Akinika - NHS

[enaid]

Just received a lovely letter from above stating OH owes £159.80 for dental charges, so been on phone to dentist and Akinika and my dopey OH has been ticking ESa box on dental treatment form thinking he was exempt. He had no idea that contribution based ESA does not give you free dental treatment.
Sp0ke to a great bloke at NHS Business Services who was really sympathetic but couldn't really help us and the penalty charges have been applied correctly.

So the £18.70 dental charge in March this year now adds up to £159.60 as above and because they have been writing to our old address (dentist didn't have our new one, not sure who's at fault for that)
The other charges and penalties now add up to well over £700.

I did tell the Debt collector to get knotted as I was furious but hey ho.

I asked how come they only just found our new address (been here 3 years now) and the chap said they only just starting using Akinika who traced people for them.

Really gutted as I think the penalties are excessive but would accept it more if they had made more of an effort to trace us after the first charge was put on.
I asked that the dentist didnt advise us about ESA or even on the letter that came with the award, he told me the dentists are not allowed to help with the form filling in any way, simple as that.

Not trying to get out of the dentists charges have accepted them now and belted OH round ear hole lol I am however upset about the penalties any advice greatly appreciated as always xx

[Amethyst]

Re: Akinika - NHS

Is it NHS who have added the penalty charges? Little confused where the £18 has grown to £160 and then where the other £700 is from? Have they given you a breakdown?

Are you at the same dentist ? ( and if so are your details up to date with them)

[enaid]

Re: Akinika - NHS

They charge 5 times the treatment cost up to £100 so a check up £18.70 x 5 then the actual treatment charge on top rest must be debt collectors charges

- - - Updated - - -

I am at same dentist will check what they have for me. It gets to over £700 because of the treatments he had prior to th March one while he was on esa

[enaid]

Re: Akinika - NHS

Seems to be a very common occurrence and I swear my OH didn't know he was not entitled to free dental treatment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18308437


Penalty Charges

If it is found that you should have paid for your prescription items, you will face penalty charges and may be prosecuted under the powers introduced by the Health Act 1999. Routine checks are carried out on exemption claims including some where proof may have been shown. You may be contacted in the course of such checks.
http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/DentalServi...y_guidance.pdf

Write to us, explaining why you think the penalty charge has been applied incorrectly Please ensure you clearly indicate on your email/letter the word “Appeal” Send your written appeal to us via;

Email: nhsbsa.dentalbecs@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Post: NHSBSA Appeals, PO Box 321, Darlington, DL98 1AL


Penalties from September 2014 onwards.

The total number of PCNs issued between September 2014 and the end of 2015
was 465,175. We have received 191, 900 challenges from customers during
this period.

Question 3

35,456 of these were successful.

Court Proceedings

I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and
electronic records,
I have established that the information you requested is not held by the
NHS Business Services Authority. As yet, no patients have faced court
action. The NHSBSA, in collaboration with NHS England, is currently
considering its approach with regard to unpaid prescription charges and
penalties to agree the most appropriate action to take as a deterrent to
claiming free prescriptions when no valid exemption exists.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/reque...notice_charges


Even welfare rights officers are unsure about the rules as this is exactly what my OH used to get and apparently it is wrong advice

Monic1511

• Moderator Welfare Rights
• Hero Member
• 
• Posts: 1840

Re: question about E.S.A

« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2012, 07:45:06 PM »



Tessa

Welcome to the boards

You can get both contribution based ESA at £71/week and then be entitled to the income related part (support group) of £34.05/week, this would give you £105.05 per week and since there is some income related benefit there you are entitled to free treatment , with dentists you need to be careful as some things are not classed as necessary and you can't get on the NHS.
http://ouchtoo.org/index.php?topic=3244.0

[enaid]

Re: Akinika - NHS

Am hoping to appeal this any help would be appreciated.
Thanks Enaid x

[MIKE770]

Re: Akinika - NHS

O.H. out of work long time, but a one time on contribution benefit, went to dentist for check up, given form to sign as on Job-seekers - later a bill/demand came in which stated not covered for the check up, appealed to be told hard luck wrong benefit so pay up or penalty charge of £100 on top increasing.


Told them no income for the O.H. as all job seekers offered was £1.48 per week, and she had to keep signing on and visiting them 2 times a week Bus Fare £2.48 per journey, . hard luck you pay for her out of your small pension, that is the UK we pay into funds and get next to nothing - come into UK and get £100sssssssssss benefit - when is the revolution?

