Warning! Big benefit payments shake-up: frequency and pay-day will change for most

Zara33

Heulwen7 wrote: »

Hi, just to say,no, there was no offer of help with my letter. I was told to read it carefully! Reading the other comments, it does seem that nothing can be done.
Does anyone else feel that we are at the mercy of these changes without any right of reply? They do seem to pick out the weak and vulnerable, knowing that we have no power to challenge these decisions. I'm grateful that I live in a society that provides this sort of help, but I do feel that it doesn't feel like a right, more a condescension on occasions, that can be altered or withdrawn at will.
I'm dependent on the system and scared to challenge it.

There is nothing to challenge! we all have to like it or lump it. Strange that your letter never said anything about a loan, i would have assumed it would be a standard letter with minor differences like benefit type, dates, and amounts.

looby75

I was just wondering if anyone on IS has actually gone onto fortnightly payments yet?

I got a letter in March saying my payments would change to fortnightly at the start of may.....yet I'm still getting paid weekly (not that I'm complaining lol)

Zara33

looby you have a pm

HTH

cabbage

I've read all the posts on this topic, seen the video on jobcentre plus payday changes and downloaded the leaflet but still cannot find an answer to my question.

For someone who gets WPA monthly in advance, my sister has been told that because of the changes she will be compensated with a one off payment of a week's benefit. She is paid at the beginning of the month which covers her payment from say for example from 01 - 31 of that month. On 03 June she will get one weeks compensation payment but her next payment will be on 30 June. Thats three weeks without money. I thought Martin and the DWP said that the most people will be without payment is a week?
Can anyone shed light on this please.

ancieva

I recveived a letter dated 16.06.09 telling me that my 4 weekly widows benefit payments would be moving from advance payments to arrears payments. I had heard nothing about this change prior to this letter.

I received my last 4 weekly payment on 22.05.09. I will receive one weeks compensation payment on 23.06.09 and then my arrears payments will begin on 21.07.09. So that's 3 weeks without a payment.

I have been receiving this benefit since 1995, so I had no idea whether it was paid in advance or arrears. Seems to me that this is an exercise by the government to claw more interest of the benefit payments.

looby75

My payments still haven't changed lol

I'm not getting more than I should be or anything like that so I'm keeping quiet.....if they want to keep paying me weekly that's fine by me

seven-day-weekend

My husband's four-weekly Incapacity Benefit has remained the same.

alibamba

i am on benefits and will find myself without monies for 10 days, while they change over the payment system. i do stick to a rigid buget ( have to) and cannot afford to take out the loan as will not have in my budget spare cash to repay such, and being that i do have a budget means i cannot make those savings either for that ten days, so will be infact always ten days in arrears...which may find me short with regard bills, as i have worked out how much needs to be saved each week! it will be a struggle for many including myself, the government really have no idea about how difficult it is on benefits.
just to add i am now paid two weeks in arrears!

System

Ok, i have read the first post and it says nothing about ESA so i'm safe to assume ESA will not be affected?

elektra-2007

this benefit change has just happened to me, it seems to be o.k the only problem i had was the loan to cover me whilst the change was going thru wasnt paid into my account so i had to ring and get payment sent out. Atleast parents still have ctc to see them thru the week....