Wheelchairs – assignment by DMs, not GPs

Department for Work and Pensions did not have the information requested.

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

You have previously stated that DMs can assign a claimant to a wheelchair if they feel that this will improve mobilisation and work capability, regardless of medical advice or claimant concerns.

In a decision on 20/10/2011, Judge Levenson cautioned that “in the absence of actual use or prescription, a tribunal needs to provide some explanation of how the aid or appliance could help the particular claimant.” (http://www.osscsc.gov.uk/Aspx/view.aspx?...)

Is DWP now fully compliant with this judgement and providing this explanation to claimants affected by FFW decisions that involve use of a wheelchair?

Yours faithfully,

J Newman

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

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DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Newman,

Please see attached response to your FoI request.

Kind regards,

DWP Central FoI Team

-----Original Message-----
From: J Newman [mailto:[FOI #106465 email]]
Sent: 18 February 2012 23:19
To: DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Wheelchairs - assignment by
DMs, not GPs

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

You have previously stated that DMs can assign a claimant to a
wheelchair if they feel that this will improve mobilisation and
work capability, regardless of medical advice or claimant concerns.

In a decision on 20/10/2011, Judge Levenson cautioned that "in the
absence of actual use or prescription, a tribunal needs to provide
some explanation of how the aid or appliance could help the
particular claimant."
(http://www.osscsc.gov.uk/Aspx/view.aspx?...)

Is DWP now fully compliant with this judgement and providing this
explanation to claimants affected by FFW decisions that involve use
of a wheelchair?

Yours faithfully,

J Newman

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This document is strictly confidential and is intended only for use by the addressee.

If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or other

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for Work and Pensions.

If you have received this transmission in error, please use the reply function to tell us

and then permanently delete what you have received.

This email was scanned for viruses by the Department for Work and Pensions' anti-virus services and on leaving the Department was found to be virus free.

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J Newman left an annotation ()

An amazing admission - the Justice Department issues words of caution that it seems DWP has chosen to disregard.