DLA Evidence

I’ve had a few cases recently of assessments for DLA recently being only done by short telephone calls that then led to refusdals. The questions asked are reported to be vague and it is not clear if the clients usually with MH anxiety led conditions realise who the calls are from other than a stranger asking lots of odd personel questions. Clients then react accordingly. These clients are also very likely the ones least likelly to appeal.

I’m all for better assesments of claims and am not in principle against ringing clients up if it led to better more consistantly fair assessments. Trouble is I’m not sure if it does and that actually is avery unfair method of assessment which seems to consisdtantly deliver refusals. This will become an issue at appeal but also perhaps issues for complaint, as for every client that comes forward with such stories 9 will not.

I’ve tried to raise this topic at tribunal, and been laughed at when I said that the client wasn’t prepared and answered without thinking. The point I wanted to make was that it is basic human nature to ‘big ourselves up’, particularly when not sure who we are talking to. We all know how hard it is to get clients to admit to their limitations even face to face, particularly in mental health cases.

In my expereince, mainly from seeing the records in Tribunal papers, this isn’t anything you can call an asessment. It’s decision makers trying to clarify some vague points in the claim form, or wondering if there is more to a particular bit of the form than has been put there. Not a few of such calls actually lead to an award of benefit where the form itself wouldn’t have justified anything at all.

I agree clarification has often led to awards from short phone calls. In this case there was no doubt that this short call was used as the assessment. The renewal form sent to client was the very short one with and CoC question on. No other evidence was used. This was returned no change after a interview with client who has long history of child and domestic abuse and ass chronic anxiety and low motivation. This type of client would not answer fully a spurious short phone call from a complete stranger to discuss such issues. This is a main ground of appeal.