Incapacity benefit

[mayb]

I could not believe my ears to be told that the lady on the end of my phone this evening was ringing to set an appointment for a 'medical' regarding my claim for incapacity benefit. This is to be in January and they will be writing to confirm the details. The venue is on the first floor of a building with no parking facilities and is to ask me questions but will not involve a medical. The lady was phoning from Norwich I think she said, so could not give me any real information about access etc.

 

I pointed out that I had a certificate declaring me incapable of work for the next couple of months and an appointment had been made already for me (also from a phone call made today but during working hours) to see someone at the job centre about my current claim - another venue with no parking facilities, if my memory serves me well of that area. This is to take place before the 'medical questioning session'. I have already sent off a self assessment questionnaire which is very similar to the DDA claim form. We all know what happens when you fill in one of those.

 

I also have my first appointment at the pain clinic in January - so altogether I am a very popular bunny all of a sudden. As my surname begins with one of the latter letters of the alphabet I don't feel they have just arrived at my application this morning by rote - I am intruiged to have had both calls on the same day and also that they have not co-ordinated these to come in the right order. I assume they already know that I will be considered fit to go on unemployment benefit later in the month so saw no reason to delay discussing the jobs I might apply for until after the medical interview had taken place.

 

Has anyone else ever had a call in the evening regarding benefits? Are we paying night workers now to ensure no claimant remains on benefit for a second longer than they can avoid it?

 

I am filled with an unreasonable hope that they have a well paying job waiting for me where the employer will not be phased by phone calls telling them that I cannot come into work today or tomorrow - or even perhaps the day after, but if they hold on I might manage a few hours at the end of the week. What does my gp know about my fitness for work after all??

 

Bemused of Bedfordshire

[Shirl]

Mary, I am hoping my few words will speak volumes to you because you know I care, and because you know I understand the vagaries and frustrations of being in Limboland with regard work, non-work etc.

 

Unfortunately, my son has just downloaded his own sadness on us this evening so I am rather full up of mixed emotions. I could not ignore you though. May I just hope that all will work itself out for good and, if you CANNOT get into the office, they will be forced to apologise to you!

[mayb]

Thank you Shirl - what can I say but to wish you a very happy, peaceful and positve new year too. I hope your son finds his way through his troubles and we both know he can be assured of your love and support whatever else is happening in his life right now.

 

Take time to take care of yourself too and try not to be downhearted as nothing lasts forever good or bad - except the wait for a diagnosis perhaps.

[jillart]

Hi Mary

 

I hope, besides all this craziness, that you had a nice Christmas.

 

I have not had a call in the evening, but my husband has about other hospital appointments. I have, however, just had a medical interview yesterday re: DLA claim, which I thought was peculiar as it was in between Christmas & New Year. As you may remember, I got a glut of appointments all at once in September and I found it quite stressful trying to co-ordinate them. I've also just filled in a questionnaire which I think should have come to me before the Mental Health Nurse saw meon the 15th!

 

I think that now systems are computerised, when your case comes up for processing, it flags up on everybodies to do list. This is one theory. Of course, that does not stop them not co-ordinating their efforts, each department works independently and that is the problem these days. You will need to be careful that one does not tell you something that may effect another treatment/claim or whatever. I know it's even more stress but it is necessary as they do not know what they are doing! This is also why they have made the appointments at inaccessible places. We are all numbers and names to them and most of them do not read the forms properly and have absolutely no common sense.

 

Make a scene, complain about it big style. It worked for me with the DLA as it meant that more senior, experienced people look at your case and not an office junior who is just ticking things off a list.

 

Also, a lot of these type of people do work strange hours now. I have had to set up special access for people like these that work as part of the council. It seems quite strange to us, but if it means that we get appointments then it works out OK.

 

Hope this helps a bit, I know it's a bit of a mix up of info.

 

Take care.

 

[mayb]

Thanks Jill that was very useful.

 

I don't object to being given the appointment but I do object to being rung in the evening - especially over a holiday period. My husband worked all over Christmas and it is this week that we are able to have our own Christmas get together and to have two phone calls in one day regarding my incapacity benefit was just bizarre.

 

I would actually liked to have met the medical person before the job orientated one as it makes no sense to do it the other way round just to tick boxes that I have had both interviews. If they are truly interested in finding me work that I can do, then they will have to take account of my need to have easy access by car and parking, for me to work on the ground floor and preferably in natural light as I go peculiar under flourescent lighting these days.

 

It is not encouraging to be asked what I would need if I was to attend an interview with them and then ignore it when the interview is set up. What hope of a job based around my needs!!

 

I am hoping that we can talk about training courses so that I can develop skills I can use to work from home. I was very keen on taking the Employment Law or legal exec course as I could perhaps work from home with my Brother in Law when he sets up his business some time next year. I found I couldn't afford it last year as I knew I would be sacked and we would be pushed for money. Trouble is I would need to do a home course and I cannot use my eyes for very long each day so have a limit on how much study I could do at any one time. I think such a conversation is unlikely to be on the Agenda with either interviewer.

