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poppett
02-Oct-12, 21:52
From 1st October the Department of Works and Pensions are allowed to impose a fine of fifty pounds to any claimant or their appointee who fail to advise them of a change in circumstance, including hospital admission/discharge. Previously hospital told them admission and discharge date, but now only tell them admission date....so if the claimant doesn`t remember or isn`t able to tell them of their discharge then after 28 days their benefits stop automatically.

In the case of an elderly person who has their pension paid into the bank and direct debits set up for all their bills this could incur them large bank charges if it isn`t noticed.

If you help someone with their finances, just be aware....better the DWP are told two or three times by different people of a hospital discharge than not told at all and the benefits are stopped. It takes two weeks for them to make the payment for the shortfall.

changilass
02-Oct-12, 22:34
Can you give us a link for this please poppet.

Take it this doesn't apply if admission and discharge is on same day?

Dadie
02-Oct-12, 22:46
Is this for longer than an overnight stay?
Like a weeks admission or more...
And just how do they find out about hospital stays anyway...and how do they check on the duration....like with a person with dementia who cant remember what happened 5 mins ago as their short term memory is shot to pieces but deemed capable etc?
Still able to go home after a fall etc...

Alrock
02-Oct-12, 23:06
Yet another example of this Tory Government picking on the most vulnerable in society

poppett
03-Oct-12, 13:28
No link to this well kept secret, but I had occasion to phone DWP because Dad`s pension and attendance allowance had gone down each of the last two months. The chap I spoke to told me of his admission to hospital in July and as far as they were concerned he was still there as they had not been notified of his discharge. I could tell him the date Dad was discharged and my friend could confirm this as she was with me the day we took him home from Caithness General, directly after her appointment in outpatients. The DWP chap said strictly speaking Dad (92) could be fined for not telling them about his hospital admission and discharge but he would "let it go" on this occasion.

After 28 days attendance allowance would stop if still in hospital and that is what had happened with Dad.

There have been occasions where an elderly person with dementia went into respite to allow their family who care for them at home a respite break, and the family haven`t returned for their relative either by accident or design. The DWP thought this was a good way to stop overpayments.

The fact that they have caused un-necessary hardship and bank charges where direct debits can not be covered because of the huge drop in income without any warning does not seem to bother them......even the hated BT will cover bank charges if they are at fault.

My point exactly Dadie.........but previously hospital passed on details of every admission and discharge to the DWP to prevent fraudulant benefit claims.

changilass
03-Oct-12, 14:04
Just phoned, this only applies if an overnight stay is involved. If they are admitted and discharged on same day they don't need notifying.

Thanks for the info poppet, it is stored in the memory banks for future reference.

Corrie 3
03-Oct-12, 15:24
The first rule of receiving any benefits is..."Inform them of any change in circumstances, no matter how small". If you do this for yourself or someone you care for then you have nothing to fear at all. Just keep a note of the time of the call, who you spoke to and the number you dialed, then you have a record in case there are any problems.

C3.

rob murray
03-Oct-12, 15:58
The first rule of receiving any benefits is..."Inform them of any change in circumstances, no matter how small". If you do this for yourself or someone you care for then you have nothing to fear at all. Just keep a note of the time of the call, who you spoke to and the number you dialed, then you have a record in case there are any problems.

C3.

Thats assuming that some one is available to deal with situations, that the person informed actually processes / makes adjustments etc. Surely the point is to make systems simple to use ??

starfish
03-Oct-12, 16:03
Originally Posted by Corrie 3 http://forum.caithness.org/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?p=979999#post979999)
The first rule of receiving any benefits is..."Inform them of any change in circumstances, no matter how small". If you do this for yourself or someone you care for then you have nothing to fear at all. Just keep a note of the time of the call, who you spoke to and the number you dialed, then you have a record in case there are any problems thats ok if you are not one of a elderly couple and one has to go into hospital/care for a while, the remaining person would be to worried about phoning dwp ect and the system is a minefield for the sane minded abled body person let along a elderly person

poppett
03-Oct-12, 16:41
The main problem I had was that the hospital said admissions and discharge dates were still passed to the DWP. In future I will phone myself just to be certain and would keep details of such calls.

Just wanted to alert others that the potential to be fined is there and a real threat.

I would have thought that when the DWP decided to implement the new fine rule they should have informed claimants of this situation.

Another problem is that they will only talk to appointees/nominees and you have to have NI number, full name and be able to answer seven security questions to be transferred in the first place. Not everybody phoning on a claimant`s behalf would have this information to hand. Think they have opened a can of worms.

starfish
03-Oct-12, 17:51
the goverment want to think of all the thousand many family save them every year by looking after elderly family member with out added this extra burden of being fined if they do not inform them that someone has been in hospital or care . its a hard enough job with out this