Why am I being penalized?

SuziQ

cant your doctor right you out a prescription for a bigger supply of the tablets? this would save money

GP's are now only supposed to give either the course of tablets (ie 5 days,7 days etc of antibiotics) or enough to just last one month. They are within their rights to refuse to dispense any more of a drug until the month is up. My daily dose of a medication doubled recently,and I had to really badger my GP to give me an earlier script as I had almost run out. OP you would be better off buying a prepayment-which you can do online and pay for monthly,as it would only cost you the equivalent of 1 & 1/2 prescriptions or just inder that a month.

missmontana

My dad has to get 6 months worth of meds in one go, as he lives abroad for half the year.
I guess it all depends on the relationship you have with your doctor, some are more helpful than others. He's even done appointments over the phone while he's been away.
Hope you're doing OK Bubbles x

missmontana

Gracekelly wrote: »

Hi all

Can someone tell me why it is that because I am on Cont based ESA I am not entitled to any help with my heating???? What is the difference between Cont based and Income based???? I have been on ESA since march 09 and at the moment once I have certain things taken out of my benefit I am only on 50.85 a week.

I live in privately rented accommodation and my radiators need replacing but my landlord said I could have it done when my rent is up to date in the mean time in order to have the heat in my sitting room I have to have all rads on and its costing me a fortune. I am on pre payment meters which don't and are taking roughly £45 a week for both gas and electric in this cold weather.

Can i get anymore help? and why am I being penalized for paying my NI??? I don't get any other money btw. My tax credits and child ben stopped when my son reached 18 last year and he has since moved out. I cant move as I am in a contract and also cant afford to move, also I need to have a bungalow as I cant get up stairs because of my condition and I am waiting for a date for an ESA Tribunal as the medical said I can work when my GP said that there is no way I can work.

TIA

Grace

Contact Warm Front, I have just been assessed and am getting loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and draught proofing.
The assessor also said if my boiler were to break down they would more than likely replace it with a new one.
He said he'd been to 5 properties in the last 2 days and they were all going to get new central heating fitted.

daska

missmontana wrote: »

Contact Warm Front, I have just been assessed and am getting loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and draught proofing.
The assessor also said if my boiler were to break down they would more than likely replace it with a new one.
He said he'd been to 5 properties in the last 2 days and they were all going to get new central heating fitted.

If you're renting privately then WarmFront won't help with insulation, the boiler or central heating as that is the landlord's responsibility. They will come and fit draught strip around your doors and windows

NASA_2

daska wrote: »

and this one raises it's ugly head again...

just had a call from the JC+ to tell me that while I have applied for and qualified for ESA (IR) there is no such thing as an underlying entitlement to it and therefore I don't qualify for cold weather payments or help with healthcare costs. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.....!

Apparently, according to the 'decision maker' the reason is that if the amount awarded for ESA (CB) is the same as the amount that would be awarded for ESA (IR) then it takes precedence over ESA (IR). This is because they need to make sure that the money comes out of the "correct pot".

I see no valid reason for imposing a financial penalty and making me liable for additional costs just because I have worked and paid my NI contributions. Their decision means that I am worse off than if I had sat on my bum and not bothered to go out to work.

So I've written to my MP. Anyone else care to join me?

BTW, I've deliberately not complicated the issue by talking about Self-Employed people. I am doing a direct comparison between someone who has paid NI conts and someone who has never worked. The fact that SE people also benefit is from this policy is not an issue for me.

I did more or less say that in the thread you started. ESA(C) is paid first if it is payable at the same rate of ESA(IR). This has been the way for a long long time so I dont see that writing to your MP will do much good. They legislated it this way.

DX2

daska wrote: »

If you're renting privately then WarmFront won't help with insulation, the boiler or central heating as that is the landlord's responsibility. They will come and fit draught strip around your doors and windows

If you own your own home or rent it from a private landlord, you may be eligible for a grant of up to £3,500 (or £6,000 where oil, low carbon or renewable technologies are recommended) under the Warm Front Scheme. Warm Front Grants are available in England only; other schemes operate in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
http://www.warmfront.co.uk/do-i-qualify.htm

daska

DX2 wrote: »

If you own your own home or rent it from a private landlord, you may be eligible for a grant of up to £3,500 (or £6,000 where oil, low carbon or renewable technologies are recommended) under the Warm Front Scheme. Warm Front Grants are available in England only; other schemes operate in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
http://www.warmfront.co.uk/do-i-qualify.htm

that's what it says but when they came to assess the flat I rent they were very clear that, if privately rented, the LL is liable for the boiler, central heating etc.

daska

NASA wrote: »

I did more or less say that in the thread you started. ESA(C) is paid first if it is payable at the same rate of ESA(IR). This has been the way for a long long time so I dont see that writing to your MP will do much good. They legislated it this way.

Sorry, I obviously misunderstood. It's still iniquitous that someone who has contributed should be treated less well than someone who hasn't. It should be the same for everyone or, if there really has to be a distinction, a premium for having made a contribution.

And I don't see why I shouldn't write, perhaps if more people bothered the legislation might be fairer in future.

shazza71_2

daska, i totally agree with you,
its a bloody disgrace that people work and pay there dues and are penalised for it..
No wonder a lot of people dont bother to find work, sit on your !!! doing nothing = everything free, work your !!! off, pay your dues = nothing...

sharon

rubbersoul

I feel exactly the same way.. being on contributions based IB. And as for the DWP advisors I found them pretty useless. This is going back nearly 7 years now but I was such a mess I didnt leave the house for 6 months, rent and bills chewed through my savings so by the time I actually applied for benefits I was broke. I'd been self employed when I got sick so I had a short fall to make up in my NI contribution which I managed to borrow some money from family to do, so my whole claim was delayed. No one told me I could claim Income Support while I waited. I didnt actually deal with this myself but my Dad continually chased my claim for me and finally found someone at the DWP who was shocked at my story and gave him her direct line, even after she was transfered to another department she continued to follow up my claim and also got me sorted out with IS. When the IB was awarded I was on both IS and IB for a while and had full rent & council tax paid... then my IB rate went up and they stopped the IS.. the IB went up about a pound, but suddendly I'd lost the IS, had to pay towards my rent & council tax, and fill out an HC1 form for dental care (until maybe about a year ago IB was under a tick box on the prescription). Extra paperwork, less money, and more stress. Because I paid my NI, oh and I lost CWP which I had had a few times living in the frozen north.
I finally applied for DLA after someone said oh you don't get that... I didnt know I was entitled. And I can tell you the first thing I did when I got the entitlement letter was put the heating on and pay off bills.
The system is far from perfect, and the arguement that people on contributions based benefits might have thousands in the bank could be solved by means testing for CWP not just well you dont get it.
The main thing though is you have to look for yourself as to what you are entitled to, the DWP advisors get paid whether you get want you deserve or need or not.