I'm receiving nuisance calls from a market research company. Nothing too unusual about that, only in this case, it's because the DWP gave them my phone number! On Tuesday (19th June) I received a letter dated Monday 18th June, allegedly from the DWP informing me that I would be taking part in a telephone survey about my experience of the Job Centre, conducted by a market research organisation called TNS BMRB - not asking me if I wanted to, telling me that if I didn't contact the marketing research company involved, they would be phoning me by "late June". They said I could phone the TNS BMRB to opt out, or if I had difficulty using a phone, I could write to them. They didn't provide an address to write to, and there was no address on the letter to say where it came from. The letterhead said DWP in one corner and tns bmrb in another. It was signed Karen Elsmore, Senior Research Officer, Department of Work and Pensions. I sent a reply, by 1st class Recorded post, to the "If undelivered, return to:" address, on the back of the envelope. It was signed for on Wednesday, 20th June, Printed Name: MILLWARD BROWN-KANTAR That address was Kantar Operations Olympus Avenue Tachbrook Park Warwick CV34 6RJ It turns out the office address for the TNS BMRB is 6 More London Place London SE1 2QY TNS BMRB are, apparently part of, or linked with Kantar Operations (a notorious cold caller). Both those organisations now have my name, my phone number, and my address. Who knows what other details they now hold about me. I received my first nuisance call yesterday evening, and another one today, despite doing my best to opt out of the "survey". Both times they hung up when they got my answering machine, without leaving a message. First of all, I am registered with the Telephone Preferences Service to say that I don't wish to receive unsolicited calls. Presumably, they would use the excuse that the DWP gave them permission to ring me, despite me doing the best I could to say I didn't want them to. Secondly, I gave the DWP my phone number because I didn't seem to have any choice. At no point did I give them permission to share it with third parties. How is this not in breach of the Data Protection Act? The DWP website refers to it, and states a privacy policy. What gives them the legal right to pass on my personal information to a market research company, without my knowledge or consent? Sure, I know now, but that's because they told me after they'd done it. Thirdly, if this was about email, they would be in clear breach of the law for their policy of opting me in automatically, and making me take steps to opt out. Why doesn't the same law apply to phone calls? I consider this a breach of trust by the DWP. The fact that they've hired TNS BMRB / Kantar Operations doesn't give them the right to share my contact details, or other personal information with them. I'm furious about it, but I don't see what I can possibly do about it, other than change my phone number and refuse to share the new one with the DWP, citing this incident if they ask why.

I have just had a person from Iqor call at my home stating that I owe the DWP £500. and wanting to know how I was going to pay. The DWP contacted me 3yrs ago and said that I owed this money from 2003. When I telephoned them and asked what it was for they told me they did not know, but probably an overpayment of some kind! I asked then to send me proof that the money was owed, and details of what it was from. They agreed to do this, and I never heard anymore. I told the person from Iqor this, but they were just interested in how I was goin to pay!! They are now expecting me to phone them with bank details to pay monthly. What should I do. Thanks.

Hello, I hope you can help me. After a fall in April 2011 I went from JSA to ESA. They eventually sorted something out in August when they asked for a medical certificate from the doctor in Jan 2012 we received an eviction notice from Santander and we then discovered the ESA had given us no help with the mortgage since November the 30th. They sent me for a medical on FEB 2nd and a few weeks later told me I was fit to work. I then redid a JSA claim but applied the fact I had no help with the mortgage and then for some reason I got a payment in March for a 3 week period in November! After lots of phone calls and letters they have told me I cannot get the back pay as I didn't send in a medical certificate even though I wasn't asked for one. I did go to the Doctors and he has given me one for that period and another cover the period up to date. I also got a letter from them in March telling me how much they will pay towards the mortgage up till April 2012. As I write I'm waiting for their papers to come so I can go to tribunal. Does anybody have any experience of this situation? Also I signed on JSA on March 2012. This has not yet been sorted but I have been told verbally that they cannot offer help with the mortgage for the first 13 weeks, even though I'm just in reality swapping benefits and it's not a new claim. Surely this can't be right as I'm being penalised for having to have an operation. To be honest if this is the case then I don't think we will survive the next eviction notice that Santander will throw at us. We have just about been making the monthly mortgage payments without help but we're on our last legs now. Again does anyone have any advice? Many thanks Keith

