help with heating and energy costs while on JSA?

The_Write_Girl

Awww. Don't we wish all posters were as nice as Ducky!

Fiver29

duchesspink1 wrote: »

its a crime if you do it, can I be prosecuted for a crime on a hypothetical question?

do you read the threads or just comment on bits you want to see?

so this time i'm def not coming back to the thread. I've reported lady gaga for hounding anyone on benefits as looking through her posts on the site it would appear that all she is good for is jumping and finger pointing.

thank you one more time to those that actually took the time to give decent advice.

Reported someone for being truthful, nice waste of the team's time.

sunnyone

duchesspink1 wrote: »

I believe there is help for heating costs if temps fall below certain levels for those with children and certain disabilities. I'm sorry if i'm wrong on that but its what i've found when looking around for help to the answers I was needing.

its nothing to do with me not liking the truth, I'm being honest and saying that if i had to not disclose that I have available credit to use on a credit card, and I was starving, then i'd not disclose it.

Its hypothetical though as I'm not applying for a crisis loan and lets remember its a loan, not a freebie.

what pee'd me off is the attitude towards anyone claiming benefits from some of the posters on the thread. I've never claimed benefits before and wasn't aware that there were crisis loans etc etc. I made the comment that i had available credit on a card but wouldn't like to use it as it would get me into debt that i couldn't pay and others jumped to quickly point out that it would be wrong to ask for a crisis loan (not that I was going to ask for one, a fact that has been totally overlooked!) when i had a credit card available.

anyway I was stepping away from the thread as i got the advice that I needed. Not really sure why people are still replying on it?



I'm not desperate though, I was only asking for advice on what I was entitled to. I've never claimed to be desperate anywhere. Just so you know.

Your wrong, there is no help for those with children or certain disabilities when tempratures fall before certain levels, you are getting a damn sight more help than we are because you get free rent and council tax where as we own our home out right and we pay full council tax.

You dont like those posting the truth, the truth is there is no help and for most people on benefits or not even if you could get a crisis loan it wont help you to get a tank of oil and even if you lied on the form its not worth it, it really isnt.

I hope you get the job and then you can put the oil on the card nowing you will get a pay packet, there are back to work incentives available depending on diffrent things and I hope you will post another thread if you need any details of the help available when you get your start date.

duchesspink1

sunnyone wrote: »

Your wrong, there is no help for those with children or certain disabilities when tempratures fall before certain levels, you are getting a damn sight more help than we are because you get free rent and council tax where as we own our home out right and we pay full council tax.

You dont like those posting the truth, the truth is there is no help and for most people on benefits or not even if you could get a crisis loan it wont help you to get a tank of oil and even if you lied on the form its not worth it, it really isnt.

I hope you get the job and then you can put the oil on the card nowing you will get a pay packet, there are back to work incentives available depending on diffrent things and I hope you will post another thread if you need any details of the help available when you get your start date.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxandbenefits/benefitstaxcreditsandothersupport/inretirement/dg_10018668 this is the payments i've been talking about that help those receiving certain benefits etc when temps drop so there def are extra payments available if you meet the criteria.

I don't get free rent, I pay a large chunk out for my home, I get some assistance yes but I don't plan on making a long term claim for it, if you own your home outright then thats great for you. I owned a home outright too once upon a time and was lucky enough to be working and not need to fall back on the welfare system and use the safety net of housing benefit.

I hopefully won't have to post any more threads relating to benefits as its more hassle than its worth when people don't read the original post correctly and insist on making you feel sorry for needing assistance in the form of benefits.

I feel like lazarous the amount of times i've come back to this thread to defend myself or thank people that have posted. I'm all for the truth but I don't see the need for members of this community to be ridiculing others that aren't using the benefits system as anything other than a short term saftey net and implying that they are out to bleed the system dry.

I asked the questions i needed to ask, got some helpful advice and that was all I needed. I didn't need the spanish inquisition and the nay slaying.

I'll be moving onto the moneysaving side of the forums now to see how else I can reduce my outgoings etc and try to have enough to repay my credit card in the meantime. I sold some items on ebay today and hopefully that will go towards paying the oil that i've ordered.

danielanthony

Unfortunately unless you have kids or are disabled you won't be entitled to very much.

