Universal want a telephone interview to get me back to work but i claim PIP - Page 2 — Scope | Disability forum
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Universal want a telephone interview to get me back to work but i claim PIP

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  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
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    9.39 pm does seem rather unreasonable.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
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  • MarkM88
    MarkM88 Community member Posts: 3,127 Connected
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    Unless they have put PM by mistake. I’d clarify. 
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  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
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    That time does seem strange for UC and a work coach to be working that late but you never know however I would check 

    Sorry it didn't go ahead as planned it could have been down to absence 
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  • happyfella
    happyfella Community member Posts: 486 Pioneering
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    cannot believe UC have changed my appointment five times in the past few days. They way UC treat people is shocking. They did not phone me the other day because they said the computer system was down. Then they sent me an apointment for 9pm for today, then they sent me another message saying that was an error and it would be 9am today. I contacted them to say i cannot do 9am as it affects my health due to the pain i feel when i wake up and the medication i have to take, so they changed it for me. then they changed it again, and now this morning they have changed it yet again to a time when i am in a lot of pain and now i will have to delay my pain medication by an hour.
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  • jae377
    jae377 Community member Posts: 27 Courageous
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     "am autistic with severe mental health problems and mobility issues. I  am having a phone consultation about PIP next week. I am dreading it. Any tips on how to handle this???"
    YES you are entitled to have another person act as a "buffer" between you and the questioner. I have acted in this capacity several times for a neighbour, basically they use the phone and relay in a non aggressive non threatening manner questions to you. They may also gently prompt you to "stay on track " with answers or answer more fully as under pressure you may forget Germaine information. The same applies at a face to face interview.
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  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,621 Disability Gamechanger
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    As we all know things aren't as they should be, the DWP is affected like many others by staff shortages or staff off sick, and many staff working from home, therefor I'm not totally surprised that the appt. has been changed a number of times, as annoying as that may be.
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

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  • happyfella
    happyfella Community member Posts: 486 Pioneering
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    they were very nice. They explained all the changes to the apointments is down to most staff working from home, and others are ill.
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  • Quinty
    Quinty Community member Posts: 47 Courageous
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    How terrible. What if your phone is cut off or you were on the loo? Or rushed to hospital?  Its bullying. Im sure you can complain about this attitude. The Govt Benefits system needs to change to become understanding and emphatic. Its very wrong. 
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  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,621 Disability Gamechanger
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    Quinty said:
    How terrible. What if your phone is cut off or you were on the loo? Or rushed to hospital?  Its bullying. Im sure you can complain about this attitude. The Govt Benefits system needs to change to become understanding and emphatic. Its very wrong. 
    I have to say that in 23 years claiming benefits that I have always been treated with respect and good attitude, I have never felt as though I have been bullied in any way, we must understand that most of the DWP staff we come into contact are over worked, badly paid, and poorly trained and at this moment in time they are extremely busy and trying to do their very best.
    The system is very unlikely to change.

    Now I understand that my experience isn't one that everybody has had, but I would politely ask that people cut them some slack and understand that the people from the DWP most of us deal with don't make the rules.
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

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  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
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    And some DWP staff will also be benefits claimants themselves.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
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  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,621 Disability Gamechanger
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    It's highly likely that most of the DWP staff that we deal with at "user"level will be receiving some form of benefits, even if it's only family allowance.
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

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  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
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    woodbine said:
    It's highly likely that most of the DWP staff that we deal with at "user"level will be receiving some form of benefits, even if it's only family allowance.
    Child Benefit (as it is now known) is administered by HMRC and is a fairly easy benefit to claim and administer. I was thinking rather that some DWP staff will actually now be on UC which is administered by DWP and, as we know, involves interaction between claimant and administrator.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
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  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,621 Disability Gamechanger
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    Forgive me i'm old and in my day it was family allowance, but whatever it's name it is a benefit, but as you say it's likely that DWP staff may well be claiming UC 
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

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  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
    edited March 2021
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    woodbine said:
    Forgive me i'm old and in my day it was family allowance, but whatever it's name it is a benefit, but as you say it's likely that DWP staff may well be claiming UC 
    No criticism was intended (just clarification for younger readers!).
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
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