Community Care Grant & Incapacity Benefit?!

Karfypie

hi there,

I've just spoken to someone at direct gov about the community care grant and it is so frustrating as to qualify for the CCG you have to be in recepit of ESA which is income related yet before this was introduced there was IB and if you are in receipt of this you don't qualify! I get IB because I've been ill for years and ESA didn't exist then and if I got ill now I would get ESA income related and would qualify for CCG. The guy on the phone said he thinks it is unfair and maybe the only thing I can do is write to my MP. I tried to phone the dwp but the lines are so busy so couldn't get through. Is there anything else I can do about this do you think? I don't get Income support because I only applied to get IB when I first got ill and so can't get IS as well.

thanks, katharine

lolababy

Hi Id check this out. Its really unfair as the new esa is replacing the ib only for new claiments. Have you applied for dla as that still qualifies. .

Karfypie

lolababy wrote: »

Hi Id check this out. Its really unfair as the new esa is replacing the ib only for new claiments. Have you applied for dla as that still qualifies. .

Yeah thats exactly what I thought about it not being fair as ESA just replaces IB yet ESA qualifies. I get DLA but was told it doesn't qualify, on the net and on the form it just says IB, Income based jobseekers allowance, income related ESA and pension credit are the only benefits that entitle you to a CCG.

lilwatchergirl

You say you would qualify for income-related ESA. In that case, you should be getting Income Support now, which would qualify you for a Community Care Grant. Have you had a benefits check with the CAB or at the Jobcentre? It sounds like you are missing out on money regardless...

The reason it's *either* income-related ESA *or* Income Support, I believe, is that the two are supposed to cover the same thing. If you're on IB and have little in the way of savings or other income, you get Income Support. Same circumstances would lead to income-related ESA.

So I definitely recommend looking into whether you are owed Income Support that you're not getting.

Tuccy

Yeah this seems really unfair, i have exactly the same problem as karfypie

I recieve IB (long term rate) ive been recieving it for years due to a disease in my spine
which renders me unfit for work...

I only get IB none of my money is made up with Income Support, this is because my long term IB pays me more than the law says i need to live on..
I do not get DLA ive tried several times but im told my disease is a long term problem which will deteriorate with time, until then i do not qualify for DLA. my illness does not make me ill enough to recieve DLA at the moment, but working would accelerate my illness and make me immobile prematurely,
Therefore i cannot work due to my disability, however i cannot get dla either...i accept this as fair enough there are folks alot worse off medicially than i am at the moment...

It would seem to me from what i believe, if someone went into the social security office today, in an almost identical situation as mine, they would be placed onto ESA, and would therefore be eligable for a community care grant
but because ive been on IB for years i cannot

So as a run down, ive been homeless for approx 2 years due to marriage breakdown, i took it upon myself to find myself private rented accommodation, as it would have taken years to be offered a council home,
ive since moved into my new home and tried to make a new life for myself,
i could do with some help with furnishing my home, after 6.5 weeks im still in a home i cannot afford things like sofa, fridge, furnishings etc etc, i just got letter saying not entitled to CCG because i dont get any of the qualifying benefits..

So basicially i, in my medical condition will have to give up my new home as i cannot afford to make it confortable/safe to live in, therefore making myself homeless again,
i cant even save for these things because i dont get full help with housing benefit and i am having to pay alot ontop of the housing benetif i do get to make up the £500 a month rent i pay my landlord...

Basicially i shall have to remain homeless for the rest of my life due to my disability..

snt there something unfair about the ESA qualifying for CCG and IB not??????

please help
Thomas

rattle

It's very unfair you cannot even get a budgeting loan on IB.We get £2.56pw too much to qualify for IS.
We are hoping to move home soon after many years of waiting on the HA housing list. Our current home is privately rented and in poor condition without any heating. I too am on long term IB.
I have a serious illness which is triggered by stress and has affected my spine plus secondary related illnesses and arthritis in most of my joints.I cannot lift and have been told not to even try by my neurosurgeon. I was hoping for a grant to help us move but looks like I don't qualify. So what do we do now ? I have no friends or family that can help.No suprise really the whole system is unfair.:mad:

[Deleted User]

ALL current i/b claimants will be moved to ib esa over the next 3 years,however on some things they are jumping the gun and changes have been made eg. as you say to ccg,theres nothing to be done about that now i`m afraid,everyone had their chance when esa consultantions were being made very few could be bothered to have a say now we all pay the price.

sunnyone

woodbine wrote: »

ALL current i/b claimants will be moved to ib esa over the next 3 years,however on some things they are jumping the gun and changes have been made eg. as you say to ccg,theres nothing to be done about that now i`m afraid,everyone had their chance when esa consultantions were being made very few could be bothered to have a say now we all pay the price.

Why on earth would contributions based IB be tranfered onto income based ESA?

Can you post the link to this please?

[Deleted User]

i didnt say they would be,they will be trans to cb esa in the same time scale
sorry for the confusion

bjorky

I cant find a section for this but i was told by Jobcentre that anyone on IB will get an extra £60 between Jan to March in aphabet order, can anyone tell me if anyone with surname beginning with B has been paid out

[Deleted User]

there is NO £60 bonus this year,it was a one off LAST year