Dealing with ATOS/DWP

An Example

Get letter in the mail with a questionnaire telling me I am on a benefit I am not on and telling me I need to fill in a questionnaire to be switched over to the benefit I am on and if I dont do it I will lose my benefit.
Call DWP to ask what they mean by this as it is very confusing and get told that the letter is a standard letter they send out to everyone.
Ask why the facts in the letter are not correct and get told that they only have my word for that and that the letter is a standard letter they send out to everyone.
Tell them I will be unable to get the form done by their deadline and they say they will put a note on my records saying that I am waiting for my support worker in order to complete the form and that this is fine and not to worry.
Get threatening letter in the post telling me my benefits will be stopped for not filling in the form on time
Call number on letter and wait for 20 mins to speak to someone
Get told I have called the wrong number
Manage to get them to not hang up and give me another number
Call other number
Wait 20 mins to speak to someone
Explain the situation to them
Have them look up my records and confirm the note is on them
Ask why I have received a threatening letter
Get told this is a standard letter they send out to everyone



Cracked

I've heard of people falling through the cracks, but this looks like a calculated effort to push people through.

Josef wrote:I've heard of people falling through the cracks, but this looks like a calculated effort to push people through.

Yeah I think so - and I was persistent - if for whatever reason you were not or could not be then it could be bad...

Hugs

Cracked

What a nightmare. I went through the same thing this summer every single month and they gave me the same answer; the letters were standard and meant nothing. That's fine and dandy until some deadline is reached even though the case manager was made aware of a needed extention, but those standard threatening letters still keep coming. I think they make the system as uncomfortable as possible in order to encourage people to find a way to get off benefits. It's unfortunate it's happening to you!

Could you try to fill it out the best you can & fax it to your support worker for input?

I had much the same situation with a government department, this year......... So when, after my third, face to face, attempt to get what i needed, they thought they had finished with me I, politely, asked for the name of the minister, and snail mail address, stating the minster might be interested in knowing what was happening

I was offered an email address for feedback, so I asked again for the name and address.

I was then offered a form to fill out for feedback but again, politely, asked for the ministers name.

Still don't know the name of the minister (apparently she did not know the minister's name).

Anyhow when she realised I was serious about telling the minister, the problem was solved two working days later.

Might be worth a try.

Thanks both of you so much for your thoughts. In the end I got it done with the help of my support worker when she was back and I am waiting to hear the result. We shall see. I think I might write a letter to my local MP about it - she is quite sensible and gets things done so she might be someone who would be a help.

Thanks guys

Huge hugs

Cracked

I feel your pain there. had many dealings with them in the past most of which have been negative. I got used to the threatening letters after a while ,they would send something similar out for when I hadn't sent over my doctors forms signing me off work.

glad you got it all sorted out.

Thanks so much hon. Sorry to hear you have been on the receiving end too

Cracked