My overall Benefits journey from 2013 to date - and on going still!!

[Guest]

they basically made me get a fit note and said the longer the better as I wouldn't then have to keep going back while they sorted it out.  my new gp put the long term illnesses down and stated I am not fit to work. we have put all the suggestions here in the journal to the work coach. my next haul in for questioning is about a week away.

[Guest]

I am also still within the wca time as I only got assessed a few months ago and the jobcentre guy doing the id appt said that too.  I feel ill with it/all this, on top of my other health problems.  I am not a natural migration claimant, this was triggered due to a home move.  

Edited March 17, 2019 by Ruby_Tuesday
missed out something

[Guest]

The thing now is, I will do the commitments thing and the appointment, but it says on there to come up with ideas for work….can I put my limited capability for work and work related activity there, or leave it blank? I don't know if its a tick box thing or a space to type in, I have no idea what its set up like.

[tomtom256]

Don't do the to-do where it asks about work etc, wait and go through it with the work coach at the commitments appointment and mention what we have discussed here.

[Guest]

Thanks tomtom256 I will do that.

[speedfreek]

On 17/03/2019 at 17:55, tomtom256 said:

So they still have to check OPSTRAT.

 

Incapacity Benefit Computer System (OPSTRAT) Systems Administration

 

RM is on ESA and rigshts net talks CIS.

 

If I'm wrong its all good! If not I'd rather have RMw prepped for worst case. 

 

If you understand worst case you can fight and beat anything lower than that! 

[tomtom256]

Worst case is it takes a few weeks to get sorted, you can't get lower than that.

 

OPSTRAT holds all legacy benefit data and is an MSDOS package, hence why it cannot automatically talk with or be uploaded to UC. It's outdated an not really fit for purpose anymore.

 

CIS can talk with UC, but only holds basic information i.e. dates of claim, amounts paid, benefit interests etc. It does not hold information on premiums, WCA outcomes or periods WCA is awarded for, what group you are in or when next assessment is due. It is a basic info system designed to share data with other government agencies/LA benefit staff.

 

Even if the service centre manually checks OPSTRAT, they still have to follow guidance in order to transfer it to UC and complete the necessary action, which at worst can take a few weeks. However if mentioned to a work coach during an initial or first commitment appointment they can do the checks there and then, pin it to UC notes and send a handover to the service centre, which greatly speeds up the process for all involved.

Edited March 18, 2019 by tomtom256

[Guest]

On my to do list was only to accept the commitments which turned out to be to just check it every day and if I cant get online to ring the freephone number, now the to do list is empty.  My daughter sent a message via the journal re the support group status and we have all the helpful comments made here written down for the first commitments meeting.  

[Guest]

So....now they are sending me a questionare about my illness and how they affect me with a possible medical assessment....even though the guy I saw last week said they wouldn't.  It beggars belief. My daughter is typing this for me as she almost always does on here. 

[Guest]

So again …. we rang the uc help line...my support group status is on and I don't need any appointments with jobcentre.  So when the questionnaire arrives I guess I still have to send it off? even though the agent on the phone said its just a triggered thing for a new claim....but if I don't need one I wont have one? am guessing that's the medical assessment bit?.  my last one was may 2018 and put back in support group june 2018.

[speedfreek]

1 hour ago, Ruby_Tuesday said:

So when the questionnaire arrives I guess I still have to send it off?

 

unfortunately because uc has automated triggers built in apparently (only anecdotal evidence) a fit note of 8 or longer weeks trips the computer to send out a uc50.

 

How many GPs will know that as they try and reduce needless appointments and stress for their patients.... my last fit note was for 6 months! only because I keep up to speed due to paranoia I'll be asking for 7 on transference.  

 

You should never have been asked for a fit note by the DwP as you had a support group award and that should have carried over. from what's being written by rigthsnet advisors about this that and the other it's pretty clear from tomtom256 posts that what they have been told is quite wide of reality.

 

If you can lodge a complaint and maybe see if somebody mentioned in the rightsnet thread would be interested in taking an early warning/maladministration case forward. 

 

It's absolute pony but once triggered the DwP will hide behind the we can reassess at any time so I feel for you!

 

Received today my appointment for ESA face to face dated 15th for 27th - unknown telephone call yesterday I didn't answer as only my landlady has that number and Dwp... so I think they are playing silly buggers again. Life sucks )

[Guest]

we have put a message in the journal about it...will see what comes back. 

[tomtom256]

Your case manager should remove the referral for a WCA from the system as it's no longer needed.

 

If they don't the CDHA/assessment centre should just cancel it but if they do send a questionnaire call them and explain that you have migrated over owing to a change and hopefully they should cancel the WCA.

 

The whole system is a joke to be honest and there is insufficient staff trained and able to do whats needed, most work coaches get this and try and make it easier where they can, but they are as stuck with the process as you are and believe me are just as frustrated as what should be simple is yet again made convoluted by the DWP/government.

[Guest]

Thank you tomtom256  my daughter has queried it on the journal and asked who we need to speak to about it.  Hopefully we will get it sorted asap. how do i find out who my case manager is? or is that the work coach?

A message to the right one could swing it hopefully.

