Social Fund Rejection - Any Advice?

toocleverbyhalf

Thanks for your replies. Firstly, my income is low enough to qualify for full housing benefit & when I applied for a community care grant last year I was accepted on this basis (I was going to move but it fell through so I didn't go ahead with the application). Also I was granted a budgeting loan last year as my cooker broke & I paid it all back.
Please don't suggest that I put money aside, I live hand to mouth at the best of times & don't receive any more money than I would on a qualifying benefit. Also, when CTC is calculated it's done on the previous years IB so it's not as if I am assesed on a salary. It makes me angry that I'm doing everything I can to find a job but there's very little where I live but in the meantime I couldn't go on ESA if I wanted to (I've been told that I will be contacted in due course). I do want to go on ESA & be put in the work group but I have to wait. In the meantime everything in the house is falling apart & my son is sleeping in my bed, whilst people I know are getting a loan to go on holiday!!
I just wanted to defend myself a bit.

karenx

Nobody would get a government loan to go on holiday unless they have lied about what the loan was for

bobajob_1966

You still will not be eligible for a BL as you will be moved onto CB ESA.

I am confused about why you are claiming IB if you are looking for work. Have you notified the DWP that you are fit for work?

toocleverbyhalf

karenx wrote: »

Nobody would get a government loan to go on holiday unless they have lied about what the loan was for

Of course people lie. Just like the twice yearly applications they make for a holiday in the summer & to pay for Xmas then they tell the social fund that they need essential household stuff. No one checks so it's a good little windfall, interest free. That's what makes me so angry that I've been honest & I wouldn't persevere if I had an alternative.

bobajob_1966

toocleverbyhalf wrote: »

Of course people lie. Just like the twice yearly applications they make for a holiday in the summer & to pay for Xmas then they tell the social fund that they need essential household stuff. No one checks so it's a good little windfall, interest free. That's what makes me so angry that I've been honest & I wouldn't persevere if I had an alternative.

So report them for fraud, then they'll get a nice little visit and asked to provide evidence of the items they have purchased.

shegirl

toocleverbyhalf wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. Firstly, my income is low enough to qualify for full housing benefit & when I applied for a community care grant last year I was accepted on this basis (I was going to move but it fell through so I didn't go ahead with the application). Also I was granted a budgeting loan last year as my cooker broke & I paid it all back.
Please don't suggest that I put money aside, I live hand to mouth at the best of times & don't receive any more money than I would on a qualifying benefit. Also, when CTC is calculated it's done on the previous years IB so it's not as if I am assesed on a salary. It makes me angry that I'm doing everything I can to find a job but there's very little where I live but in the meantime I couldn't go on ESA if I wanted to (I've been told that I will be contacted in due course). I do want to go on ESA & be put in the work group but I have to wait. In the meantime everything in the house is falling apart & my son is sleeping in my bed, whilst people I know are getting a loan to go on holiday!!
I just wanted to defend myself a bit.

If you could afford to pay a budgetting loan back you can afford to put back money each week to get your son a bed.Infact,you should have been looking on freecycle or anywhere else you may have got one free or at a very low cost rather than having him sleeping in your bed for god knows how long.

If you are elligble for a Community Care Grant (as you seem to think you are) then you need to either pay for a bed out of your money or apply for the grant.The grants aren't just for moving or funerals and is your poor son doesn't have his own bed to sleep in then you should be doing something you CAN do as a matter of priority,not wasting time filling in and waiting on numerous applications for the same thing that you know you are not going to get!!!

gravitytolls

Cor judgemental lot on here, I wonder how many who tell the OP what she SHOULD be doing with her money have her experiences? none? Of course not, you're not her.

makes me cross that folk ask for advice then get ticked off for needing it, cos they should've been more savvy with their budget!

OP, you need to visit the CAB, they'll advise re. grants and also contact charities for you.

Oldernotwiser

toocleverbyhalf wrote: »

It makes me angry that I'm doing everything I can to find a job .

But, if you're capable of working, should you actually be on Incapacity Benefit anyway?

toocleverbyhalf

gravitytolls wrote: »

Cor judgemental lot on here, I wonder how many who tell the OP what she SHOULD be doing with her money have her experiences? none? Of course not, you're not her.

makes me cross that folk ask for advice then get ticked off for needing it, cos they should've been more savvy with their budget!

OP, you need to visit the CAB, they'll advise re. grants and also contact charities for you.

Thanks for your post, people are being judgemental on here. Do they try to live on benefits?
As it happens I will manage to get what we need somehow, I just wanted to ask for advice because of the confusion regarding the law on entitlement. I don't need to be patronised by being told how to manage my money. I would have thought that the mere fact that I'm posting on here means I'm trying hard to manage.
I will go to CAB, thankyou.

toocleverbyhalf

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

But, if you're capable of working, should you actually be on Incapacity Benefit anyway?

I phoned IB to clarify this and they said to let them know when I find a job. I don't make the rules.