Want advice on the board? You must answer this?

Oldernotwiser

dmg24 wrote: »

Early 2008 isn't recent!

Would that be a certain someone that wanted a ridiculously sized laptop by any chance?

The Benefits regular got PPRed in April 2008, I'll PM you after my dinner to tell you more!

I remember her! She did turn upagain.

bestpud

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I remember her! She did turn upagain.

What, recently?

She had two come backs as far as I remember but that was a while ago...

Dozy mare didn't do much to hide her identity each time, as I recall.

alwaysonthego_2

bestpud wrote: »

What, recently?

She had two come backs as far as I remember but that was a while ago...

Dozy mare didn't do much to hide her identity each time, as I recall.

Was it BS?

SomeBozo

zappster1966 wrote: »

We're not here to challenge anyone.

Have to agree to disagree then zappster.

Challenging (to me) are all these type of comments, which are legit (IMO) on this board :

"Is there a reason you can't work?"
"Does the father not support his children?"
"Does your partner/wife work?"
"How much savings do you have?"


All run of the mill questions on this board, all challenges rather than just "sign posting" which they can get from any website.

Bozo

SomeBozo

dmg24 wrote: »

Early 2008 isn't recent!

Would that be a certain someone that wanted a ridiculously sized laptop by any chance?

The Benefits regular got PPRed in April 2008, I'll PM you after my dinner to tell you more!

Oooh, I want to know too, I remember it (I think).

Bozo

zappster1966

SomeBozo wrote: »

Have to agree to disagree then zappster.

Challenging (to me) are all these type of comments, which are legit (IMO) on this board :

"Is there a reason you can't work?"
"Does the father not support his children?"
"Does your partner/wife work?"
"How much savings do you have?"


All run of the mill questions on this board, all challenges rather than just "sign posting" which they can get from any website.

Bozo

That's run of the mill questions you're asking there. They're as general as some of yours have been particular.

What I disagree with is your forensic (and unhealthy) interest in a persons previous posting history. You only seem to quote people, like Mrs Paving Stones, when you want to trip them up. You never seem to quote them when it would back up what they say here.

It's that selectivity I disagree with and I don't think it'll be doing you or the board any favours.

Oldernotwiser

zappster1966 wrote: »

That's run of the mill questions you're asking there. They're as general as some of yours have been particular.

What I disagree with is your forensic (and unhealthy) interest in a persons previous posting history. You only seem to quote people, like Mrs Paving Stones, when you want to trip them up. You never seem to quote them when it would back up what they say here.

It's that selectivity I disagree with and I don't think it'll be doing you or the board any favours.

But there's no point in quoting someone whose posting history is consistent with the question they've asked. It's only when people are changing their stories that the inconsistency needs to be challenged.

zappster1966

Well, I disagree. It grates.

Combine that with a new DWP security directive which bans employees from posting as such on chatrooms, forums etc ... and which threatens serious misconduct charges, instant dismissal ... and I'm offski. It's just too much grief.

Good fortune to the many regulars on the Benefits board.

healy

zappster1966 wrote: »

Well, I disagree. It grates.

Combine that with a new DWP security directive which bans employees from posting as such on chatrooms, forums etc ... and which threatens serious misconduct charges, instant dismissal ... and I'm offski. It's just too much grief.

Good fortune to the many regulars on the Benefits board.

I will be sorry to see you go as you have given some of the best advice I have seen on this board.

Good luck for the future.

My Best Wishes.

AsknAnswer

I know no-one has actually stated that everyone who posts advice works for the DWP, or indeed the Local Authority insofar as HB/CTB/LHA is concerned, or HMRC but I do feel that it needs to be made clear to the people that don't consider it that in fact very few people who posts advice actually works for them.....a common misconception on forums like these. Some are ex employees of govt depts, some work for welfare rights, some CAB, some CPAG, some are simply people who have an interest in benefit law and have researched the law volumes and the DMG throurghly. You don't need to be employed by the DWP to know how claims work, the legislation is publicly available and fairly easy to find on the internet. In addition, the way that these processing centres work is that people are trained in the processing of one, perhaps two particular benefits. It is extremely rare to find someone who is trained in all benefits, and going by the posts I have seen on here even from long before I started posting (was a lurker for long enough), the majority of regular posters on here provide advice in several different benefits.

Some people unfortunately are not able to comprehend the legislation in the manner it is written so instead of directing people to these sites, it is far easier to explain it here in laymen's terms, showing how the legislation would apply to their particular set of circumstances, explaining how and when it should be challenged. If someone googles an issue with a benefit, chances are the sites where the legislation or broken down eligibilities are held will crop up. People may read them and not comprehend it, then post in these types of forums for advice. I've never worked in the administration of benefits, although my job involves liaising regularly with people who do. I've found these things out for myself by taking an interest in benefit law and post on the principle that people very much like their privacy and if they can find and understand the information themselves, they will. Perhaps the sticky could also include links to legislation and/or the broken down eligibilities.

That said there are also many people who are perfectly able to comprehend the legislation but feel it shouldn't apply to them and come here looking for loopholes to skirt around it, or only tell half a story so that the response will be favourable to them. Being informed in a no-nonsense manner that they are taking the P based on their recent previous posts is not bullying. It is simply pointing out how they are wasting their own time and the time of others, and it should in my opinion be pointed out. Every minute wasted on an ingenuine person's post is a minute where a genuine poster frantic with worry is awaiting an answer.