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universal credit

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busybee6969 Thu 02-Mar-23 20:50:17

have a friend separated aged 59.moved to a small bedsit,ill on high rate pip benefit,managing with help from a few friends,applied for universal credit ,no chance of going back to work to ill.mental health as well as pysical.the job center seems to be really making a meal of this poor man.he had to visit about 6 times,they phone him every 2 weeks, his doctor is issuing him monthly sick notes untill his medical assesment,on high care and high mobility pip benifit so is very ill,his mental health is getting worse,he niow has fortnighly phone calls lasting a few minutes, he is very hard of hearing and getting more and more upset by this,there is no chance of hiom working, they said his medical assesment could be months away.his doctor said he would write a longer than a month sick note this time,anyone else been in similar is it normal to hound them when there really is no chance of them going back to work.he is very upset i am concerned for his mental health this is not helping

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Theexwife Thu 02-Mar-23 21:59:42

Unfortunately, it is the system that is flawed, the job centre staff have to do all they can to help someone into employment whilst the client is claiming Universal Credit. As a sick note is temporary they will still be trying to help for future employment. You know that this is not going to happen but they have not had an official notification.

Contact from the job centre will settle down when all avenues of help have been looked at.

You could try contacting the medical assessment team on his behalf and find out the waiting time for the assessment, it will be easier to cope with when you know how long it will go on for.

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basicallygrace12 Thu 02-Mar-23 21:59:59

from experience I would say, get doctor to give a 6 month sick note they can.
Does your friend have MH worker/social worker? Get them involved.
Also write to MP, (even when we lived with a useless MP the staff were experienced and helpful)

MH is better recognised but the assessment period for Universal credit is a joke , both in waiting times and in the pressures they put on you if you have any disability.

Can someone, anyone, even you, act as an appointee for your friend? I am an appointee and although it is mainly for when help is needed managing money, when my son failed his assessment and had to go to a tribunal he had a complete breakdown in room and judge advised me to become his appointee as it meant he didn't have to speak to them.

grace

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busybee6969 Thu 02-Mar-23 22:34:04

thank you for your replies.will ask him to ask his mental health support worker to help him. i will also look at a letter to his m p,this man is very ill,and 3 local people have in last year killed them selfes and i know he is that ill mentally,

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RubyRoobs Sat 25-Mar-23 14:28:17

Yes people will need to keep having work commitment appointments until they have been assessed for work capability.
All the clients I ahve assisted recently with the work capability forms have bene assessed pretty quickly after sending the form back. The UC50 ( work capability) form should be sent to him after 29 days of handing in sick notes. If he has not received this then he needs to chase this up on his journal.

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