A pensioner recently contacted my department in tears about a benefits claim that had been made on her behalf. She didn’t know what it was for and feared it could get her into trouble.
Another had been asked to hand over a large share of her welfare payment to a firm she had used to help her claim it. When she said she couldn’t afford the firm’s fee, a ‘payment plan’ was offered and, after being contacted repeatedly by a sales person, she felt pressured to agree to one.
These are not isolated incidents. While the welfare state exists to support people
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