Beware of online/phone Income support claims

lil_me

Welfare rights, if you have a council you will have one.

Also carers, many are now having back to work interviews because of the concern highlighted to the government that carers are being pushed into poverty. Those with children with disabilities helped to access work within school time etc.

Morglin

Chrysalis wrote: »

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

This link will give details of your nearest CAB, and your local town hall will know where your local advice centres/welfare rights workers are based.

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/getadvice.htm

Lin

Hapless_2

lil_me wrote: »

Welfare rights, if you have a council you will have one.

Also carers, many are now having back to work interviews because of the concern highlighted to the government that carers are being pushed into poverty. Those with children with disabilities helped to access work within school time etc.

Well I have been refused IB (I could have told them that!)
I am now waiting the IS outcome. they can try to request I go back to work when my daughter is sducation age (she is 6) but as she is being home educated it'll be a bit hard. Especially as the local school can't deal with an epileptic who wets herself and has extremely poor memory.

lil_me

Schooling would be for a different board of of course but if she has a statement of special needs she would also be entitled to access a local special school or specialist unit.

They are not forcing carers to return to employment yet, but the pressure is quite high, understandable in a way as carers benefits are so low and show very little sign of ever increasing. Despite saving the country £1.9 billion each year, carers are on the lowest benefit of its kind. Saying that it does depend on each case, this is just an example of someone I know personally but she receives over £250 a week income support with carers premiums etc and then there is an extra £80 a week DLA for her disabled child, child benefit of £30 all rent, c tax etc paid, there are 2 adults and 2 children inc the one disabled in the family. So some are of course not living in poverty, hence why she refused employment as she'd be worse off. I do know those who are really struggling however, especially a couple who have just started being entitled to a pension who have 2 disabled sons, carers allowance stops even though they are still caring for them. There is of course an ongoing campaign for this to change.

I know this is a little far from you but thought would mention it, I nearly worked here but found out I was pregnant http://www.ncype.org.uk/ absolutely amazing place.

Hope you get this sorted soon, been on benefits before and it was a right chew on with forms etc then so no doubt with all these phone applications it is worse. DLA is now decided by computer aswell, how that will work I don't know. I am a carer myself and not looking forward to the next time I have to do these forms.

Hapless_2

lil_me wrote: »

Schooling would be for a different board of of course but if she has a statement of special needs she would also be entitled to access a local special school or specialist unit.

She has not been statemented because she has never attended school, we had so much hassle with the nursery, we decided to home educate her as well as our eldest.

Chrysalis

Morglin wrote: »

This link will give details of your nearest CAB, and your local town hall will know where your local advice centres/welfare rights workers are based.

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/getadvice.htm

Lin

There wasnt any in in my city which in my opinion was a farce considering other cities had numerous cab's, right now I dont need one but I did a while back and was left wanting help with none available until I realised about the hotline. The women on the phone when I mentioned it admitted there seemed to be a gap in coverage with none in my city, the nearest one really needs someone who can drive as it isnt easily accessible with public transport.

I think the hotline I used was cls direct.

I see now tho there is one cab so the situation is now rectified at least

Hapless_2

Morglin wrote: »

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

Our jobcentre plus won't accept them we are stuck in a pilot scheme where it all has to be done by internet and phone, which is great unless you are like me, phone phobic!

buff-tom

Hi Hapless, If your local jobcentre Plus has advised you they cannot do it clerically- they are lying if somebody specifically requests that the want a clerical claim they are entitled to. I know it doesn't help you now but if you do need to make a claim in the future you know! If they still wont send the forms out advise them you are contacting welfare rights and citizens advice. We are told we are to try and encourage people to go through the telephone claims and it does (in the majority of cases) speed up the end to end process but we are also told that if you insist we have to send the forms out.

caz2460

Hapless wrote: »

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!

Hi
I work in one of the contact centres and take peoples claims to benefit, and yes I know alot of mistakes are made but we are bound by so many rules and regs that it is really hard to please everyone. The system works I feel by helping our most vulnerable customers. The questions in the forms are quite complex and many are quite hard to understand.

If you are claiming any benefit other thann JSA then you have to attend the Interview at one set Jobcentre Office. There is no way round this unfortunately.

Alot of claims are taken over the phone, dealt with correctly and payments recieved in 2 weeks max, so the system is working. And having previously clained benefits myself, this system is alot easier and quicker.

Hapless_2

caz2460 wrote: »

Alot of claims are taken over the phone, dealt with correctly and payments recieved in 2 weeks max, so the system is working. And having previously clained benefits myself, this system is alot easier and quicker.

I last claimed benefits 2 yrs ago and it was done in a week. Now this time 3 weeks later and it has just (today) been sent to processing. I have been told by 4 different jobcentre plus offices in Devon that as this is a pilot area that all income support claims must be made either via internet or over the telephone unless I was mentally incapable of answering questions myself. I am physically disabled with a few phobias, I am more than capable than filling forms in.

but we are bound by so many rules and regs that it is really hard to please everyone.

Does that include putting the opposite on my claim to what I actually said on the phone and input via the internet originally? I have told them (twice) the specific jobcentre they want me to attend atthere is no transport. I do not live in Cornwall, it is not my nearest jobcentre. My husband would have to stay at home with the children as I cannot take them in with me (then I cannot get there), or they have to stay in the car and wait for me, which is very difficult with one with behavioural problems.

When I called the number I was first given on last Thursday, I was told nope, not here this is processing ring this number, which was no longer used! I then rang a different number, got through to Launceston, who then put me through to yet a different number. 30 mins later I had got told the form was still at Incapacity benefit. When I commented that I never applied for that, I got directed back to processing again. All this with me being on the phone for 40 mins.
I have raised a complaint about this, but have been told that even though I applied for Income support on the grounds on being carer, I automatically because I get DLA (without my request) got put in for incapacity benefit even though I knew I was not going to get it.

I have friends who work for the DWP and they have both said that the procedures have gone all to bu**ery in the past 12 months since this pilot scheme was rolled out.