribunal considered all the evidence for the first time, allowed her appeal, and awarded the high rate of both components. A positive experience, in the end?
Not if they request the SOR and suspend payments whilst they’re waiting for it. Which is what they’ve done with all my successful PIP appeals so far.
DWP ‘Communications’ - the ‘good news culture’. The DWP is now massively politicised. There is an election coming. All hands to the pumps.
Message:
1/ it’s all good, it’s all working, there are no problems
2/ any problems are someone else’s fault anyway, mainly that of the claimants, who are bad people
3/ that’s it