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Incapacity

Hi all
First time i ever used threads. I would like some help? I am on incapacity benefit and am in a homeless hostel. I am due to move on soon back into the community and tried to apply for a community care grant and was told I could not as I am not on an income related benefit. Is there any help at all that i can get from the Social Fund. I have nothing but clothing and personal items to move in with. Nothing else.
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Comments

  • stroodes
    stroodes Posts: 393 Forumite
    can't help with advice but please no free cycle or gum tree, op needs funding. Sorry can't help , wish you well.
  • Torry_Quine
    Torry_Quine Posts: 18,863 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 13 July 2012 at 7:32PM
    Are you on something else as well as IB which is an income related benefit? The reason is that IB can be claimed whatever the financial circustances.
    Lost my soulmate so life is empty.

    I can bear pain myself, he said softly, but I couldna bear yours. That would take more strength than I have -
    Diana Gabaldon, Outlander
  • stroodes
    stroodes Posts: 393 Forumite
    read over my last post, reads wrong, mean that gum tree or free cycle would not suit op as in need of more a home start, if there is one.
  • missapril75
    missapril75 Posts: 1,669 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    A very typical situation unfortunately. Crisis loans are the best you can hope for as far as social fund goes, but there has to be a health risk to you not having what you apply for and that rather limits you, depending on your health.

    It's really the kind of thing you need a support worker for - but a good support worker could also help you with other resources.
  • Glen_Clark
    Glen_Clark Posts: 4,397 Forumite
    Basically your choice is to either pop out babies to jump to the top of the housing and benefits queue, or turn to crime.
    Sorry but thats how it is, not how it should be.
    “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” --Upton Sinclair
  • pmlindyloo
    pmlindyloo Posts: 13,073 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    You need to check exactly what benefit you are on by telephoning the DWP as people are often mistaken about this.

    See here:

    CCGs and Incapacity Benefit
    CCGs cannot be applied for if you are on IB. Same for budgeting loans. But very many people who are on IS on grounds of ill health wrongly believe they are on IB – that is because they are sent the same IB forms, attend the same IB medical, and so on, just as if they were on IB. They get slightly less money than on full blown IB, but aren’t always aware of that. On the streets, IB is used as the name for both full blown IB and IS through being unfit to work. It is only pedants and official language within the DWP that name them differently. So often best to phone DWP and check that claimant is really getting full blown IB and so is ineligible for CCG before giving up on a CCG application.
  • missapril75
    missapril75 Posts: 1,669 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    pmlindyloo wrote: »
    You need to check exactly what benefit you are on by telephoning the DWP as people are often mistaken about this.

    That's a very good point about Incapacity Benefit and Income Support and people often mistaking one for the other, although personally I don't see such a big deal in people actually taking note of a "here is your Income Support (or Incapacity Benefit)" notice; lord knows enough of them are issued.

    But I recognise that plenty don't and consequently get what turns out to be wrong advice based on their misinformation (see it's not just the DWP:D).

    That paragraph reproduced is helpful. But why the need for the antagonism from whoever wrote it?
    It is only pedants and official language
    That's completely unnecessary. It gets the message across without having a dig at anyone. One benefit rather than the other is actually vital for Housing Benefit, the Social Fund and other situations.

    That's not pedantry, it's a crucial difference in the way to appraoch matters.

    Mini rant over.
  • mikey_bach
    mikey_bach Posts: 912 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    thesmurf wrote: »
    Hi all
    First time i ever used threads. I would like some help? I am on incapacity benefit and am in a homeless hostel. I am due to move on soon back into the community and tried to apply for a community care grant and was told I could not as I am not on an income related benefit. Is there any help at all that i can get from the Social Fund. I have nothing but clothing and personal items to move in with. Nothing else.

    What rate IB are you on, you may be entitled to I.S as a top up.....
  • missapril75
    missapril75 Posts: 1,669 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    mikey_bach wrote: »
    What rate IB are you on, you may be entitled to I.S as a top up.....

    Yes, that's a possibility too. I recall three different rates of IB according to one's age when first going sick with some people starting on IB topped up to IS, then IB exceeding IS at 6 months but then IS exceeding IB at 12 months. :eek:

    Some people would be unaware of coming back within IS levels - although, to be fair, if HB was in payment that would usually have been identified and a recommendation to claim made by their HB office.
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