ESA is this taking the mick now!!!! seriously had enough!!

queenie999

I was due to go onto JSA on the 5th July due to my daughter turning 6 in June.... I went to my doctors as at the time was 22wks pregnant and having serious problems which i was in and out of hospital, I went in on teh day i was due to "sign on" and gave them the sick note, they signed me off JSA and told me to go home and ring up to claim ESA which i did.. This was the 6th July... the paper work came through on the 89th telling me to send in my sick note which i did.... I havent heard anything back from it... I have rang 3 times each time they telling me they will get someone to ring me back..... The last time i was given a one hour priority phone slot to get a call back which i am still waiting for!!!! I havent reciieved any money from them since the 5th July and really starting to get stressed out over it!!!!I am living on CTC which is just covering shopping, gas and electric for the week! I am over drawn in my bank and have had to cancel 2 direct debits. I am sick of ringing them up spendiing half hour on hold to be told someone will ring me back... Anyother way that i can find out what is happening with my claim. I know they have recieved it as i got my sick note back last week. my sick note was only for 7 wks as i can claim income support from being 29 weeks which i will be that on the 21st August so will then have to ring to come off ESA to go back on IS........ thanks x

welshmoneylover

queenie999 wrote: »

I was due to go onto JSA on the 5th July due to my daughter turning 6 in June.... I went to my doctors as at the time was 22wks pregnant and having serious problems which i was in and out of hospital, I went in on teh day i was due to "sign on" and gave them the sick note, they signed me off JSA and told me to go home and ring up to claim ESA which i did.. This was the 6th July... the paper work came through on the 89th telling me to send in my sick note which i did.... I havent heard anything back from it... I have rang 3 times each time they telling me they will get someone to ring me back..... The last time i was given a one hour priority phone slot to get a call back which i am still waiting for!!!! I havent reciieved any money from them since the 5th July and really starting to get stressed out over it!!!!I am living on CTC which is just covering shopping, gas and electric for the week! I am over drawn in my bank and have had to cancel 2 direct debits. I am sick of ringing them up spendiing half hour on hold to be told someone will ring me back... Anyother way that i can find out what is happening with my claim. I know they have recieved it as i got my sick note back last week. my sick note was only for 7 wks as i can claim income support from being 29 weeks which i will be that on the 21st August so will then have to ring to come off ESA to go back on IS........ thanks x

Is the father of the unborn helping you out at all?

dandelionclock30

I would in the first instance go to the CAB and ask them the best way forward.You could also contact your MP about the issue, your local library will be able to tell you when and where they have surgeries.
I would also try again regarding ringing them and ask for the name of the person you are speaking to and write all this down so you have a record.

GrungeMeister

Like other Benefit Delivery Centres, your one is currently woefully understaffed because many employees are on holiday or on part-year contracts. That means your claim will be sitting in a pile along with hundreds of others. They should be getting dealt with in strict date order but sometimes it's a case of he who shouts loudest gets dealt with first (that's a horrible way to put it, but it's true).

So. Apply for a crisis loan to tide you over in the meantime but also get back on the phone to the benefits people, speak to a supervisor and find out exactly when you're going to be paid. DC30 is right ... take their names ... that'll concentrate their minds too.

fishybusiness

I'm sorry to say I can't help solve your problem, and that it will probably get worse before it gets better.

It took us 11 weeks of ringing to get somewhere. They lost all of our documents, 3 permitted work forms, it just goes on and on.

In the end, we stopped sending documents and they agreed to make an appointment at the Jobcentre. Jobcentre faxed our docs to relevant people.

The original docs lost, 10 weeks on, we were on priority list and someone called to get it sorted, whilst on the phone another person called our other phone to get it sorted too - both saying they needed different information - it really is true! Anyway, they were both in the same office!!

We found the assessors really understanding - their system is total rubbish, I doubt CAB can sort that out unfortunately.

Good luck with your claim.

mikey_bach

I would agree with the crisis loan route,
What happens is this, you OP ring for a crisis loan, Social Fund rings ESA to see if any benefit is due, ESA new claims check and say yes, SF says no to you as benefit is due, then your claim gets flagged up to process.
It sounds if it should be an easy claim asyou have come off JSA

Dont worry though when you reach 29 weeks you can go back on I.S again

queenie999

Thanks everyone. I tried to ring today but my phone line has been cut due to not paying the bill due to not having the money too!!!! So think tomorrow i am going to have to go to my local job center or into my CAB office and ask them as i am really struggling now. The father of my children are helping but food, school holidays and other bills are eating away the money so after everything is got there is very little left..... I may try the crisis loan routue to see if it hurries it up but arent they on strike or somthing x

mikey_bach

Been on strike today, will be busy tomorrow though, but you should get through.

SarahFx

Doyou mean your children have te same father? Why are you still claiming as a lone parent then?

queenie999

we arent together nomore.... We split up in march and i found out i was pregnant in May ( was already 15 wks by the time i found out) ! We dont live with each other but he supports the children financally by giving me money and buying them clothes etc etc. Have tried to ring them but constanly on hold!!!!!

FBaby

How did you manage to get IS in March? I thought new claims after the child turned 5 went straight onto JSA?