Are Decisions Not Long Term Now?

An increasing number of GP's are refusing to provide letters in support of benefits claims. They argue that their ever increasingly workloads make this impossible for them. Many of them also feel that they are refusing to play DWPs games. What they don't realise is that DWP are not under any obligation to contact GPs and rarely do so, so their refusal is hurting only the patient

This is the conundrum, he did not refuse my initial request for a letter of support, I fact he has provided 2 over the years but feels that all he is doing now is repeat himself, I am never going to recover from the brain injury I suffered fand due to my GPS stance it terrifies me that someone can refuse the life saving benefits I receive because of this.

lester wrote: Since the changes to the benefits system began my GP has been very supportive,he has provided me with 2 letters of support in the past which have went a long way to me being placed in the SG ESA and enhanced rates for both personal care and mobility.

I was speaking to him at an appointment a few weeks ago and mentioned I was coming to the end of my 3 years on ESA , also I would be reassessed for PIP in December this year and would he be willing to provide an updated letter of support.

I was somewhat taken aback when he said he would not be doing anymore letters, all I had to state was the previous letters are still valid and my condition remains the same and that my medication list is enough confirmation of this, he also said it was about time they carried out the checks with GPs etc themselves.

I would hate to think my chances of remaining on my benefits are going to be put at risk by not having an uptodate letter of support, in a funny way I can see where my GP is coming from.

In anticipation for further reviews it is an idea to get a copy of all medical reports that you receive, letters from consultants to GPs etc from now on. You can then use up to date information to supplement what you already have on file.


This is the guidelines from the DWP to the GPs. Note what it says about PIP - it tells doctors they must not supply information for patients!
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/upl...gp-benefit-guide.pdf

The system is designed to work against those needing benefits unfortunately.

lester wrote: This is the conundrum, he did not refuse my initial request for a letter of support, I fact he has provided 2 over the years but feels that all he is doing now is repeat himself, I am never going to recover from the brain injury I suffered fand due to my GPS stance it terrifies me that someone can refuse the life saving benefits I receive because of this.

Hi L,

There is nothing wrong with a Doctor writing a letter containing the same information that they have provided in a previous letter, as long as it is still pertinent.

Just as there is nothing wrong with a Doctor simply changing the date of a letter, or adding to an existing letter that the information written is still current and pertinent !

After all, what are they supposed to write if there has been no change ??

bro58

Millhouse wrote:

lester wrote: Since the changes to the benefits system began my GP has been very supportive,he has provided me with 2 letters of support in the past which have went a long way to me being placed in the SG ESA and enhanced rates for both personal care and mobility.

I was speaking to him at an appointment a few weeks ago and mentioned I was coming to the end of my 3 years on ESA , also I would be reassessed for PIP in December this year and would he be willing to provide an updated letter of support.

I was somewhat taken aback when he said he would not be doing anymore letters, all I had to state was the previous letters are still valid and my condition remains the same and that my medication list is enough confirmation of this, he also said it was about time they carried out the checks with GPs etc themselves.

I would hate to think my chances of remaining on my benefits are going to be put at risk by not having an uptodate letter of support, in a funny way I can see where my GP is coming from.

In anticipation for further reviews it is an idea to get a copy of all medical reports that you receive, letters from consultants to GPs etc from now on. You can then use up to date information to supplement what you already have on file.


This is the guidelines from the DWP to the GPs. Note what it says about PIP - it tells doctors they must not supply information for patients!
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/upl...gp-benefit-guide.pdf

The system is designed to work against those needing benefits unfortunately.

Hi Mh,

Forgive me if I have missed the relevant extract from the Leaflet that you have posted the link to, but I cannot see where :

" it tells doctors they must not supply information for patients!"

DWP cannot tell a Doctor/G.P. what they can and cannot do to support their patient.

It does state :

"Your patient should complete the forms to support their claim using information that they have to hand, and should not ask you for information to help them do this, or to complete the forms yourself."

Again, they cannot tell the "patient" how they should gather evidence and what evidence they may wish to provide.

"A health professional from Atos Healthcare or Capita Health and Wellbeing may contact you for factual information about your patient’s condition."

ATOS/Capita seldom contact a Doctor even if the claimant requests that they do, and they are not legally obliged to do so.

