Jobcentreplus Remarks

I felt i must share what i have been told this morning.
I rang Jobcentreplus to tell them my condition is worse, and that i have been diagnosed recently with Fibromyalgia.
I was placed in WRAG in june.
I said i wanted to have my claim looked at again.
The person i spoke to then told me this,
'I must tell you that only the most severely disabled such as people on chemotherapy, dialysis, expected not to live longer than 6 months.
Only about 5% get put into the support group the rest will go into wrag(he is using these figures based on people who pass the esa test).
To me it sounds as if they have made up their mind how many people will get into support group, and they are trying to put people off claiming.
I think it is a total disgrace to be saying this over the phone.
I have contacted my MP's office to make a complaint.

Good for you Citymike.

If you are going to make a complaint it would be interesting to query whether the utter nonsense that the JCP advisor gave you originates from the mouth of the JCP advisor or if she was reading from a guidance script?

Good luck

Derek

citymike wrote:

I felt i must share what i have been told this morning.
I rang Jobcentreplus to tell them my condition is worse, and that i have been diagnosed recently with Fibromyalgia.
I was placed in WRAG in june.
I said i wanted to have my claim looked at again.
The person i spoke to then told me this,
'I must tell you that only the most severely disabled such as people on chemotherapy, dialysis, expected not to live longer than 6 months.
Only about 5% get put into the support group the rest will go into wrag(he is using these figures based on people who pass the esa test).
To me it sounds as if they have made up their mind how many people will get into support group, and they are trying to put people off claiming.
I think it is a total disgrace to be saying this over the phone.
I have contacted my MP's office to make a complaint.

Hi,

Unless the DWP person on the phone was a Decision Maker or very Senior Manager (very doubtful as they tend not to answer general calls) I would hazard a guess that he may not be in full possession of all the facts as to whom would qualify for the Support Group and as Derek says is talking basically nonsense.

It maybe worthwhile putting in a complaint as if this person is giving out what would appear to be misleading information it could affect whether genuine claimants proceed with challenge to a decision not to be placed in the Support Group or otherwise.

Pete

Some months ago I rang the Jobcentre and I was told the same as you.

Hi,
Following my posting this morning, i have spoken to my MP's office, and they are disgusted that someone from Jobcentreplus has been allowed to say this.
She said that they are there to help you with any problems and not saying things like this.
She asked me to put my complaint in writing to her and the time i phoned them.
While i am writing this i have just received a call from Jobcentreplus asking me why as i am receiving my benefit why do i want to have the claim reconsidered.
I told them it is because my condition has become worse and that i have a new diagnosis. He said that as my original claim was in June i should have appealed within 1 month, i told him it was not an appeal, it was a new diagnosis,he said i dont think you can do that,but told me to put it in writing and see what happens.
He did however confirm to me that what i was told this morning about(see original thread) was what they are told to say.
I have informed my MP about this.

I recall one or two members being told that, which is why I am questioning the source of the information.

We know JCP staff are ignorant about benefit matters, but they can't all be ignorant to the same level!