incapacity benefit and single person

ChishyChoshy

"why can some people get it and not others when they receive the same benefits?"

Put simply Incapacity Benefit isn't means tested, Income Support is so you might have larger savings/partner in same house working or on benefits affecting it that the people above didn't have.

karenx

Do you have a partner? Do they work? This could be why you dont get some things!
Also, you may have to pay towards rent because of this or because your LHA rate is lower than your rent so you do have to make up the shortfall

Oldernotwiser

Tufty wrote: »

I am currently paying for 11 prescription drugs each month, the month after paying out rent, council tax and all the bills )

Regardless of your financial situation, you should not be paying for 11 prescription items: you can get a prepayment certificate which will cover any number of items for about 10.00 per month.

calleyw

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Regardless of your financial situation, you should not be paying for 11 prescription items: you can get a prepayment certificate which will cover any number of items for about 10.00 per month.

I believe it is paid over 10 months on DD at £10.40 a month. I suspect the price has gone up again like it does every year. So the price might be a little higher now.

Yours

Calley

Owain_Moneysaver

pcboo wrote: »

a friend of mine is 55, lives on her own and claiming incapacity for the past 3 years.

Might be worth looking at Disability Living Allowance (DLA) as it's not means tested.

calleyw

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Might be worth looking at Disability Living Allowance (DLA) as it's not means tested.

They can if they have care or mobility needs.

To get lower rate care they have to be unable to prepare meal. Such a chopping and peeling and have problems carrying hot pans and not safe to use the cooker.

To get middle rate care it is above plus another hour of care per day. And any more than that then it would be higher rate.

Mobility is all about speed and gait and pain of walking. And how safe you are you are out and about on your own in strange places. Comes in two levels.

So yes if they have those sort of needs then might well get DLA.

Yours

Calley

NASA_2

Tufty wrote: »

I'm a single person receiving £89.80 as a higher rate of Incapacity Benefit and I can't get any help with NHS charges for anything!

I am currently paying for 11 prescription drugs each month, I have to pay towards my rent and Council Tax and all these things take away the biggest part of my income.

Now, I find that I need quite a lot of dental work and, unless I can get help with charges, I just won't be able to afford treatment

I completed the HC1 form and have been told that I don't qualify for any assistance with charges. I applied for Income Support as well but I don't qualify for that either. Why can some people get it and not others when they receive the same benefits? :mad:

OK, I could pay £104 for a prepaid certificate for my prescription charges - but I don't have £104 to spend (I'm lucky if I have a tenner left at the end of the month after paying out rent, council tax and all the bills )

I can't believe that there is no help available at all :mad: :mad:

Is there anything else I can do???

If you cant get Income Support after a year of being on IB then your circumstances must be such that they will mean you are not entitled. Do you have a partner, savings or other income?

septemberblues

NASA wrote: »

If you cant get Income Support after a year of being on IB then your circumstances must be such that they will mean you are not entitled. Do you have a partner, savings or other income?

The op gets most of their rent paid, IS can come in to help pay towards the interest on a mortgage.

NASA_2

septemberblues wrote: »

The op gets most of their rent paid, IS can come in to help pay towards the interest on a mortgage.

No shit.......

Tufty

NASA wrote: »

If you cant get Income Support after a year of being on IB then your circumstances must be such that they will mean you are not entitled. Do you have a partner, savings or other income?

No, I don't have a partner, I've always been single...no, I don't have savings, they've all gone on paying biils...no, I don't have any other income. I've been on the higher rate of IB for 14 months.

The prepaid cerificate for prescriptions is £104 for the year and, as I said, I just don't have that money to spare. As it is, I get half the meds when I get my benefit payment and then have to get the others a fortnight later when I get another benefit payment.

Maybe I'm just one of those people that slips through every hole in the Benefits net