Arent The Government Brilliant NOT!!!!

elainebadknee

Hey guys

Im on ESA, currently had appeal turned down and going to tribunal....Now get this I send all my sick notes in early as they have to travel from kendal to carlisle......After being away for few days back 2 days and a brown envelope comes through door, saying "the medical certificate you sent ran out on 21 June and you have not sent another one. Please ignore this is you have sent replacement but be aware your benefits may be cut and you may have to attend another medical examination".......
After steam coming out of ears, n fully knowing had sent one for 4 weeks on 16 June rang them up......Got quoted lots of previous dates, said they hadnt received my up to date one....I said was sure had sent in plenty of time, they said maybe my doc had put on wrong dates??? rings up doc requests another copy of form, meanwhile told to wait for 3 hour call back from DWP........Doctor receptionist tells me i have to wait 2 days for duplicate....Then at 1.45 gets call from DWP saying it was human error at their end....Why didnt they chec k before sending out and stressing me out? Told them they had mucked up my day, and would have to apologise to doctor......
I dont get how the DWP are so inept at their jobs and always assume we are at fault, or our doctors? How is it they keep their jobs? Im sure if I was employed and made a cock up like this id get pulled over the irons....

Wonderful place.....

Elaine :x

tillytop

GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

Tilly x

only49

oh boy ... dont they just know how to upset us, what a bunch of wallies i think they should get there act together.

elainebadknee

That would make too much sense that 49!!!

only49 wrote:

oh boy ... dont they just know how to upset us, what a bunch of wallies i think they should get there act together.

bubbles

Oh Elaine, don't get me started on the DWP, I could and should write a survival guide to the DWP, ESA and DLA. Fortunately, due to a miriad of health issues, I think,

:shock: :shock: :shock: I have scored so many points on the ESA from their latest review, that I don't have to see any more Drs, send in any more sick notes and they will give me £10 Christmas bonus each year. What I will do with that, I have yet to plan, lol.

The other department, the DLA, well, people know I have had to battle for well over a year, to have my award increased, which, finally, has happened, just prior to going in front of an appeal panel.

I don't know who makes the decisions, if they are medically qualified, or just tick box, point scoring, it is beyond me.

What I do know is not to give up, or give in. I will go and start my book now, so that others are not forced to go through the wringer, when they are ill and need help.

Rant over.
XXXX Bubbles

woodbon

Hi, I know what you mean, they seem to try and jump up and down on us and worry us out of our minds, when we make an mistake or question them. As for the medical, I had mine just after Christmas and they only scored me 6 points. The doctor says she dosent think I'm have as much pain as I make out!!! :x Also the movements I can safely do are wrong and I've just got my hospital reports from my GP and they detail all the problems 'many and complex' including an op on my back to straighton my spine and support it which sounds ghastlly YUK!!!!! Don't get me going I'll be boring the life out of everyone! :shock:
Love Sue

speedalong

Total incompetence - how infuriatating.

Speedy

rosebud

Hi

a welfare rights officer visited my place of work last week. We were discussing ESA, DLA etc.

He said to photocopy EVERYTHING. I asked, even sick lines and he said yes, they often get lost!

tinkerbell3

I'm sure I won't make myself popular by by defending the Civil Service! Yes happen to be one - not in any of the department mentioned though. None of my colleagues go to work to do a bad job, but with staff cuts and the drive to cut costs it can be just as frustrating to Civil servants that we can't provide an ideal service we would like. Having been on the receiving end with the DLA I know how frustrating and upsetting it can be but please don't think the person on the end isn't trying to do what they can with the tools at their disposal :oops:

elnafinn

I can see both sides to this too. With cutbacks, overworked, stressed out staff will make more mistakes, after all we are only human. It was not done maliciously but of course mistakes unfortunately cause unnecessary distress to others.

Elna x

elainebadknee

Well not Im not saying its a personal thing but how many other jobs would you be allowed to make mistakes without being bollocked? How many other jobs have good pension schemes now and unions? As for cuts and drive to cut costs well a lot of people do that and Im personally glad now that the Civil Servants now know what its like to live in the real world.........Also having dealt with jobcentre and now ESA staff I find the majority of them do the minimal to help and I think they need reminded that jobs are at a premium.
Its dog eat dog nowadays but human errors/personal mistakes too often get excused now in this day and age without too much of apologies to the person concerned.

Elaine

tinkerbell3 wrote:

I'm sure I won't make myself popular by by defending the Civil Service! Yes happen to be one - not in any of the department mentioned though. None of my colleagues go to work to do a bad job, but with staff cuts and the drive to cut costs it can be just as frustrating to Civil servants that we can't provide an ideal service we would like. Having been on the receiving end with the DLA I know how frustrating and upsetting it can be but please don't think the person on the end isn't trying to do what they can with the tools at their disposal :oops:

elainebadknee

Well no Elna its everyone's responsibility to be dilligent and careful and if your overworked, stressed then thats a problem with your line manager, not joe public....It seems to be tolerated too much now in certain employments and its not excusable, not with the amount of threads I read on here re "human errors".....

Elaine

elnafinn wrote:

I can see both sides to this too. With cutbacks, overworked, stressed out staff will make more mistakes, after all we are only human. It was not done maliciously but of course mistakes unfortunately cause unnecessary distress to others.

Elna x

livinglegend

Always keep copies of every piece of paper that you send them, (sick notes, oneliners, whatever), always send by Registered Post. At least that way you stand a chance.

If they can't find something, never send your copy. Send a copy of your copy, just in case that gets lost as well. Always keep a log of everything sent/received and keep all the paperwork together in one folder. If they or you phone with a query, you always have the paperwork to hand. If you can quote the relevant piece of information with date received/sent then usually the DWP are helpful.

Make a note of every phone call and a summary of what was said. Anything important, ask them to send written confirmation for your records.

Always write your reference number by hand prominently on everything, don't expect your name/address/postcode, etc. to be enough. Above all, they handle many cases, if you are efficient they often will be as well.

Joseph 8)

dreamdaisy

Wise advice Joseph, have you battled often with government departments? It sounds like it! DD