Please help

catalina66

AimeesMum wrote: »

I agree with DMG you should contact someone at your local council or your local MP as it's not fair on you to have to discuss such a complicated medical condition with many benefits assessors.

You say your bills are not going to be covered by your new allowance? Do you mind if I ask how this is built up? Perhaps as you are now getting less income you will be able to claim more housing benefit or council tax benefit?

Crisis loans aren't ideal as you need to pay them back and they can be pretty difficult to obtain.

I really feel for you and hope that you can get something sorted quickly.

AimeesMum, you're a star ... many thanks ... this is something I just hadn't been able to see myself ... I have a contact at the council who I've known for a while and who is nice, and I have her email ... starting to see a ray of light emerging ... if she can advise me herself or help me about seeing an MP, that would be great.
The bills aren't debt thankfully, just normal bills ... rent, groceries/toiletries/household, water, edf, littlewoods (I had to replace the washer and microwave) and virgin media (only £17.50 just for BB, but, totally ironically this morning they called with a £4 a month deal for landline, which I accepted because I only use a mobile usually, but thought the £4 a month landline should be cheaper, as I make very few calls ... VM are due to fit the socket on Thursday) ... and, yes, I'm not keen about a crisis loan at all ... just got no income at all.
Again your advice is great, as I didn't know it may be possible to claim more housing benefit or council tax benefit ... hadn't crossed my mind. Thanks SO much. Really great help. Love from Cat

catalina66

frank_begbie wrote: »

The shocking thing is, I'm not shocked by your experience, its all too familiar.

For all the use of the medical, they may as well draw number out of a hat.

When Steven Hawking went for his medical he got 6 points I believe

it truly does feel like they just drew a number out of a hat!

sunnyone

If you failed the IB medical you will not have a chance at getting ESA, as dmg says welfare rights is your best bet and I believe that you can claim a reduced rate of IS while you appeal (if you fulfil all criteria) unless this has already been stopped.

catalina66

sunnyone wrote: »

If you failed the IB medical you will not have a chance at getting ESA, as dmg says welfare rights is your best bet and I believe that you can claim a reduced rate of IS while you appeal (if you fulfil all criteria) unless this has already been stopped.

thanks sunnyone ... dreadful but realistic ... reduced IS the man at the jobcentre said was 52 a week ... despairing at how 208 a month will cover 326 in normal bills! ... but great that you and dmg are advising welfare rights ... I've looked them up and emailed about pos appointment on Tuesday morning.
Many thanks again, Cat

catalina66

Also just realised I can't now afford to travel to rape counselling ... but with housing benefits and council tax benefits may be able to just manage the bills?

cit_k

AimeesMum wrote: »

I am sorry to hear about this. You will need to appeal. Write a VERY detailed letter as in the first instance your appeal is read by a decision maker at the benefits office. Unfortunately, I have never heard of anyone being successful in having it overturned by a decision maker but do not skimp around the details. Go into every point in detail that you do not agree with. Also, comment on how intrusive it is for you to have to go through this again as your situation is just awful.

My partner appealed and it almost a year before his appeal was heard and he won. They gave him all his back dated money.

As we weren't entitled for my partner to claim anything as I was working I am unsure what you claim while you are waiting but contact the Job Centre as soon as possible and find out.

Wishing you lots of luck.

It does appear to be uncommon for it to happen, but I can confirm it has happened - in fact, it has happened to me....

Usually, after getting a disallowance letter I am to distraught to write a long letter, but once, i did manage to stay angry enough to muster up the strenght to do so - and I also told them I had a recording (done covertly) of the assessment and quoted word for word what I had said, and how it differed from the report, ie the assessors lies.

They never even asked to listen to a copy of the recording, and the benefit was re-instated.

All other times, it went to tribunal, as I was not up to detailing stuff at that point in time.

cit_k

catalina66 wrote: »

Also just realised I can't now afford to travel to rape counselling ... but with housing benefits and council tax benefits may be able to just manage the bills?

If you can get your MP involved, it may help.

Then again it may not, I got an MP involved, and it just seemed to help as in I got a reply, which fobbed both of us off... Some people report more success with MP involvement though, its worth a shot.

Remeber you have one month to appeal...

catalina66

many thanks cit_k ... much appreciate your advice ... I know exactly what you mean about feeling distraught and can understand ... I've frozen up, feel overwhelmed and dead inside, but have to make myself note down advice and get on with that. You also advising to write in detail asap is great ... and will cross my fingers and hope I find that the MP is good ... thanks for reminding me about that I have a month. Much appreciate your advice. Glad things worked out for you; good ... and also encouraging to read. Love from Cat

kim63

Hi Cat,
I'm so sorry to hear how they've made you feel. I went through exactly the same thing back in February. They are no help at all when you phone them. Once I eventually got through to someone who could help I was told to fill the appeal form in. I also got some help from the Citizens Advice Bureau who took a great deal of the worry away & dealt directly with them. You also need to phone them & ask to have your money paid at a reduced rate until the appeal is heard. I'm not sure how much this will effect you but for me it was a bout £20 a week less.
I just felt total despair, victimised & that they were calling me a liar.
It's their forms that are at fault & the doctor that saw me was not fit to assess me in a 15 minute interview.
There was a chap on the One Show a couple of weeks ago with quite severe Parkinsons disease & he scored nothing!!!!!! Which in theory meant he had absolutely nothing wrong him.
They are using these forms & not treating each person as an individual. We all know there are people out there who are on the fiddle, but there are also genuine people whose lives are being made considerably worse by all this.
I hope you can find the correct numbers to phone & get the advice you need.
Take care & I hope you get something sorted tomorrow. Hope you get this tonight & it helps you sleep.

preciousillusions

I am really sorry you are having to deal with this Cat. I hope that you can get the decision overturned and that the process will be as painless as possible. This is so unfair and makes me angry and upset on your behalf. Thinking of you right now. xxx