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Telephone interview details

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7 years 5 months ago #171256 by slugsta
Replied by slugsta on topic Telephone interview details

B x wrote: Just to keep the thread updated, received the "we have all the information we need" text this morning, that's over a week since my f2f so not sure if that means they only just received the report from the assessor or if they are just slow.

B x


Both are possible!

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7 years 5 months ago #171628 by B x
Replied by B x on topic Telephone interview details
Just updating the timeline of events as I am sure others find it helpful in the same way I do on other threads, as we are all playing the waiting game.

As it's two weeks since I asked for a copy of the assessment and it has not been received as yet I decided to call DWP this morning. It didn't start well as she told me my request was only received on 20th October so I was expecting it a bit too soon, I corrected her and said no it was 14.09 pm on 10th and that I sent a letter (signed for service) the same day.

She went back into her system and then said, oh no it wasn't my call registered on the system for 20th, it was receipt in their offices of the assessment from Capita. I said I had received a text the previous day 19th saying they had all they needed so that didn't seem to tie up either. She was unable to offer an explanation for that.

I asked when I could expect a copy of the assessment and she said another two weeks from today as my request was only just being registered and an email would be sent to the appropriate department.

I also asked what happens next and she said the file would "soon" be passed to a decision maker, hopefully in the next couple of weeks and I should then hear something a month or so after that.

The wheels sure do move slowly, any business operating in that way would be out of business long since. I keep telling myself I am not worrying about all of this, but of course the truth is different and my head is all the place.

I do have one question which arose from reading another thread where the claimant said she only knew a decision had been made because her local authority had written to her about changes to housing benefit.

Is it normal practice for DWP to advise local authorities before the claimant about changes to benefit ? Our landlord is our Son in Law, but I would hate for him to receive notification of changes or worse reduction in payments before I know.

Many thanks,

B x

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7 years 5 months ago #171677 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic Telephone interview details

B x wrote: Is it normal practice for DWP to advise local authorities before the claimant about changes to benefit ? Our landlord is our Son in Law, but I would hate for him to receive notification of changes or worse reduction in payments before I know.

Many thanks,

B x


It's not that they notify the Local Authority first, both the claimant and the LA are notified at the same time, but the LA is told electronically and the claimant by post, so the LA just get the notification first.

Gordon

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7 years 4 months ago #172152 by B x
Replied by B x on topic Telephone interview details
At the risk of seeming paranoid I called DWP again this afternoon to see if my assessment had been sent. The simple answer was no.

In my post on Monday I mentioned they said they had only received the assessment report from Capita on 19th (assessment was 10th), today they said no that was not the case as they actually received it on 14th and the file went to the Decision Maker on that date (two weeks ago). But that there was then more information from Captia on 19th so the process had to re-start.

Is this normal, or could they have asked Capita for further information and if so what as I thought the assessment report was what their decisions are based on ?

I am sorry for more questions as we are all in the same boat and experiencing the same levels of stress.

B x

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7 years 4 months ago #172179 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic Telephone interview details
B x

It sounds that they have asked for clarification either on the report itself or a discrepancy between your evidence and the report, I can't tell you how often this happens as a claimant might only be aware of it if they go to appeal but this is a perfectly normal process.

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
The following user(s) said Thank You: B x

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7 years 4 months ago #172334 by B x
Replied by B x on topic Telephone interview details
Feeling devastated and in a state of shock and bundle of nerves.

Brown envelope arrived with copy of assessment and I am totally lost for words. Reading through initially it seemed OK until I got to the descriptor marks and all are either a or b.

Such things as 'difficulty reaching toilet with use of a frame although it is only 7m away. And then in the descriptors ticks I can walk 50m.

States I am unable to dress and undress and hubby needs t do this, then ticks can dress and undress with an aid (or is hubby an aid ?).

Stated I have to be helped in and out of shower, sat on a stool and then my hair and entire body washed for me then ticks needs and appliance to wash and bathe.

And so it goes on, I am going to go through with hubby and see how many points I actually scored but doesn't look like many and certainly not sufficient to replace my lifetime higher rate mobility and care element.

The there are things like i refused to stand, at the assessment he said he would not even ask me to do that. Mentions I have a tight grip in my hand, he didn't even ask me to do that. In fact said something along the lines there are several things we would normally do at this stage but it's clear you could not do them without falling.

Will post later then have taken it in more and added descriptors.

B x

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