I am a carer and the person I look after has just received a text (at 19:30 today) offering him a PIP assessment in 10 days time at 16:35. The text request he replies whether he accepts the appointment by texting "YES" or "NO" ay standard network rate. Just one snag - no venue given!!!! Presumably this is an automated system so replying anything else such as "WHERE?" will not register!!! Looks like I will have to telephone them tomorrow. I suppose the next thing will be a denial of the claim because he did not respond to the text! Bloody incompetents!

There is a lot of use of the words "volunteer" and "volunteering" here since this new "Help to Work" regime came into force. Am I to take it that people are expected to volunteer to stack shelves at Tesco etc? That this volunteering (even for charities) is mandatory? Mandatory volunteering? What employment rights would you have volunteering to work for a company like Tesco? Volunteers have far fewer rights than employees. I would certainly want to know where I stood with regard to my employment rights as well as the insurance and work and safety issues!

I think this may be the answer I was searching for! The case in question was not one I was working on personally. The adviser working on it threw it open to general discussion as she could not see what was happening. Like dontcallmesammy says the chances of it happening are so slim that it didn't occur to the adviser that BG might be informed that there is a meter when, in fact, there isn't and why no-one had heard of this problem before. It would also explain why one particular company (in this case BG - probably the property's last supplier) are demanding payment when there would otherwise be potential for every supplier to jump on the bandwagon! Thanks again. It was because I didn't want the adviser to go off "half-cocked" that I sought opinion here! Thanks for the info which I hope will solve the matter successfully for the client!!

Hi, A client has approached us (the advice centre I work for) claiming that British Gas are charging him merely for having a gas pipe enter his privately rented flat. The client says that, even though he has no gas appliances, no meter and no account with British Gas, the company is charging him because they say that the pipe to his property has to be maintained. The pipe is "capped". The client says he has lived there for 16 years and this is the first time BG have attempted to charge him. According to client BG told him they only introduced this in September last year. No-one in the office has ever heard of such a charge before. Can this be correct? Obviously, if true, the charge should be made to the property owner, not the tenant? Has anyone else been charged in this way? Thanks in advance for any info

The letter is all over the place and not as neatly set out as above. Hand scribbled dates (can't even make out the name of the person I was supposed to see), two at the top of the letter two at the bottom not in date order, another appointment cancelled and scribbled out. Showed this to the adviser last week and he was in agreement that the letter was all over the show. I said then that someone was bound to mess up - just didn't think it would be me! The whole thing was wriiten about a month ago. Having been told "see you in two weeks" the 21st was firmly in my head not the 17th. Yes it is ultimately my fault. I am merely looking for opinions as to whether the confusion is enough to persuade a decision maker that there was no intent not to comply and whether there is likelyhood of sanctions. Whether it is worth trying to explain this to a4e in the hope that they might request a lenient take on this matter.

I have just (today) received a letter from a4e informing me that an appointment had been arranged for yesterday and I had failed to attend and that Jobcentreplus would be informed and the possible outcome of sanctions explained. (As if I hadn't had this threat rammed at me constantly since "joining" work programme!) The only reminder of this appointment in my possession is a letter given to me on my first appointment with a4e dated 2/7/12 This letter has four different dates on it for four appointments in the following order: Friday 13/7/12 Info session Friday 17/8/12 With a specific adviser Tuesday 2/7/12 Job search Tuesday 7/8/12 Job search At the end of my last visit I was told "see you in a fortnight" (Tuesday 21/8/12) as the guy running the session had decided fortnightly jobsearches were all that they require from me (I volunteer for CAB 2 days a week) I remarked at the time (and showed the appointments to the adviser) of the chaotic nature of the letter and suggested they ought to use proper appointment cards to avoid confusion! Unfortunately this is exactly what happened. Obviously I will challenge any sanction given (I aint a CAB adviser for nothing!) but just wondered if anyone might have "heads up" on reasoning for challenging a sanctions decision in my case? My only ideas are the chaotic state of the original letter and my busy schedule with CAB (I also assess people for a foodbank on a 3rd day per week as a CAB adviser) I feel like I am battling DWP 24/7 for others but when it comes to my own problems I get sooooooooo depressed!!!!!! And it would happen at a weekend!!!!!