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URGENT money suspended. LONG term incapacity and complience!!!!
problem1
Posts: 7 Forumite
Hi I urgently need some advice/help. I have a friend on incapacity benefit which i believe is now esa. She have been NFA - no fixed abode, as far as income support. But she moved into a few months ago but forgot change her NFA status.
She has correspondence mail to me (including benefits P.O payment letters to me) as a safe postal address. Her money was stopped recently, she didn't know anything about it until it didn't go in around 22 December I received no letters from anyone, she did not either.
After much to-ING and fro-ING it seems it it the compliance department around 10th December, that have tried to contact her (first by standard letter) and then (i think)by telephone and because she always loses her mobile, changes number, could not do so.
At present we do not know where letter was sent. The letter stated for her to attend an appointment. no information on what the appointment is has been given by income support, as complience team i different. It should have come here as a c/o address, but didnt. approx 10th december 2013.
We were told by income support that they then tried to contact by telephone but to no avail and her money was then suspended. we were tolds this is standard practice. IS THIS TRUE?
She suffers from severe social anxiety, BDD and post traumatic stress, She had to have major operations upon her face a few years ago, maxifacial reconstuction, due to a terrible mugging. The |Surgical term a
zygomatic osteomony. The BDD was long before the operations.
She has been written off to such an extent that even ATOS appointments have rescinded appointments once relevant doctors notes have been sent. I'm assuming that the problem is therfore, because she has not been to an atos apointment (though many have been made and then rescinded) and is on esa
long term, and constant moving address, and the NFA, hostel address with housing benefit , and the c/o address all being different, it may be the suspicion of fraud? i.e they want to check this person exists?
also before she went NFA no fixed abode she was living in the same areas as the c/o address, now she has moved to a different area so the hostal address is outside her previous income support area, though close by.
One final point, she always loses her P/O benefits cards, and constantly has new ones. would this have flagged the system as well?
she is scared terribly that its something to do with atos, or something. can someone shed some light on this situation as she does not understand, considering they would have medical info (correct?) on her disabilities, that she should be asked to come in for an interview, when even ATOS have said she does not need to come in. she is fearful. and extremely worried. can any relevant problems be done over the phone? income support could offer no more info, and the compliance team are not around till Thursday, she is not sleeping well
can someone full answer these points? thank you.
She has correspondence mail to me (including benefits P.O payment letters to me) as a safe postal address. Her money was stopped recently, she didn't know anything about it until it didn't go in around 22 December I received no letters from anyone, she did not either.
After much to-ING and fro-ING it seems it it the compliance department around 10th December, that have tried to contact her (first by standard letter) and then (i think)by telephone and because she always loses her mobile, changes number, could not do so.
At present we do not know where letter was sent. The letter stated for her to attend an appointment. no information on what the appointment is has been given by income support, as complience team i different. It should have come here as a c/o address, but didnt. approx 10th december 2013.
We were told by income support that they then tried to contact by telephone but to no avail and her money was then suspended. we were tolds this is standard practice. IS THIS TRUE?
She suffers from severe social anxiety, BDD and post traumatic stress, She had to have major operations upon her face a few years ago, maxifacial reconstuction, due to a terrible mugging. The |Surgical term a
zygomatic osteomony. The BDD was long before the operations.
She has been written off to such an extent that even ATOS appointments have rescinded appointments once relevant doctors notes have been sent. I'm assuming that the problem is therfore, because she has not been to an atos apointment (though many have been made and then rescinded) and is on esa
long term, and constant moving address, and the NFA, hostel address with housing benefit , and the c/o address all being different, it may be the suspicion of fraud? i.e they want to check this person exists?
also before she went NFA no fixed abode she was living in the same areas as the c/o address, now she has moved to a different area so the hostal address is outside her previous income support area, though close by.
One final point, she always loses her P/O benefits cards, and constantly has new ones. would this have flagged the system as well?
she is scared terribly that its something to do with atos, or something. can someone shed some light on this situation as she does not understand, considering they would have medical info (correct?) on her disabilities, that she should be asked to come in for an interview, when even ATOS have said she does not need to come in. she is fearful. and extremely worried. can any relevant problems be done over the phone? income support could offer no more info, and the compliance team are not around till Thursday, she is not sleeping well
can someone full answer these points? thank you.
0
Comments
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Compliance is dealt with by the office that deals with her ESA, not ATOS.
They obviously want to check her benefits etc., but as they had no reply to a letter or phone call, they suspended her benefit.
The only thing to do is to ring them tomorrow, you could do it, so long as she is present to answer their security questions and give permission, and make another appointment with them
If she needs emergency funds, then it needs to be discussed with them, as to how she can get money to live on, while whatever their issue is, is being sorted out.
