Called for interview to Job Centre

[sisternumber1]

My daughter is chronically ill, on dialysis three times a week, bones crumbling, lots and lots of various diagnosis. Last week told she would have to "live with" her non healing bones, fractured collar bone from Feb 2007, and none healing/fusing sternum following open heart surgery May 2007. She receives DLA both components at highest rate, IB, IS, and HB. She is in a wheelchair most of the time, and for the last month is living just downstairs in her home, as she has had yet another infection for which she spent 9 days in hospital five of those in intensive care. She is ver poorly. She has to take very large doses of opiates to get any sort of control for her pain, she is under the palliative care team.

 

Is there any way that we can cancel this interview at the job centre, they say they want to help her back into work, there is no way that she will ever work again, she is not diagnosed as terminally ill, but the infections that she keeps getting make her pottasium rise which in turn gives her heart a very hard time. The doctors and nurses have started preparing me for the inevitable.

[surprise]

Have you spoken to them and told them the seriousness of her illness, if not, then you need to, alternatively, get a note from her doctor saying that she is not fit for work and is unlikely to ever be in a position to restart work.

[binkhus]

ask them to come out and see her if they really need to? i cancelled my appointment when it was about the time i was due to give birth and they were alright about it. talk to them and see what they say

[PriorityOne]

If she's on the higher rate of DLA... then there's no way they can force her into going back to work. Of course, that's what they'd prefer to do because thats what the Gov. wants...

 

I suppose it would be wrong of them not to give her that option because there are people on DLA who do work (different medical conditions).... because they prefer to and/or because they're able to certain kinds of work.

 

I'd be inclined to give DWP a ring and get some clarification on this one...

 

[shywazz]

A quick polite call to the centre would stop any appointment there have asked your daughter to attend, don't be afraid about the letter, you have nothing to worry about, the JC are trying to get people on Incapcity benefit into employment, and it looks as if the letter is just computer generated, to claimants on there books. But due to the servere illnesses with your daughter, the quick phone call will put them correct as to your daughters needs. All the best for the times ahead.

[The GodMother]

As i said on the other thread sister call them and explain about your daughters health. If they need her to attend the interview then explain it will HAVE to be at her home due to her being unable to walk and get to the JC.

 

I cant see them saying she has to go back to work but i would advise you have as much as possible with you regarding her medical needs, medication doctors reports etc.

 

You can only try.

 

Chrissi

[sisternumber1]

thank you every one - they have cancelled the interview, willing to take my word about her health. Although they should be able to find that from her last DLA forms.

[The GodMother]

Just something you should know. DLA is a seperate issue to the JC.

 

Dla is not delt with by anybody in your local JC and they will not know anything regarding DLA unless told by your daughter, you or the DLA section. They may be able to find the info on screen but it may be limited info.

 

Good result anyway. Just what u wanted.

[PriorityOne]

Yes, but if she receives IS, then she should also receive certain premiums in with her IS.... so if DWP did their homework, they would know.

 

[The GodMother]

yes but those premiums dont say this person cannot return to work. It is just a premium that says you are sick /disabled.

 

I know threw my voluntary work that these premiums are based on what everyone gets not how sick /disabled u are.

 

But yes if the DWP had bothered to look then they would have the info in front of them about the disability/condition or they should have if that is not on a ristricted part of the system.

[PriorityOne]

My point was, that when a person is on the highest/middle rate of DLA.... and the premiums are awarded because of the highest/middle rate of DLA, then not only should DWP be able to tell, they would also know that they could not force that person back to work.

 

Much cheaper to send out computer-generated letters to scare the cr&p out of people though...

 

[daipp]

Just something you should know. DLA is a seperate issue to the JC.

 

Dla is not delt with by anybody in your local JC and they will not know anything regarding DLA unless told by your daughter, you or the DLA section. They may be able to find the info on screen but it may be limited info.

 

Good result anyway. Just what u wanted.

 

This is not correct. A member of staff in a Jobcentre CAN access the full information right down to the actual illness / disability.

 

David

[The GodMother]

David

 

I dont mean to call you a liar or anything but from what the jobcentre keeps saying to me, my partner and everyoneone else who they deal with they cant acess anything to do with income support.

 

They keep making it very clear that they can only deal with jobseekers allowance and when we ring the income support office they make it very clear to us that on income support officers can acess income support.

 

I have also asked the area and regional manager about this who both say the same thing as the seperate claims officers.

[daipp]

David

 

I dont mean to call you a liar or anything but from what the jobcentre keeps saying to me, my partner and everyoneone else who they deal with they cant acess anything to do with income support.

 

They keep making it very clear that they can only deal with jobseekers allowance and when we ring the income support office they make it very clear to us that on income support officers can acess income support.

 

I have also asked the area and regional manager about this who both say the same thing as the seperate claims officers.

 

I work in an office in the same region as where you live and I can give you a 100% guarantee that a member of staff in a Jobcentre CAN access any information necessary about Income Support, Incapacity Benefit & DLA. The only reason they may not be able to is a training issue and that would be limited to only a few staff.

 

David

[The GodMother]

Well as i said i am not calling u a liar but why are we constantly told the info i have given above by the members of staff in the jobcentre?

Also why would area and reginal managers be saying the same as the basic staff as they called you?

 

So just a question are you JC in benefits office staff?

[Joa]

I think that David was saying is that he and his colleagues at JC can access the info about disability/sickness benefits but they would not be able to advise on them in any way. It would make sense as they'd need to know whether there are any premiums applicable but they are not the agency responsible for awarding or advising on such benefits.

[The GodMother]

Well if he is he needs to make this clear and if he is saying that they why would his superior offices be contridicting this information?

[PriorityOne]

Well if he is he needs to make this clear and if he is saying that they why would his superior offices be contridicting this information?

 

... because a lot of DWP staff either don't always know what they're talking about.... or can't be bothered to find out (not you Dave.... lol).

 

I have been told all kinds of bowlarks in the past by DWP staff.... and rang out of my area on one occasion in the hope of actually speaking to someone who knew what they were on about. The chance of you getting someone who knows their stuff in there is pot luck at times.... hence why I was able to put in a claim for over £1K in backdated premiums in the days when I was on IS, which they should have sorted out at the beginning.

 

No wonder they all work behind glass screens nowadays. No disrespect there Dave... it's not an easy job you've got there, by the way.

 

If you need to find out something specific GM, you may be better off posting on here.... or writing in to DWP (by rec. delivery)