'supporting each other through really tough times'

monnagran

Well, that's me told.

Rosiepup: I am quite sure that the workers behind the glass partitions are doing a wonderful and unpleasant job. Except for the ones where a good friend of mine was for a short while, who competed to see how many clients they could wind up to the extent that they really lost it and had to be removed by security. But that's another story.

I think that most people working in benefits offices are genuinely trying to do their best within their remit. We just sweep up the bodies of those who are failed by the system.

Have spent this morning doing a bit of marriage guidance - a case of the blind leading the blind if ever there was one. Still, at least I can listen.

jem: You take things gently, petal. There comes a time when you have to do the best for yourself. Everyone on here seems to do what all women do and bend over backwards to make sure that their families are OK before even thinking of their own needs. But sometimes if things are not right for you, the rest of the family suffers. Whatever you decide to do, you know that we will all be here cheering you on.

Off to do something productive now. Can't quite think what but I'm sure something will present itself.

x

mardatha

I felt that way the first time I went to the west of Ireland Mrs L. I felt at home and wanted desperately to stay. And loved how, when the husband shouted my name in a cafe, every female in the place turned round :rotfl: (Mary)

[Deleted User]

It's a lovely feeling isn't it MAR that sense of belonging and warmth, best of all it's the insight it gives you to your own make up and character, even down to the things you prefer to eat and how your home looks and the things you put in it. I am lucky to have had the experience, you too I think? Cheers Lyn xxx.

jem132

Dh has come home we have had a sort of talk lol man's way

I told him things changed when we moved in to his house when he lived with me everything was different. I worked full time and sorted everything had my own income and did not rely on him in any way we moved hear he changed jobs I had to leave Myne becose of his hours. Ithink he is a bit depressed well he's gone to moggys with ds6 to get pizzas and ice cream so wd can have a pizza and movie afternoon lol let's see how it goes. And I am going out tonight and I am going every Friday its my own time that I need also 2 hours to walk my dog myself every week. We shall see. How it goes I feel a little better. :T
Thankyou all for your support xxx

Byatt

rosiepup2000 wrote: »

Sorry, I have to delurk as I work in Housing Benefits and reading this made me very annoyed.

We can't just 'stop and start' benefits for no reason; we have to work in accordance with the HB regulations which set out the circumstances when a claim can be suspended/cancelled. A claim must be suspended for a full month before it can be cancelled - in 99% of cases the reason why a claim is suspended is because a claimant hasn't responded to a request for information. Have you got any idea how frustrating it is to have to write to umpteen claimants every day, asking for information, waiting a month for the reply that never comes, writing again when the claim is suspended, telephoning the mobile number that is never answered? And these aren't idle requests for unimportant information that we shouldn't be wasting our time harrassing people about - these are queries about basic things which affect whether someone is still entitled to benefit, like where people are living (because claimants move and don't tell their HB office), or their income (because claimants start work or move in with partners and don't tell their HB office, or their JSA stops and we don't know why). If you think that Housing Benefit assesors sit on their backsides all day stopping people's benefits for no reason out of spite I'm sorry, you're mistaken. We've got way too much to do.

As for someone's HB being stopped without them being told and them not finding out until the bailliffs arrive to evict them...well, firstly they would have received a query letter, or at the very least a suspension notification. If they did nothing after the suspension notification their benefit would be cancelled after a full month had expired, and they would then receive the cancellation notification. One would assume the landlord would be in touch when the arrears started to build up, which you would think would prompt the claimant to contact the HB office, but even if not, the landlord would have to serve them with notice to quit and then have to follow the court process to apply for a possession order which would involve serving the claimant with the court papers including the court hearing date. Even if they didn't go to court they would be served with the court order. The landlord would then have to go back to court to get another order for the bailiffs to carry out the eviction, which would have to be served, and finally the bailiffs would have to give notice of the date they would be attending. How much time does that whole process take? And during all that time the claimant hasn't noticed that their Housing Benefit has stopped - really?

