Need Some 'Real' Help Here! [Denied IS, CA & Crisis Loan]

Marv02

Hi. [I'm going to keep it short as much as possible, so I've simplified each point to a small paragraph.]

My father was receiving income support up until the 1st of November. He had to urgently go abroad to care for his parents because his father has been hospitalized and there is no one to care for his paralysed mother.

A letter came through a few weeks after he left, stating that they will not be paying any more income support due to a review of his claim. When I called them up, they didn't really tell me much information because they had to speak to my father, but from what I gathered, I'm assuming its because he left the country.

After my mother panicking for a while, I called up the Job Centre and asked if my mother was entitled for IS. They said she was, and that I should call up another number and apply over the phone. I did this, and they asked her to come in the next day to sign the papers etc.

- Please note: The reason they accepted her for IS is due to the fact that she cares for my older brother who suffers from schizophrenia and is epileptic. Also, there is the youngest son who is 12 that just started secondary school.

- Second Note: My mother has never worked in her life, my father has always worked and has dealt with the money side of things for 20 years. It came as a huge surprise what she was told below. (Also, my mothers English is really rusty.)

After a week passing we got a phone call and they told us that she was not eligible for Income Support or Carer's Allowance because apparently my brother is only at "stage 1" of his disability.

I was furious because my brother is in no shape to be left alone for long periods of time. Sometimes he would leave and go out from under our noses and "wonder" around till 4 - 5 am for no apparent reason. A serious incident took place when he decided to become friends with the "voices he heard." It's very easy to manipulate my brother when his vulnerable, and he tends to fall for what anyone says to him, so its crucial to keep an eye on him and keep him busy at all times.

My mother has NO money left what so ever. I called up to apply for an urgent Crisis Loan to be told that she is not eligible for that either because apparently she should go ask friends or family for food. [Even though I clearly stated to them that she only has one friend here who is long distant and a brother who can barley hang on himself.]

So far she has:

- Been Denied Income Support
- Denied Careers Allowance
- Denied a Crisis Loan
- No money left what so ever.

The only option left is to apply for JSA. Which would mean trying to get her a job that she could actually do, which again, as mentioned, she has never worked in her life, and her English is no good.

Whats even worse is I'm fearing for my brothers condition. The last time we left him alone for long periods of time, he decided to take a knife to my fathers throat because he heard "voices telling him too." My brother is normal, but only when cared for... Leave him long enough over and over again and bad things start to happen.

Can anyone shed us some light on this bizarre situation? I was going to call up tomorrow to help her apply for JSA, as that seems the only thing possible left she is eligible for (hopefully.) Even if they do accept her for JSA, she'll still have to wait at least 2 weeks to get her first payment. I can not believe they declined her a Crisis Loan in such a situation.

Thank you.

Marv02

baza52 wrote: »

perhaps its time to ask dad to come home to care for his family here.

I hope you aren't serious.

Is mum not able to go abroad so he can look after her?

That's a possibility. But:

1) How is she suppose to handle the father? His in hospital [and probably won't be coming out due to his old age] Again, she is the last person suitable to go over there to handle the legal side of things and care for the both of them.

2) Do you have a few hundred quid x 2 for the exchange trip?

How is he supporting himself abroad?

I believe his father gets a pay check every month. It's small, but enough to take care of his mother and himself.

You said your brother tried to take a knife to your dad last time he was left alone. Surely he wasnt alone as your father was there?

Kind of irreverent. It never happened over a few minutes. It happened over a course of a few months. But the end result was him creating imaginary friends to start talking to.

Indie_Kid

Marv02 wrote: »

After a week passing we got a phone call and they told us that she was not eligible for Income Support or Carer's Allowance because apparently my brother is only at "stage 1" of his disability.

Does your brother receive mid or high rate care DLA? And does your mother care for him for at least 35 hours per week?

baza52

Marv02 wrote: »

I hope you aren't serious.
Never been more serious.

That's a possibility. But:

1) How is she suppose to handle the father? His in hospital [and probably won't be coming out due to his old age] Again, she is the last person suitable to go over there to handle the legal side of things and care for the both of them.
I meant go over so her husband can look after her as well as his parents.

2) Do you have a few hundred quid x 2 for the exchange trip?
Yes i do. What is your situation? do you work? can you not pay?

I believe his father gets a pay check every month. It's small, but enough to take care of his mother and himself.
Isnt dad worried about his family at home living on nothing

Kind of irreverent. It never happened over a few minutes. It happened over a course of a few months. But the end result was him creating imaginary friends to start talking to
[/ QUOTE]
Does he get DLA at any rate?.

tcr_3

Assuming your Brother gets DLA Care at the middle or highest rate, someone should qualify for Carer's Allowance for him. Did your Dad get that for him before ? Because I can't think of a reason why your Mum wouldn't qualify for that, nor why she wouldn't qualify for Income Support (unless there's some other reason/income or savings exceed).

As to refusal of the crisis loan, they don't normally refuse if people are waiting for the outcome of benefit claims, they can process an "alignment to benefit" and pay on those grounds until the claims are resolved. Perhaps they've refused because there's no benefit from which to recover the crisis loan ? Or do your parents owe any money to the Social Fund right now ?

Don't recognise this "stage one" thing you mention about your Brother. That term isn't an exclusion reason for Income Support, haven't a clue what it means. Think you might need to clarify that term with the Carer's Allowance people, book your Mum into the nearest Citizens Advice or Welfare Rights office to see if there's any guidance they can provide.

As to your Brother's health issues, you'll have to seek professional advice on that one. But from what you say your Mum can't sign on due to looking after him (she wouldn't be "available to work" if she looked after him full time) so JSA isn't an option, unless another family member or friend can look after him full time or at least share the burden with your Mum.

welshmoneylover

Marv02 wrote: »

Hi. [I'm going to keep it short as much as possible, so I've simplified each point to a small paragraph.]

