Ingeus problems and being pestered during Covid 19 lockdown

[Dedkool]

Hello,

This is the first time I have written to you, but you came highly recommended and I do need some advice. I am a kidney patient (CKD Stage 4) and I was told in no uncertain terms that I was in the high risk category during the Covid-19 crisis and that I had to strictly self isolate. I have been doing this to the letter. However, I am being constantly pestered on the phone by a company who are supposed to help me but they are only out to help themselves. Despite my condition I try to lead as normal a life as possible and (until the virus) looked for a suitable work position.

 

My Jobcentre referred me to a company called Ingeus and their 'Work & Health Programme'. They were supposed to help me with both work and health issues and quite frankly they haven't. I shall tell you of my initial experiences with them and then why are they bothering me so much now. When I first went to see them I was astounded by both their lack of concern and how they viewed people like me.  The person I saw did the following:

 

 

1. Did not know what CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) was. The 'Key Worker' simply asked 'What's that?'

 

2. Showed little to no concern when told about CKD and what is was.

 

3. Did not even look at any of the Hospital or Consultant paperwork, official symptoms list (done by GP) or Doctor's dictation I brought with me as evidence of health condition.

 

4. Did not ask about any symptoms or medication, or how it affects day to day life.

 

5.  Because CKD is an unseen physical condition - as opposed to a visible disability or a problem like drug addiction, alcoholism or anxiety - I did not feel it was taken seriously. In fact, I know I wasn't.

 

6. Although the scheme is titled the Work and Health Programme, I believe that little to no emphasis was put on actual health issues (which I genuinely have) and was told that medical records, Hospital paperwork, medication details and test results were not needed. The 'Health' part of the scheme's title seems to have little to no relevance.

 

7. It appears blatantly to be more about fulfilling targets and getting people into work - any work - regardless of health issues or individual cases. I was made to feel more like a 'rank and file' nobody and malingerer, instead of a person seeking employment as best and as suitably as possible in my situation (which I have done).

 

8. Saw another 'health professional' there (separate to the person I had already seen) and they also didn't know what CKD was and ignored any official medical notes, tests or paperwork. All but ignored his list of symptoms and did a pointless 'ice breaker' session where they wrote 'key words' on a board.

9.  Every time I go there I am  greeted with a 'friendly face', yet the minute I sit down I am never asked how my medical situation is. I am then immediately shoehorned into either taking a job I either can't do or don't want. In fact, the last time I saw them in person, I only went in to tell them about a hospital appointment and I had no official scheduled appointment with them. But the 'key worker' still got hold of me and immediately tried to shoehorn/press gang me into a job answering phones to Covid-19 victims. I also told them I was looking for part time work on Doctor's orders, but the key worker still puts me forward for full time jobs and pressures me into applying for them. My requests about part time work were totally ignored.

 

10. This is the most disturbing part for me. When discussing who and what to apply for, the Ingeus employee told me not to mention my CKD to any potential employer. Not only is this dishonest, it is also very morally questionable. If I do not tell any company or business about my condition then I would be lying to them, and the so called Work & Health Programme actually encouraged me to do this. If I suffered an injury, fell ill or even died on work premises or doing a job I wasn't capable of doing, it would be unfair on the business involved, unfair on me and unfair on my loved ones. Obviously they want me to be untruthful so I will get work -any work- and they can cross another off their quota list and gain their commission and financial bonus (which is what they do). That is highly questionable behaviour that borders on moral bankruptcy.

 

I have now been in self isolation since March and my health has gone up and down in that time. I am also scared of getting Covid 19. I have both original and recently updated official paperwork to confirm my symptoms and my high risk and self isolating status from both doctors and the kidney hospital. The official announcement from JCP is that the centre is still closed , face to face meetings are still officially cancelled and also that all claims will be as normal until further notice. I was also told personally during my last visit to them in March of the situation and my work coach personally advised me to self isolate and that she was aware of my high risk status before I even got any paperwork from the doctors or the hospital. They told me to observe the then imminent lockdown and that they would let me know if there were any changes.  The Jobcentre themselves told me to 'hold fire' and not do anything until the pandemic was officially over.

 

However, the person who works for Ingeus is still contacting me by phone and trying their tricks.  Every time I am pestered about doing 'online courses' and every time I decline (I am University educated and have up to date IT certificates). Yet they do this every time (I presume they also get commission for this sort of 'recruitment'). Another time during the lockdown there was an attempt to get me to 'work from home'. How could I do that if I am under strict self isolation? Then there was another incident that annoyed me immensely. The 'key worker' treated me like a schoolboy. When I (yet again) declined an 'online course' the key worker said 'Well, you find time to play your computer games, young man!' First of all, it is not their business or their place to comment on anything I might not might not do in my own private and personal time. Second, I do not even know why they said that. As I do not play computer games and I never have done. I believe this was a discriminatory generalisation that all 'young men' are lazy, drink beer (again, I don't drink) and sit around on Playstations. That sort of intrusion and patronising attitude is simply unacceptable. And I am a grown man, not a 'young man'. I am currently quite unwell at the moment (kidney related), and a message was left with the Ingeus worker telling them this. Yet they have still bombarded the phone with a ludicrous amount of messages. I think they think I am daft and that I am soft touch and an easy target. Which is both insulting and outrageous. This key worker also phones at any time they like. Even after 7:00pm. I find this both intrusive and inappropriate behaviour.

 

The Doctors, the Jobcentre and everyone else know there is little I can do during this lockdown and during self isolation and being in the high risk category. Yet this Ingeus person still continues to bother me and will do almost anything to get their commissions during this lockdown. I know that they are not doing this for my benefit, as they have shown no concern about my condition previously. I am just about surviving during this isolation, but I am finding their constant pestering and attempts to gain a commission at my expense a little stressful now, which I really don't need at this time. The fear of catching the virus is bad enough and I do not need or welcome this extra pressure. Are they allowed to do this sort of thing during a lockdown? Are they breaking rules? And I wonder, just how many more people are they doing this to?

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

Stay Safe
Dedkool

[AndyOrch]

Hi and Welcome to the Forum.

 

I have moved your topic to the appropriate forum .....please continue to post here.

 

Andy

[ericsbrother]

you need to write to the top echelons of Ingeus and your MP and tell them that you are fed up with the caseworker ignoring your disability and tell them that you wnat to make a complain abotu their behaviour on  those grounds. Then give them a potted history fo what has happened without any personal comment so just dates and times, say what you ahve told the case worked and when so agi dates and times and tell them what you expect them to do about it all- ie stop the muppet fro bothering you with stupid dealswith conditions.

yes they get paid by govt to fiond you a job but feathering their own nest by way fo performamce bonuses is their mian drive. At the bottom they get sacked if they miss targets