homelessness and Severe Disability Premium

cowsnhope

Hi. A friend of mine was made homeless two weeks ago - he was receiving Employment Support Allowance and the DLA middle rate plus the lower rate for mobility; he was also getting the Severe Disability Premium. My friend has now lost the premium and was told by his benefits office that this was because he was homeless - I have looked on the internet and it seems that he needs to be classed as living alone to get this money but I would've thought that being homeless would be classed as living alone. Could anyone tell me if the benefits office's decision seems correct; my friend needs all the money he can get to get enough money together to secure new accommodation. Many thanks

wolfehouse

you'd need to check with someone up on the latest
but just wanted to say i have known some homeless people who get severe disability premium

when they have it stopped it is usually because they need to notify a new adress whenever they change adress...

i'm sure someone who knows more will answer soon.

Jowo_2

I can't answer your query but do take note that a lot of local councils run deposit guarantee schemes for those on low income/in housing need.

The Shelter organisation is also good to help them understand their rights and their options relating to homelessness.

tcr_3

Doesn't it depend on whether your friend is a "Person Without Accommodation PWA" (e.g. sleeping rough) or of "No Fixed Abode NFA" (e.g. crashing with one friend then another) ?

PWA's can't get disability premiums, NFA's can (for Severe Disability Premium it's subject to the usual rules about who they're living with etc).

So I think it depends on the nature of your friend's homelessness as to whether they'll retain their disability premiums or not, that's the way I read it anyway. I might not actually be correct on this, it's a "best guess", but that's the way Income Support operate their premiums, I figure ESA use the same principle ?

oldestrocker

tcr wrote: »

Doesn't it depend on whether your friend is a "Person Without Accommodation PWA" (e.g. sleeping rough) or of "No Fixed Abode NFA" (e.g. crashing with one friend then another) ?

PWA's can't get disability premiums, NFA's can (for Severe Disability Premium it's subject to the usual rules about who they're living with etc).

So I think it depends on the nature of your friend's homelessness as to whether they'll retain their disability premiums or not, that's the way I read it anyway. I might not actually be correct on this, it's a "best guess", but that's the way Income Support operate their premiums, I figure ESA use the same principle ?

Knowing absolutely nothing about this subject, I can't even attempt to offer any help.

But I personally think that this is a shambles!!

The poor guy is still disabled, but because he is homeless and probably crashing down where ever he can inside or outside, it doesn't matter, he loses some of his benefit??????

Gee talk about kicking a person when he is down. What do the damn Government want? Go and disappear somewhere??

I am totally ashamed to think that I have always believed that those in need will get all of the help they require.
I'm sorry, but words fail me!!

What is happening to this country?

tcr_3

oldestrocker wrote: »

Knowing absolutely nothing about this subject, I can't even attempt to offer any help.

But I personally think that this is a shambles!!

The poor guy is still disabled, but because he is homeless and probably crashing down where ever he can inside or outside, it doesn't matter, he loses some of his benefit??????

Gee talk about kicking a person when he is down. What do the damn Government want? Go and disappear somewhere??

I am totally ashamed to think that I have always believed that those in need will get all of the help they require.
I'm sorry, but words fail me!!

What is happening to this country?

It's nothing new, that's been the rule for I.S. since 1988, PWA's lose their disability premiums and have to exist on a level of benefit way below that of someone with their own home. I don't know why the regulations were drafted like that "way back then".

I'm kinda hoping someone might pass by to clarify the rules about ESA, SDP & homelessness.

richard9991

tcr wrote: »

It's nothing new, that's been the rule for I.S. since 1988, PWA's lose their disability premiums and have to exist on a level of benefit way below that of someone with their own home. I don't know why the regulations were drafted like that "way back then".

I'm kinda hoping someone might pass by to clarify the rules about ESA, SDP & homelessness.

it may be that they dont have extra living expenceses ie extra lecy gas etc

cowsnhope

Firstly thanks so much to all those people who replied and to those who read my message possibly with the intention of helping if they could – it is really heart-warming that nearly 200 people took the time to think about this. I’ll answer your generous replies in the order they were submitted.

wolfehouse - I think you have got to the crux of this matter – my friend has used a care of address for the benefits office to contact him but is not living there – he is staying between two friends flats, the first friend is working and renting privately but is worried that his landlord will find out he is sub letting and so will not allow my friend to give out his address – nor can he stay there for long; my friend’s other friend is unemployed and claiming housing benefit and will not allow his address to be given out for fear that it will affect his own benefits ( although thinking about it my friend has only stayed there a few nights so it probably wouldn’t). I am thinking that unless my friend can tell the benefits people where he is staying each night he probably isn’t going to get this payment back. Thank you for your advice and for starting this thread going.


