PIP Tribunal mail delay

noobautist

Hey all, 
I would like to share my experience with you and ask if any of you have had anything similar happen, my claim was put in nearly a year ago on the 3rd of april and I have been back and fourth with the tribunal process since december after adjournment after adjournment due to "lack of evidence" despite me sending exactly what they requested each time.

This time I sent off as requested my FULL medical history including all referrals and it was received by HMCTS on the 1st of march, this was then forwarded to be uploaded digitally to a company called Exela which is apparently standard process in these appeals, the problem is HMCTS are now saying they cannot find the evidence after numerous times of me ringing to ask where it is and what is happening.

I am now utterly terrified my personal information has been lost in the mail, I am assuming this is not the case as HMCTS had confirmed receipt before referring it to this company, but I now have no further information on it's whereabouts.

Has anyone else experienced mail related delays or is this just a big unlucky for me?

Looked it up and apparently 0.01% of mail is lost yet my anxiety is through the roof right now and I am having palpitations, please reply.

Thank you.

noobautist

Username_removed said:

Royal Mail do not keep stats on mail lost. It can be inferred from other things but obviously you can't easily count what is lost. Instead of posting the evidence to HMCTS is there some reason you didn't simply email it in? 

In the meantime, if you lodge a formal complaint with HMCTS and raise it as an issue which they need to report to the Information Commissioner I'd be reasonably confident your evidence will mysteriously reappear. 

noobautist

I got my loss quote from here: https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/forums/t/approximate-percentage-of-parcels-lost-using-royal-mail/63755

But yeah, I'm in doubt it is actually lost, I read a similar article stating people had problems with Exela, I simply did not think to email them in because I didn't know if photographs would be allowed, I just mailed it. I am very concerned. 

Thanks for the response

Ross_Alumni

Hello @noobautist

I imagine the likely outcome is that your mail hasn't been lost, maybe just misplaced for the time being. Hopefully if you follow the step outlined by Mike above your paperwork will appear. But I'll repeat, the chances are your things are safe and sound. 

I'm not sure if you have palpitations often, but if you do it might be worth speaking with your GP about it. In this instance though you might find these tips useful to help at this moment in time. 

noobautist

Ross_Scope said:

Hello @noobautist

I imagine the likely outcome is that your mail hasn't been lost, maybe just misplaced for the time being. Hopefully if you follow the step outlined by Mike above your paperwork will appear. But I'll repeat, the chances are your things are safe and sound. 

I'm not sure if you have palpitations often, but if you do it might be worth speaking with your GP about it. In this instance though you might find these tips useful to help at this moment in time. 

Hi Ross,

Do you really think this is the case despite me having sent it to HMCTS on the 1st this month? Not being cocky saying that just genuinely curious as I am frightful still, the guy on the phone told me it definitely should NOT have taken this long and I also read this here where someone says the second page was lost: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6202809/probate-delays-the-outsourcing-mess

I appreciate the assurances on the matter, my palpitations are not often but I am just incredibly stressed because it is highly sensitive and confidential data involved.

Many thanks to you again

Ross_Alumni

noobautist said:

Ross_Scope said:

Hello @noobautist

I imagine the likely outcome is that your mail hasn't been lost, maybe just misplaced for the time being. Hopefully if you follow the step outlined by Mike above your paperwork will appear. But I'll repeat, the chances are your things are safe and sound. 

I'm not sure if you have palpitations often, but if you do it might be worth speaking with your GP about it. In this instance though you might find these tips useful to help at this moment in time. 

Hi Ross,


I appreciate the assurances on the matter, my palpitations are not often but I am just incredibly stressed because it is highly sensitive and confidential data involved.

Many thanks to you again

Hi there, I totally understand your worry, anybody would be. Hopefully they do turn up, and making the complaint will help with it.

noobautist

Username_removed said:

That relates to probate not social security. They may both be run by HMCTS but they both run very different processes. You’re in danger of reading far too much into what you’re reading. Amazon can monitor the percentage of these deliveries not delivered but Royal Mail cannot. The page you read is about Amazon and so there us no relationship to your experience. 

Equally to the best of my knowledge scanning of post for HMCTS and social security is not outsourced at all. 

Finally, yes, do as I suggest and odds on your documents will turn up. No-one will take the matter seriously even until you do.

Hi Mike,
I'll do as you said and raise it with ico, but I must confirm it is outsourced, the advisor on the line told me it is a company called Exela and the latest link I posted about probate was handled by the same company, that is where my concern came in.

regardless thanks for your input, I hope you're right.

noobautist

Username_removed said:

I’m not suggesting you report it to the ICO. If HMCTS have lost it then you ask them to report themselves to the ICO else you will. That’s usually enough. 

As regards scanning let’s just say that all scanning of bundles for tribunals is not outsourced so it would be a bit odd if it was outsourced for claimants stiff which then appears in those bundles. You’ll notice outsourcing was not part of the reform programme. Also detailed as not yet operational here. 

Almost certainly the case that your items will have been received; scanned and and then attached to the wrong case or no case at all.

In regards to the outsourcing I am only repeating what the man on the HMCTS call centre advised me of yesterday, that all files are scanned by a company called Exel and digitally reuploaded into their systems or a bundle as you called it, the main point is HMCTS confirmed receipt of these records somewhere between the 01-06 of this month, so it was last known to be in their possession which they then claimed was sent off to the aformentioned company, if that is to be the case they I don't know why a backlog would be relevant as I have previously sent at least two separate pieces of evidence to HMCTS as I was adjourned for even "more" evidence on two separate occasions despite sending exactly what they requested both times.

What's even more odd is the end of last week I actually had 3 setters from the tribunal which were photocopies of evidence I'd previously sent in at the end of feb before my most recent tribunal, as after that they requested the full medical records which is now what is at question and cannot be found.

That's all in all why I'm very confused, frustrated and distressed with the matter.
I can only hope to say that you are right in your presumptions.

Caz_Alumni

Hi @noobautist,

Sorry to hear that you're having such trouble with this. From what you have said in your last post, it's completely understandable that you're feeling confused and frustrated with the whole process. 

I see that you're going to raise a complaint? Following on from all the advice that you've already received, I would say that's a really good way of being proactive about your case. Not only should it assist you in getting to the bottom of things, but it could also help you to feel a bit more in control of the whole situation as well?

If you need any further help, or just somewhere to offload for a bit, you know where we are. Please do keep us informed and let us know how you get on with this, @noobautist.

@Caz_Scope

noobautist

Complaint has been submitted.
In your experiences what is the longest wait time you have had since submitting evidence to be photocopied and sent back to you with a date confirmed for tribunal? The previous two times were drastically quicker than this time. Just asking for reassurance purposes.