How to complain with a result?

[ceetee]

Still not sure...after call.

Hi everyone,

thanks for all your kind words again. I did pick up the phone this morning at 9am and phoned the hospital. I told the lady (not sure who she was) how upset I was about Monday's appointment and how I had waited for a call from the doctor on Tuesday, which never came. She said she would pass on the message but was not sure if the doctor would be in today. At 12 my phone rang...It was the doctor. She apologized about not getting back on Tuesday and for cutting the appointment short on Monday. The actual scan results were NOT faxed to her until Tuesday, so I was reading too much into her sentence "I need to phone you!" However, she said there were a few things to discuss regarding the neuropsych assessment. She will put me in touch with a social worker and a neuropsychologist to meet up and look at the outcome of the assessment...Why she could have not told us this on Monday, I don't know... (Will there be answers in there? I hope, but not too much, otherwise I will be disappointed again!) THE WAITING GAME CONTINUES...until I get the call from the SW and/or psychologist now...hope it will be soon. Will keep you posted! Thanks for thinking of me...it gave me a lift!

Ceetee xxx.

 

[Necion]

Hi Ceetee, They just don't seem to realise how much concern they cause us by badly thought out remarks!! A whole day of worrying for nothing!
At least she did phone today, I'm sorry there hasn't really been any steps forward.

I really feel for you, keep strong.
Love, Necion. xx

 

[cragmaid]

Ceetee at least you know now. Often it's just a job to them, it affects our entire lives. There is a bad balance there and we have to try to hang on in for our own sanity. Take care..Maureen.x.

 

[ceetee]

Update

Thought I post an update on recent developments...is it EVER going to get better???

I met with the lovely dementia care worker from the Alzheimer's society today again (last meeting was a month ago). When she heard how the last appointment went and that we had received the claim for DLA as "not processed" because of missing medical reports, she handed me the phone and we rang the DWP. They told me that they had chased twice so far (claim put in in November 2010!!) and had not yet received any medical reports. We then phoned the hospital, who told us there had not been a request from DWP otherwise it would have been sent and a copy would be in the file. SO WHERE ARE THE LETTER AND TWO REMINDERS FROM DWP??? They obviously did not get there. Now another month has passed with no financial support, and I have to chase it up and pass contact details between the DWP and the hospital in order to get the correspondence to the right place. That should not be my job, should it? Someone gets paid for that...we don't.
The AS care worker will also write a letter to the hospital representing my views and highlighting the urgency of dealing with the matter...Hopefully, the waiting game will speed up a bit now ??? When DLA is in place, I can eventually send off the disregard for council tax (I've had the forms signed by doctor for weeks but need a stated benefit to send with it.)...more waiting game!

Lastly, ESA declined due to missing NI contributions in years 2008-2009 (Well, hb was employed then and worked full time and NI contributions were taken off...hopefully correctly. Knowing our luck, they probably discover that he did not pay enough and make us pay these back (Not sure how to anyway...can hardly fill the fridge!). But how do you know when you are employed??? Does any employed person ever query what they pay in NI contributions? DWP stated in January after their decline that they would look into where the contributions were missing and they would get back to me...I waited and waited. Today, 4 weeks later, I phoned up to enquire if they had found out. Well, , they had not taken any action since my last phone call in mid-January. But a specialist will phone me back tomorrow...and more waiting!

What is the matter with these departments? Do they make evryone wait until people take matters in their own hands and chase??? I cannot believe it. It is so unfair. Yes, money will probably be backdated...but the money is missing now where I have to pay a mortgage and childcare...not in three years when our son is at school and the mortgage is paid.

I am just angry and hope that the ball will start rolling soon, I keep kicking it but it just doesn't move! How much longer???


The waiting game continues... Watch that space!

Ceetee xxx.

 

[Izzy]

Oh Ceetee no wonder you are angry. You seem to be getting the run around. It's so unfair. x

 

[Logan]

So sorry that you are having to go through all this,ceetee. Deduction of NI is shown on every pay slip - or should be! The total deducted in any given tax year should be shown on the P60 which is issued at the end of every tax year - showing Gross, Tax Deducted, NI Deducted, Net Pay etc. Finding that for the given year will, hopefully, give you more power to your elbow. Stay strong. Lx

 

[ceetee]

Dear Logan,

yes, I do have P60s for the 2 years in question, but been told the NI contributions were still not sufficient. Does anyone know if you can be deducted too little over a period and in effect not pay enough? (I know that you can be in the wrong tax class and then have to pay tax later.) Can the same happen to NI contributions? I will probably have to wait for that phone call tomorrow...Will it come?

 

[littlegem]

Hi Ceetee,
My husband was self employed and when he came to claim anything he was told he had been putting the wrong stamps on. The stamps we put on were what we were told to put on.
I don't know. Do they make the rules up as they go along?
Sincerely hope you get it sorted soon, as you say it's their job why should you have to do it?
take care
xx

 

[Logan]

I hope you do receive the call tomorrow. You should not have to be worrying about all this on top of everything else. Take care. Lx

 

[ceetee]

Do they make the rules up as they go along?

