Tail wagging the dog

Who set this mess up?

Contacted Bootle yesterday.  I was informed by a ‘middle management PIP officer’ that they are forbidden to contact the AP (assessment provider) ATOS in our area, to chase up or query what is happening on any particular claim.

My concern was that a PIP2 form with supporting evidence was sent over to the AP on 02/08/2013. As of today he has had no assessment and no contact from PIP/DWP or the AP. Understandably he is rather upset.

It did come out in the conversation with the PIP officer that they are only allowed to contact the AP if they receive an official complaint to PIP/DWP…..tried this before and it did get results.

I’ve been actively referring all clients in this position to local MP’s. Referred two only this week.

Historically it has been my practice when a client is refused benefit to request a recon, ask for copies of the evidence used for the original decision, and ask the DWP to defer the recon for one month after they send the evidence so that we can review it and submit further evidence as appropriate. Generally this has worked well but I am wondering how/if it works with PIP.  I’ve tried it once with a PIP decn (haven’t had many) but the DWP carried out the recon without sending me the evidence, no change of course.  As the DWP whiz off the PIP 2 and any other evidence to ATOS round here without considering it, cannot track the assessment progress, and do not chase up assessments, I’m wondering whether the DWP have the facility to send me copies of the evidence including the F2F assessment report, or whether they would forward my request to ATOS and then whether ATOS would send the evidence to me.  Or is it now a waste of time? Would I be better off requesting an MR offering no further evidence (2 weeks for MR says Esther), then submitting an appeal so we can see the evidence in the bundle. Bit of a waste of everybody’s time though

ATOS have had my clients PIP2 form for over 5 months…They are not concerned as PIP/DWP cannot contact them unless they are responding to an official complaint.

I’m with 1964 in bringing in the local MP, but now intend to submit an official complaint if the assessment is not made within the 6 week target.

Jason Feeney: …The other thing is that there is a target that the providers have to do 97% of the assessments within a six-week period.  Bill is absolutely right: there is no target on the length of the individual assessment itself, but they have to turn it around, if you like, within that six-week period.  There are a number of things that are contributing to them taking longer than six weeks to do that.

With the exception of special rules cases, every PIP claim I have assisted to make has been delayed by 3, 4, 5, 6…months. I’m actually still waiting for a regular rules PIP decision. I havent complained about PIP yet, but I do it regularly for ESA and it does jog along Atos to do something. Their letters are very polite, too.

I suspect DWP can’t pressurise Atos/Capita because it’d be happening in almost every case.

Is anyone else coming round to the notion that in place of the existing system, claims should be decided by tribunals at the beginning? It would surely save time and money.

The 30 working day target for an ‘end to end’ assessment in 97% of cases is I believe only an expectation once the system is in ‘steady state’. When will that be? When the PIP migration is finished?

The abandonment of the nation-wide re-assessment phase of PIP migration was I am told due to problems with capacity at the medical consultation stage. This also seems to be the root cause of the problem with PIP new claims. At what point will a JR be a suitable remedy, if at all?

So what did they actually learn from the 6 pilots then?

Enough to stop all new claims for a benefit which (albeit with the occasional horror story) worked?
Enough to start nationally what is billed as a ‘new type’ of benefit assessment where 75% of claimants would undergo a face to face consultation?

Claims held for 6 months and not be offered an assessment, 6 months!!!

What would the reaction have been on a new DLA claim if they had not even responded to the claimant within 6 months of receiving the claim?

Would their advisors have been sending in official complaints?

The government have removed the right for disabled claimants the opportunity to have a claim for benefit, made and decided upon within a reasonable time.

The support services for these claimants have been decimated, claimants (and advisors) overwhelmed/desensitized by the amount/scope & speed of changes.

Appreciate that this is an early rant for Friday.
Happy POETS day

I had to look POETS day up….

The only fig-leaf that DWP/Capita/Atos have is that this is all new and it will alllllll be betterrrrrr laterrrrrr.

I’m in favour of complaining officially here and now, and dismissing the ‘wait for the steady state’ argument. This is NOT an improvement in the benefits system, and I suspect it never will be either administratively or in terms of just outcomes for claimants.