DWP strike again...

Mr K · 07-01-2016, 18:46

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2...t-day-she-died

You'd like to think they were just incompetent. The few staff they have left seem to get bonuses for being as nasty as possible.

Taf · 07-01-2016, 19:02

Using GP information has meant the end of benefits for several of my friends and neighbours, even though they had not seen their GP's for over a year! And not for their debilitating conditions!

A few are contesting the decisions, but the DWP does not seem interested in information from current medical specialists they are currently seeing.

Why not?

Mr K · 07-01-2016, 19:39

Because they have targets to get people off benefits. Any excuse e.g. not filling in forms the right way.

For all the talk of benefit scroungers, of which there undoubtedly are some who know how to milk the system, there are people in desperate need who aren't getting help. However net numbers are all that matter to the DWP; as long as they go down that's all that matters.

Doubtless the Daily Fail etc. wouldn't be interested in this tragedy.

**Hugh** · 07-01-2016, 20:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr K

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2...t-day-she-died

You'd like to think they were just incompetent. The few staff they have left seem to get bonuses for being as nasty as possible.

What, all 105,000 of them?

I think you will find that most of the bonuses go to the senior civil servants, and the poor bloody staff on the ground don't get anything, and if they do, it's probably around £100 - £200.

Stuart · 07-01-2016, 21:11

I don't know about the DWP, but I know someone who worked for the DSS (as it was then), in a role where they dealt with claimants.

They were stuck doing things according to a system they had no control over. They had no ability even to make decisions (these were made by the system using very rigid restrictions) about the claims. They also got abuse and daily death threats which the police advised them to take seriously. They dealt with all this while being paid a pitiful salary. Something people (and the media) like to forget when they talk about civil servants on six figure salaries and getting four figure bonuses.

**Hugh** · 07-01-2016, 22:01

Too true.

Civil Servants implement the policies / initiatives laid down by statute, with very little leeway allowed.

nomadking · 07-01-2016, 22:41

Did they tell the DWP she was in hospital, or are the DWP meant to be mindreaders?

How long was she in hospital? After a certain period the AA benefits would have been stopped anyway.

Remember the Attendance Allowance rules predate 2010.

Things can look good and then suddenly take a turn for the worse. not even doctors can necessarily predict that. Eg in 2014 I was admitted to hospital then got to within a couple of days of being discharged, I took a major turn for the worse and they were talking about having possibly needing open-heart surgery. Luckily I recovered enough not to need it.