Adereterial

duchesspink1 wrote: »

I'm sure a crisis loan form doesn't ask if you have the ability to get an overdraft or bankloan does it? if that were the case then i'd find it shocking that the benefits office would expect people to take a bank loan etc and get into unrepayable debt. Would it not be fraudulent in your eyes to use the credit card knowing that I'd potentially be unable to pay it back at the required minimum amount?

Yes, it does. You'll be applying by telephone, not in writing, and it's one of the questions they will ask you: do you have any other money or resources you can use.

You do - you have available credit.

You will also be asked to agree to a declaration which includes confirming that the information is correct and complete and that if it is not, you will be liable to prosecution.

You've already confirmed on here you could pay back the minimum amounts. Have you worked out what the minimum will be? You may find you'll be paying less per month on that than the money which is deducted weekly from your JSA - it'll normally start at about 7% per week.

A crisis loan is designed to be the last resort - you have other means, you are expected to use them. You're also expected to budget accordingly for heating oil and put money aside each week/month to cover it.

Just to advise you also - the maximum they will pay you is 60% of your benefit for however long they are paying you for. It's around £5 per day for an adult over 25. They will only pay you until the day before your benefit is due. If you call and ask for money for oil they can pay it but only if that payment will eliminate and risk to your health or safety. If the oil costs £195 as a minimum, they will only award a loan if you have sufficient money to meet the remainder of the cost yourself. If you don't, then a loan will not eliminate any risk and they will not pay, regardless of whether you otherwise qualify.

sunnyone

Most disabled people dont get cold weather payment and an even higher percentage of people with kids dont because they are not on IS or income based JSA/ESA, we have to buy our own fuel like everyone else and as a seriously disabled couple we have very, very high heating costs.

You will get most of your rent payed, I wish someone would provide me with the equivilent of that and your council tax benefit, that will be addressed under universal credit.

Please do post if you need help with return to work benefits, you didnt get the answers you wanted on this thread but that dosnt mean a diffrent question will get more negative replies and as I said before I hope you get a job very soon.

duchesspink1 wrote: »

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxandbenefits/benefitstaxcreditsandothersupport/inretirement/dg_10018668 this is the payments i've been talking about that help those receiving certain benefits etc when temps drop so there def are extra payments available if you meet the criteria.

I don't get free rent, I pay a large chunk out for my home, I get some assistance yes but I don't plan on making a long term claim for it, if you own your home outright then thats great for you. I owned a home outright too once upon a time and was lucky enough to be working and not need to fall back on the welfare system and use the safety net of housing benefit.

I hopefully won't have to post any more threads relating to benefits as its more hassle than its worth when people don't read the original post correctly and insist on making you feel sorry for needing assistance in the form of benefits.

I feel like lazarous the amount of times i've come back to this thread to defend myself or thank people that have posted. I'm all for the truth but I don't see the need for members of this community to be ridiculing others that aren't using the benefits system as anything other than a short term saftey net and implying that they are out to bleed the system dry.

I asked the questions i needed to ask, got some helpful advice and that was all I needed. I didn't need the spanish inquisition and the nay slaying.

I'll be moving onto the moneysaving side of the forums now to see how else I can reduce my outgoings etc and try to have enough to repay my credit card in the meantime. I sold some items on ebay today and hopefully that will go towards paying the oil that i've ordered.

duchesspink1

i'm delighted to see that some of the ridiculous posts on here have been removed as requested. Thank you mods for that.

for anyone else still posting, I'M NOT ASKING FOR A CRISIS LOAN! read my posts and stop responding as though i'm applying for one.

I've got my oil sorted out and electricity dealt with, I'm on a benefit that i'm entitled to, one that will help me out over a tough period, i've worked for 22 years, never before been unemployed, am not scrounging or fiddling benefits yadda yadda.

thank you all for your help and advice.

System

danielanthony wrote: »

Unfortunately unless you have kids or are disabled you won't be entitled to very much.

what help is that then ? i have a disabled dd and get no help re heating costs , i go without all year to maintain my £101 pm d/d so im in credit going into the winter.

PoorCharleyBear

If you can save money into an account (and trust yourself not to dip into it) you are better off going back onto normal bills.

Prepayment meters charge a premium which covers the hassle of administering the payments/collection points.