If they do, it is usually in the form of a PIP G.P. Factual .Report. and the G.P. receives £33.50 for filling it in and returning it.

I am not aware of the current statistics with regards to AP's or DWP asking Doctor's to fill in and return GPFR's for "Benefit" claimants, but the last time I saw them for ESA a couple of years ago, ESA113's were only sent to G.P.'s for around 25% of all ESA claims, and worse still, G.P.'s only filled them in and returned them for around 25% of such requests.

So that was 1/4 of 1/4 of all ESA claimants, i.e. 1/16 of all ESA claimants, even though G.P. 's are supposedly contractually obliged to fill in and return DWP GPFR's !!

G.P.'s are not contractually obliged to provide letters of support for their patients even if the patient offers to pay.

If a Doctor uses any of the extracts above as an excuse for not providing a letter of support, it is simply that, an "excuse", and you should "enlighten" them with regards to the "facts" !

I must admit that the language used in the Leaflet does seem to discourage Doctors from providing letters of support, but it should not deter them if they wish to.

That leaflet should be in "The Top 10" of fictional short stories !!!!

bro58

bro58 wrote:

Millhouse wrote:

lester wrote: Since the changes to the benefits system began my GP has been very supportive,he has provided me with 2 letters of support in the past which have went a long way to me being placed in the SG ESA and enhanced rates for both personal care and mobility.

I was speaking to him at an appointment a few weeks ago and mentioned I was coming to the end of my 3 years on ESA , also I would be reassessed for PIP in December this year and would he be willing to provide an updated letter of support.

I was somewhat taken aback when he said he would not be doing anymore letters, all I had to state was the previous letters are still valid and my condition remains the same and that my medication list is enough confirmation of this, he also said it was about time they carried out the checks with GPs etc themselves.

I would hate to think my chances of remaining on my benefits are going to be put at risk by not having an uptodate letter of support, in a funny way I can see where my GP is coming from.

In anticipation for further reviews it is an idea to get a copy of all medical reports that you receive, letters from consultants to GPs etc from now on. You can then use up to date information to supplement what you already have on file.


This is the guidelines from the DWP to the GPs. Note what it says about PIP - it tells doctors they must not supply information for patients!
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/upl...gp-benefit-guide.pdf

The system is designed to work against those needing benefits unfortunately.

Hi Mh,

Forgive me if I have missed the relevant extract from the Leaflet that you have posted the link to, but I cannot see where :

" it tells doctors they must not supply information for patients!"

DWP cannot tell a Doctor what they can and cannot do to support their patient.

It does state :

"Your patient should complete the forms to support their claim using information that they have to hand, and should not ask you for information to help them do this, or to complete the forms yourself."

Again, they cannot tell the "patient" how they should gather evidence and what evidence they may wish to provide.

"A health professional from Atos Healthcare or Capita Health and Wellbeing may contact you for factual information about your patient’s condition."

ATOS/Capita seldom contact a Doctor even if the claimant requests that they do, and they are not legally obliged to do so.

If they do, it is usually in the form of a PIP G.P. Factual .Report. and the G.P. receives £33.50 for filling it in and returning it.

I am not aware of the current statistics with regards to AP's or DWP asking Doctor's to fill in and return GPFR's for "Benefit" claimants, but the last time a saw them for ESA a couple of years ago ESA113's were only sent to G.P.'s for around 25% of all ESA claims, and worse still, G.P.'s only filled them in and returned them for around 25% of such requests.

So that was 1/4 of 1/4 of all ESA claimants, i.e. 1/16 of all ESA claimants, even though G.P. are supposedly contractually obliged to fill in and return DWP GPFR's !!

G.P.'s are not contractually obliged to provide letters of support for their patients even if the patient offers to pay.

If a Doctor uses any of the extracts above as an excuse for not providing a letter of support, it is simply that, an "excuse", and you should "enlighten" them with regards to the "facts" !

I must admit that the language used in the Leaflet does seem to discourage Doctors from providing letters of support, but it should not deter them if they wish to.

That leaflet should be in "The Top 10" of fictional short stories !!!!

bro58

Bro58, I can not just believe what I have just read from you post and that leaflet that was posted and from the DWP how dare they.

As we all know they don't give a t*ss abou us.

Just when you think it can't get any worse there still slapping us in the face.

this country is so crass.