Latest DWP outrage: cold calls with ‘take it or leave it’ offer for reduced benefits

If this is true, it seems there’s no depth to which the Department for Work and Pensions won’t lower itself.

The claims is that DWP representatives are ‘cold calling’ vulnerable people who are appealing against a decision to deny them any benefits.

In the unrecorded calls, they are then offered “take it or leave it” deals paying thousands of pounds less in benefits than they may be entitled to have by law.

In some cases, it is claimed, people were told the offer would be withdrawn within minutes if they did not accept.

The aim: to settle cases before they get to tribunals where the claimant could win significantly higher payments.

The Guardian report seems to indicate that the DWP has admitted the truth of the matter, saying people accepting the offer could still go through with their appeal.

But that fact is no good if the DWP caller doesn’t actually inform the claimant of it.

It is easy to understand the attractiveness of this brutally mean-spirited practice to the penny-pinchers at the DWP.

Appeals against adverse benefit decisions are currently low in number, mostly because the Tory government has made it extremely costly, time-consuming and stressful.

But a huge 70 per cent of appeals end in victory for the claimant, making this course of action more desirable in spite of the pressure it involves.

DWP officials recently had a £1 million bonus payout for their success in depriving vulnerable people of the money that was theirs by right.

If they want to keep their cash rolling in, they have to find ways to deny it to the likes of you and I.

Source: DWP accused of offering disabled people ‘take it or leave it’ benefits | Benefits | The Guardian

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6 Comments

  1. Jeffrey Davies March 3, 2020 at 6:30 am - Reply

    They done this in the early stages of their rule funny nah but with me I held out to go to tribunal but a few days before came back with a better offer they thought but memory is crap now and would have gone all the way has changing from DLA to pip brought about me getting more at tribunal but they give me a week my partner’s said and then awarded me my ESA can’t remember if it was for full or whot but they decided to give in has I had won through to pip they won’t change or can’t has government has gotten rid of the people with good intentions and good hearts only to leave people who they can control and without hearts

  2. trev March 3, 2020 at 9:00 am - Reply

    The DWP really has become a law unto itself, like some breakaway faction of the KGB or CIA, operating within the dark shadows of legality, seemingly unaccountable for its actions.

  3. The Toffee (597) March 3, 2020 at 3:23 pm - Reply

    How does this work in a legal sense? It’d only be a verbal contract, surely?

    If taken to a tribunal, the DWP say they agreed to pay ‘x’ amount over the phone to the claimant then they’re jiggered.

    They’d be laughed out of court; if not with a charge of fraud by false representation hanging over them.

    No signature = No contract. Any contract without the claimant’s signature could have a defence from the claimant of being made under duress or ‘Vi Coactus’ – especially if any ‘offer’ was for a limited time of a few minutes only.

    And how could DWP deny they only made the offer for a few minutes, if indeed it’s actually the case?

    Something very fishy about this one, Mike. Not saying I disbelieve it, but I’m sure it’s eminently beatable in a tribunal to the point of the DWP not even bothering to blag people like that.

    …But then again, it’s the DWP, innit? It wouldn’t surprise me, given their form to stoop lower than a snake’s belly.

  4. Karen Meldrum March 4, 2020 at 9:57 am - Reply

    They have been doing the same thing for years they called me 4 years ago with an offer and told me not to appeal it as that was the final offer.

  5. Matthew Griffiths March 4, 2020 at 9:26 pm - Reply

    Absolutely disgusting a new low for dwp I am a stroke sufferer had 3 in 4 year and had 2 massive heart attacks copd and numerous other problems was denied my pip had a recommendation which also failed am taking it to a tribunal just waiting for the date

  6. Mark allinson March 4, 2020 at 9:56 pm - Reply

    I was at the job centre today In Carlisle iam also appealing after I was found fit for work iam having to travel back and forward to Newcastle rvi I’ve had a spine injection what has not worked due to the spine damage Aswel as I’ve got annular tears inside in different places and my disks are covered with DDD. Because my appeal has been going on for so long today at the job centre she told me that she will send my case back to a case worker who could send me on another fit for work assessment even tho iam still waiting for my appeal so would this be the same way for the DWP to get away with not going to court on my appeal even when they used someone else’s medical records against my own and Aswel as also saying they have lost the uc50 form but also it’s now in the news that the forms were destroyed so why want to send me for another assessment when one is still on going in court .

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