What are my options in claiming benefits?

EltonJohnFan

Good evening all,

I've been "directed" to attend a Back to Work session tommorow by the DWP and I'm really dreading it because I've been reading up on what people have to say about it and in truth I just want to find work, not be shoved into pointless classes telling me what I already know. I've been on Contributions Based Jobseekers Allowance for just over six months and because of that I'm due to be transferred over to Income Based Jobseekers Allowance but at my meeting on Monday they gave me immediate notice that they required me to attend a Back to Work session on Wednesday and that I'd lose my benefit if I didn't attend. To tell you the truth, I've all but given up on finding work at this moment in time because as I say I've been trying for over six months and it's just not happening, countless people out of work here and my local council area is actually almost at the very bottom of the statistics list for employment and so on which means things are very bleak here right now and I can only see them getting worse. I don't know what else I can do to find work because I'm checking the internet, browsing newspapers, sending out CVs and applying for countless jobs with only a very small minority of them actually bothering to get back to me... just to say I haven't been succesful in most cases. I've tried to tell the Department for Work and Pensions right from the start that I'm limited in what work I can actually do because I'm very seriously disabled and have extensive care and mobility needs which they're well aware of but just don't seem to understand. A lot of the advisors are very harsh and basically demand that I apply for jobs I can't do or aren't practical and I mean seriously, how could someone in my position do cleaning, factory work and construction etc? it's just not possible. I'm seriously thinking about signing off Jobseekers Allowance completely because I haven't been helped at all in finding work I've just been pestered and hounded when I'm doing all I can but they don't seem to care.

I don't really want to claim Employment and Support Allowance but if it's the only benefit I can claim then I guess I have no choice in the matter. I was previously on Income Support way back in 2007 and came off this benefit in early 2008 when I started to work again. I hate the idea of pestering my GP for sick notes all the time (which is why I'm reluctant to claim it) and I've heard a lot of horror stories regarding this benefit too. I don't want to be in a situation where I've no money coming in and causing myself uneccesary problems but I know within myself I can't take anymore rejection for I've had six months of that and six months of the Jobcentre bullying me into taking any job, no matter how little hours it is and they don't seem to care if it's not even permanent, as long as I'm off their books. I've been made to feel like a scrounger which I most certainly am not and I just want this whole nightmare to end. Could you possible tell me if I can still claim Income Support? I've been told that I can't claim this benefit anymore and yet other people are telling me that I can because they can "link" benefits and I was alo told by an advisor that I still have an open claim for Income Support but that no money is actually being paid. I currently receive the Disablility Premium and Severe Disability Premium in my Jobseekers Allowance which brings me up to £133.50 per week and I also receive Disability Living Allowance of £66.75 per week which gives me a grand total of £200.25, not including my Rent and Council Tax Benefit. I really appreciate anything you can tell me, thank you very much. PS, I've tried the Entitled2 calculator and the DWP one and both come back saying to claim for Income Support and that's why I'm confused because I'm told I can't claim it.

DX2

I would say no for Income support IIRC IS is more for single parents and carers, you really need to claim ESA if you are ill. You maybe entitled to Income support top up's due to your disability.

Who can get Income Support

It's for people who all the following apply to:

• are between age 16 and the age they can get Pension Credit
• have a low income
• work less than 16 hours a week
• aren't in full-time study (but there are some exceptions)
• don't get Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance
• don't have savings above £16,000
• live in Great Britain

You may get Income Support if you are one of the following:

• a lone parent
• on parental or paternity leave
• a carer
• a refugee learning English who arrived less than a year ago

dmg24

OP, you keep asking the same questions - if you are unsure of how to check your old threads please ask.

EltonJohnFan

dmg24 wrote: »

OP, you keep asking the same questions - if you are unsure of how to check your old threads please ask.

Hi,

To be honest I'm not sure how to find my old posts, would really appreciate help in finding out how to do that actually I think I managed to do it once but I haven't been able to find my old posts since that time, really frustrating as I can't link information and have to manually search through the forums for posts by myself which as you can imagine takes some time.

dmg24

Click on Quick Links at the top of the page (just above Private Messages), then My Profile. Then if you go to Statistics you'll find all your posts.