Crisis Loan

sharski

TBH.. I have seen, first hand, the types of 'crisis' that people come out with... and, believe me, the vast majority are NOT a crisis!
And that is the reason that the phone lines are ALWAYS busy - genuine people cannot get through...

My office (large town which calls itself a city!) pays out approx 100 crisis loans each day, with most reasons being 'I left my purse on the bus/in the market, etc' or 'my wallet fell out of my pocket, etc'... and it's the same people each week giving the same excuses! You get to know the names after a while! And yes.. the DWP nees to learn how to say 'no' to these people but then you get the old 'human rights' lecture!

Blame these people for not being able to get through - there are ample phone lines but the promise of an 'interest-free' loan is just too tempting to some...

Harsh but true..

Bamber19

sharski wrote: »

TBH.. I have seen, first hand, the types of 'crisis' that people come out with... and, believe me, the vast majority are NOT a crisis!
And that is the reason that the phone lines are ALWAYS busy - genuine people cannot get through...

My office (large town which calls itself a city!) pays out approx 100 crisis loans each day, with most reasons being 'I left my purse on the bus/in the market, etc' or 'my wallet fell out of my pocket, etc'... and it's the same people each week giving the same excuses! You get to know the names after a while! And yes.. the DWP nees to learn how to say 'no' to these people but then you get the old 'human rights' lecture!

Blame these people for not being able to get through - there are ample phone lines but the promise of an 'interest-free' loan is just too tempting to some...

Harsh but true..

When I worked there the most common type of person to visit a Jobcentre and ask for the CL number or form would be the local junkies, one after another, all apparently in crisis, all completely on another planet. I often wondered what nonsense they put on their forms or said on the phones when the truth was "Spent all my money on heroin."

You'd also see the same signers with conversations in their record, constant crisis loan awards or rejections, these people were rarely in crisis but just used the service like an overdraft.

Edit: I'm not for a minute suggesting everyone that needs a crisis loan is a junkie but offering a suggestion as to why you struggle to get through. THe lines are being clogged by people who aren't really in need, who will claim a CL for food but use it for heroin, and anyone who ahs ever talked to someone who is out of it on heroin will understand that a 5 minute phone call with a normal person is a 20 minute call with a user.

marydot

I just wanted to post this link up it maybe helpful to others in the same situation as mine.


http://www.irs-review.org.uk/faq/cl.htm#what


I really do hope i get accepted for a job soon!

AsknAnswer

alwaysonthego wrote: »

That's terrible AsknAnswer, I hope your DD made a speedy recovery. It must be every mother's nightmare, I am surprised the hospital did not help you!

Thank you always.

She did make a full recovery thankfully but came so close to death. The first hospital (in my local area) mucked about for 12 hours telling me she had a "virus". They only realised the seriousness of the situation when she slipped into unconciousness and her breathing became shallow. Straight to ITC following a lumbar puncture, placed on a ventilaror, heart monitor, wires everywhere, to await transfer to a specialist children's hospital. Seeing your tiny baby lying on an adult bed (they only have an adult ITC in my local hospital) covered in tubes and wires and being helpless to do anything is heart wrenching, it's an image I will live with forever and would not wish it in my worst enemy. I grew to despise the words "we hope so" given in answer to "have they caught it in time?" or "will she live". Being sat down and told by the specialist that even if she survives, she will likely have lifelong after effects, including severe brain danage - I can't describe the pain I felt.

She made a full recovery and suffers no ill effects. The Dr described it as a miracle. It is the worst case he'd seen without seeing a death. The disease was so advanced by the time it was discovered that hope was low.

Howevermy other daughter is disabled - I was fully prepared for that though. Was advised to terminate my pregnancy due to medication I'd been on for recurrent womb infections before I'd found out I was pregnant. I took the attitude that any child can be born perfectly healthy but develop a disability as the result of an accident or a disease, because my first daughter in the post above contracted a killer disease that could have left her disabled, and I would not have loved her any less. So I continued with the pregnancy. Her diability isn't life threatening, it's mild, it's common and she should live a full and healthy life - and it's nothing to do with the medication I was on, the cause isn't known.

atomicsheep

Although the SF need to protect its funds Im afraid they used a made up blanket rule in your case by not awarding a CL.
I think you could have been awarded should you have had any future means of paying it back. It's very rare that a person has no income or no future potential income.

alwaysonthego_2

All respect to you AsknAnswer!

I am glad your dd1 is fully recovered and I can only imagine what heartache you experienced. Enjoy the rest of your school holidays with your gorgeous girls, hopefully you are not pulling your hair out at times like me

NASA_2

atomicsheep wrote: »

Although the SF need to protect its funds Im afraid they used a made up blanket rule in your case by not awarding a CL.
I think you could have been awarded should you have had any future means of paying it back. It's very rare that a person has no income or no future potential income.

That's very true.

There are people who are employed and in crisis but SF tend to just turn them away using the 'no qualifying benefit' excuse. Of course, if they did start handing them out to employed people then it would most probably be abused, but there is a line somewhere that should allow genuine cases (And a few numpties) to access the system.

AsknAnswer

Crisis Loans doesn't require a qualifying benefit. Employed people are entitled so long as they meet the directions. Sadly at the time like I said I had no idea of the system, and I didn't realise I had the right to review, it was never mentioned.

Our school holidays end this week, but haven't really noticed the difference as I work full time, but my childminder will lol. I take my hat off to her, hard work looking after other people's children with all different needs!

marydot

Last week i applied for a budgeting loan, as i could not get through to the crisis loan phone line ,wedesday just gone i received a call from them that the loan was refused, as i was not claiming benefits for 26 weeks, i had just come off Jsa con on 23 july and reapplied for jsa income based on 6 august. I had my first signing on date 18 august tuesday and today there was money in my account. I guess the loan ppl speeded up my claim,as i did not recieve a reward letter yet so far as it. Thumbs up to them !!! I can eat well tonight.