WARNING - some DWP skulduggery at play, maybe!

I have claimed UC since October 20219 and was awarded LCW in January 2020 and standard rate PIP; both care and mobility; at tribunal on October 2020, backdated to November 2019. I should have been re-assessed for LCW on or around January 2021, but because of the pandemic this hasn’t happen. Not that I’m complaining. I had a telephone review with my usual work coach at the end of August 2021 and was told that I didn’t need to do anything until such time that I had been re-assessed.

Fast forward 9 November 2021, I received a text message notification I had a message in my journal. I logged in and read that I had an appointment to attend the jobcentre on 11 November 2021 at 16:30pm. I wasn’t happy about the short notice and also the fact that in the extra information section of the appointment notification, there was a direct reference to sanctioning, that hadn’t happed before. I messaged back and asked if they had a time earlier than 16:30pm. The appointment was re-booked for Friday 12 November 2021 at 14:00pm.

On 10 November 2021, I received Benefits and Work latest newsletter and after reading the section about the re-introduction of sanctions, my gut instinct; which usually isn’t worry; was screaming out there is some skulduggery at play. So I printed out the guidance notes about ways to prevent and overturn sanctions so that I could prepare myself for my appointment.

I attended my appointment and although it went smoothly, there was for me one red flag. On checking through my account, the work coach; who wasn’t the person I usually dealt with; bought to my attention that I should have been re-assessed for LCW and because I hadn’t, they went on to say, I would have to provide a fit note. I questioned this, stating I had only been told in August that I didn’t need to do anything? They didn’t provide an explanation, but re-iterated again that I needed to supply a fit note. The work coach; who appeared to be from amongst a new younger bred of recruits; was actually quite smug in their arrogance and even went as far as showing me on their monitor, where I should record the fit note. I asked what happens if I struggle to get in contact with my GP practice to ask for a fit note, as I had not been able to get through to the surgery at all this week to discuss another matter? I was told not to worry, but as soon as I was able to get one, I just needed to make sure I recorded it on my journal. Again, my gut instinct was telling me that something wasn’t right because if a fit note is really that important, why then tell me not to worry? I choose not to argue and just went along with them.

I also took the opportunity whilst at the jobcentre to ask why the DWP had started to make direct reference to sanctioning in appointment notifications. I was told this was standard practice. I disputed this, but added that I was not about to argue with them about it and it was going to be something that we were just going to have to agree to disagree on.

When I returned home, I logged into my journal and printed off my LCW decision letter and it clearly stated you do not need to send any more fit notes, unless your condition changes; which it hasn’t. It also states you may be asked to attend another LCW assessment in the future and they will contact you to tell you what you need to do. So needless to say, I have no intention of supplying a fit note anytime soon.

I could be wrong, but what I suspect maybe at play here is, the ‘new recruits’ have been given instruction from the powers that be, to mislead those claimants who need to be re-assessment for LCW into believing they need to provide a fit note, which if logged triggers their re-assessment and LCW is likely to be removed. This makes the claimant easier to target for sanctioning, because they then become part of the normal Universal Cruelty regime.

Very deceitful if this is the case, but as we all know, we shouldn’t under estimate the depths to which the DWP is prepared to plunge.