No payments, No money. No help.

geminilady

Midge, phone the benefit office and explain to them you are only getting payed weekly and have had no payment today.Do you have and friends ,neighbours that could give you a lift to the appointment this afternoon?.I am afraid if you do not go you will be sanctioned and have no money for weeks,although you can claim hardship payments.It is ok for posters to say walk but not everyone is fit enough to walk for an hour.

SnooksNJ

geminilady wrote: »

Midge, phone the benefit office and explain to them you are only getting payed weekly and have had no payment today.Do you have and friends ,neighbours that could give you a lift to the appointment this afternoon?.I am afraid if you do not go you will be sanctioned and have no money for weeks,although you can claim hardship payments.It is ok for posters to say walk but not everyone is fit enough to walk for an hour.

I must have missed the part where they said they were not fit enough to walk 45 minutes.

[Deleted User]

To be honest while the question was slightly abrupt, it wasn't really rude. You have a swollen ankle right now but catching several buses would seem to be more stressful than walking. Obviously you have been doing this for some time. I personally hate bus journeys like that and find it quicker and easier to walk (just offering a different perspective) even for an hour. Or see if freecycle could get you a bike.., much quicker.

I wrote all this and then realised I'd missed the most obvious source of help. Contact the college you attend. Find a way somehow to get there (even if you have to limp I'm afraid) and ask to see a student advisor. If you are attending the youthhub I assume you count as a student. They may even let you use their phones to make a few phone calls or make the phone calls for you.

You say you suffer from anxiety etc.., would it be worth contacting MIND and your GP? They may be able to offer support. Sometimes if you are anxious it can affect communication, meaning you gain less information than you would if you were calm (I say this because I do it myself). Being nervous and emotional can mean you come across as aggressive and angry, which affects how people respond to you. As I say, I am guilty of this myself. I try to take a deep breath before speaking and divorce myself from the emotions I am feeling (which obviously you are feeling from reading this thread).

Certainly I'd suggest emailing your MP. This wouldn't cost a penny. Try and set out clearly what the problems are and ask him/her to advise you. Keep your bus tickets as proof. Whether you are paid weekly or bi weekly is immaterial, but obviously signing on every week is expensive for you so I'd advise writing down the question 'why am I being required to sign on weekly?', and getting them to write the answer down. The answer you have given on here doesn't make a lot of sense. Go to the CAB if necessary when you are already in town to attend the jobcentre etc. to ask their advice.

I realise all this contacting means travelling/phoning but I'm afraid there's no other way to begin to sort this out but contacting people. Your travelling is costing too much money, something has to give as you have to eat.

Also consider a bus pass. Where I live, even a full pass covering all of Kent costs only £7 a day. If I have a short bus journey and a longer bus journey, I walk the shorter journey rather than pay twice the price (and I have quite bad asthma and arthritis/back problerms but I still walk).

When I was a lot younger, I was signing on and had a few emotional and health problems. I kept going into hospital. When I told the jobcentre this, they signed me off what is now JSA. I had no money, no phone and couldn't begin to sort it all out. I didn't have a clue. But eventually a neighbour recommended I went for advice and they sorted it all out for me the same day. It was all quite easy, but I didn't know the right questions to ask (at the time). Find someone who will help, local charities/CAB/MIND/GP. Anyone.

Poppie68

Did the advisor really ask you if you thought you were 'special' etc. If they did speak to you and use those words why didn't you ask to spk to a manager especially when they refused to believe you about the payments and wouldn't look into to sort the problem out. Walking out without solving the problem wasn't going to help was it?
Save money on buses and your phone bill by getting up tomorrow morning early and going to the council offices and asking to spk to the department that deals with helping people in your situation. Are your gas and electric on pay as you go meters as you can get help with topping up your cards as well?
Then when you have sorted out emergency funds etc, walk to the jobcentre and ask to spk to a manager, if you can view your bank statements online show him/her proof of payments if not online pop to your bank beforeheand and ask for a print off of the relevent statements to take along as proof..explain why you need them and you should be able to get a copy of these free from the bank, just ask one of the customer service advisors not a bank teller.
If your fit and healthy walking everywhere is a good idea while on JSA as the money is needed elsewhere. When i was younger i walked everywhere it was an 1hr 20min walk to school, then back again at the end of the day. I walked to college, to work we used to walk everywhere. People have got lazy over the years, but you really need the money you use every week on transport, there is nothing wrong with 20p noodles even people that get up every morning and go to work buy 20p noodles because thats all they can afford to eat but the money you waste on buses etc could be used for a healthier diet.

Poppie68

Right so you have a sprained ankle and your GP has given you crutches....If you can't attend this afternoons appointment you need to get a private sicknote from your GP...there is usually a charge for it but they may waiver the charge but more than likely you will have to pay when you get your money. You will then need to hand it into the jobcentre so they don't sanction your JSA.

pmlindyloo

And while you are at CAB you can ask about a food parcel. Take your bank statements to show the record of JSA payments.

Indie_Kid

Poppie68 wrote: »

Right so you have a sprained ankle and your GP has given you crutches....If you can't attend this afternoons appointment you need to get a private sicknote from your GP...there is usually a charge for it but they may waiver the charge but more than likely you will have to pay when you get your money. You will then need to hand it into the jobcentre so they don't sanction your JSA.

Why would the OP need to get a private sick note?