Benefits & Work News
Jan 26, 2022 12:32:58 GMT
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philbadfactor, junior, and 2 more like this
Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2022 12:32:58 GMT
Dear DWPexamination,
In this edition we reveal that the DWP will now allow you to audio record your PIP assessment on your mobile phone.
We encourage you to look out for the publication of the secret disability benefits report very soon.
We ask if your PIP renewal is in jeopardy because of a lack of PIP assessments?
We learn that the DWP has been told to pay one legacy benefit claimant £7,500 compensation because of a botched transfer to universal credit, but over 100,000 more are still missing out.
(Judges have still not issued a decision in the separate legacy benefits £20 uplift case, we will report on this as soon as they do.)
We pass on the warning that many claimants will soon have to choose between heating and eating, if the government doesn’t act.
And finally, we let you know that we are carrying out a major overhaul of the Benefits and Work website in the next fortnight.
So please don’t worry if we disappear for a few hours . . . we’ll be back.
Good Luck,
Steve Donnison and Holiday Whitehead
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DWP NOW ALLOWS CLAIMANTS TO AUDIO RECORD PIP ASSESSMENTS ON THEIR MOBILE PHONES
The DWP have abandoned the struggle to prevent claimants openly or secretly audio recording PIP assessments on their mobile phones, as well as now giving an undertaking that everyone can have their assessment recorded by their assessor.
The PIP Assessment Guide is issued to health professionals and their employers by the DWP and also published online.
The latest version makes it clear that everyone can ask to have their PIP assessment recorded, whether it is a telephone or face-to-face assessment.
The guide explains that face-to-face claimants must sign a consent form in which they agree to not use the audio recording for unlawful purposes. Telephone clients have to give a verbal agreement.
If you use a recording for your own information, share it with an advisor or use it as part of an appeal, this is all entirely lawful.
The guidance also says that:
“In some circumstances, claimants may wish to use their own equipment to audio record their consultation. The consent process above should be followed.”
There no longer appears to be a requirement that claimants must use very expensive dual tape recorders if they wish to record their assessment.
In relation to covert recording, the guidance now says:
“A claimant may make a covert recording of the consultation without the HP being aware. If the HP notices that a claimant is covertly recording their consultation, the restrictions above should be explained to the claimant.”
Previously, if a claimant was found to be covertly recording an assessment the guidance said that they should be asked to stop and, if they did not do so, the assessment would be terminated for failure to participate.
All of this guidance relates to audio recording only, video recording by claimants is not permitted.
We would encourage everyone to ask for their assessment to be audio recorded.
We would also suggest that you consider making a recording of your own as a backup, just in case the official recording somehow fails or goes astray.
However, if a badly informed health professional insists you cannot use your own device we would strongly advise you to stop recording and make a complaint afterwards, rather than risk your claim being stopped.
We’ll be updating our PIP guide to take account of these welcome changes.
Read More
MPS TO GO AHEAD WITH PUBLISHING SECRET REPORT
The commons work and pensions committee has confirmed it is going ahead with its plan to obtain a copy of a secret disability benefits report and publish it.
Regular readers will know that the DWP is fighting to keep secret a report entitled ‘The uses of health and disability benefits’ which deals in part with the unmet needs of benefits claimants.
The work and pensions committee had given the DWP a deadline of 11 January to publish the report themselves.
But on 10 January the committee received yet another blunt refusal from Therese Coffey, secretary of state for work and pensions.
The committee have now written to the authors of the report, NatCen, ordering it to provide a copy of the report to the committee by Thursday 27 January, for publication.
However, the DWP has admitted that the report was altered before publication and a whistle blower has said that this was in order to reduce the number of references to claimants’ unmet needs.
In this edition we reveal that the DWP will now allow you to audio record your PIP assessment on your mobile phone.
We encourage you to look out for the publication of the secret disability benefits report very soon.
We ask if your PIP renewal is in jeopardy because of a lack of PIP assessments?
We learn that the DWP has been told to pay one legacy benefit claimant £7,500 compensation because of a botched transfer to universal credit, but over 100,000 more are still missing out.
(Judges have still not issued a decision in the separate legacy benefits £20 uplift case, we will report on this as soon as they do.)
We pass on the warning that many claimants will soon have to choose between heating and eating, if the government doesn’t act.
And finally, we let you know that we are carrying out a major overhaul of the Benefits and Work website in the next fortnight.
So please don’t worry if we disappear for a few hours . . . we’ll be back.
Good Luck,
Steve Donnison and Holiday Whitehead
Image
Image
Image
Image
DWP NOW ALLOWS CLAIMANTS TO AUDIO RECORD PIP ASSESSMENTS ON THEIR MOBILE PHONES
The DWP have abandoned the struggle to prevent claimants openly or secretly audio recording PIP assessments on their mobile phones, as well as now giving an undertaking that everyone can have their assessment recorded by their assessor.
The PIP Assessment Guide is issued to health professionals and their employers by the DWP and also published online.
The latest version makes it clear that everyone can ask to have their PIP assessment recorded, whether it is a telephone or face-to-face assessment.
The guide explains that face-to-face claimants must sign a consent form in which they agree to not use the audio recording for unlawful purposes. Telephone clients have to give a verbal agreement.
If you use a recording for your own information, share it with an advisor or use it as part of an appeal, this is all entirely lawful.
The guidance also says that:
“In some circumstances, claimants may wish to use their own equipment to audio record their consultation. The consent process above should be followed.”
There no longer appears to be a requirement that claimants must use very expensive dual tape recorders if they wish to record their assessment.
In relation to covert recording, the guidance now says:
“A claimant may make a covert recording of the consultation without the HP being aware. If the HP notices that a claimant is covertly recording their consultation, the restrictions above should be explained to the claimant.”
Previously, if a claimant was found to be covertly recording an assessment the guidance said that they should be asked to stop and, if they did not do so, the assessment would be terminated for failure to participate.
All of this guidance relates to audio recording only, video recording by claimants is not permitted.
We would encourage everyone to ask for their assessment to be audio recorded.
We would also suggest that you consider making a recording of your own as a backup, just in case the official recording somehow fails or goes astray.
However, if a badly informed health professional insists you cannot use your own device we would strongly advise you to stop recording and make a complaint afterwards, rather than risk your claim being stopped.
We’ll be updating our PIP guide to take account of these welcome changes.
Read More
MPS TO GO AHEAD WITH PUBLISHING SECRET REPORT
The commons work and pensions committee has confirmed it is going ahead with its plan to obtain a copy of a secret disability benefits report and publish it.
Regular readers will know that the DWP is fighting to keep secret a report entitled ‘The uses of health and disability benefits’ which deals in part with the unmet needs of benefits claimants.
The work and pensions committee had given the DWP a deadline of 11 January to publish the report themselves.
But on 10 January the committee received yet another blunt refusal from Therese Coffey, secretary of state for work and pensions.
The committee have now written to the authors of the report, NatCen, ordering it to provide a copy of the report to the committee by Thursday 27 January, for publication.
However, the DWP has admitted that the report was altered before publication and a whistle blower has said that this was in order to reduce the number of references to claimants’ unmet needs.
.......just a minute......meanwhile I'm still thinking.
