Thank you cards received by the Berkshire Jobcentre
Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
In a report issued by the Scottish Parliament Welfare Reform Committee (link below), Neil Couling, your Work Services Director is quoted as saying:
1. "yes, that's not so remarkable [that jobcentres are inundated with thank you cards from claimant's that have been sanctioned].
We would like to know how many thank you cards have been received by each individual Jobcentres in Berkshire. If it's possible, please be specific about how many of those cards were sent by recipients of benefit sanctions.
Please note, this isn't - as might appear - a flippant request. A senior official has made a statement to parliament that we believe to be false, and we'd like it quantified.
2. Mr Couling says the DWP employs qualified psychologists in its jobcentres. We'd like to know how many qualified psychologists the DWP employs in jobcentres throughout the country, and in which jobcentres such staff are employed. Please also tell us about the role of psychologists in Jobcentres. Is there guidance for Jobcentres about how to use the psychologists they employ?
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit.
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parlia... (col. 1452)
This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been accepted by the DWP FoI mailbox.
By the next working day your request will be forwarded to the relevant
information owner within the Department who will respond to you direct.
If your email is a Freedom of Information request you can normally
expect a response within 20 working days.
Should you have any further queries in connection with this request do
please contact us.
For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.
[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
References
Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
Dear Reading Community WRU,
Please find attached the reply to your recent Freedom of Information
request reference number 2104:
Thank you
DWP Freedom of Information Team
Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Work and Pensions's handling of my FOI request 'Thank you cards received by the Berkshire Jobcentre'.
We asked about the numbers of cards received by Berkshire Jobcentres, but our request was refused on cost grounds, although you've said you receive many hundreds a year (where did that figure come from?).
We dispute the conclusion on cost grounds, there aren't many jobcentres in Berkshire and each of them should be able to say approximately how often they receive a thank you card. It will not take one person 3 or more days to do that - which is why I confined the request to a single county.
About Psychologists, we asked in which jobcentres they are employed but the response is silent on this question.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/t...
Yours faithfully,
Reading Comm. WRU
This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been accepted by the DWP FoI mailbox.
By the next working day your request will be forwarded to the relevant
information owner within the Department who will respond to you direct.
If your email is a Freedom of Information request you can normally
expect a response within 20 working days.
Should you have any further queries in connection with this request do
please contact us.
For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.
[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
References
Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
Dear Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit
Please find attached our response to your recent Freedom of Information
request.
Yours sincerely
DWP Central Freedom of Information Team
Reading Comm. WRU left an annotation ()
The DWP refuses to supply the evidence - ergo, and drawing the "adverse inference" so loved of benefit decision makers, we conclude that in fact Berkshire Jobcentre's have received no such thank you cards.
If they had, they'd be falling over themselves to prove it.
Ray Playforth left an annotation ()
Here’s a snippet of information you might find useful - made by Mark Hoban the then Minister for Employment to the Delegated Legislation Committee on 12 February 2013 when considering the Draft Jobseekers Allowance Regulations 2013 and the Draft Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2013 at Column 17:
"Of course, we do not have people writing to us and telling us how marvellous Jobcentre Plus advisers are, because people just do not do that".
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa...
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now
Jim Stones left an annotation ()
You might like to see their reply to my request
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/t...