I sometimes think they do...or one person does not know what the other is doing? Don't they have policies and guidlines to follow, which makes their work transparent and uniform?

 

[Margaret W]

Hi Ceetee

I can't go into all the details of the NI situation on here, but if you want to PM me, I will have a go (I am a rusty Accountant), but if a person is in employment during a tax year (6th April to following 5th April), NI will be deducted from their wages in every pay packet. The amount is dependant on what they earn in each pay period. Let's say they are paid Monthly. In 11 months they are paid more than the NI Threshold, so they pay NI, but in one month they are paid less that the NI Threshold, so that might mean they don't have a full year's contribution record. It is even easier to be in this situation if the person is paid weekly. Each week is treated separately.

Send me a PM and I'll see what I can work out for you. Keeps my brain in gear!

Love

Margaret

 

[Margaret W]

Hi Ceetee

I thought I'd sent you a PM, but its so long since I've been on here that I'm not sure I've done it right.

Yes, it's possible that the NI Contributions are short, but I'd need to have details to check it out, so send me a PM. I will be wanting figures from P60s for the most recent tax years (possibly three, certainly two), that means y/e 5/4/2010 and 2009, poss 2008. I'm a retired accountant, a bit slow now, but won't tell you anything wrong, I promise.

I'll also tell you if it's worth paying any shortfall in contribution (it often isn't but in your case it might be).

Love

Margaret

 

[ceetee]

Dear Margaret,

I have sent you a PM, thanks for your offer to help! Ceetee xx.

 

[ceetee]

WE KNOW NOW! (I did anyway.)

Hello,

I have not been around a lot over the last 2-3 weeks. Things have taken quite a turn...hopefully for the better.
So here is the update:

After disappointing and frustrating appointments, I did phone up and expressed my frustration and we were given a new appointment at the end of February. This time, they were prepared! A psychologist and community care worker were present to run us through all the test results (they told us they represented the whole of the mental health team, who had discussed and prepared the appointment together including the doctors.) The MRI showed obvious atrophy all over the brain and substantial cell loss. The Mini Mental Tests were inconclusive but the neuropsych assessment showed only 2 of 16 tests as average, all others were "impaired well below average", many with only 2%.Diagnosis: Dementia in Alzheimers Disease, early onset. A week later, we had first contact with our care co-ordinator, who put in for 3 hours care a day funding (wait and see...used to the waiting game now!), and yesterday, my hb started Aricept. A great start...if you can say that in these circumstances. I do hope that now the DWP will hurry up the DLA claim, which had been put in 4 months ago. We are still no wiser with the ESA, the DWP make themselves rare there...not returning promised calls repeatedly, and one person not knowing what had been said before. I am sure I'm not the only frustrated customer there. However, I start to see some light at the end of the tunnel and hope we are moving towards it. Will keep you posted.

Best wishes and thanks again for all your highly valued comments, which help on the journey. Ceetee xxx.

 

[Necion]

Hi Ceetee. If I say that's good news, you will understand I mean 'under the circumstances!' Of course you knew long ago there was something very wrong, but I hope having it confirmed by those who (are supposed to) know what they're doing will give you some confidence that things can move ahead.

I'm sure you know, but a reminder that council tax is usually considered from the date of application, also don't delay in telling your gas & electricity suppliers there is a diagnosis, there is a slight discount there too. (not sure about telephone)

Wishing you continuing strength, lots of love, Necion.xx

 

[chucky]

hello ceetee, with regards to DLA my claim took 13 months, (without having to appeal) however it was backdated.

 

[Logan]

Hi ceetee, Well at least a diagnosis and, as you say, some light at end of tunnel. Just to point out that in some circumstances a reduced water rate can also be applicable - if extra water needed for a medical condition. With love and kindly thoughts. Lx

 

[ceetee]

Dear Chucky,

that is unbelievable...13 months!!! Well...I might still have 9 months to go! How did you survive? For many, DLA is the one that opens the door to other benefits. Just cannot believe it!

Necion, thanks for the tip. Is the discount with electricity companies something generally or does it depend on supplier?


Ceetee xx.

 

[Necion]

Not sure Ceetee, I think it's general in Scotland, but please check anyway. It's not a huge discount, but as we know every little helps in these hard times. I think it's where there's a disability, rather than the specific diagnosis, but the diagnosis is proof of the disability. Good tip about water too, hadn't thought of that, thanks Logan.

Would be interested to know your results on this south of the border.

Lots of love, Necion. xx

 

[chucky]

Ceetee, I know Scotland is slightly different because we dont have water meters, but although i got disregard for Council Tax we still had to pay water charge . Didnt know about the electricity discount. DLA was backdated, however the other discounts you are entitled to if you have this benefit, were only backdated 12 weeks. In effect we lost approx 9 months pension credit, rent rebate, council tax rebate, chiropody, dentist, optician and TV licence. No point in saying chase them up because they wont entertain you. Once dad was in care home i then lost care component (DLA then cancelled) and had to wait 6 months for them to re start claim and restore mobility component (which was backdated). As you can imagine the financial side of things took an age to sort out and was a nightmare on top of everything else. I dont know if this is common practice,and as i said it may be different in England. Its more hassle that we could well do without.