new changes to incapacity benefit

mandiskem

what are the new changes to incapacity benefit
ive had a letter yesterday to say a customer compliance officer is coming to my home customer compliance saying notification of a visit we need to see you in order to discuss the benefit we are currently paying you. we need to ensure your payments are correct and it is essential that you are available to discuss the matter you should note that where there is doubt about wether the conditions for entitlement are met .we can suspend payment of your benefit.i dont understand it at all im on incap and income support because i am disabled just wondered if anyone else has had 1 of these

Torry_Quine

Everyone on IB and IS for reasons of incapacity is being asessed for ESA. It could well be about that.

princessdon

Unless you KNOW you have a reason to be worried - then treat it as routine. Many have gained EXTRA benefits they were unaware of, only those that have a reason to worried need be.

mandiskem

thanxs both my incap benefit i had for 5 years award ran out in may i asked them for a renewal form in march so it can be sorted but they didnt send me 1 they said u dont need to do anything now they will send for me when they need to

jobbingmusician

mandiskem, I don't want to worry you but it would be useful if you read some of the stuff on here about ESA today. The short story is that you WILL be re-assessed at some point, and it will be much more difficult to fulfil the conditions to get ESA paid without them thinking you are fit for work, than it was for you to get Incapacity. And they are making ridiculous decisions.

At least if you know things are likely to be hard, you can put forward the best case possible.

MyKeey

I also don't want to worry you, but my mother had a recent 'visit'. She has just found out that she has lost her incapacity benefit AND also income support. She is in her late 50's and they expect her to get a job or job seekers. She has arthritis and can't walk!
It's a joke - they are taking everyone OFF disability type benefits and putting them on Jobseekers. Your money goes down by about half, not only that there is a month of nothing at all, not even housing benefit!
She's suicidal and there are many others on forum's with nightmare stories.
I truly wish you the best of luck - but we're in a recession...
Get down the CAB or somewhere else for some advice is all I can recommend.

tommix

I don't understand, surely the DWP are'nt just turning up at peoples homes and removing peoples benefits without medical assessments. Do you mean your mother had a home 'Atos' assessment and was found to be fit for work?

Torry_Quine

MyKeey wrote: »

I also don't want to worry you, but my mother had a recent 'visit'. She has just found out that she has lost her incapacity benefit AND also income support. She is in her late 50's and they expect her to get a job or job seekers. She has arthritis and can't walk!
It's a joke - they are taking everyone OFF disability type benefits and putting them on Jobseekers. Your money goes down by about half, not only that there is a month of nothing at all, not even housing benefit!
She's suicidal and there are many others on forum's with nightmare stories.
I truly wish you the best of luck - but we're in a recession...
Get down the CAB or somewhere else for some advice is all I can recommend.

I can only presume that she had a work focused interview and wasn't deemed to qualify for ESA.

They most definately aren't taking everyone off disability benefits and putting them on JSA. I myself went onto ESA from IB from my form alone although I am appealling to get into the support group. This kind of scaremongering really doesn't help those who are worried enough about the changes.

sunnyone

Torry_Quine wrote: »

I can only presume that she had a work focused interview and wasn't deemed to qualify for ESA.

They most definately aren't taking everyone off disability benefits and putting them on JSA. I myself went onto ESA from IB from my form alone although I am appealling to get into the support group. This kind of scaremongering really doesn't help those who are worried enough about the changes.

Same experiance here Torry, was on IVB and got transfered to ESA on the form/evidence sent with the form only into the support group without any hassle, you and I are not alone in being transfered on the form only but we dont make enough "noise" about it so it the scaremongerers that get "heard".

The best advice I can give anyone about to change is update the GP you are registered with on your current situation, thats who will get the ATOS pre assessment form, not the GP you see, and also make sure you get copies of every single letter sent between hospitasl and your GP, its free and the best way to prove your case to ATOS/DWP.