For all the benefit advisors and other that give their expertise!

Zara33

blabby2 wrote: »

Very well put Willa :T unfortunately it will be totally lost on these individuals, they will do their utmost to defend the indefensible you know like the Gestapo and SS did in Nazi Germany.

Oh to all you Nazi trolls please don't respond because i certainly won't to you

:think: seems Nazi, Germany phrase is becoming quiet common both in DT and now on the benefits section. One does wonder :think: will this be another one for the ignore list like [STRIKE]taxdodger[/STRIKE]

Stroof

Why can't we all just get along, at the end of the day we are all mates after all. Try loving each other, that can be really annoying too !

ps. Zara you are very welcome for all the brilliant advice and info I have provided on here Ha ! Actually it is nice to be able to post stuff on here when you have just dealt with a problem someone else asks about, we all came here in the first place looking for help so it feels good to be able to chip in (and sorry to anyone I have ever upset by putting something stupid or snappy or unkind

Zara33

Stroof wrote: »

Why can't we all just get along, at the end of the day we are all mates after all. Try loving each other, that can be really annoying too !

ps. Zara you are very welcome for all the brilliant advice and info I have provided on here Ha ! Actually it is nice to be able to post stuff on here when you have just dealt with a problem someone else asks about, we all came here in the first place looking for help so it feels good to be able to chip in (and sorry to anyone I have ever upset by putting something stupid or snappy or unkind

AnxiousMum

willa wrote: »

Hi,
I actually came to this from another thread where it was suggested that all benefits workers were being 'tarred with the same brush'. Just to maybe add a bit of balance here:
I am on incapacity benefit and have been on jobseekers and housing ben before and have had a few bad experiences of dealing with benefits staff. One is that of ringing up for info and being told completely different things by different people, leading to much confusion and mishap.
Recently, I have been forced to attend interviews with a 'trained expert' who knew nothing at all about my primary medical condition, and displayed no embarrassment about this, nor interest in finding out about it. I had to endure some pretty ignorant, patronising, and upsetting comments from her as a consequence.
If the roles had been reversed, I would have made damn sure to have made it part of my job to find out about the condition of the person I was talking about, once it was apparent that my knowledge was lacking. Seems like common humanity and courtesy to me.
One final observation is that in my experience benefits workers are certainly not rushed off their feet in their jobs. They seem to get a pretty easy ride in that respect, and not a bad salary in my view, for what they do.
Cue angry barrage of replies I'm sure. Just please try to remember if you work in the benefits system, how the people you are dealing with must feel, especially if they are ill. All too often it seems that this consideration is lacking.

If benefits worker was knowledgeable, or had to become knowledgeable, on all medical conditions, they would be a Doctor and not a benefits clerk. They need to ask basic questions, and then rely on information from doctors for the details I'm sure. Do you expect them to diagnose and offer you prescriptions too?

I'm sorry - but whatever the circumstances - you are in the office to receive something you are entitled to - but in order to get through that process you need to prove your need/right to it.

Why should a benefits worker need to be 'rushed off their feet'.....I'm sure that at times, like any other job, there may be a quiet time, but why is that a negative thing to you? Surely if they were rushed off of their feet 42 hours per week and never able to take five they'd be on the other side of the counter with stress instead of on the side where they can give you help and assistance.

IF you think that you can do their job better - go ahead and apply for it now while you are disillusioned enough to think you can do better. I'm sure they'll allow you the odd sick day when you're not feeling well enough to go in, but if it's as easy as you say..........you shouldn't have to strain yourself too much to get in there each day.

I wonder too, how much of the misinformation actually comes from the caller not asking the proper question, or just not understanding what they've been told and misinterpreting. It goes both ways you know

seven-day-weekend

Excellent post Anxious Mum.

It often puzzles with me why people claiming sickness/disability benenfits feel it an intrusion that they should have to answer questions about their sickness/disability. Do people REALLY think you should just be able to go into the Benefits office and say 'I'm sick, give me the money'.? Especially for something like DLA when your entitlement to it depends upon how it affects your everyday life. Why should a Benefits assessor know that? Of course they have to ask questions.

Just to show I DO know what I'm talking about, my husband has claimed Incapacity Benefit since 2004 and has had to have two medicals since then (the last one quite recently, still waiting for the outcome) and although he has found them incredibly stressful, he appreciates that they have to check that you are still entitled to the Benefit. How else are they going to do so other than by asking questions and/or you telling them about your condition?