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WRAG interview, what to do

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6 years 4 months ago #201300 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic WRAG interview, what to do

Schopenhauer wrote: Is the home visit a standard procedure? Thanks


It's not standard, the whole idea of the WRAG is that the claimants go to the JC+.

Gordon

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6 years 4 months ago #201301 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic WRAG interview, what to do

Schopenhauer wrote: by the way, I have been wondering if the home visit letter is actually a WRAG interview. It doesn't have 'mandatory' at the bottom, it reads 'VO appt'. It does not state what the purpose of the visit is. Any ideas? Thanks


I doubt it! It makes no sense, not that that has ever been a requirement for ESA, to sanction someone for failing to attend an interview and then holding the next one in their home, surely that would be an admission that they have problems attending?

I'm afraid I have no idea why they are coming to see you.

Gordon

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6 years 4 months ago #201447 by Invisible guy
Replied by Invisible guy on topic WRAG interview, what to do
thanks, Gordon, very useful to know :)

in the letter, there's written I will have to show them 3 proofs of identity.

Little they know that I won't even open the door.

It all looks like they are just doing things arbitrarily.....implying I am defrauding the system, ignoring my explanations as to why I didn't attend, trying to bully me even in my home, not just at the interviews....

I might not have a penny, but I am collecting evidence. I think I will need it. Thanks ;)

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6 years 3 months ago #203568 by Invisible guy
Replied by Invisible guy on topic WRAG interview, what to do
ok here's a summary of what happened until now:

from the start of my first WRAG interview, I have been unable to get anywhere at all with these people, no matter what I tried. They seemed set to get me off the benefits from the very start. I have read the NICE guidelines about how they are supposed to 'help' you. I have had no help whatsoever, for the first few interviews they tried to intimidate me to turn off my recording equipment, I never did, and they always ended up screaming for security (really stupid, as if I was doing something wrong. Once me AND the security guard just laughed! )

they left me in peace for a whole year, fortunately I used that time well.

Then I had an interview again. I had a knee injury weeks previously and tried to go but gave up and went back home. I phoned to explain and after explaining my situation, I got a shocking response: the 'adviser' completely ignored what I had just said, and SCREAMED that she 'did not believe I was in the country!'.

At first I was shocked. I didn't know what to say, so I tried to say that I have never gone anywhere. In retrospect, I should just have said: who cares what you and I believe. Believing is not evidence.

I tried to be polite and I was met again with a shocking response: 'We will stop your benefits'. Said in a bullying tone, as if to say, you are a fraud, the police will get you.

At that point I completely lost it. I told her what I thought in the most crude, but truthful, ways. I gave an equally shocking response, so she hanged up. I phoned again after I calmed down trying to reason, she gave the same answer, I gave the same answer and told them not to phone me and to only put stuff in writing.

In the meantime, I sent a complaint and a request for mandatory reconsiderations to what I thought were going to be sanctions. Yet I never received sanction letters. They just stopped the payments.

You know what? I had enough for the time being, and I was busy with other important projects. I tried to get by the best way I could. I resold possessions I didn't need anymore. I thought, as long as my rent gets paid and I keep a roof over my head, I have no complaints. I have been homeless before, being without money doesn't really scare me that much, I learned to survive, fortunately at Tesco I can find food that is dirty cheap and isn't junk.....oatmeal, 15 p tinned peas, etc.....you get the idea. (I am giving all this details in case other users wants to read or learn something...I do that all the time from other's posts)

Then they sent me appointment letters of the DWP visiting me at home. They came twice, I was at home. But because they never explained the purpose of the visit, I didn't even open the door. The letter said I have to show them my passport before the 'interview'. Interview about what? I didn't know, except that my passport is fine. I have no problems whatsoever with the law, life is enough trouble, so I try to stay away from trouble. I don't care what they believe, I don't have to demonstrate anything, I don't care if it's the DWP, if they want to bully me even in my home, they have to state clearly what is the purpose of the visit.

But now the HB has stopped because they stopped the ESA, even though they had already stopped the payments two months ago. Until now I just wanted to stay away from them and get on with my life, but I knew this too would happen, sooner or later.

In reality, I wanted them to be at their worst and stop everything, all the benefits. I -wanted- that, because my intention is to open a whole can of worms in a court and to get compensated for all the stress and problems they gave me since the start of the WRAG interviews.

Well, I am not sure what I am asking here. Any ideas are welcome, although I would not be surprised if you had none. I have been keeping a diary with dates and other detail....there's a whole can of worms there, and possibly discrimination and stuff of that kind too. Any ideas? Thanks.

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6 years 3 months ago #203569 by Invisible guy
Replied by Invisible guy on topic WRAG interview, what to do
by the way, don't know if I wrote it already, but they did not explain why the ESA was stopped. I just received a P45 form from them, nothing else other that the letters about 'home interviews'

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6 years 3 months ago #203573 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic WRAG interview, what to do
Schopenhauer

So the first thing you need to do is to contact the DWP and establish why your ESA has been stopped, you cannot take any further action to deal with the situation until you do this. If you were receiving Contribution Based ESA then it could be as a result of the 365 day limit on payments, but it could also be a number of other reasons.

AS to your Housing Benefit, contact your Local Authority and ask to make a Nil Income claim for your HB, this should put it back into payment.

Gordon

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