Complaint Letter To DWP About Lack Of DLA Decision
Dear Sir/Madam
Re: COMPLAINT about lack of DLA renewal decision for Bendy Girl
I am writing to complain about my renewal for Disability Living Allowance, for which my current award of High Rate Mobility and Middle Rate Care ended yesterday, 29/11/2010. Despite having returned my renewal form to you in a timely fashion by recorded delivery on 20/09/2010 and including evidence from my carer, my physiotherapist, my best friend who is a policeman and the support of my GP I am yet to receive a decision.
The lack of decision is causing me significant hardship. My other benefits particularly Income Support will be affected as I will lose the premiums I receive in place of carer’s allowance and for the more severe level of disability. Whilst I understand these will be reinstated and any payments backdated assuming there is a favourable decision about my DLA that is not much help whilst my income is so dramatically reduced for an unknown length of time, especially as I have a significant rent shortfall made up by DLA to cover the cost of having moved from an inaccessible to a more accessible flat. The loss of DLA for more than 4 weeks puts me at very high risk for becoming homeless. I also use my DLA to pay for my carer and physiotherapist as the specialist physiotherapy she provides for people with my genetic disorder is not available on the NHS. The loss of DLA and impact on other benefits, even temporarily, puts those services at risk and means my condition will deteriorate. I am unable to relocate all the dislocations I experience myself, spinal dislocations are especially difficult to relocate alone and of course have the potential to permanently damage my spinal cord. This cold weather means my high heating bills are even higher than usual as it’s so difficult to keep warm when even the slightest movement causes my joints to dislocate. The changes in rules to Blue Badges mean that I am now also without a Blue Badge as they are automatically issued for those in receipt of HRM. Without that I will have to get a letter from my GP, at possible cost to myself, but more difficult is the practicalities of being without a Blue Badge for an unknown period of time. I can ask a friend to take me to the One Stop Shop to renew my badge, but they risk a parking ticket as my blue badge has already run out!
The stress of reapplying for DLA has been immense. It took me months to fill out my form as my disability only allowed me to complete small amounts at a time. Living with an untreatable, incurable, degenerative genetic disorder is difficult enough, but having to focus on every detail of how that condition impacts adversely on my life to fill out the DLA form has caused me to develop mental health problems as a direct result.
Each staff member I have spoken to about my DLA renewal has been kind, considerate and helpful. I understand the pressure of the workload is significant and would hate to criticise people who have spent time reassuring me. However, 9 weeks to make a decision should be more than adequate, especially when so much supporting evidence has been provided. Ultimately my condition is untreatable, incurable and degenerative in nature. Continued reassessments are costly both financially and emotionally as well as pointless as for me, there is sadly no hope of recovery.
I would appreciate it if my case could be directly passed to a Decision Maker for an immediate decision. I will be contacting my MP if I do not hear from you within 14 days.
Yours sincerely
Bendy Girl
13 comments:
I can't believe you haven't had a decision on that yet. Utter, utter madness.
Its such a sad world that we live in when we have to chase up support. You certainly have given them enough time, its a reclaim so they already have your previous claim to refer back to and you have provided them with all the evidence they require for this claim...
I hope you get a quick response x
This is probably a breach of the Disability Discrimination Act; not that it makes any difference with the DWP who are a law unto themselves. The stress does cause all kinds of additional problems but we have to learn to cope with it. What choice to we have?
Good luck, I hope you don't have to wait too long. I have an assessment for a blue badge - over the phone! I have to book an appointment for an over the phone assessment! You can't make it up can you?
I incurred bank charges due to the DWP's inaction on changes to the DLA. after countless letters and phone calls the issue was still unresolved.
I wrote to this chap, and it was sorted within 5 days, and included all the bank charges I had got due to having no DLA for 6 weeks.
Drop him a line, it might speed things up :)
Terry Moran
Chief Executive
The Pension, Disability, and Carers Service
PO Box 50101
London
SW1P 2WU
Hope this helps or that it's soon sorted.
Joanne_C
I tried to get a email address for Terry Moran and couldn't find one but you can email the DWP Ministers at
ministers@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
That should go to the executive office.
Yet another 'post code lottery'.
Gosh, this makes me angry.
I'm from Yorkshire, and have never, ever, had any problem with the DWP.
If it helps in any vague way, I'm on low mobility. Asking around, I've found that those on higher get more hassle.
Best of luck with this, Bendy! I'd document anything in the interim...
If it's any consolation, the US system is worse than your NHS.
If there's anything I can do to help Cal just e-mail.
I just wanted to say that this is one of the best complaint letters I think I've ever read. You managed to be firm while remaining polite. I think you gave good information and hopefully managed to appeal to any feelings they might have without it seeming like a pity-party (at least to me.)
I hope this letter gets you the result you really need.
It's not just you.I see programs,letters even newspaper articles 'claiming' that there are people falsely claiming benefits.Frankly,since it's virtually impossible to rightfully claim benefits,how exactly are they managing?
Yes...it's a very bad sirvice at the moment due to false clammants etc...the people that should get the d.l.a. with verybad health problums ant. getting the help they should!!and people from outside the u.k. are getting the full rate of d.l.a. and have not payed in to the country...people born and bread in London are not getting it...disgusting!!! from sir Paul. Stephen conway ...from enfeild London...
Hope you get your dla full rate pauly_cheers dott tuffs @ bobby tuffs @ oldmum,Barry
Post a Comment