Waiting to hear about ESA. No income at all!!!

Saffy345

Hi all,

I am off work for sickness and have been since 20/4/11.
I made a claim for ESA two weeks ago as I after investigating it turns out I cannot receive SSP from my employer. This is because I was working for under 8 weeks before my incident (not related to work. Post traumatic stress disorder related to events that happened before starting new job). My average pay per week worked out way under the ESA criteria of £102 per week over an eight week period.

The Jobcentre have contacted my work and I think that the stage they are at is to do with them requesting information from employers RE why I cannot receive SSP.

I understand that these things do take a while as I have experienced claiming JSA before. I responded immediately with their request for me to send them my sick notes in the post a fortnight ago.

The issue really is that I am living off of nothing. In fact, I have borrowed £100 from my friend to pay last months rent (£480 on the 29th of every month) and I have been hardly eating as I have not had any income for over a month now. Friends can provide me with meals but I have been scrounging off of everyone and I think people are going to get fed up as everyone I know is very poor at the moment. This is really not helping my current illness as well. I am desperately worried about this months rent, whether the ESA will be paid in time, and whether they have put in a claim for HB as they said they would, as I have heard nothing from my local authority.

My main queries are:

> whether anyone can provide me with a free or landline number to check the progress of a claim, how to estimate when the money will come through,

> how long ESA can take to process and,

> if it does not get sorted before my next rent is due, is there anywhere I can get help paying my rent in this time of crisis.



I have requested a crisis loan but they do not cover rent payments.

Thank you very much,
Saffy

viktory

Have you really absolutely nothing you can sell or pawn? No TV, computer, jewellery mobile phone? With any means tested benefit it takes as long as it takes - some people get paid really quickly, others wait ages. Can you phone for free from the JCP?

Saffy345

Unfortunately not as I share a computer with my housemate.
I pawned my two rings from when I was younger and I got barely £60 for both of them, which felt very sad

viktory

Saffy345 wrote: »

I pawned my two rings from when I was younger and I got barely £60 for both of them, which felt very sad

*Shrugs* Needs must. They are only 'things'. You can buy more things when you are flush again. Got a mobile phone you can sell? Can your housemates not help you out with a tin of beans and some bread?

Oh and I *think* you have to apply for CT & HB yourself.

rogerblack

Saffy345 wrote: »

Hi all,
I am desperately worried about this months rent, whether the ESA will be paid in time, and whether they have put in a claim for HB as they said they would, <snip>

> whether anyone can provide me with a free or landline number to check the progress of a claim, how to estimate when the money will come through,

Phone the number on the letter. There isn't a free one.

Contact your council - check that your claim for HB has been put in.
Do _not_ rely on one government department to talk to another.

Crisis loan, and phone the ESA people as well to see if an interim payment is possible.
[/QUOTE]

iwillgetthereintheend

Saffy345 wrote: »

Hi all,

I am off work for sickness and have been since 20/4/11.
I made a claim for ESA two weeks ago as I after investigating it turns out I cannot receive SSP from my employer. This is because I was working for under 8 weeks before my incident (not related to work. Post traumatic stress disorder related to events that happened before starting new job). My average pay per week worked out way under the ESA criteria of £102 per week over an eight week period.

The Jobcentre have contacted my work and I think that the stage they are at is to do with them requesting information from employers RE why I cannot receive SSP.

I understand that these things do take a while as I have experienced claiming JSA before. I responded immediately with their request for me to send them my sick notes in the post a fortnight ago.

The issue really is that I am living off of nothing. In fact, I have borrowed £100 from my friend to pay last months rent (£480 on the 29th of every month) and I have been hardly eating as I have not had any income for over a month now. Friends can provide me with meals but I have been scrounging off of everyone and I think people are going to get fed up as everyone I know is very poor at the moment. This is really not helping my current illness as well. I am desperately worried about this months rent, whether the ESA will be paid in time, and whether they have put in a claim for HB as they said they would, as I have heard nothing from my local authority.

My main queries are:

> whether anyone can provide me with a free or landline number to check the progress of a claim, how to estimate when the money will come through,

> how long ESA can take to process and,

> if it does not get sorted before my next rent is due, is there anywhere I can get help paying my rent in this time of crisis.



I have requested a crisis loan but they do not cover rent payments.

Thank you very much,
Saffy

a great website to find landline numbers alternative to "08" numbers is https://www.saynoto0870.com as a quick reference the landline for DWP instead of dialling the "0845" is 01942 626 001, hope that helps.

merlin68

You need to go to your council and put in a claim direct for HB and CTB, as it can take weeks to sort out.

A.Penny.Saved

Look for a crisis loan.

Phone calls, try the 1899, 18866 type numbers, they do need a credit/debit card for payment but the call charges only occur after 3 months so that would give some leeway. They also save money too. If you can get 01 02 type numbers, they will work out cheapest because you only pay for the connection fee of about 5 or 6p for the whole call.

If you can use cheap numbers, you can keep "bothering" the DWP until they get it done. Keep stressing to them on every call, that you have no income or money to buy food or pay for your rent.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you get it sorted out as quickly as possible. But keep at them or they could take a long time over it.