My father was receiving income support up until the 1st of November. He had to urgently go abroad to care for his parents because his father has been hospitalized and there is no one to care for his paralysed mother.

A letter came through a few weeks after he left, stating that they will not be paying any more income support due to a review of his claim. When I called them up, they didn't really tell me much information because they had to speak to my father, but from what I gathered, I'm assuming its because he left the country.

After my mother panicking for a while, I called up the Job Centre and asked if my mother was entitled for IS. They said she was, and that I should call up another number and apply over the phone. I did this, and they asked her to come in the next day to sign the papers etc.

- Please note: The reason they accepted her for IS is due to the fact that she cares for my older brother who suffers from schizophrenia and is epileptic. Also, there is the youngest son who is 12 that just started secondary school.

- Second Note: My mother has never worked in her life, my father has always worked and has dealt with the money side of things for 20 years. It came as a huge surprise what she was told below. (Also, my mothers English is really rusty.)

After a week passing we got a phone call and they told us that she was not eligible for Income Support or Carer's Allowance because apparently my brother is only at "stage 1" of his disability.

I was furious because my brother is in no shape to be left alone for long periods of time. Sometimes he would leave and go out from under our noses and "wonder" around till 4 - 5 am for no apparent reason. A serious incident took place when he decided to become friends with the "voices he heard." It's very easy to manipulate my brother when his vulnerable, and he tends to fall for what anyone says to him, so its crucial to keep an eye on him and keep him busy at all times.

My mother has NO money left what so ever. I called up to apply for an urgent Crisis Loan to be told that she is not eligible for that either because apparently she should go ask friends or family for food. [Even though I clearly stated to them that she only has one friend here who is long distant and a brother who can barley hang on himself.]

So far she has:

- Been Denied Income Support
- Denied Careers Allowance
- Denied a Crisis Loan
- No money left what so ever.

The only option left is to apply for JSA. Which would mean trying to get her a job that she could actually do, which again, as mentioned, she has never worked in her life, and her English is no good.

Whats even worse is I'm fearing for my brothers condition. The last time we left him alone for long periods of time, he decided to take a knife to my fathers throat because he heard "voices telling him too." My brother is normal, but only when cared for... Leave him long enough over and over again and bad things start to happen.

Can anyone shed us some light on this bizarre situation? I was going to call up tomorrow to help her apply for JSA, as that seems the only thing possible left she is eligible for (hopefully.) Even if they do accept her for JSA, she'll still have to wait at least 2 weeks to get her first payment. I can not believe they declined her a Crisis Loan in such a situation.

Thank you.

How does her husband propose to support his wife and family while abroad?

I don't think the tax payer can be expected to do so.

Can you not help out if circumstances are as dire as you say they are?

dmg24

Could you not use the money you have saved for a car/ holiday to help your family out in this emergency?

GlasweJen

For your mother to qualify for income support/carers allowance she would need to provide 35 hours of care to someone who is in receipt of DLA and middle or high rate care (this would be your brother).

If your brother is not in receipt of this level of DLA then your mum is not entitled to income support as she is not a single parent of a child under 8 years of age.

Her only option would be to claim JSA income based, it is not the fault of the UK tax payer that your mum has lived here for 20 years and not bothered to learn enough English to enable her to work, while she is claiming JSA she may be offered a course to improve her English.

Your family would not be in this position if it were not for your father upping and leaving his family and breaking the terms of his own benefit claim (i.e. claiming to be incapacitated and then leaving the country to care for someone who is also disabled, not informing the DWP that he is no longer in the UK).

As it is your mum can claim housing benefit/local housing allowance, council tax benefit, child benefit and child tax credits which will be quite substantially more than nothing. If she doesn't want to claim JSA that is up to her.

ETA I took the level 1 of his illness to be a mistranslation of low rate care DLA, if mum took the call and her English is rubbish then this makes sense as to why carers allowance can't be paid.

welshmoneylover

dmg24 wrote: »

Could you not use the money you have saved for a car/ holiday to help your family out in this emergency?

Well done! Seems his 'old man' drove out to Turkey too!

baza52

you just posted this in another thread,

You like it? Great. The fact that you don't know anything, speaks for itself. Firstly... I am NOT going to be "grate full" that the goverment ripped off everyone, including me (A TAX PAYER!!) when supplying children with laptops you couldn't find for £50 on the high street if you tried.

They overcharged £300 per laptop that has a value of £100. That's £300 x 270,000 they stole from the tax payers. [that includes me dipshit]

GTFO with your know-it-all comment. Pfft.


And thats after YOUR brother got a free one

So if your employed and paying tax why are YOU not helping your mum and brother(s)?

Marv02

Never been more serious.

OK, so you suggest he leaves his dying father in hospital, and a mother who couldn't remember if she ate a few hours ago or not, who can't move on her own due to being paralysed. You are one cold hearted person, I give you that much.[

QUOTE]I meant go over so her husband can look after her as well as his parents.[/QUOTE]

Erm... Who will be taking care of my little brother, and my older brother?

Yes i do. What is your situation? do you work? can you not pay?

My situation barley pays for my own living expenses, thank you. [minimum wage is no joke.]

Isnt dad worried about his family at home living on nothing

I have better things to do then tell him what has just happened. [his aware of the basic situation, which he thinks my mother will be receiving I.S) I'm trying to solve this without adding onto his pain. A little courtesy please. He already suffers from a heart condition as it is.

Does he get DLA at any rate?

Yes, but I'm not sure what's its called off the top of my head. All I know is they mentioned, Low, Medium, and High. Apparently his at the lower stage.