DLA clueless in decision making!

A question about : DLA clueless in decision making!

Two people I know well, both apply for PIP.
First person makes their claim Sept 2013, Claim acknowledged by ATOS Dec,2013, appointment booked and attended Oct 2014.
Decision received Oct 10th, not enough points awarded. Promised a phone call within ten days to discuss decision.
No phone call materialized, claimant contacted DWP to express a desire to initiate a MR as had been informed by DWP that a request for an MR would not be considered until DWP had made the call to explain there initial decision. Was informed that they were still within their timescale to make call and to wait another week.
Call never came.
Contacted DWP whom informed claimant they were just too busy but would be prepared to take a verbal statement over phone for mandatory reconsideration.
Process took approx 30 mins on phone and claimant was informed they would be contacted within seven days.
No call/ letter/contact was made by DWP.
Phoned DWP again and was informed that they had all information required for mandatory reconsideration and they had up to nine weeks to make decision which would take them into Xmas. Advised to call back January.
January 2015 still no decision, still no contact from DWP.
Rang them on 7th to be told that case had been closed last Oct as they had not received any communication regarding MR.
Claimant very upset and informed DWP that a complaint wished to be lodged as they could prove from phone bills all the calls made including the 30 min statement one. Was informed complaint had been logged and they had five days to respond.
Gave them ten days to respond but no contact.
Rang DWP and amazingly they had managed to track down statement for MR but had no explanation as to why it had not been dealt with. Also had no knowledge of the call in which claimant lodged a complaint but agreed that something had gone very wrong with case and promised to escalate both complaint and MR. Was told they had a limit of 15 days in which to respond..... that was 17 days ago.
Claimant has scoliosis of lower thoracic spine, Depression, two herniated discs, and sciatica. Cannot climb stairs etc.

Second claimant,
Applied for pip June 2014, no appointment but decision letter received last week , High rate care , High rate mobility, informed they could apply for blue badge and companion dog too!
Second claimant is 32 yr old Body builder who runs two buisinessess and spend hours in the gym everyday. He has no physical disabilities at all, indeed hes a tree surgeon and also owns a wood yard selling trees he felled.
Diagnosed with autism.

Dont understand how he has been given this decision, no medical, no meeting etc , he can successfully run two profitable businesses, has no problem having a relationship with his partner (baby due ) and neither does he have any social symptoms , he trains others in gym.
First claimant is 55 yr old woman who has only recently given up work as she can no longer sit or walk comfortably due to her condition. She attended interview with Atos on crutches after collapsing and breaking her leg. No mention of this in report except to say she walked with slight limp!

Please someone explain to me how this has happened. I personally know both claimants and when informed of decision from second claimant even he agreed he does not understand it .
Am disgusted for all those let down by this bloody ridiculous system.

Best answers:

• Probably best you ask your friend why he applied in the first place then you can have an argy bargy with him or if that fails phone up Saints and Scroungers
• I'm always amazed how some people know so much about their 'friends' business .
• What the hell has it got to do with me?
  Probably nothing but when I spend hours with my friend fighting her corner, doing anything i can to help within my power to support them then is it not fair that I ask others opinions of the situtation?
  The second claimant also my friend actually applied for PIP after he was diagnosed and It was me that said off the cuff that he was entitled to apply given his diagnosis.
  He too was astounded to receive his decision along with his back pay considering he had seen what Lois had had to go through during her claim process.
  The point I was trying to make is that I always understood that this benefit was to enable the recipient to become more independent and perhaps pay towards care.
  I fail to understand how claimant one has little mobility, and needs care whereas claimant two needs no care and can carry on his life as before with the added bonus of extra funds which he claimed out of experimentation (his words not mine).
  Ps for you sad few out there that think I know an awful lot about the situation, that's because friends help and support each other when needed . No need for nastiness!
• Well Argiebargie......if friend number 2 is now in receipt of higher rate of both PIP components.....Autistic.....no assessment and a decision in 6 months????
  He is either telling you porkies or this tree felling, super fit body builder is commiting fraud....There is a third option but it would be rather rude of me to suggest your making it up....
• I know responding to yet another phoney ID of Andy's is generally pointless but here goes.
  Quote:
• I think a lot seems to be luck of the draw. My daughter has a successful claim for HRC which has been in place since she was 6 months old. Never seen anybody in the 3 years she has claimed and we received the decision in a matter of a week. Yet you read stories about people that have many problems which I have occasionally consider to be worse than my daughter yet they are denied DLA/PIP at all.
  I dreaded claiming the DLA after reading horror stories, yet my daughters claim was very straightforward and dealt with very quickly.
• A lot depends on how the forms have been filled out and what evidence you provide too. I know many people who just "tick the boxes" or don't provide enough detail in answers.
• Refusing to do DWPs job for them.....where have we heard that before!
• I'm sorry for your friend OP. But as long as she's done all she can re paperwork there's no need to go worrying about what might happen, she should save herself the stress and just go with the flo.
• My GP's surgery is happy to provide me with a copy of my psychiatrist's letters- they just print one off for me and if I need more I go to the local library and photocopy some.
  I'm going through the PIP application process at the moment and have sent one copy from each of my appointments with him, both of which are excellent and detail exactly what my diagnosis is, how it is manifesting itself and the severity- also the results of the screening tests he asks me to complete each appointment along with his recommendations of next steps. I also sent the clinic letter from the last appointment with my oncologist, which at top of the main body of the letter confirms my diagnosis, along with a repeat prescription list confirming my medications. None of these things cost me a penny.
  However I have found to my cost despite sending these the DWP can be clueless. When I applied last time I sent a copy of the letter from my orthopaedic consultant confirming the diagnosis he had made which I highlighted (this was not in medical jargon- but ️fairly plain language) it was on Trust headed notepaper with the name of the hospital, the date of the clinic, his secretary's contact details, his name and job title (consultant musculoskeletal surgeon) plus I provided his details on my form where it asks for details of medical professionals and indicated I was happy for them to contact him.
  They never did. They also confirmed they had recieved and accepted the evidence. They then however went on to state 'there was no medical diagnosis for my pain from a suitably qualified person' to which I asked them incredulously that if a consultant surgeon in that field wasn't qualified to make a diagnosis who on earth was?!
  They had no answer to this. If they were any doubt about the credibility of the diagnosis/his credentials then they had more than sufficient details in which they could check this out. I hope that this time they don't come back and tell me they think my psychiatrist isn't qualified and have contacted my GP who has allegedly told them I have mild depression again! (Which they didn't say last time either )
• I think there's a couple of folk from Andy School lurking about, but I do find some of the tales amusing! What happened to the last one who started every post with "Yeh"?
  xx
• I thought it was 'hey' and I think that one is still lurking