Increased admin issues with Ingeus and previously CHDA?

With CHDA before Ingeus, we had issues in terms of them not having a person’s address, even if updated by Universal Credit (which I presume was an error of Universal Credit).

However it seems with the new contract, we are having more issues in Ingeus (?) having the right information about clients, seemingly administrative errors that then have a huge knock on effect on the WCA process. Is anyone else experiencing this (or a continuation of the same issues)?

3 cases recently:

1. A client returned his UC50 in time in August, my colleague confirmed with CHDA, in early September just before new contract, that they had received it and would be in contact with him re: an assessment date. I have just called Ingeus to check that that is still the position (as they seem to be arranging WCAs much quicker now and he hasn’t received anything yet) - and they said that they don’t have his UC50 and so it was returned to the DWP. I read out to them my colleagues notes from early September, they then checked with someone who can access the ‘back office system’, and it turns out that system shows that his UC50 was closed, but regardless his WCA referral has been sent back to the DWP, who would need to re-refer him.

2. A client at the beginning of his WCA process, shortly after his UC claim was submitted we had to re-report his DOB as the Home Office issued a new BRP with his correct DOB. I helped him complete and return his UC50 questionnaire, and when calling Ingeus yesterday, I could not pass through security to check with them that they had received and recorded it on their system within the deadline, because they have a different DOB to EITHER of the DOBs UC have ever known him by. They told me to report the correct DOB on his UC claim - I said that this was done in late August (and before he was even referred for a WCA). They then said that they only go on what is written in the DOB section on the UC50 form, at which point I clarified that I completed the UC50 form, was looking at a copy of it whilst on the phone, and the DOB matches that on his BRP and his UC claim. We’ve written on his journal asking UC to please clarify this with them, but in the meantime I reckon Ingeus will send an assessment letter to his old address, and we can’t update his address with them because they have a DOB he’s never used…

3. Another client had a WCA ax scheduled in late July, which CHDA cancelled. She had another one the following week, which she thought had happened, but they had actually just called her to say that they couldn’t do it due to no interpreter. Another WCA was cancelled by them at the end of August because a healthcare professional wasn’t available, and another WCA cancelled by them (on the day again?) in mid-September. There was a final WCA scheduled for the first week of October, which they have recorded that she did not attend, so they have returned her file to UC - again. I suspect the client did not get the letter about the assessment in early October because she moved to a new address (and reported this to UC on the day of moving) between the times of the last two scheduled WCAs.

We have a first national Health Assessment Advisory Service stakeholder meeting with all the contractors next week so will put in a question about we might escalate issues and then feedback here :)