Need advice please - no money and no gas / electricity

vbanks78

I would phone or ask the CAB/ Benifits advisor (if genuinely sorry for your situ but unable to help because of system ) to phone your local MP office. I had a similar problem but due to Child payments and within a week he sorted it out.

I would also go to the local newspaper, there is nothing embarressing about what you or your husband have achieved through your life and so if nothing more than shaming the "system" it is worth it... plus your MP / council may take your plight or you may get a very generous hand from someone.

Finally I would also re-type this on consumer advice group forums. If there is a way to help you, they WILL tell you it.

Take care

I had problems with my

vbanks78

Apologies for my awful spelling and grammar and random half sentence at the bottom!!:eek:

That will teach me to do two things at once.

CACHAF

Thats ok, after the day I have had I am struggling to type myself!

I am going to try the CAB tomorrow as they may have the power to allow us to have a community care grant without the 26 weeks on benefits first. Not sure if that is true but anything is worth a try now. I have made so many phone calls today to different people / departments / charities and although everyone is sympathetic they all say there is nothing they can do to help and it really is unusual circumstances with my husband being made redundant and my gran becoming so suddenly ill - she had a massive heart attack while staying at our house (I have never been so terrified in my whole life) and then developed diabetes and an autoimmune disease attacking her skin as a result of the heart attack and the stress.

The main problem seems to be that we have had our limit of crisis loans. I understand this as I know they have to have a limit to stop people getting into insurmountable debt but we are so stuck now. The crisis loans we had topped up our benefits from the single person rate of JSA to the married persons rate and allowed us to survive for those six months and I am very grateful for that. We had to do this as there were so many extra expenses to consider, even silly things like the fuel to get to my grans each day - she only lives 3 miles away but going there and back each day and going to hospital appointments with her, shopping for her etc uses so much fuel, I had no idea how much it would use!

My gran doesnt receive any benefits (till she gets her AA through) because she has a private pension and this just covers all her bills, just. She pays all her own rent and council tax and so forth and has nothing left at the end of the month (and she doesnt live extravagently at all, none of us do) so she cannot help us out either and this makes her feel guilty because she can see that we are struggling because of her (as she sees it) She even suggested giving up her flat and going into a home tonight as she thinks that will solve our problems and it breaks my heart to see her so distressed and feeling so guilty when she is not the one causing the problems, its just the circumstances / loophole we find ourselves in.

Thank you for your suggestion of trying the local MP, I hadn't thought of that and so will look up the details tomorrow and see what they can do. I am quite willing to try anything although I hate having to beg like this.

thank you again for your help and support, even people just caring means so much at the moment x

nearlyrich

That seems really harsh, if one member of a couple doesn't work say SAHM looking after pre schoolers if the other partner gets made redundant can they not get JSA?

I understand what you say about the personal nature of the care was just thinking if you are eligible for JSA in your own right you might be able to sort something out.

The daft thing is if you were not caring for your Gran the tax payer would need to pay for someone to look after her I echo the advice to see your MP I don't think it's right that people who have worked and are willing to work are cut off from help in circumstances like this.

Hope you get sorted soon.

t0rt0ise

nearlyrich wrote: »

That seems really harsh, if one member of a couple doesn't work say SAHM looking after pre schoolers if the other partner gets made redundant can they not get JSA?

Yes. .

undaunted

It's absolutely disgraceful that people can be left in this situation in a supposedly civilised society & whilst these companies make millions.

If Gran were to need to come and live with you for a while would she be entitled to help, can't have a frail old lady left in those conditions can you?

It won't help until you actually get some benefits but Fuel Direct may be an option for you instead of a pre payment meter. Although they may try to be difficult about removing these meters try refering to standard license conditions in the Electricity Act 1989 & your local CAB re payment methods, customers in payment difficulty etc.

Good luck

CACHAF

Thank you again for your suggestions.

I have been fighting with JSA since my husband was made redundant when they first paid us at the single person rate. As far as I am aware the problem comes about because I am a carer but not officially a carer until gran receives attendance allowance. It seems there is a loophole where you can care for someone full time for 6 months when it is a new illness but cannot claim attendance allowance, can't be recognised as a carer and can't receive carers related benefits.

The rules for JSA are -

Start a Jobseeker's Allowance application

To apply you must be:

• aged 18 years or over and below State Pension age
• in Great Britain
• available for, capable and actively seeking work
• working less than 16 hours per week on average

If this applies to you, you may be eligible for Jobseeker's Allowance.

They refuse me on this ground -

available for, capable and actively seeking work

I'm not available for work due to being a carer but I cannot be excused from looking for work like carers can when they get carers allowance or parents of young children can etc. If one parent is made redundant then you get JSA as the other parent is excused from having to be available for work due to the children. What the job center apparently class me as doing is deliberately making myself unavailable for work by looking after my gran when she isnt officially in need of help until she is awarded attendance allowance.

CACHAF

nearlyrich wrote: »

The daft thing is if you were not caring for your Gran the tax payer would need to pay for someone to look after her
Hope you get sorted soon.

I think thats what upsets me the most. We are being made to struggle and being left with no income when we are actually trying to do the right thing by reducing the stress to gran, making sure she is well cared for and dealing with all her needs ourselves.

CACHAF

Have just tried phoning the charity 'turn to us' and they suggested 3 places that may be able to help with grants but sadly all of them take 6-8 weeks to process claims and are not able to help with immediate needs. Does anyone have any other ideas at all?

HalloweenJack

social fund loan?