[tomtom256]

Your work coach should have told you, although now your WCA is on you won't have a work coach and will only have a case manager.

 

If you check your journal it should hopefully show in there, however if you pick the option payment or service issue this will route the message to a case manager to look at, however you could be waiting for a while to get a response as they tend to be overworked.

[Guest]

So even with the bonkers amount of meds I have, including sleeping meds I am wide awake stressing and anxious at 3.20am....I will get hold of that bloody case manager if it kills me. I hope someone answers me on that damn journal tomorrow.  If not I will be on that helpline again and asking for a case manager.

[unclebulgaria67]

14 hours ago, Ruby_Tuesday said:

So again …. we rang the uc help line...my support group status is on and I don't need any appointments with jobcentre.  So when the questionnaire arrives I guess I still have to send it off? even though the agent on the phone said its just a triggered thing for a new claim....but if I don't need one I wont have one? am guessing that's the medical assessment bit?.  my last one was may 2018 and put back in support group june 2018.

 

So you don't have to do anything now, as UC has transfered over the support group which is LCWRA under UC. Just check your UC statement when issued to make sure LCWRA is on it.

 

The Case Manager will cancel any health assessment requirement currently on their system. So don't complete any forms sent to you in the near future.

 

when the review date of the support/LCWRA award is reached, you will be contacted at some point, to assess your health at that point. You will have to then complete the assessment form and they may need you to attend assessment centre. 

 

UC Case Managers often don't respond to journal notes very quickly, so if you want information about your claim, such as when the review date of your LCWRA is due, I would suggest that you call them.

 

 

[Guest]

Hi Unclebulgaria67, that's a better idea actually, I will ring them first thing this morning, I believe the lines open at 8.am so I can ask who my case manager is and how to speak with them asap. Thanks again.  

[Guest]

Massive thank you's to tomtom256 and unclebulgaria67.  I was on the phone to the helpline bang on 8.00. It turns out that the lady I spoke to yesterday who was adamant I had to have a wca as my claim was new, was actually my case manager....she wasn't there this morning so I got one of her team, who also tried the same tactics, I asked then for who would deal with formal complaints as my claim is switch over not a new claim, and I know I am entitled to the limited work and work related activity and I cant be due for reassessment yet.  She went off for a couple of minutes and came back saying yes I was right...so I have all my entitlements now on my claim and a message in my journal from her confirming if any form arrives to just ignore it.  She said I might get a form in December as there is a note of 9 months to be assessed. For now though its all sorted.  My new GP seems to be on the case and is educated on Fibromyalgia and Bipolar so as well as my other illnesses he understands how hard it can be just to try and function at all some days/weeks/months.

[Guest]

Out of curiosity we dug out my last esa support group decision after assessment.  The lady doing it was a disability assessor, she didn't bother much with the bipolar or fibromyalgia as such, she saw the state and pain I was in, noted that there is muscle wastage in both arms and that I could not use a manual wheelchair, and therefore passed the disability element of esa.  Then she sneaked on the other page..."could" be considered for work within 18 months....so I was probably going to be hauled in again anyway on esa, so nothing lost....and it is only could and might...we shall see.

[tomtom256]

Excellent news and glad it all worked out for you and that you can breathe easy for a while.

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Am so relieved now I can settle in to my new home and my fresh start. 

[Guest]

Wow am I glad I have a great landlord....UC messing about with housing element now, I actually cant cope with them anymore, thankfully my daughter is taking the reigns,  it comes to something when the benefit claim makes you even more ill than you were anyway.

The so called helpline says one thing, journal messages say the opposite.  I swear its enough to send anyone over the top. 

My landlord is great and very well aware of the UC and how they seem to change things and move the goal posts. I feel blessed with this landlord they cant help enough and the support is brilliant.  I really feel for those claimants who don't have that.

[unclebulgaria67]

Private landlord or housing association ?

 

Job Centres verify private housing and for housing associations, the Case Manager at the Service Centre checks the information with the housing association.  Once the details are correct, the housing is ready to be paid.

 

You may need to phone the UC helpline to ask them what the problem is, so it can be resolved.

[Guest]

Hi unclebulgaria67...its a housing association.

 

I think what happened was I had a journal message yesterday from UC saying my landlord had written to me about a rent change. My landlord hadnt, as I have internet access I have an online account for rent etc which my daughter manages for me. 

 

So yesterday we did the change of details and put the new rent etc figures in on the UC claim, but then they messaged to say my landlord had said a different amount...so we did it all again while I had UC helpline on the phone, we did the same thing and it was fine that time, and they guy on the helpline said he would get it verified with my landlord and he would leave a msg in my journal.  He didn't. 

 

Seems a mix up now between the two attempts, anyhow my daughter has been in touch with landlord and asked them to verify it again and explaining why...should all be ok by this evening.  

 

Then the journal said I was still claiming esa which I am not and I cant get UC...we messaged on the journal to say no I am not and they said they know I am not, at worst its a little overlap overpayment but I would get a letter about that...so I don't know what the hell causes it but helpline and uc account say different things.....as long as they pay the rent element, which am sure will get done, if not its another phone call, its been back and forth way too much. 

 

My daughter now speaks with landlord and council and now UC with me sitting with her and giving permission. Thank goodness I am medicated.