Hi, Has anyone tried using the DWP wesite to complete a claim for Carers Allowance? I have been trying to complete the online application for the past two days and it just keeps freezing. I've tried accessing it using my sons laptop too and it still freezes, so it must be a fault with DWP. Can anyone get back to me because I am loosing the plot:evil::evil::evil: Thanks xx

Hi there I am new to this and i guess i have been quiet for far too long but today just took the biscuit. i applied for DLA in march due to a couple of conditions i suffer from (pachyonychia congenita, cataplexy with narcolepsy) My welfare advisor helped me fill out the DLA form and all seemed to be going smoothly with the usual letters of request for information from doctors and specialists, even the we are taking our time letter. then i got a home visit from the medical services, nothing out of the ordinary. today was the day of the home visit and all seemed to go well the HCP was polite and seemed to be asking question that actually where relevant to my conditions. a surprise in itself i guess judging from what i have read on here the last few days. so any way the HCP left and then the postman delivered the post and there was the brown letter, i wasn't expecting one after only just having one on monday stating that it will be a few more weeks untill i hear from the DWP. On opening it i was to say the least shocked. The decision had been made with the usual but somwhat disturbing "you dont have... etc etc" it even said the decision was made using the report from the HCP yet the letter was dated 25th and the HCP wasnt to visit untill today 27th This is unfair in my opinion as the decision maker made his/her decision before the medical report was even made. I know i will have to make an appeal as the decision is blatantly wrong. but what way should i go about doing it? do i wait for the HCP report to actually reach them and ask for a reconsideration or do i just go for my guns and appeal the decision? and on what grounds ? your great advice will be really appreciated on this matter thanks for reading

Hi - I have just received a letter from the DWP Debt Management Dept. For the record I was made redundant in Feb 2012 and current claiming JSA contributory, my partner was also made redundant a few months earlier. The letter advised they are going to deduct £47.32 per fortnight from my benefits but didn't give any reason for what this overpayment was for. I have just spoken to them and they claim its from an overpayment of Income Support between the years of 1992 to 1994 and the balance is over 2k. I genuinely don't remember this and haven't received any correspondence from them about this outstanding amount. When I spoke to them they agreed to reduce the payments to £10.00 a week and are sending out an I&E. My partner called them back asking for all the proof of this claimed overpayment to be sent through only to be advised it will take 10 working days for the file to be sent to them and they will call me with the info. They advised we will have to write to them in order to get the file / proof of this debt sent to us. We asked if we needed to send a SAR request and the chap didn't seem to understand what my partner was saying. I'm in such a panic about this and would appreciate any info or help in this very complicated matter. Thanks.

Are you a DWP Jobcentre Customer, on a Welfare to Work(fare) Programme or worried about a referral? Then you need to protect your information and data. A very good link below. http://www.consent.me.uk/

Hi all, So i reccently appealed against an ESA decision that found me fit for work. The appeal lasted 15-ish mins with decision sent by post. When tribunal letter arrived on last saturday (5/11/11) i thought it said id lost my appeal. So monday 7/11/11 i joined JSA over phone and told them id been on ESA and about the Tribunal letter etc. Today 12/11/11 i get a letter from DWP dated 10/11/11 saying: "You made an appeal against Employment and Support Allowance decision issued to you on 17 March 2011. We have looked again at the facts and evidence we used to make our decision.As a result we have changed the decision. Your appeal will not be sent to the Appeals Service as the decsion has been changed in your favour. We cannot pay you an allowance from 8 November 2011.This is becasue: You have claimed another benfit like Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance" :jaw:Did i mess up by moving to JSA? did i win my appeal? do i get backpayment from last WCA to 7/11/11 ? Please help im confused as i thought Tribunal told me my appeal wasnt successfull,hmm,cant find damn Tribunal letter now Who do i listen to? DWP or Tribunal Service? Also if they changed their decision in my favour as they stated and i was allowed to claim ESA,can i ditch JSA and now dash back onto ESA quickly?

