They've refused my Surestart £500 Grant claim!!

claudib

I very foolishly realised i'd left it rather late ..but it was, as I thought, just within the 3 months of the deadline date by one day!

My daughter was born 18th Sept -the claim was handed in in person to the Job Centre on the 17th Dec.

The funny thing is it says on the letter "The claim you made on the 30th December.." when I clearly wrote 17th Dec on the form! ..maybe the 30th was the date they recieved it. not my fault surely?!

Anyone know how I can wangle an appeal? maybe someone knows of any kind of technicalities I may be able to use?
thanks

bestpud

Did they stamp it at the job centre? Or give you a receipt?

Auzelia

why did you hand it in the the jobcentre.
You could have posted it, thats what I done.

Looks like the jobcentre left it sitting there, cos it only took them 6 working days to pay out my SSMG from receiving my claim.

claudib

well they were really rushing me and turfing me out so i didn't get a receipt.. !!!!!!!

bestpud

claudib wrote: »

well they were really rushing me and turfing me out so i didn't get a receipt.. !!!!!!!

I'm not sure you can do much in that case.

I can't understand why you handed it in there either.

It's frustrating, I am sure, and it is certainly worth querying it - you have nothing to lose.

claudib

i had thought since it was Christmas handing it in was more guaranteed way of getting it to be seen quickly than going through the post -big mistake.

welshmoneylover

£500 grant and you left it until the last minute!!

I'd have got my bum out of bed and claimed the next day lol

nottslass_2

You have the right of appeal - My sons partner were refused the grant as they claimed too late,but later appealed successfully !!!! The reasons that they gave were that Due to Post Natal depression and a death in the family,she'd unfortunately left claiming too late.

What you need to do is write stating that "you are appealing against their decision" ,and state the reasons why - remember to be very polite (sometimes it helps to grovel). You only have 30 days (I think ) to appeal.


Good luck

claudib

thanks nottslass!

alwaysonthego_2

Although you can appeal the decision, you will be very lucky if they allow you to have the grant. The person who appealed their decision and got the grant had a very good reason for being too late to claim because they were suffering from PostNatal depression. If you do not have evidence to say when you actually handed in the form then you can not prove that you handed it in when you said you did. If they allow you to have it with no proof then it will open the floodgates with others declaring the same. There is a cut off point when the baby is three months and they are very unlikely going to change their mind.

mitchaa

Isn't there a 90 day deadline on this?

I make 18th Sept to 17th Dec 91 days.

13 in Sept
31 in Oct
30 in Nov
17 in Dec

Of which unfortunately is your fault for leaving it so late.