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benefits bureaucracy!
fred_n_freda
Posts: 2 Newbie
Fed up and frustrated with Benefits bureaucracy! After spending many, many hours filling forms in, finding documents they keep asking for (that they've already had), and trying to produce totally irrelevant info (such as a P45/P60 from 18 years ago) I've eventually been awarded £6.71 per week Pension Credit. It has taken them 13 weeks to decide this. It has also taken the local Council just as long to decide I can have only 25% of my council tax paid for me - when actually the award of Pension Credit now entitles me to a 100% reduction. Wonder how long it will take them to sort that out?
I had heard of the 'new benefit' that came out in January this year - the Support for Mortgage Interest - so I applied for that too. It's another Government con trick as far as I'm concerned. They don't actually give out any extra money at all - they just allow you to keep a bit more of the money you already have, and say that you should be paying your mortgage from it. In my case they are now taking £6.61 OFF my Pension Credit (leaving me with 10p per week Pension Credit) and sending it to my mortgage lender. I still have to pay the rest of my mortgage, i.e. a further £42 per week, plus the Endowment policy at £63 per week. They tell me that I have no right of appeal against the decision to take money from my Pension Credit and pay it direct to the mortgage lender, and that if I'm not receiving enough Pension Credit for them to make those payments they make take more money from my state retirement pension or any other Benefits I receive!
So all that effort. and all that waiting, and all that stress, has left me with 10p extra per week in my pocket. Oh, mustn't forget the £6.61, but is that their contribution to my mortgage costs, or is it mine? I wish I hadn't bothered.
freda
I had heard of the 'new benefit' that came out in January this year - the Support for Mortgage Interest - so I applied for that too. It's another Government con trick as far as I'm concerned. They don't actually give out any extra money at all - they just allow you to keep a bit more of the money you already have, and say that you should be paying your mortgage from it. In my case they are now taking £6.61 OFF my Pension Credit (leaving me with 10p per week Pension Credit) and sending it to my mortgage lender. I still have to pay the rest of my mortgage, i.e. a further £42 per week, plus the Endowment policy at £63 per week. They tell me that I have no right of appeal against the decision to take money from my Pension Credit and pay it direct to the mortgage lender, and that if I'm not receiving enough Pension Credit for them to make those payments they make take more money from my state retirement pension or any other Benefits I receive!
So all that effort. and all that waiting, and all that stress, has left me with 10p extra per week in my pocket. Oh, mustn't forget the £6.61, but is that their contribution to my mortgage costs, or is it mine? I wish I hadn't bothered.
freda
0
Comments
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Well next time, don't bother. It may only be a small amount, but most people would be grateful for any help they receive.Gone ... or have I?0
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It may only be £6.71 per week now but once the council get their act together it will be worth a lot more because you won't have to pay council tax. £6.71 per week = £348.92 per year plus free council tax - surely that's not all bad?0
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