WRAG to Support Group …How ?

Hi Everyone …Thanks for all the info ….we have a couple of decisions to make.

However we would just like a little bit of advice regarding her CDG WRAG Advisor.

Since their most recent clash in the JobCentre Plus office ……the advisor has victimised my Step Daughter and put her on every single WFI that she can put her on.

This seems excessive …and it was what the Advisor said she would do during the heated exchanges in the office.

We feel that this is excessive …and is putting extra strain on my Step Daughter.

We were just wondering whether there was anyway we could complain about the number of WFI's she has been put on ……and also complain regarding the CDG advisor ….who is sadly lacking in how to deal with someone with ADHD.

My Step Daughter had a history of outbursts of this sort ….from an early age …she is under the Maudsley Hospital ( the leading Adult ADHD Hospital in the country) ….and yet this advisor believes that by putting this extra pressure on my step daughter she will achieve more that the Hospital Consultants, her teachers and her parents have achieved over the years !

All she is achieving is making her condition worse….and increasing the anxiety she already suffers from.

We were just wondering what a " normal" work programme consisted of …..so that we could compare it to the programme that she has been set.

She has herself researched this ….and found that a lot of people do not have to attend every single week.

Thanks

John Lydon wrote: Hi Everyone …Thanks for all the info ….we have a couple of decisions to make.

However we would just like a little bit of advice regarding her CDG WRAG Advisor.

Since their most recent clash in the JobCentre Plus office ……the advisor has victimised my Step Daughter and put her on every single WFI that she can put her on.

This seems excessive …and it was what the Advisor said she would do during the heated exchanges in the office.

We feel that this is excessive …and is putting extra strain on my Step Daughter.

We were just wondering whether there was anyway we could complain about the number of WFI's she has been put on ……and also complain regarding the CDG advisor ….who is sadly lacking in how to deal with someone with ADHD.

My Step Daughter had a history of outbursts of this sort ….from an early age …she is under the Maudsley Hospital ( the leading Adult ADHD Hospital in the country) ….and yet this advisor believes that by putting this extra pressure on my step daughter she will achieve more that the Hospital Consultants, her teachers and her parents have achieved over the years !

All she is achieving is making her condition worse….and increasing the anxiety she already suffers from.

We were just wondering what a " normal" work programme consisted of …..so that we could compare it to the programme that she has been set.

She has herself researched this ….and found that a lot of people do not have to attend every single week.

Thanks

Hi JL,

All WPP's must take into account a claimant's limitations and disabilities with respect to any action plan regarding WFI's/WRA.

They must also make reasonable adjustments with respect to any needs/limitations that your step daughter may have.

If your step daughter fulfills the definition of a "disabled person" as laid out under The Equality Act 2010 (EA 2010) the WPP has a "Duty" to make Reasonable Adjustments as laid out in Sections 20-22 of EA 2010.

Your step daughter would first have to be sure that she fulfilled the definition of a disable person, as below :

www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010

If she can, then they must abide by : EA 2010.

As they are a Public Service Provider, they also have to abide by The DED as at Section 149.

If this is the CDG that you speak of, (below) then it looks like they have merged with The Shaw Trust :

www.cdguk.org/

If you feel that this adviser is being vindictive, and may be setting your step daughter up to fail, you could complain to one of the Directors of CDG/Shaw Trust, as well as The DWP who contract work out to these WPP's.

Complaining to The DWP

You could lay out in writing the extent of her medical condition and resulting limitations, and make it clear that you expect reasonable adjustment to be made under EA 2010.

You could threaten possible litigation, if they continue to contravene EA 2010.

This may do the trick.

Of course, you would need legal advice if you wished to pursue this issue.

There is a current thread Re : this issue on rightsnet :

www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/5865/

Hope this helps.

bro58

Thanks bro58

The link to the rightsnet forum has very similar cases to that of my step daughter.

Our feeling is that we will follow what some of them have done on that link ….and complain about the Advisor's behaviour…..and to her local MP….and maybe go down the Discrimination route.

We haven't decided yet about whether we will appeal the decision to put her into a WRAG in the first place …..but now she in a WRAG they could at least take into account the issues that put her there in the first place.

The annoying thing is that when we complained to the supervisor …she said our step-daughter insulted her too …..to which we replied that's exactly one of the reasons why she is on ESA and not employable …..but they refused to see the irony of that …and have chosen to abuse their power by putting her on an unreasonable work programme.

John Lydon wrote: Thanks bro58

The link to the rightsnet forum has very similar cases to that of my step daughter.

Our feeling is that we will follow what some of them have done on that link ….and complain about the Advisor's behaviour…..and to her local MP….and maybe go down the Discrimination route.

We haven't decided yet about whether we will appeal the decision to put her into a WRAG in the first place …..but now she in a WRAG they could at least take into account the issues that put her there in the first place.

The annoying thing is that when we complained to the supervisor …she said our step-daughter insulted her too …..to which we replied that's exactly one of the reasons why she is on ESA and not employable …..but they refused to see the irony of that …and have chosen to abuse their power by putting her on an unreasonable work programme.

Hi JL,

As previously advised, as the Tribunal's WRAG decision was circa August 2013, you are out of time to appeal that decision.

Your only option would be to request a Review/Supersession of your step daughter's WRAG award.

This would involve a fresh ESA50 and assessment. Her current WRAG award may be at risk, so you should consider how strong her case for being in The WRAG/SG is.

bro58