As regards her keep losing her cards, it may be that they could suggest something - perhaps leaving the card with you until she needs to draw out?
Anyway, give them a ring, first thing, and discuss it all with them..
Lin
You can tell a lot about a woman by her hands..........for instance, if they are placed around your throat, she's probably slightly upset.
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blondebubbles wrote: »I'm not sure if the process is the same but on tax credits, if they issue a letter and it's returned back to them they suspend payments until they hear from the claimant.
Basically, yes, but compliance departments do various checks, and she may need an interview as well.
Lin You can tell a lot about a woman by her hands..........for instance, if they are placed around your throat, she's probably slightly upset.0 -
she is paranoid they think she is fit to work is there any indication that this is the case with the info sent?0
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Has she rung them?0
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she is paranoid they think she is fit to work is there any indication that this is the case with the info sent?
If she is not willing to talk to them - it is possible if you and she wish for you to become her appointee, and deal with it for her.
https://www.gov.uk/become-appointee-for-someone-claiming-benefits0 -
rogerblack wrote: »If she is not willing to talk to them - it is possible if you and she wish for you to become her appointee, and deal with it for her.
https://www.gov.uk/become-appointee-for-someone-claiming-benefits
It is not unlikely that at this point payment will not resume until an assessment of her fitness for work is made.
This may or may not involve a medical.0 -
she is paranoid they think she is fit to work is there any indication that this is the case with the info sent?
No, if they thought she might be fit for work, they would have sent her an ESA50 and reviewed her claim with an assessment.
Compliance departments are not ATOS, nor are they ESA decision makers.
It might be that someone has reported her for something, or it might be that there is some financial query - but, she does need to contact them if she wants to receive the benefit, and before they close the claim.
I wouldn't go down the appointee route at this point, as it can take ages, and the priority is to get her payments sorted, and they will speak to you, if she is there to give permission.
Lin You can tell a lot about a woman by her hands..........for instance, if they are placed around your throat, she's probably slightly upset.0 -
problem1 wrote:Hi I urgently need some advice/help. I have a friend on incapacity benefit which i believe is now esa. She have been NFA - no fixed abode, as far as income support. But she moved into a few months ago but forgot change her NFA status.
She has correspondence mail to me (including benefits P.O payment letters to me) as a safe postal address. Her money was stopped recently, she didn't know anything about it until it didn't go in around 22 December I received no letters from anyone, she did not either.
After much to-ING and fro-ING it seems it it the compliance department around 10th December, that have tried to contact her (first by standard letter) and then (i think)by telephone and because she always loses her mobile, changes number, could not do so.
At present we do not know where letter was sent. The letter stated for her to attend an appointment. no information on what the appointment is has been given by income support, as complience team i different. It should have come here as a c/o address, but didnt. approx 10th december 2013.
We were told by income support that they then tried to contact by telephone but to no avail and her money was then suspended. we were tolds this is standard practice. IS THIS TRUE?
She suffers from severe social anxiety, BDD and post traumatic stress, She had to have major operations upon her face a few years ago, maxifacial reconstuction, due to a terrible mugging. The |Surgical term a
zygomatic osteomony. The BDD was long before the operations.
She has been written off to such an extent that even ATOS appointments have rescinded appointments once relevant doctors notes have been sent. I'm assuming that the problem is therfore, because she has not been to an atos apointment (though many have been made and then rescinded) and is on esa
long term, and constant moving address, and the NFA, hostel address with housing benefit , and the c/o address all being different, it may be the suspicion of fraud? i.e they want to check this person exists?
also before she went NFA no fixed abode she was living in the same areas as the c/o address, now she has moved to a different area so the hostal address is outside her previous income support area, though close by.
One final point, she always loses her P/O benefits cards, and constantly has new ones. would this have flagged the system as well?
she is scared terribly that its something to do with atos, or something. can someone shed some light on this situation as she does not understand, considering they would have medical info (correct?) on her disabilities, that she should be asked to come in for an interview, when even ATOS have said she does not need to come in. she is fearful. and extremely worried. can any relevant problems be done over the phone? income support could offer no more info, and the compliance team are not around till Thursday, she is not sleeping well
can someone full answer these points? thank you.
For Reference
http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?414493-ESA-suspended
as sarahhortonAdvice given on Assured and Regulated Tenancy, Further advice should always be sought from a Solicitor....0 -
I wonder why people waste their own, and everyone else's time, making up scenarios?
That account bears no relation to this one....
Lin :wall:You can tell a lot about a woman by her hands..........for instance, if they are placed around your throat, she's probably slightly upset.0 -
For Reference
http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?414493-ESA-suspended
as sarahhorton
I imagine several people post on behalf of 'friends'
From your link..it would seem 'Sarah's' previous thread gives a much clearer background to the 'friends' problem.0
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