Something to be aware of

It s appalling. Benefit fraud is known to be a tiny proporion of  claims, but HMRC fraud teams - where billions are defrauded every year, those teams have been cut to the bone. 4Bn worth of PPE fraudulent contracts written off for example.

Claiming ESA/PIP/UC AA et c are all fraught and benefits assesors often lie quite blatantly ( I have been with others to assessments and read the lies in the report). Shameful Not a suprise with this lot though.

Rainie. I worked for DWP..it was the job I walked out of. Compassion for people was almost non existent. Stressed staff driven by targeting groups of people. Honestly, i couldn't do it anymore. Management hate bad publicity. CAB and MPs office they fear most in any dispute.

Hi OBS, I had to provide them with two years of bank statement both for my wife and my bank's, my bank gave me them at no cost my wife's bank charged £12.00 per sheet, next I received a letter informing me they had made a mistake and that I had to pay them £1080.27p back or go to court, they took it back at £40.00 per month, no appeal would be entertained.

All the best Ulls 

Dealing with them is very stressful. If anybody on here needs help with filling in forms, then the above group are really excellent. They know their stuff and were an enormous help to me. Rainie x

I worked for them in the long past when it was DHSS. The culture then was different, and although there were always heartless b******s , most staff did a decentt job. I was a visiting officer and could give grants to people - imagine that, actually helping people out. The manager of my team ran a " santa claus of the month" competition and I often won the award. Proud to do so. I left there in 1985, as things were changing and went to run a CAB instead - gamekeeper turned poacher.

Benefits and works trust is a great help to people with free guides and access to really useful info for a small annual subscription. So many people answer questions to minimise their symptoms, and then are easily refused benefits. The current system is designed to be heartless and cruel and deter claims - and then so much moneyos wasted on appeals which are then won by the claimant. Serco,Capita and the others laugh all the way to the bank as there is no punishment for the number of claims allowed at appeal whcih their " health Professionals" have lied about what the claimant could and could not do.

Thank you so much for your past efforts and your current campaigning, you have made a difference and still continue to do so, xxx

Why thank you AA. I knew all my anger had a good use!

xx

Hi , many thanks for the info. The dirty tricks that Capita staff perform are well known. I have nothing to hide, my medical record shows how bad my back is and my cancer records are well documented. I still worry though about the underhand tactics when my pip is up for renewal. The last time, I said to the lady that she was well removed from the types of people I had heard of. She replied that she couldn't understand why they did what they did. I hope she comes again when it's due!

Tvman xx 

I feel so sorry for people who have to have to rely on benefits with the fear of having them taken away.

well done Ownedbystaffies  for all your hard work xxx

Hi all, first well done to OBS, second I agree with you ruthjp means tested benifits only must be a nightmare.

In my previous post I did not mention the benifits we were getting were for my wife who had her spine fractured in 3 places, she has since had an operation and has 4 rods in her spin, and the spine has been fused. Dispite having other disabilities we don't claim seems pointless.

So yes I do feel for other who have been unable to provide for retirement or in such bad health they have to rely on the state.

All the best Ulls