Wolverhampton mail handling losing med certs?

Are any other advisers experiencing increasing numbers of med certs “not being received” by local processing centre after being sent to Wolverhampton post handling sites. There does not appear to be any process for Wolverhampton to link these to claim. Most seem to be taking 10 days or so to get to processing but we are seeing more and more going missing with expected results. Does anyone have any insider knowledge of how mail is being handled at these huge sites?
One wonders why the “digital by default” agenda doesn’t apply to the internal workings of the DWP..

We’re experiencing the same problem- in fact, in general I would say that one out of every three pieces of correspondence disappears into the Wolverhampton Black Hole (and what does get through takes a good couple of weeks to be logged as received by the local BC).

I, too, would be most interested to know what the Wolverhampton post handling site set-up is. Are there any Googlemap arial pics of it for example?

It’s part of the West Midlands Royal Mail handling centre. Google pics would reveal nought but one big roof.

Same as above, all mail sent via this route is very unpredictable as to whether it ever gets received, not aided by the stock response when you call to follow up and are told that correspondence won’t be logged onto the system until at least 14 working days have expired, meaning it’s often 3 weeks before you’re told that they haven’t received it and can you send everything again…..

It really is appalling.
Everything DWP do to “improve” their systems creates nothing but chaos.
It’s like they are putting more and more obstacles in the way so people just give up trying to contact them. First it was the useless telephone contact centres, and now the same with snail mail.

Welcome to Workfare

You have something there! Force claimants to work in Wolverhampton for no money, sorting their own mail! And delivering the replies to themselves!

“It really is appalling.
Everything DWP do to “improve” their systems creates nothing but chaos.
It’s like they are putting more and more obstacles in the way so people just give up trying to contact them. First it was the useless telephone contact centres, and now the same with snail mail.”

It’s what they mean by “frustrating” claimants off benefits. IMHO its totally deliberate.

I went to a DWP meeting on April 1st (honest)

They admitted that Wolverhampton wasnt working as intended and apologised for any inconvenience. They apologised to us advisers. Not claimants. advisers…............

I then spoke to DWP ESA call centre on a different matter (Med3 missing) and was told by a delightful young man that the reason for the delay was not Wolverhampton, as there was “absolutely nothing wrong with the mail handling site and that EVERY document is scanned and sent to the right BDC” , basically blaming my client for their mess.

I told him that our experiences obviously differed and he politely inferred I was just stirring and lying as Wolverhampton was great.

sigh…......................

In that case, (DWP persons reading this please take note!!!), why can’t/won’t jobcentres scan and email documents to relevant BDC and avoid the cost and inefficiency of using Wolverhampton at all?

Gods forbid that claimants could actually take documents to the relevant BDC in person, as used to be possible?

The system is designed specifically to put more hurdles in claimant’s way and to provide the maximum possibility for delays or a failed claim.

As for expecting an apology to claimants…..forget it!! Remember that they are all feckless scroungers undeserving of common courtesy, whereas advisers are (very) “hard-working people”!!!!

Ben E Fitz - 12 June 2014 02:38 PM

.....whereas advisers are (very) “hard-working people”!!!!

That is working ever harder in order to sort out DWPs (HMRC’s / HMCTS’s / LA’s) ever increasing level of maladministration of the benefit system!

It’s not just Wolverhampton either. Recently I have had clients whose Pension Credit forms were completed by DWP visiting officers and subsequently lost, requiring a further home visit and lengthy delay in processing; a pile of numerous bank statements that were in the possession of a BDC for a time (they wrote to client questioning something about them) and then lost; ESA50s that have been scanned into the system and referred to by the telephony team and then lost (described as ‘not available’) when it comes to Tribunal papers, etc.

What is puzzling is that all the paperwork must be somewhere, it doesn’t just disappear. What does the DWP do with the masses of orphan papers that must be floating around somewhere? Put it in the recycling? Destroy it? Bung it in black bags and throw it on the pile? Build a bigger warehouse to keep it? Someone must come across it at some point and wonder why there are 5 million sacks of paper that no-one has claimed, what do they do then?

I was wondering whether this is something I could refer to the Information Commissioner as a complaint. It is after all highly sensitive and confidential info that could be of great use to fraudsters, spammers and identity thieves. I had a quick look at the terms of ref but got distracted and haven’t revisited it yet. Anyone ever tried?

Can the med certs be taken into local JCP office?

They can, but only with a pre-booked appointment and the Jobcentre Staff will try their hardest to put clients off. Stating that it’s not an effective use of their time etc etc.

And you would be increasing the risk.  The Royal Mail is a lot less likely to lose the post in transit than the DWP’s internal mail system.

Should have made clear, these appointments are for documents to be scanned and emailed to BDCs.