Written evidence from Name Withheld (PEA0531)
I am writing to you in your capacity as chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee.
I am currently receiving ESA while recovering from several serious spinal surgeries a number of years ago. The fact that it was years ago and I am still recovering should illustrate their seriousness.
This year I have had a rollercoaster of experiences at the hands of the DWP; in January I was failed at a humiliating work capacity assessment, stripped of my benefits and thrown to the 'mercy' of the Job Centre. I had to apply for a mandatory reconsideration, which upheld the original decision, and then go on to an appeal. This took months, most of the year in fact, and when I finally got in front of a judge it took her less than ten minutes to rule in my favour. (I suspect you have heard this story and variations of it countless times.)
Now the reason for my email is as follows; while being made to apply for jobs that I never had a hope of getting in order to receive any benefit whatsoever and avoid starvation, (not an exaggeration), it was revealed to me by my job coach that the DWP might pay for courses and/or retraining if it would help a jobseeker get back into work. Due to my health and medication I am looking to become self employed and work from home, and so found a relatively inexpensive course in the field of my interest. I gave all the relevant paperwork about this course to my job coach who in turn gave it to those in the DWP responsible for deciding if they would help.
Then nothing.
For months, nothing. No reply at all and I missed the course.
My job coach chased them up and they claimed to have never received any such paperwork. It was sent again and still nothing. It seems as if they are ignoring my job coach. Since May I have missed four such courses, and now my job coach is ignoring me. In my last communication to him over a month ago I asked how I could go about making a complaint and he has not responded. It seems that jobseekers do not have the right to complain.
I have contacted Mr David Gauke to bring this matter to his attention, though am not expecting anything, as is the form of the Department for Work and Pensions.
Actually I am not sure what I expect from this email, but I have to at least try. If you or anyone on the committee could offer help or advice it would be most welcome and greatly appreciated.