[access-uk] OT Incapacity and DLA errors
- From: "Barry Hill" <bbinc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 24 May 2006 08:43:27 +0100
BBC NEWS | Programmes | Errors block benefits to disabled
BBC NEWS
Errors block benefits to disabled
By Geoff Adams-Spink
BBC News website age & disability correspondent
Almost 80,000 sick and disabled people a year are being wrongly denied
benefits, according to a BBC investigation for Radio Five Live.
It has emerged that medical reports on people claiming some benefits are
unreliable or inaccurate.
As a result, thousands claiming Incapacity Benefit or Disability Living
Allowance have had to appeal.
The government says that it is "responding positively" when criticisms are made.
The investigation found that some handwritten medical reports were altered so
that the meaning was completely changed, while in other cases a computer-based
medical questionnaire produced misleading or nonsensical information.
As a result, tens of thousands of people have had to challenge decisions in
order to obtain benefits to which they are entitled.
Campaigners say that the relationship between a private contractor - Atos
Origin - and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has often been to blame.
Worst case
Jim Allison, a benefits adviser based in Cumbria, came across one case in which
an applicant for Disability Living Allowance had had 20 alterations made
to her medical report.
The corrections had the effect of invalidating her claim: only when she decided
to appeal did the alterations come to light.
For example, the word "unsteady" had been altered to "steady" when describing
her ability to walk.
In another part of the report, the doctor had originally said that she was able
to walk 30 metres. The "3" had later been turned into an "8", thereby making
it less likely that she would be awarded DLA.
"This particular case was the worst I'd seen," said Mr Allison.
"Twenty alterations were made and as a result it reversed the outcome and the
lady was actually turned down."
Sitting comfortably
In another case, Paul Hailey, who lives near Swansea, had his Incapacity
Benefit in 2004 withdrawn following a periodic check-up to determine his level
of disability.
In order to improve the efficiency of the medical reporting service, a
computerised questionnaire was introduced and this, according to campaigners, is
producing inconsistent results.
In Mr Hailey's case, he had been asked for how long he could watch television.
He told the medical examiner that he generally watched TV for an hour at a
time, and the computer system inferred from this that he was able to sit
comfortably
for that amount of time and was therefore able to work.
In fact, Mr Hailey has a painful back problem and has to watch TV reclining on
a sofa.
He subsequently appealed and had his benefits reinstated.
Atos Origin doctors send their reports to civil servants who make a final
decision about a person's entitlement.
I'm not immune to the fact that there may be criticisms
Anne McGuire, Disability minister
Here again, our investigation found inconsistencies: in the case of 11-year-old
identical twins with autism, one had her Disability Living Allowance uprated
while her sister - who has exactly the same level of disability - was turned
down.
When this was pointed out to the DWP, the twin who had initially received the
increase had it withdrawn.
The twins' mother took the case to appeal and both children now receive the
higher rate.
Disability Minister Anne McGuire said the overwhelming majority of claims were
dealt with satisfactorily.
But she said the government was always keen to improve when bad practice came
to light.
"I'm not immune to the fact that there may be criticisms," she said.
"What I think ought to be recognised is that we are responding positively where
those criticisms are made."
The BBC approached Atos Origin for a response to the criticisms of its medical
reporting but the company has declined to comment.
Geoff Adams-Spink's report, Not Feeling The Benefits, can be heard on Five Live
Report on Sunday 21 May at 1100 BST and 1930 BST and will also be available
at the
Five Live Report website
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/programmes/4995078.stm
Published: 2006/05/20 23:04:03 GMT
© BBC MMVI
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