× Members

Technical problems with PIP telephone appointment

More
1 year 1 month ago #283704 by am66
I was due to have a telephone PIP review yesterday after my previous appointment was cancelled literally at the last minute. I can’t tell you all the stress this has caused me and worsening of my condition plus additional ones now like IBS and reflux have flared up. So the telephone call came through and the line kept going silent. She tried ringing on my husbands mobile which is on a different network to mine and the same thing happened then our landline and exactly the same thing happened again. At each point we would try to resume the assessment and I was getting more and more stressed and anxious as I just wanted it over with, When the landline had the same fault the health care professional said she would consider reporting it if she went off and tried another number of another person and then get back to me. She came back to me and said that she was able to make this other phone call with no problems so it must be at our end ! Seriously on three different phones including a landline! Eventually I gave up and rang the centre to rebook, by the point I was in tears they said they had no appointments available and I would have to wait for it to go back into the system and get a text. As my husband is a paramedic and I wanted him to support me for the call I had to rearrange the very first appointment I had as he was unable to get the time off. So I’m worried now that they will just allocate an appointment which I will not be able to change because you’re only allowed to rearrange an appointment once according to IAS and then you get penalised. Can anyone advise me please ? I’ve made a complaint via telephone and my husband recorded all the calls. What makes this all worse is I had to go to a tribunal five years ago when I changed over to PIP from DLA and lost my car which is our only vehicle. The whole process took 18 months and I was nearly suicidal by the end of it. I just don’t know if I can face it again. I have M.E./CFS so severely I am housebound most of the time and all of this is so draining on my very limited energy

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
1 year 1 month ago #283714 by Chris
Hi am66,

I experienced similar issues but it was with my mobile only. I had been on Lebara for years but due to the cost of living, I moved to RWG which was just like a pay as you go, but with no expiry with the credit. I had no issues with phone calls, other than the DWP, but after speaking to them online, they mentioned they call from computers with headsets in. I then changed number and SIM, but had the same issues with RWG, who I believe piggyback off EE. Eventually after all the issues, I went back over to Lebara because I was told that if they (DWP) weren't able to speak to me, that they would stop my benefits, as it was part of my commitments. So for your mobile, it could be that you're in an area where the reception is poor - but as for landline not working, this one baffles me. All I could think of suggesting is to try plugging your landline into your router via an ADSL cable. Most broadband providers supply you with one of these when you have a landline and BB service..

I hope this bit of information may help with your telephone issues.

Regards, Chris.

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
The following user(s) said Thank You: am66

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Moderators: GordonGaryBISCatherineWendyKellygreekqueenpeterKatherineSuper UserChrisDavid
We use cookies

We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential for the operation of the site, while others help us to improve this site and the user experience (tracking cookies). You can decide for yourself whether you want to allow cookies or not. Please note that if you reject them, you may not be able to use all the functionalities of the site.