We all dread that letter coming through the door- even when you are on DLA indefinetley- I knew it couldn’t have been the £10 Christmas joke - on opening, I as most shuddered and phoned immediately- ok says the girl- I will take you through the application- no I said, please just send me the form- this is to send you the form! How long will it take, I ask- I have just got back from a lengthy hospital appointment and need a toilet break- 15 minutes came the reply. WHAT A JOKE - try 37 minutes- and she duplicated and repeated herself asking the same questions- made me wonder if it was a trick call especially as when she read back things they were wrong, such as account number, address etc.
I did take a toilet break- whilst she was on loud speaker- with the help of my carer- not ideal- but no way do I want to phone these people back!
Bloody hell, what the hell was she doing to take nearly 40mins?? I’ve not long sent my form off but the ‘pre form posting phonecall’ they’re insisting on doing was just a few basic questions really. Confirming my medical conditions, personal details - name address dob bank etc, my GP any consultants/health care professionals I’ll be referring to on my claim form. No wonder you’re a bit annoyed… was she in training?? I’ve been dreading the dwp brown envelope coming aswell, it’s horrible isn’t it?? Shouldn’t have to be worrying like this though, I’ve been on indefinate DLA for nearly 15yrs cos funnily enough my ppms isn’t getting better nor disappearing. Something the government seem to find difficult to understand. I don’t want their hand outs, I want to be a ‘normal’ person that’s bitching about having a cold while running a marathon in high heels & using a skipping rope… Just cos I can!
I so agree with your last bit (i agree with the rest too lol), about the government. I am the same I dont want their hand outs, i too want to be a normal person. I would love to grab some car keys and my handbag and just go off shopping ON MY OWN, without having to rely on someone taking me to keep me safe.
Before i got my indefinite DLA award i wasnt even diagnosed. I use my money for gardener, cleaner, dog walker, and a lady who does my laundry.
Also to keep my scooter and wheelchair in batteries.
I am having my assessment today even though my GP asked for a home visit they ignored it. I shall be wiped out and i have a urinary infection too (they can check by ringing my surgery).
What I dont understand is if you have a diagnosis of MS mine is PPMS since March and my condition has deteriorated why do we need to go through this stress. Its not like i am going to get well I wish.
They have no idea how it impacts on us all this stress.
I would much rather have my health and go and earn money then be reliant on my disability. Before i left my job i was earning 25,000 a year and if i hadnt got sick even though i am now 65 i would have stayed working, i loved my job so much.
Non of us asked to be sick, we were dealt the card and we try and live the best we can without being made to feel guilty.
I had to hand over my call to my carer as I was just babbling. I couldnt remember anything lol. NOT ONLY THAT, we are giving out all our personal details how do we know they are from who they say they are from lol. Lines can be compromised … you think your talking to one person and we could be talking to someone entirely different…who knows.
Dont forget to be fair to these people they must do this all day its scripted and i expect they meet some irate people too, i am not sure i would want to be saying the same thing over and over everyday. xx
It takes about 2 weeks to get your forms but then you have xmas now so you might not get them until after.
The generic- name/ date of birth- asked multiple times- have i ever suffered with severe depression (may have done by the end of the call :), psychosis, schizophrenia, list of other illnesses, the girl was obviously reading off a sheet- but reiterated if anything is wrong- it will have an impact on the claim- of which as in my first post , she got numerous things wrong and thats even after asking her to slow down!!
Seriously libertine- I actually asked if she was in training - to which she said NO- I said it didn’t bode well!!! She had to ask someone twice, when I asked her questions because she didnt know them- and I heard someone with her as well- not in training my arse!!!
Its heinous really is the worst of it is- thanks to good old iv steroids for 10 years- it caused my heart to fail- needed heart surgery, now have a pacemaker- so needless to say in addition to Multiple Sclerosis being impeded by stress, the hearts not exactly happy either.
Ditto re heels- I wore my monkey slippers in my electric wheelchair at a hospital appointment the other day lol - I remeber those days, high heels, moderate short skirt, being able to walk, horse ride, canoe, swim, go down the gym for hours at a time and thrash any anger out on any given equipment - now my anger is more verbal, for example I travel more than an hour each way to see a neurologist-(because the one locally didn’t know how to treat human beings with respect or dignity) for the neurologist not to have even read my notes- or know DMD have caused organ failures etc- so I ask them politley to open the door and call me when they have actually taken the time to read the notes- and thats me on a good day lol
I do not suffer fools gladly and that it would seem what we have to deal with .X
I know that lots of us on here have a hate-hate relationship with the DWP but the call handlers you speak to have very strict rules for how they deal with the calls, a script to follow without deviation and the constant monitoring of their call times.
I have a very good idea of what this writer is talking about. Until last year I worked for another Government Department where I took urgent calls making decisions on very serious incidents (everything from Domestic Assaults to Rapes and Murders). The QUALITY of my work was never in doubt but my speed and productivity was. I was continuously pressured by my management (who were,themselves, being pressured by their management because I was bringing their team’s performance down.
Although reasonable adjustments were made for me (extra time allowed per call, specialist software etc) my MS meant that I could never continue to reach my targets and eventually I was medically retired. I lost my career, my profession (after 25 years) and my comfortable salary.
I am sure that some of you will have little sympathy for someone like me as you will think that I was some gold-plated fat cat in my ivory tower. I wasn’t. But I can tell you that I was at a considerably higher pay grade than the person who took your call at the DWP who would have potentially been facing disciplinary action - or worse - because of how long it took to complete your call.
Please read the article. It might help you to realise that not everybody who is “on the other side” is, in fact, your opponent.
Hi PJday on my assessment the other day the guy told me his name, then about 10 minutes later he said so what is my NAME lol…I just looked at him blank and said i have no clue why did you tell me it lol… My care worker was with me and she knows how bad my memory is. To be honest i was so stressed when i got there I just kept looking at him and thinking wow he is nice looking he he and that he was way to friendly and nice and beware the smiling assassin was going through my mind lol.
Then he said i am giving you 3 words can you remember then. I did struggle but the 3rd time he asked me i got them right. For the life of me I can only remember 2 now lol.
When i rang originally to say i wanted to migrate from DLA to PIP, i got so confused and flustered and upset i had to hand over the phone to my care worker who finished it for me lol…
I found this yesterday thought it was interesting.
What did they have to go through with you?