I actually have a lot of sympathy for HB claimants, I think a lot of them are in an awful situation (particularly single people, for whom the LHA rules are especially harsh, in my view). But you really should consider whether you are being told the whole story before heaping the whole blame onto the benefit assessors.

Hiya, Rosie, thanks for giving your perspective, I am one of those that is guilty sometimes of not responding straight away, owing to my depression, but it's good to know the reasons for the enquiries, as sometimes I know I didn't do any work, and think why are they "accusing" me by getting annoyed that I haven't instantly replied. I will try and be more timely in future. I should know better as dealing with the public can make you cynical about people. I have seen the worst of people and the best and those in between and I think the worst people fare better. I would never work for the public again, I became much more jaded and cynical as a result. People often see you as the enemy from the start, and constant abuse & threats is wearing.

The system does often fail people and in all walks of life there are good and bad, but often also there are exceptional people who will do their best within the laws/conditions they have to follow for the person needing help, I know because I was one of those people. There are many, many people who will never know what I did for them.

[Deleted User]

Hey JEM that is the best news, you've both taken the first and hardest step towards sorting this out, I am so proud of you little one, you really are a GEM!!! I think you've opened up the avenues to talk it through and come to a solution that suits you both. I think you are wise to be taking some 'you' time from this, it does you such a lot of good to have a bit of space where you can do what you want and think in peace, I so hope you now find a way to be happy again, well done pet, Cheers Lyn xxx.

westcoastscot

Well the day arrived yesterday that I've been expecting for a while - still appears to have been a shock though and i'm surprised how upset I am. I now have my "formal" diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis to go alongside the OA - it's quite rampant in my back, neck, shoulders, knees, feet, elbows and particularly my hands, which is the most upsetting. I'm starting methotrexate, and hopefully it will stem the tide somewhat. I'm not really concerned about the treatment - immune suppressants have been well used in our household for many years - I guess I can no longer be in denial now :-(. The worst thing is I keep dropping my cup of tea, and I can't knit as much as I could.

[Deleted User]

WCS my youngest DD has psoriatic arthritis so I have a smypathy with you as I know how uncomfortable she gets from time to time. I had to really push her to go to her GP when it first appeared and she had a finger that became swollen and she couldn't bend it. Ironic really as she is a fully qualified Doctor herself, she didn't want to make a fuss of all things! Hers is fully controlled with drugs for now and she's been able to drastically cut back on her pain killers lately and is feeling much better as a result, she even managed to have a hoilday skiing this January and managed very well too. I think the treatment is improving all the time and hope very much that you can find the right medication to get you to the same point very quickly, Hugs Lyn xxx.

westcoastscot

Thanks Mrs L that's encouraging to here. My youngest, now an adult, has an immune disorder and things were pretty grim for him growing up, but as you say treatments have improved greatly over the past 5 - 10 years.
I'm optimistic about the treatment, and hopeful that i'll carry on working for many years to come. I think more than anything as a carer for children with serious illness i was looking forward to this time to catch up on my own life, but I guess we always adjust don't we?

Nargleblast

Public sector work can be a bit of a poisoned chalice sometimes. You see so many people demanding their "rights" without having ever fulfilled their responsibilities (i.e. to behave in a civilised fashion to their fellow human beings). You can see why workers in the public sector can become cynical over time. One of our local hospitals provides its A & E staff with scrubs uniforms printed only with their first names, and they do not display their ID badges. This is so that patients cannot track them down on Facebook and stalk them. How sick is that?

Jem - glad you have managed to clear the air a little. If you can improve things between you, do so. It's a cold, hard world out there so anyone thinking of leaving home needs to be absolutely sure that's what they want to do.

MrsL - your tales of Sweden reminded me of a short trip there some years ago. I had a fabulous meal in a restaurant consisting of slivers of fried steak, sauteed potatoes, red onion rings and a raw egg yolk to use as a sauce. It was lovely! Didn't have reindeer, though, as my offspring would never have forgiven me for eating Rudolph!