Income Support Appeal....am I in the wrong???

Lauzxx

Hi

Cut a very long story short...

I am a full time student in uni, with a dependant child.

I am NOT in receipt of the FULL student loan i.e. I do not get the maintenance grant or tuition fee grant due to previous study (only for this year)

Anyway, there r some exceptions to the rule that full time uni students cannot apply for Income Support, which is where i fit in, so I thought id apply. A ll the info was on direct.gov so tried my luck, i at least thought id get a lesser amount due to being unemployed also.

I made the claim intially over the phone and then brought all the relevant documents in to be copied 2 days later, including my student loans notification (breakdown).

Ita ll processed, was receiving IS since Oct to March. Had a customer compliance woman come out to my house in late Feb, she stated they had no recollection or evidence that I was a student, when i had statted and that I was recieving this money!!!!! OMFG!! I could have died!!

Anyway, i made it clear that i took all evidence to the JCP to be copied......They then sent me a letter to say (dated 16th march) i was not entitled to IS as of 1st Jan 2010 blah blah blah.....still trying to say i didnt show them my income.

I appealed this straight away for 2 reasons. Firstly, i wanted to know how they came up with all of these figures they had wrote down, to determine whether i was or wasnt eligible, as the breakdown letter did not suffice at all.....and secondly, that i DID bring evidence in to be copied and where that had gone/misplaced??? i am sooooooooooo annoyed....

Fast forward to Friday, i recieved an almighty pack from the decision maker of the DWP to state that the decision was that case be closed and referred to Debt Management for Overpayment!!!!!....but what i DO NOT understand is this.....

He sent me a FAT document filled with my initial application that i had signed, my appeal letter, evidence that i gave the customer compliance woman when she came ......and then one of the pages is my Finacial Notification for my student finance there in black and white.....STAMPED BY SOMEBODY CALLED JANET!! DATE:23RD SEPTEMBER 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So he, has sent me a copy of what i already knew they had seen, YET he is saying that i hadnt provided anything and that they didnt know i was a student!!!!

OMFG!! Please somebody tell me if im going bananas PLEEAAAAASE!! As to me, he has shot himself in the foot!!!

Im now waiting for a Tribunal date to b set.....and of course, I now have an overpayment with the housing benefit that i believe I should not pay as they sent me the letter dated march saying from jan i should not be entitled, yet i was on IS right up tuntil March!!!!!!

Somebody!! HELP!!

dmg24

Was Janet definitely from the JCP and not the university? If she was from the JCP, I would be contacting your MP for assistance.

NASA_2

What exactly do you need help with? You've already appealed the decision and state that you have evidence that you did tell them you were a student.

Just out of interest, are you receiving DLA?

Lauzxx

Hiya

Nope, not on DLA altho i am a Disabled student. Janet must be somebody from the JCP and i say this because the stamp which they used says "I CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE COPY OF THE ORIGINAL" THEN SIGNED AND DATED....PLUS!! now i have finished my academic year I am DEFO eligible for IS therefore i made a new claim.....when i was at the Job centre, the Lone Parent advisor was goin thru all my deatils that they had on her screen, so she asked me to read to check my name, age etc was correct....and then to my suprise.....i see something that clearly said 23.09.09 Claimant produce student loan documents and stated she was starting uni on 14.09.09!!! SO!! I straight away explained to her that OMG Ive been told they have no evidence of this yet it states on their computer that I did.....and this was added by somebody called xxx-xxxx so i said to her to print that off now!!! whic she did.....GOD!!! I am soooooooooooo livid at the fact that I am having to got thu this....

When i called the Income Supprt team tho, they say that their system and the jcp system are not the same and they could not seethat information that i has seen and had printed off!! How sh*t!! ive already made clear that I WILL NOT be responsible for the 2 depts not communicating effectively with each other....surely this demonstrates incompetetnce on someone behalf????

Lauzxx

How do i find my local MP details?.....thats a good one!!! Im in the process of addressing this to the actual decision maker as i feel he has been incompetent in his own bloody job....JEEZ!! Ive been working since 16 and the 1 time i stop full time work to better myself, the system tries to screw me over!!

dmg24

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/ will give you details of your MP.

On a constructive note, I would try to calm down a tad before contacting them. Your posts are coming across as a big old rant.

Wee_Willy_Harris

I wouldn't rely too much on your MP. They don't understand the finer points of the legislation they pass!!! All he/she will do is churn out a standard letter asking them to "look into the matter". Public bodies aren't as in awe of MPS as you might think. Might be better finding your student welfare officer, or even your NUS rep or CAB.

Lauzxx

@DMG24, I understand that my posts come acroos a bit stern and possibly negative but you r not in my position. If i am required to report change of circumstance etc etc and do not do so then they !!! down on me like a ton of bricks, yet when it is the other way round and they are in the wrong it takes ages for them to address the issue, and when they do it still aint sorted. They have a job to do, they should do it correctly. If i was employed, the same would be expected of me. I am not in a position to have overpayments due to somebody elses error, no thanks.

Finally, I am calmer about the situation now this evidence has come to light but creating an equilibrium between that stress, and stresses from HB, personal issue, studying, being a parent of a child who is being admitted into hospital 2moro, keeping a roof over my head and having a very low income does not exist im afraid. Im trying my best and I i know my rights, and whether or not it cumz off as a rant i dont give a flying f*ck becasue its dog eat dog out there......who sorts it if i dont?? ok then.

Lauzxx

Thank u xx, i will try and get some advice from the CAB as i'll need a representative at this tribunal.

DX2

I best not say then that a tribrunal will take months to be heard

iamana1ias

Lauzxx wrote: »

@DMG24, I understand that my posts come acroos a bit stern and possibly negative but you r not in my position. If i am required to report change of circumstance etc etc and do not do so then they !!! down on me like a ton of bricks, yet when it is the other way round and they are in the wrong it takes ages for them to address the issue, and when they do it still aint sorted. They have a job to do, they should do it correctly. If i was employed, the same would be expected of me. I am not in a position to have overpayments due to somebody elses error, no thanks.

Finally, I am calmer about the situation now this evidence has come to light but creating an equilibrium between that stress, and stresses from HB, personal issue, studying, being a parent of a child who is being admitted into hospital 2moro, keeping a roof over my head and having a very low income does not exist im afraid. Im trying my best and I i know my rights, and whether or not it cumz off as a rant i dont give a flying f*ck becasue its dog eat dog out there......who sorts it if i dont?? ok then.

If this is what your university churns out, I'd get used to dealing with the jobcentre if I was you.