apologies for asking, i know this is becoming a common subject for questions, but i am still puzzled.

i have just had my incapacity benefit award renewed for 18 months. also recently had my DLA renewed for 3 years (high rate mobility, middle rate care). i have ME/CFS, and am a single parent with one young child.

last week i received a letter calling me for a Work Focused Interview, which is totally inappropriate given the above.

i have read the Benefits and Work Guide about "Getting the Most out of your Work Focused Interview". But am still puzzled.

Apparently, given my circumstances, I still have to go through it. Also I would have to agree to some kind of plan to go back to work, even though this is out of the question at the moment. Am i correct in thinking i have to do this?

thanks for your help.

silverlady.

See this thread it explains about Work Focussed Interviews.

You can also use the the 'Search Forum' facility at the top of to find more threads on this.

Apologies for the standard reply, but currently we have two moderators off sick, and I'm only running on half power myself due to my MS, so am limited to time I can spend online.

Jim

thank you, Jim.

Shortly after my original post here, I rang the Job Centre about the arranged interview. Anyway, the woman I spoke to there offered to waive the interview completely, which I thought was pretty kind of her.


kind regards.

Hi Silverlady

Brilliant, glad they've waived the wfi! Thanks for letting us know.

Kind regards

Mr B

HI there, I was also confused about this work focused interveiw, however last may they called me as I had just gone onto incapacity benifits, I went in for 1 interview, I felt slight pressure not too much though and then she said perhaps we can call you from now on as I told her I have mobility problems, so every month since then she calls and asks the same questions, this month I thought I will go in this time, that was Friday past, she then said, "well thats the last of our interviews," good luck for the future and I'm here if you need me, I was gobsmacked, I just could not get out that building quick enough, I did not stop to ask her why, so maybe its a 6 monthly thing, all the best with yours. regards Liz

yes, elizabeth, i too found it rather perplexing.

the reason i rang really was to hopefully have a pointless telephone interview at least, as i was really feeling too awful to come in physically. thats when she said she would speak to her manager and ring me back. when she did it was to say she would waive the interview altogether. she then 'wished me well' and that was it. puzzling, i agree.