We wrote to a CL back in January 2007 to advise them that they were due for an intervention review by visit and to contact the council to arrange a time. They didn’t reply to this letter so a further letter was sent in Feb 2007 threatening to suspend the claim if they didn’t arrange a visit. They then contacted the council and arranged a visit on the 05/03/07. Before this date they called the office and said this wasn’t convenient and re-arranged the appointment to the 12/03/07. Before this date they called the office and said that this wasn’t convenient again and re-arranged the appointment to the 11/04/07 (do you see the pattern) this has now happed 8 times! Their reasons are all fairly feasible i.e. not well enough, doctors/hospital appointment (there are four members of the household, 3 are on DLA and one is on IS). We realise these interventions are now not relevant with PM10 and PM12 going but it is the principle. We have referred this to our Fraud dep and they have done an un-notified visit but they weren’t in. They have decided to not take this any further as our VO doesn’t think it is no-residence and more the fact they can’t be bothered with the visit and or are playing a game with us to see how much we will let them get away with! They now have an appointment next Wednesday and I have advised my VO that if they phone and cancel to tell then that ‘HB will be suspended until we are able to verify their residency, income and cap’.
As we haven’t had a case like this before I just wondered how other LA would deal with it?
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