[enaid]

Re: Akinika - NHS

Jeeez they have just phoned demanding payment the £159.80 is a check up charge of £18.80 x 5 = £94 .00 penalty and because we didnt pay within 28 days its another 50% of the penalty charge £47 added to make total £159.80
Went mad as we only got letter yesterday and they said as we had wrong address at dentist and this has gone to a debt collector we could not appeal, well I said you will not get a penny of the penalties you can take us to court.
They only got this account on the 30th August but there is also another charge they are pursuing of £369.00 which is a dental charge of £222.50 plus penalties.
Am gutted and will not pay the penalties thye are imposing when we knew nothing about this at all until yesterday.

[enaid]

Re: Akinika - NHS

Not something our dentist must know about. If it were they would have questioned why my OH was ticking the ESA box as exempt and I was paying for my treatment. The ESA that entitles you to free treatment the income based one would have included me also


The following education materials were provided to all NHS dental practices in February 2014, providing clear information regarding Patient eligibility checks for free or reduced cost NHS dental treatment.
The purpose of the education materials is to provide;

• dental practices with the right information to advise their staff, to advise patients and help protect NHS resources
• patients with the right information to enable them to make the correct choice, avoid a penalty charge and protect NHS resources

http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/4444.aspx

WARNING
Patients with life-long conditions are being fined up to £100 for collecting their free prescriptions, the BBC has discovered.
Exemption Certificates need renewing every 5 years and people are not being readily informed

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31537381

[enaid]

Re: Akinika - NHS

Got this reply from NHS Business Services and am even more unhappy than before, how can we get a letter on Wednesday this week with no other correspondence or knowledge of the matter and have a £50 penalty added for non payment within 28 days.
I have replied and asked why it was passed to a debt collector and who owns the debt.

Dear diane
Thank you for your email to Dental Services.

I have checked Christopher's record and can see that the case has been passed to Akinika Debt Recovery Ltd. NHS Dental Services no longer has any involvement in Christopher's case and he must send any correspondence or evidence directly to Akinika Debt Recovery Ltd.

The contact details for Akinika Debt Recovery Ltd are as follows:

Tel: 01772 836 119

Address:
Akinika Debt Recovery Limited
P O Box 82
33 Winckley Square
Preston
PR1 3EL
Yours sincerely,
Lucy
Customer Contact Agent
Exemption Checking Service

[Kati]

Re: Akinika - NHS

I'm sure that the NHS could recall the debt from these barstewards if they wanted to [MENTION=141]enaid[/MENTION] ... it's not like Akinikia are court appointed bailiffs after all

You could try a formal (written) complaint I suppose :noidea:

maybe [MENTION=9189]bizzybob[/MENTION] or [MENTION=26498]ploddertom[/MENTION] will be able to advise on what to do about them?

[Kati]

Re: Akinika - NHS

oh ... and it looks like Akinika used to be known as Iqor (lots of complaints about them):
http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...Qor-Harassment
http://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/01772557642/4
https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Reviews/...RVW4898290.htm
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=4805586

[enaid]

Re: Akinika - NHS

Have been on to Ombudsman he is sorting out how to complete their complaints procedure and then will get back to me.
If we have to pay the penalties fair enough but am objecting strongly to the 50% added for non payment within 28 days and dealing with debt recovery.
Listened to money box from 2012 about this and things still have not improved re information on this. They are making millions.

- - - Updated - - -

oh ... and it looks like Akinika used to be known as Iqor (lots of complaints about them):
http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...Qor-Harassment
http://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/01772557642/4
https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Reviews/...RVW4898290.htm
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=4805586

I know they kept on about mobile phone numbers only so they could keep texting us. They also said they will keep ringing and writing just like the other blood suckers,
Oh went for his tooth out today and paid he has to now hes a pensioner lol
If he has a bloody heart attack with this lot then I be buying a gun

[Kati]

Re: Akinika - NHS

They also said they will keep ringing and writing just like the other blood suckers,

That could be classed as harassment and can be stopped (SEE HERE - although I'm not sure how up-to-date the letter is :sorry

[Kati]

Re: Akinika - NHS

[MENTION=48934]Debt Camel[/MENTION] might be able to advise on DCA harassment too xx

[Debt Camel]

Re: Akinika - NHS

ESA contributions based doesn't include the free NHS things you get with ESA income based.

Did you inform the dentist you had moved? If you did, then you have a reasonable case to ask for the penalties to be removed. Otherwise I am not sure you have.

Which Ombudsman have you contacted?

(PS don't shoot the messenger, I think the system is unreasonable)