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Top Disability related benefits topic #231

Subject: "'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms" First topic | Last topic
Judy
                              

Welfare Rights Advisor, Neath Mind - South Wales
Member since
16th Feb 2004

'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms
Tue 23-Mar-04 04:39 PM

LONG ago, it seems, many of us expressed concern at the lack of prompts and space for information detailing claimants' difficulties offered by the new AA and pilot DLA forms...

I've now been asked to write a bit about people's experiences of using the new forms for both benefits, and would be interested to know whether advisors are:

1) using the new forms just as they are (and if so how do you feel that works?)

2) adding lots of pages of 'extra' information to try to include information that 'old' forms might have included?

3) doing something else

4) noticing any trends/ advantages/ problems?

All feedback much appreciated... either via here or direct to e-mail

Many thanks, Judy Stenger

  

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Replies to this topic
RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms, LynneT, 24th Mar 2004, #1
RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms, gary johnson, 25th Mar 2004, #2
RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms, brg, 25th Mar 2004, #3
RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms, Andrew_Fisher, 26th Mar 2004, #4
RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms, Steve Donnison, 31st Mar 2004, #5
      RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms, Andrew_Fisher, 31st Mar 2004, #6
RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms, wba, 08th Apr 2004, #7
RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms, mark-ringsted, 08th Apr 2004, #8

LynneT
                              

Project Supervisor/Caseworker in Welfare Rights,, Citizens Advice Bureau, Bolton
Member since
24th Mar 2004

RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms
Wed 24-Mar-04 10:03 AM

We are using the new forms and finding them quicker to fill in. Because we are used to the old forms we are filling in pretty much the same information on the new form. I worry a little about whether someone who isn't familiar with the old forms would know how much information to put in.

Also I find that 9 spaces for medication is often not adequate (24 different items is my current record).

  

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gary johnson
                              

Welfare Rights Manager, Bedfordshire County Council Welfare Rights Service
Member since
27th Jan 2004

RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms
Thu 25-Mar-04 07:02 AM

Hello, we come under the Wembley DBC (south east) and have been advised that the pilot form for DLA has been withdrawn. Reference has been made to some other pilot project in Glasgow using telephone etc to complete forms on-line

  

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brg
                              

disability rights advisor, castle morpeth citizens advice bureau
Member since
21st Jan 2004

RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms
Thu 25-Mar-04 08:33 AM

I find that the space allocated to describe a clients problems is at times somewhat scant. I have a template letter on which I can add additional deatils as and when required. I agree with the sentiment, that the danger can be that unassisted applicants may stuff these areas with information that the decision maker is not really looking for. the result being an unsucessful claim.

  

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Andrew_Fisher
                              

Welfare Rights Adviser, Stevenage Citizens Advice Bureau
Member since
23rd Jan 2004

RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms
Fri 26-Mar-04 12:55 PM

I'm afraid I haven't done or seen enough of the pilot forms to really form a proper opinion (less than five done, no appeals come in on basis of short forms). I've been filling them in as they are but basically going through a normal day with a client and then adding any bits needed.

Interestingly (perhaps) I did a new claim after an unsuccessful appeal for a client and so got a pilot form, but Wembley then passed it to Blackpool as client's claim is still held there even though upheld as nil award on appeal. Not sure what they're making of it.

To be frank I'm rather disappointed that the test has ended, but angry with myself for being disappointed. It's certainly faster to fill in and the non-disability bits feel more user-friendly (except possibly the diagnosis part, which I think is just poorly thought out and rather confusing).

And I do feel rather confused about where I stand now on the whole business. After all the long form is pretty rubbish particularly for people with mental health problems. At least with less space and no leading at all a tribunal can't say "You're saying now you need help four times a day but on the form you were given the chance to say that but only put down twice/nothing at all" if someone fails to mention something. Maybe I'm just feeling grumpier with the appeals system than the DWP today.

Basically the only sensible answer is to let us lot decide the claim and the DWP just pay it.

  

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Steve Donnison
                              

Freelance welfare benefits trainer and writer, Benefits and Work, Wiltshire
Member since
09th Feb 2004

RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms
Wed 31-Mar-04 10:54 AM

Does anyone have any further information on when the Wembley pilot ended or why? The Glasgow pilot is continuing, presumably on the grounds that there's a real possibility of it being introduced nationally and the AA pilot which led to the introduction of the new short AA form went on for well over a year. The end of the Wembley pilot suggests that the results were not what were expected and were not, from the DWP's point of view, encouraging.

It's curious because the claim packs for the Wembley and Glasgow pilots were basically the same. The main difference is that in the Glasgow pilot claimants who phone for a claim pack get asked 4 questions:

Do you have any difficulties during the day?
Do you have any difficulties preparing a cooked meal?
Do you have any difficulties during the night?
Do you have any difficulties getting about?

If you answer 'No' to any of the questions then you don't get sent the page relating to that activity. That's about as far as the interviewing of claimants goes, however. No surprise that the proportion of lower rate mobility awards has dropped in the pilot area, though encouragingly the proportion of higher rate mobility awards has increased.

So any information on why they've dropped the pilot in Wembley gratefully received.

  

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Andrew_Fisher
                              

Welfare Rights Adviser, Stevenage Citizens Advice Bureau
Member since
23rd Jan 2004

RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms
Wed 31-Mar-04 11:13 AM

Reason given in letter is that as a result of both pilots a new redesigned postal and interactive form has been designed and will be piloted in Glasgow only.

I'm trying to email you the personal details of the man in charge Steve, if you haven't got them contact me.

  

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wba
                              

welfare benefits adviser, age concern, south lakeland
Member since
02nd Feb 2004

RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms
Thu 08-Apr-04 11:09 AM

Hi Judy,
I am with Age Concern South Lakeland and have a team of about ten volunteers and we are all kept hugely busy , mainly with AA forms. We have monitored the new forms and their outcomes since we started using them and have experienced no problems at all. The level of awards is just the same as with the longer forms and clients have not reported any increase in phone calls at home or any increase in correspondence.They are certainly less time consuming to complete , which is a boon to us as we have so many.We are currently working on a four to five week waiting list.
We haven't needed to include lots of pages of extra info as the larger box on page 10 can be used for anything we can't fit in on the preceeding pages.The only problem we have come across is the one on page 17 , if there is noone to sign that section , and that generates another form being sent out to the client.
Anything else you wish to know ,please get in touch.
Jane King
Age Concern South Lakeland.

  

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mark-ringsted
                              

Welfare Rights Officer, Dial Barking and Dagenham
Member since
07th Apr 2004

RE: 'New' AA/ shorter 'pilot' DLA forms
Thu 08-Apr-04 11:49 AM

Hi Judy
In this area we have been put back on the old AA and DLA forms.

The new ones were a good idea but the lack of space to write in led us to believe that the designer had never completed one themselves.

We did fear that many claimants would be either turned down or awarded less than they deserved (when completing them themselves) as they would probably not cover all points in enough detail.

I heard a rumour a year ago that they were considering combining the claim forms for AA and DLA and I see a strong case for this.

More recently they are talking about sending out 'tailored' formd with only the relevant questions for each client (based their answers to questions on the phone when they request them. This I feel is a bad idea as many claimants either under-estimate their needs or only mention the main one when they have several. We will add any extra needs/conditions in the box at the end of the forms but I'm sure many claimants will not think to do that themselves.

Mark

  

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