 

I just feel right now is not the time to consider long term work plans. I have too many issues to deal with health wise and now it also looks as though I will be at a Tribunal sometime in the spring. I cannot imagine I am a very attractive package to an employer as a depressed CFS person let alone a sacked one with possible MS and I don't want to be either pushed into something unsuitable, which would cause me stress, or relegated to a scrap heap because I am not ready to approach a return to work right now. I am just looking for a bit of space in which to regroup and rearrange my life and sort out what I am really able to do before embarking on anything new, plus come to terms with some of the limitations I now face. New year being the traditional time to do this perhaps they thought I would appreciate their involvement~!!

[cyprus_dave]

Hi,

 

In there Quangos strive to offer a value-for-money-service and in order to get a good points score in their relevant governmental league table; they ring you during the evening as that is when most people are in from work. Therefore they think that they are providing the best possible service...!

 

Which as you, and probably all of their other clients are incapacitated and therefore unable to work, just shows how incompetent and how inadequately set up these Public Sector Departments really are. Farcical springs to mind.

 

[mayb]

I think you hit the nail on the head with that one dave. I did ask this lady how I was to know she was who she said she was (because of the time of the call I didn't really believe she was genuine) The reply was - you don't but I can give you your address. Well so could anyone who had got information onme that included my telephone number. As she didn't ask me for any personal details I carried on with the call but otherwise I would have put the phone down.

 

Oh the joys of this life - the stress of worrying about the appointment and what will happen has brought me right down again, although I am working through that with myself now. I know I can't work or I would be out there looking for a job and my gp would not have signed me off until the end of February. I don't need to justify myself to myself. I don't enjoy struggling for money particularly at Christmas. I only get the very basic allowance so why would I put myself through this if I could avoid it? On the plus side if they then decide I am not going to be able to work (unlikely from what I have heard) then my allowance will go up. If they decide I can work then my prescriptions will be paid for. Have to look for the silver lining don't you.

[Shirl]

I know I can't work, I know I can't work, I know I can't work

is all you need to know, Mary. Please continue to believe in yourself. You DID NOT ASK to be unwell. Just because you are not in a plaster cast does not mean your body is not broken!

[mayb]

I am getting there Shirl. I think that is one of the worst aspects of this particular condition it can be hard for others to understand and 'see' the problems that we are dealing with just to get through an average day. The fatigue sweeps down like a blanket on the day and that is that until it lifts again.

[mayb]

I thought I would put an update on here in case anyone else has to go to one of these - probably very similar to interviews regarding DLA.

 

I had a letter from the company given the task of carrying out medical assessments for the DWP - they are in Cardiff. I was to attend an interview in Luton on the 6th floor of a building which is in the Town Centre and they wrote that the nearest car park is closed (a multi storey car park). They also advised that bus services were disrupted by building work in the Town Centre too.

 

I phoned to see if they could arrange this to take place somewhere else - I had filled in the part asking if I had any requirements for the interview and I had said I needed somewhere with a car park and preferably on the ground floor. I was told that as they did not know the area they could not advise me about parking etc and they would put me through to the venues dept. So - those making the appointments do not co-ordinate with those providing the venues.

 

I was told that the next nearest place to me would be Aylesbury!!!! I pointed out that as the people that they would be interviewing on the behalf of the DWP would all be on incapacity benefit it appeared ludicrous to expect them to be able to manage a multi story car park away from the interview (up a hill as well) and on a 6th floor too. I was assured there is a lift and they are looking for ground floor venues for the future but did not consider car parking. I asked if they would reimburse me if I took a taxi to the door. They will only consider this if I had a letter from my gp explaining why this was the only way I could attend the interview. They would also consider a home visit if my gp insisted I needed one but they would have to reschedule the appointment as this would take some time to do. I would rather get this out of the way and will probably take a taxi and pay for it myself.

 

I know you are supposed to give details of your worst day on the forms but most of the time I am able to walk and can manage a small flight of stairs with a bannister and pauses. Some days I can do nothing at all and somedays I can do more - but they are not the norm for me. I would not wish my gp to write saying I couldn't walk as that would not be true and I don't think he would do it anyway. However, I will struggle to make the journey from the car park to the venue particularly if I have to park off the ground floor, cross town and walk up hill - I will pay for it later if not at the time. It may pay me to do this and allow them to see how it affects me but it is very unreasonable for them to chose such a venue in the first place.

 

There are many hospitals around with car parking and lifts etc - there are other government buildings with better access and parking including the job centre where, I am to have my back to work type interview on Monday - before the medical to see if they think I am fit to do any work and if so what sort as there is obviously no liaison there either. It is in Dunstable another nearby Town with trafic and parking problems but at least no multistorey car park. There is a health centre very nearby to me with parking. My gp has signed me off as unfit to work but presumably he hasn't been asked to verify this opinion and neither has my neurologist been consulted. I noted that this interview/medical is to be carried out by a health professional but they have not said what that means. I presume if it was a doctor the paperwork would say so.

 

So we go on - watch this space as it will be interesting to find out what work they think I am capable of (this will be sent as a report to the department of Work and pensions by the health professional - so not only a health professional but an employment specialist as well?)) Of course the job centre will already have decided what work I could do by then as I am seeing them first.

 

I may be suprised of course, which is something I wont know until I get there. The first step is the job centre appointment on Monday.