We Are Reviewing Your Benefit Claim Letter

Hi, am still recovering from the DLA to PIP palaver and waiting for the decision after my home alone assessment.
Now I've just received a benefit claim review letter saying I have to attend the local Job Centre Plus.
I've never had to do this due to acute agoraphobia and have always had phone call reviews every six months where the letter has been amended for this situation.
However, the last review came through as the straight letter - you must come in. I rang and a phone interview was arranged this March.
This letter too has no amendment for my circumstances. I rang and a really irate woman told me the man who issued the letter is on holiday but a home visit will be arranged then slammed down the phone cutting me off.

There is definitely a change going on here. They know my medical circumstances, so why do I have to keep telling them about my inability to attend and that I always have phone interviews?
I'm feeling totally exhausted just now and don't want any more strangers in my flat. I really have had enough. I realise September will make it about 6 months since the last review but why do they have to come to my home now since they've been doing them over the phone since the switch from Income Support to ESA?

Am I missing something or is this now standard procedure? If it is, then the change has happened fairly recently.

Advice and any info very welcome.

Hi Jul,

We are hearing this quite a lot at the moment. it looks like another effort to 'rattle the cages' of people in receipt of benefit

From what you have said, this is not a Work Focused Interview. Does the letter ask you to take bank statements etc with you?

This topic deals with the subject in some depth

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum?view=topic&catid=10&id=110619

Hi and thanks, Mrs Hurtyback. Yes, they say I must provide bank statements, ID, utility bills, driver's license etc.

After I posted, the irate woman rang me back saying I wasn't on their system, then said I was, and she was covering for the man who wrote my letter (Local Service Compliance) is typed beneath his name. He's on holiday apparently. Then she said I WAS on the system and a home visit would be arranged. Again, she put the phone down before I could ask anything, though I was stumped and remain so. I read the info in the link you kindly posted but still don't know what's up.

I haven't got over the savings limit and have made no large purposes since I bought a car 9 years ago. I don't know what's going on but the term Local Service Compliance is freaking me out.

The letter is headed by the DWP then below that is JobCentrePlus. The main letter heading is:

We are reviewing your benefit claim
Come to your meeting to keep us up to date.

Then it's Dear Ms Jul We've arranged a time to meet you to talk about any changes which could affect your benefits. We will need you to provide us with the info on page 2 of this letter so we can make sure you are getting everything that you should.

I've never had anything like this before and am just hoping it's a 'cage rattler', as you suggest.

The person you have been speaking to sounds very unpleasant!

And then some! Nearly blew me eardrums!

Oh it doesn't stop does it?