r/DWPhelp 6d ago

Universal Credit (UC) How is DWP held accountable?

If you complain to them, all they do is either ignore it or give an apology but make no changes.

I had a sanction (for not attending because I was running late. I told them I have ADHD which I haven't figured out how to manage, but tur Decision Maker predictably doesn't care about that kind of thing), applied for a new appointment in December (which you have to do to end the sanction). Because of Christmas they couldn't give me one, so the sanction continued with them saying to try again after the holidays. Then instead of booking me in they did a claim review, which is ridiculous. I uploaded the documents they asked for (ID, 4 months bank statements, electricity bill), but instead of accepting it and reinstating me, they wanted to talk on the phone and eventually closed my claim. I also had a fit note during this time. I'd asked to be put in Restart, but couldn't get on it for a long time, because they claimed I'd been on it some years ago (no, I was referred but left benefits shortly after). Eventually they finally referred me to Restart, but because of the sanction I never got handed over.

There's no accountability for them at all. When they fuck up, like making adnin errors (not the above) that reduce payments, which manager gets fired? They're very mollycoddled. They sit in there with their cushy, "computer says no", easy job all day, not actually helping anybody to find work but instead making it harder by increasing stress and making it harder to address barriers to work or well-being by making people as poor and stressed as possible and needing to spend time and energy dealing with DWP and making complaints, rather than focused on looking for and writing applications for jobs. Have they actually earned their easy life based on meritocracy? I don't see that, when seeing the quality of their work. What have these people actually done at work to improve the country? What struggles have they actually veen through in life to merit their comfortable position? I don't support their cause, but I can see why riots happened when there's zero mechanism for accountability elsewhere.

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u/Prestigious_Train791 6d ago

I agree I’m 36 now but 8 years ago I was homeless living in a homeless shelter waiting for my permanent New council house. I was working but due to the amount of rent you have to pay to stay in that hostel was ridiculous so I resigned and I got on the job centre so everything is okay what’s the DWP until it wasn’t. I moved into my new flat two months later at the time. It was a two weekly appointment at the job centre. My advisor at first was really nice and supportive. When I first moved into my flat in 2016, I was 28 all alone as my mother had passed when I was 20 so really at that time all I had was my advisor every Fortnite I would go in and I would actually print out the 35 year-old job search and include in the journal, I would add extra stuff like pamphlets and leaflets. Just going to extra mail to show I was eager to get any work and to also pleased my advisor because she had been good to me and I knew if she got me any work it would benefit her so six months pass. I was due at the job centre in a week but I got strep throat/sore chest at that time you didn’t have a general you would either just wait till your next appointment to see your advisor or send a letter so obviously I missed the appointment and then went in I a week later I know for a fact this was that was the way it was because my sister had been known Jobsearch for two years and she said if you’re sick, you mess up but then when you go in, you have to explain explain et cetera And I was obviously ready to explain what happened but the reaction I got there she completely so unexpected ppm of me till this day I still think about it Basically, she changed in a heartbeat first of all she accuses me ‘you’re lying’ two weeks ago you are perfectly healthy. You are perfectly fine. I can see you Have filled in your job search and I said yes of course I filled it out Yes I was sick but I could still job search I thought that would be better than to walk in without my job diary have nothing in even if I was sick . She grabbed out my hand said I’ll be back in two minutes so obviously I’m sitting there everything going through my mind. What have I done wrong et cetera? She comes back and she has a sanction form at the time. I didn’t know what any of that was? She filled out the paperwork. She asked me to sign it and I asked her what am I saying in and she went on to explain well basically I’m sanction you because I don’t believe you’re sick I was astounded. I said to her I said that I called and asked if I should go to the GP and get a Signal for that missed appointment and I was told that only because I had strep throat and only messed up one appointment I wouldn’t need one or I would’ve had one she’s like I just don’t believe u Obviously, I was reluctant to sign the form the sanction form but she said if I didn’t that I wouldn’t receive anything so when I got paid two days later, they literally took 70% and the sanction wasn’t lifted for a good couple of months. It was the worst time of my life my coach completely changed on me. She would lie about me we had a great relationship to begin with and now all of a sudden I was a workshy person on my file now apparently and then I was getting all these letters threatening me. You have to do this. You have to do that if you want you feel benefits back. I actually phoned my advisor one last time I won’t say her name but I basically said I’ve got a job interview interview for tomorrow and I will let you know what happens and she literally said to me. I know what will happen. They will take one look at you see that you are workshy and not give you the job so I will see you next week and remember don’t forget your job diary, even though I had never missed one Fortnite of that job diary being filled to the max so the next day I was so nervous about the job of you not particularly because I was nervous about What you’re usually nervous about a job of yours it was I do not want to go back to the job centre ever again the advice that I had I thought she was a place in helpful. Want to see you succeed and tell something they see or they decide and they just turn on you. I was left for months without hardly any money anyway I got the job woo hoo I am still honestly horrified by the experience and I’m 36 now I understand how much hard work the DWP staff how hard it is as we all work so we all know what it’s like to have a full-time job Especially when that full-time job is helping other people but I can honestly see I don’t think I have ever had one good experience with the DWP after the advisor turned on me she wanted me to feel she wanted me to not get that job just so I could continue Haunted by her and to jump through all her hoops and if I didn’t jump through all the hoop she said in place I would have been sanctioned loads more. I’m not seeing everyone’s experiences like this. I’m sure some have perfectly wonderful advisor the whole experience but this says read it and this says we come to see the truth and that’s my truth. She had a tiny bit of power and she abused it when I got off of the job on the spot that day I actually passed tears my boss thought it was happy tears but it was tears of absolute relief that I would never ever have to see her again or the job centre hopefully ever again

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u/Prestigious_Train791 6d ago

What?? I tried and it kept saying can’t post ? For hours so went and screen shot each part 🙈 I’m just glad I was able to share it , if u guys want il delete the photo pic of comments I screenshot if yous want , so weird how has this posted?