More aggro with the DWP via Access to Work

God bless the DWP and all who fail in her. 

A salutary lesson a few years ago taught me to keep an eye on my Access to Work (AtW) funding anniversary. People with DLA and PIP awards are alerted a couple of months in advance of their award period ending. This allows disabled people to prepare for their reviews and new claims. 

Conversely, another arm of the DWP, AtW does not inform its users of their funding coming to an end. Of course, these are two separate services within the DWP, however, one would expect a bit of consistency with the rules of PIP and AtW.

When I got bitten by AtW nearly four years ago, putting myself in debt to the tune of around £3000, albeit for a few months, I now ensure that my request for an AtW grant is made in good time.

My first two AtW grants were for periods of three years, the maximum period. Last year I put in a claim for AtW and to my surprise, and consternation, I was granted an award for twelve months. Of course, I queried the inconsistency of this decision. Why after being awarded two three-year awards was I now reduced to a one-year grant? 

After going to-and-fro with an intractable AtW officer I gave up and accepted the twelve-month offer, with a promise to look more sympathetically at my claim next year.

Next year has come around, and it happened today.

A ‘very nice’ AtW officer called and asked me the usual questions, to which I gave honest answers. After about 15 minutes, as the interview was drawing to a conclusion, I asked how long the award would be, concerned that my current award was for one year. On looking through my records the officer stated it was probably due to the fact I didn’t receive PIP.

“But I receive DLA” I said, “Isn’t that an equivalent? In fact, I’d been in receipt of DLA for almost 30 years.” This information in no way moved the stalwart from the DWP who assured me that as her file on me did not have a record of me receiving this benefit it was unlikely that I was actually getting the benefit.

WTF! – I didn’t say this as it’s rude. Yet I felt like having a right pop at the fool.

For the next 10 minutes, there ensued a rather strange conversation. After each exchange, the poor AtW officer back peddled even further. At one point I had pushed her so far onto her backfoot that she splurted: “Mr McGovern, you do know these grants are discretionary on the part of Access to Work.”

Wow! A DWP officer resorts to implying that she has the power to remove or withhold a benefit or grant. What a gift. At this point, I asked for this inference to be given to me in writing. Suddenly, there was a change in attitude. The officer, whose manner started friendly, and had quickly changed to aggressive and evasive when challenged on various points, suddenly reverted back to friendly again.

We parted company with the likelihood (her word) that I would be awarded the maximum grant. So, my dogged tenacity possibly won the day. Yet I came away from the exchange, pissed off, tired, and pretty fed-up with the world. Why should my attempts to get support to enable me to work be a war of attrition? Why is claiming benefit or grants or public services treated so punitively?