Beware of online/phone Income support claims

Hapless_2

I recently had to claim income support, I had to do this over the phone, when the paperwork arrives this morning for me to sign it said...
Are you looking for work...answer Yes:mad:
Claiming incapacity...Yes:mad:

eerm actually I said NO as I am my daughters carer.
and No i am not claiming incapacity! I recieve DLA
yes I am disabled, no I am not available for work (see caring for daughter.).

there were also a lot of things on there which the woman put "declined to answer" when in fact she never asked them to start with.:eek:
A lot of people are going to be confused and turned down by this system...be aware!

looby75

I thought that if you are granted IS there is no requirement for you to look for work. I know they still like you to consider working but it's not like JSA where you have to actively look and prove you are looking.

astonsmummy

I claimed twice over the phone last year and had no problems.

Hapless_2

looby75 wrote: »

I thought that if you are granted IS there is no requirement for you to look for work. I know they still like you to consider working but it's not like JSA where you have to actively look and prove you are looking.

I know, but they had put me down as looking for work AND wanting incapacity benefit AND carer for daughter.
And I still have to attend back to work interviews!

Hubby has gone part time so he can look after other kids including son who is waiting for aspergers diagnosis (waiting for DLA come back on that).

What made me laugh is the woman said..make sure you take your passport or driving license when you get your work focused interview......I told her that would be extrememly difficult as my passport is 10 yrs out of date and my driving license has been revoked on medical grounds.

astonsmummy

everyone has to attend the work focused interview, but because of your circumstances you dont have to look for work.
And she said that because they need to see ID for you, thought it would be a fraud thing

Hapless_2

astonsmummy wrote: »

everyone has to attend the work focused interview, but because of your circumstances you dont have to look for work.
And she said that because they need to see ID for you, thought it would be a fraud thing

I know about the ID, but as I do not have any photo ID, it's gonna be pretty difficult!
I also know about the work focused interviews, it's damned annoying as unless my daughter drops dead I'm going to be carer for a looong time!

I get wound up over this because I keep asking them to send my claim to a local office where I can actually get to should the car be off the road or my husband be at work that day (he does 15 hrs) and where they know me. There is no public transport to the office they picked (both offices are same distance from my house). If they refuse to change offices then they can do my work focused interview over the phone like the other office did!

Hapless_2

I read the answers she put on the print out from her end and referred to the print out I got after I submitted the info by internet. THEY WERE VERY VERY DIFFERENT.

Hapless_2

right update
Today I called income support processing, my form has gone to incapacity...I did not claim incapacity!
I told processing that I did not claim incapacity as I am carer for daughter and my husband is giving up work to help look after son who has behavioural problems.
Processing said they should not have sent it to IB but straight to IS. Just because I am disabled it doesn't have to go to IB as I am also carer for my daughter! IB is irrelevent.
confused? I am.
Although my disablility has no impact on the care I give for my daughter, it does give me problems where looking after my son is concerned. Which is why hubby has quit job. (plus I think his boss was getting annoyed with him having to take time off to take us to hospital appointments, 3 or 4 a month with a 3 day stay in Bristol.)

All this damned centralisation does not work!

I aslo told them that I have no photo ID that they accept as I only have a provisional photo driving license (has to be full) and no passport. Processing bloke laughed and said that ID cards would sort it, I said no, as although I am not working I have a "professional" name for my writing (although unpublished) and I would be entitled to TWO ID cards because of it! After all David Bowie's driving license says David Jones..not Bowie!
He laughed and said, I bet they hadn't thought of that!

buff-tom

Hapless, I work in one of the call centres that deal with new claims to benefit. I am sorry that you seem to have not been listened to. On the questions which have come up declined to answer it is sometimes an error on our system that some answers are not recorded or removed correctly, if done properly they should. Re caring for your daughter do you get Carers Allowance? Rightly or wrongly (wrongly if they didn't ask you) they may have put you forward for IB to allow NI contributions to be credited which is also done for CA or the more likely is that they have pressed the wrong button when you finished your initial call.

Hope this information is useful and I wish you the best of luck!

Tom

Morglin

There are so many disputes/errors made with phone claims, I would advise anyone claiming IB or DLA to insist that the forms are sent (or download them), and do it at home. I would also advise that any new claimant gets help from the CAB with the forms (especially DLA).

Lin

Chrysalis

any advice for people who dont have a CAB in their city? any other organisations who can help?