Work Focussed Interview

[Jigsaw1970]

Hello,

I have received a letter from the Jobcentre telling me to attend a Work Focussed Interview. I've been signed off by DWP for upto a year due to depression/anxiety and panic attacks.

 

I've asked a councellor to attend the meeting with me but I have no idea what will be asked? What is the personal assistant going to be asking me and is the personal assistant qualified to determine whether I go back to work or not? How do they determine if I should go back to work and when by? Will they make me go back to work?

 

Also, how does this affect my incapacity benefit? Will it be reduced, if so to what?

 

I'm panicking about the interview.

 

J

[Zamzara]

If it's a work focused interview only and not a medical assessment with a doctor, it's nothing to worry about. It's part of the new plan to keep returning to work in people's minds (whether appropriate or not!) but fortunately it will not affect your benefit as long as you attend and take part in the discussion. You don't have to do anything about it afterwards.

[Jigsaw1970]

Thank you Zamzara.

It is only a work focussed interview as far as the letter states, I had the medical assessment 2.5months ago (and a letter from the DWP signing me off for work for a year).

What sort of questions do they ask? The letter sounds as though they want to place me in some sort of work (???) or push me into work. I'm confused and anxious about all this.

[installspark]

Is it Incapacity Benefit (IB) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) you are receiving??

 

On ESA, if you have been placed into the Work group, you are required to attend up to a further 5 WFI's (Work Focused Interviews), this will be determined by the WFHRA (Work Focused Health Related Assessment) report done after the WCA (Work Capability Assessment) and your PA (Personal Advisor).

 

On IB you are only required to attend a WFI within the first 8 weeks of the claim, any subsequent WFI attendance will be determined by your PA and medical assessment report.

 

What is a Work-focused interview?

The first work-focused interview will take place with a customer’s personal adviser at their local Jobcentre Plus office. The purpose of a work-focused interview is to discuss the customer’s views on moving into work and the package of support that may be required. Personal advisers will discuss the type of work that might be most suitable with the customer and can refer them for employment, training or condition management support, to help them manage and cope with their health condition or disability in a work context. During these discussions the customer and personal adviser might explore the customer’s:

●

Job goals.

●

Skills, strengths and abilities.

●

Factors preventing them from finding work or limiting the work they can do, then helping them to overcome these barriers.

●

Ideas, problems and issues.

Customers in the Work-Related Activity Group may attend up to five further work-focused interviews as they prepare to move into work. These will be at approximately monthly intervals, to be confirmed by the customer and their personal adviser.

 

With WFI's on either IB or ESA you have to attend as failure to attend without good cause will result in your benefit being sanctioned, as will attending and not taking part in the interview. However the WFI will have no affect on the benefit being paid. With ESA the focus is not on how ill you are and how that limits the work you used to do, but on what work you may be able to do and what support you would need in finding this work and to keep you in the workplace.

[Jigsaw1970]

Dear Installspark,

Thank you for your input - this is really helpful. I am attending a WFI due to IB. Yes, I think it is about 8 weeks now that I have been receiving IB. Is there anything I need to take with me? Will they have a file on my medical condition, with the reports from GP and DWP medical assessment?

J

[installspark]

Your advisor should have all the details for when you go to the interview. WFI's for IB focus more how your condition limits what work you can do, they generally tend to last 40 mins and the PA has the option at the end to decide that no more are required unlike with an ESA WFI.

[Jigsaw1970]

Dear Installspark,

Thank you for your reply.

 

Please can you tell me if the PA is a medical doctor or if a medical doctor will be present? How does the PA decide if I need extra councelling or whatever it is I need other than what my coucellor is already suggesting I do? I find this all very confusing as I am working with my councellor to get better and it is a slow process but not without hope.

 

Also, how long does it take for the PA/DWP to write back with the decision? Will they change me then from IB to Jobseekers allowance if they decide I should be looking for work?

Thanks,

J

[installspark]

The PA is not a medical doctor, nor will a medical doctor be present. The PA will rely upon the report from your medical and what you say to them during the WFI.

 

It is likely that the doctor who performed your medical has stated on the report that there could be a return to work possible at some date in the future and the WFI done by the PA will be looking at as to when you are fit to return would there be any support that the JCP can give in assisting you back into work and whether there would be a requirement for you to attend further WFI's. The PA will usually tell you the outcome of the WFI on the day and confirm this in writing soon after.

 

It is unlikely that the PA will state that you must go on JSA as it would appear that you have passed the medical. Failing the medical auotomatically results in IB being terminated and a notification is sent.