PIP's and benefit payments?

onebigvoice

I find it very strange lately that is this time of energy bill rises and council Tax and Housing benefits being cut, that to look "good" MP's are making these statements?
  MPs give HMRC three months to improve ‘unacceptable’ customer service

MPs give HMRC three months to improve ‘unacceptable’ customer service

Where have these people been for the last 5 years? (at least)  when was the last time you had treatment on time and when planned?

When was the last time you had a question about a benefit and rang and was not put on hold?  When you finally got an answer they passed you to someone else and had to queue again?  Or was cut off without a resolution?

  Coming back to the statement:  What is the out come if they don't?  OH no answer to that?  Will the department be fined?  Who will be fined?  Why is the package for working from home better than being at work?  Why are they allowed to turn phones off or leave on hold since the machine would say the call was excepted within 3 rings yet it goes through an automated access first before placing you in a queue, to be answered.

  Recently after 14 months of trying to get someone back onto benefits I filled out a "new claim" just to get benefits back on.  I spoke to the "back office" and a Senior Assessor who sent me the link via my E Mail address as I was representing her.

First mistake:  How did they know I was representing her if they had no record of me sending in the necessary paperwork signed by both?

Second: ALL SENT REGISTERED POST.  In getting through finally and again the, I'm not her representative, quoted the tracker number and all of a sudden it appears on the screen.

seems like it was placed their but unopened?  the statement of I have 20 weeks to reply is becoming a pain.  Why can't you deal with it now?

  ANY way,  The link was sent and the following day was returned filled out with the necessary attachments of medical information and support letter (already on file)

  TWO days later, an assessor rang me back, the case was given to her, she supplied me her First name, and said she would be dealing with my case and read the notes and would like to have a paper based assessment and wanted to check a few of the letters and statements and could "I" arrange a time that I could be with the claimant to double check these.

  Knowing the case, she refrained from ringing direct.  An hour later she called back the statements were verified with the claimant and was told that due to the time and complexity of the case it may take a few days.  After 14 months a few days won't make any difference but reminded her this was a new claim and the previous claim will take what every time it takes. 

  In ringing me back again she said that ALL the previous information had caught up with the claim including ALL the claimant medical history.  Since then in trying to get an up date?  I'm back to square one.  We don't send links? we don't have assessors ringing you? We need to let this take its course and we may take up to 20 weeks to complete?

  Another call 2 weeks later, sorted.  At least the claimant is getting benefits now, especially since it was a review?  Sort the gap out at their leisure.

One final comment, as I am old school, What happened to the face to face interview at the job centre where if you wanted to "sign on" you would take all the relevant paper work with you they ask questions ( In filling out the form) you answer and it put in the appropriate box.  Any supporting evidence you had Photostatted and a decision made within a day?  For the Government no having to keep waiting for info, or waiting for a letter or telephone call for more information, no arranging a F2F it then comes down to the claimant to request and provide info.

  We are never going to get this time down unless we start having F2F interviews that deal with the situation there and then, or am I out of touch?

  I could not think of a worse thing in life than to keep going over and over the same work weeks later and trying to remember what happened and what was said in a MR a FOI or in a Tribunal?  Not me but them?  multiply this by 2, 3, 5, 10 cases a DAY 5 days a week?  Imagine your brain after being number 25 on the list to be seen?

Are you even listening to me?  by then.  A job I would not like.

BUT, we have to remember it is up to the claimant to supply the information if you want to claim.