Thought I'd start a new thread rather than Hijack the other fellow's. I received a letter before action from Fredrickson saying that I owed money to the Dept for Work and Pensions, and that they were working on behalf of their client iQor who were then acting on behalf of DWP. IT states the usual about paying in the next 7 days or it will proceed, etc, etc and they give me a nice little box with fees, etc on it. Now my only concern is, I have no recollection of any debt for the amount they ask, and I don't even know who DWP are... I was thinking of sending them a letter, for which I found a template on this site, which is the following.... Name/Address: Date: Dear Sir/Madam You have contacted me/us regarding the account with the above reference number, which you claim is owed by myself/ourselves. I/we would point out that I/we have no knowledge of any such debt being owed to (insert company name). I am/we are familiar with the CPUTR 2008 and the Office of Fair Trading's Guidance on debt collection, which states that it unfair to send demands for payment to an individual when it is uncertain that they are the debtor in question. I/we would also point out that the OFT say under the Guidance that it is unfair to pursue third parties for payment when they are not liable. AND in not ceasing collection activity whilst investigating a reasonably queried or disputed debt you are using deceptive/and or unfair methods. Furthermore ignoring and/or disregarding claims that debts have been settled or are disputed and continuing to make unjustified demands for payment amounts to physical/psychological harassment. I/we would ask that no further contact be made concerning the above account unless you can provide evidence as to my/our liability for the debt in question. I/we await your written confirmation that this matter is now closed. Otherwise I will have no option but to make a complaint to Trading Standards and also inform the Office Of Fair Trading of your actions. I/we look forward to your reply. Yours faithfully To think all this because I changed my address with my bank... Bloody nightmare.

Two weeks ago (21st July) I sent an appeal form (GL24) to the DWP after scoring '0' points following a recent Work Capability Assessment. In the meantime my ESA has been stopped and I I have a photocopy of the GL24 the Job Centre made for me, but all I've had is this vague letter and a pre-paid envelope telling me to respond within 14 days (dated 28th July) which states: ------------------------------------- ABOUT YOUR APPEAL I am writing about your letter dated 25/07/11 telling us you want to appeal. The law says we can only deal with an appeal when it has been made in the right way. We are sending back your letter because the reason why you want to appeal against this decision. You must reply within 14 days. You can use the envelope we have sent you. It does not need a stamp. When we receive your reply we will decide if the appeal should go ahead as normal. If we think the appeal cannot go ahead we will send it to the Tribunals Service and they will decide. If you do not reply within 14 days we will send your appeal to the Tribunals Service. The Tribunals Service will decide if the appeal can go ahead. If you want more information please get in touch with us. Our address and phone number are at the top of this letter. Yours sincerely Appeals Admin ---------------------------- The letter ESA65) (explaining they had decided I was 'fit for work' along with the 'statement of reasons' didn't arrive until AFTER I had phoned the DWP to find out if I had passed/failed the assessment. When an advisor on the phone asked if I wanted to appeal, (and explained he couldn't give out my results over the phone) told me by going to JCP, asking for a GL24 and just put simply "I believe I should have scored more than 15 points" in the reasons box. Which I did. The advisor said as soon as they got the form the sooner I'd get paid at the assessment rate. I've been calling them for 2 weeks every other day to check if they had received it, I've been told over and over again yes - but it's waiting to be verified before any assessment rate payments will be resumed... still nothing, but last Thursday (when I assume this odd letter is dated 28th July) another advisor said it should be all sorted this week, midweek at the latest I should be paid... Is this why ESA has still not been reinstated at the assessment rate? Even though I was *told* it would be as soon as they received the GL24. Driving me crazy-er!! I'm confused about what I am actually meant to do next? It's confusing as they haven't returned the form. Even though it says "we are sending back your letter". What letter is that? the form?? Would I be correct in doing either/all of the following? - Write a letter explaining I didn't have all the information when I submitted the GL24 form, but am writing to provided more information? - Get a new GL24 Form from the job centre and fill it out all-over again being more specific about the reasons? Should I say something to oppose their assessment of me on the 'Statement of Reasons' where they state what points I've been given one by one? How do I 'properly' phrase that? Such as (example): - "I disagree with your statement that I "behave in a way that would be acceptable at work." Because you fail my behaviour (aggressive uncontrollable outbursts) in a workplace environment is not appropriate and causes significant distress to others." etc Should I elaborate further...? or would the above suffice? What happens if my response is unsatisfactory, and the DWP do indeed refer it to the tribunal? will I not be paid even assement rate until they decide I can appeal? Please help, I've got virtually no money as my entitlement to ESA stopped at at the start of July, and can't even have a crisis loan for food/living costs as I've already had the maximum 3 small payments since April (thanks to a decision maker taking 6 weeks to initiate the claim).

This is a suggestion for a campaign to get the software for LIMA released, please read more here, and please vote as you see fit.

I'm looking for some help on this one, I've had a letter from a company called Iqor demanding £750 for benefit overpayment in 2006. what should I do? Do I have to pay? is there any way I can dispute this?