Jowo – Thank you for responding to the underlying homeless problem here – my friend has been down to the council and is waiting for their decision about the rent deposit scheme – however it would still definitely help if he could save some money as in his position he really needs to cover all his options. If the council are less helpful than I am hoping then I will try Shelter – again it is good to know that help is out there and that it is there because of people’s kindness.


Tcr – I think you have got the answer here as wolfehouse did – because my friend has not been able to tell the benefits office where he is temporarily staying he probably isn’t going to get his Severe Disability Premium even though as a person of NFA it would appear from what you say that he is entitled to it. Thank you so much for your contribution.


Oldestrocker – Thank you for the feeling behind your words – it is really uplifting to see that someone cares enough to be so passionate.


Richard9991 – I think that you may be right in that the benefits agency has reduced my friend’s benefits because he is not paying gas bills etc – thank you for answering this point because I couldn’t see any logic in him loosing this money. Unfortunately whilst this makes sense in theory in practice my friends living expenses have gone up because the main person he is staying with (he’s sleeping in his front room) is changing him rent for this which he now has to pay out of his reduced benefits – he can’t claim housing benefit for living there as he can’t use this address.

In summary – thank you all again – I think my friend is best advised to see if his friends will consider letting him use their addresses.

sunnyone

oldestrocker wrote: »

Knowing absolutely nothing about this subject, I can't even attempt to offer any help.

But I personally think that this is a shambles!!

The poor guy is still disabled, but because he is homeless and probably crashing down where ever he can inside or outside, it doesn't matter, he loses some of his benefit??????

Gee talk about kicking a person when he is down. What do the damn Government want? Go and disappear somewhere??

I am totally ashamed to think that I have always believed that those in need will get all of the help they require.
I'm sorry, but words fail me!!

What is happening to this country?

As you have said you know nothing about it, disabled parents lose the SDP when a child gets to 18, does that make the parent well again?

If you are married or live together as man and wife you lose the SDP unless your wife/husband/partner also gets at least middle rate care DLA, does a disabled person living with another person that they are in a relationship with make them well again?

If you want to sound off about something do it about the removal of SDP as a whole from many disabled people and not just this homeless one, every disabled person (who gets M/HRC) should get the SDP and not just selected sections, the rules as they are cause imense hardship for many disabled people and some 18 year olds have been forced to leave home at 18 when the parents money was suddenly cut by a massive amount, often without notice and certainly without justification, the 18 year old cant replace the missing money nor can a low paid wife or husband espcially when they only work part time due to carering for the disabled person.

OP its not just this period of homelessness that the homeless person has to worry about but who they can live with full stop, a house share or the like will mean extra paperwork and the suspension of the SDP while the DWP decide if it can be paid at all which is something to be taken into consideration for their longterm housing.

Kimitatsu

Can I ask why he is homeless? Has he made a homeless persons application to the council? Many councils will give them a housing options interview rather than a homelessness application if they can.

Firstly he needs to INSIST on making a homeless persons application, the council then have to house him (even if just in hostel accomodation) whilst they make a decision and they have to give him an interview at the place of his choosing within 48 hours.

What is his disability? Can you give us an indication as to the award for his SDP? From there we could probably give you the grounds on which to appeal.

Finally.....for now anyway! Does he have a support worker? It astonishes me that if he is a vulnerable person (and he is having SDP) then he can have been evicted and made homeless, there should have been appropriate support given throughout the process and there should have been help for him now.

Sorry more questions than help currently but if you can give me some pointers then I should be able to be more constructive!

katerinasol

I don't know about benefits, but has your friend looked at getting housing accommodation? My fianc! works in a company that provides rooms to homeless people, it's not a great solution but it's better than having no home at all, that way he would have an address too. They're not commonly advertised as far as I know but if the council are being unhelpful, maybe Shelter could direct him to one of those? Good luck to him!