We do a tiny amount of reporting of Controlled Work. By contrast we look at many, many more Legal and Family Help (lower) files in the course of our appeal casework – by quite a high multiplication factor.
Although these are very different tasks, ultimately they involve the interpretation of the same rules and guidance. We argue our view on the latter in appeal after appeal. Sometimes we win sometimes we lose. Inconsistency is the hallmark either from the LSC (Contract Managers through Provider Assurance through CCA assessors) or from ICAs. Clarification by way of Points of Principle has been slow and unhelpful by and large. But you know all this if you are a regular here.
What would happen, then, when a number of the claims we reported, for our client, came under LSC scrutiny? We can’t deny we were nervous, not least as the sample included a few which were subject to our monthly, “borderline” discussion session.
Not a single claim questioned.
