Wheelchairs for Improved Mobility
Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
Q1: How does Government policy over the WCA allow an Atos HCP to recommend a claimant use a wheelchair to improve mobility and capability for work to a DWP Decision Maker, but not allow the same recommendation to be made to the claimant? Surely the wheelchair is either in the claimant's best interests or not.
Q2: Within the agreed procedures, who's responsibility is it to break the news to the claimant that they now need to acquire a wheelchair and give them the assistance to do so?
Yours faithfully,
J Newman
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Dear J Newman
Please see attached response to your FoI request 3747
Kind regards
DWP Central FoI 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 'Wheelchairs for Improved Mobility'.
Sorry, but there is a huge contradiction here that perhaps you can clarify. Are you saying that:
1) Although an Atos HCP is not qualified/allowed to recommend use of a wheelchair to a claimant they can to a DM? Surely, either they are qualified to make this judgement or not – please explain the difference.
2) A DM will always make a decision that is in the claimant’s best interests? If not, what is their primary concern/objective?
3) If the DM concludes that a wheelchair improves mobility on level ground, what adjustment would they make for the “two-step” test? Clearly with a wheelchair, this is far more of a problem.
4) They can make this decision without discussing it with the person?
5) They can stop ESA payments without giving the claimant any time to arrange a wheelchair? This could result in temporary ineligibility for JSA as without one, the claimant is not available to work and fails the JSA criteria. The end result is no benefit payments at all.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/wh...
Yours faithfully,
J Newman
This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been received at the DWP Central FoI Team.
We will forward your request to the relevant information owner within the
Department who will respond to you direct.
Should you also 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 J Newman
Please see attached response to your FoI request IR 15
Kind regards
DWP Central FoI Team
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