Can anyone help? I'm in an absolute mess

fabforty

What part of London are you in - not the exact address, or anything likely to identify you, but just roughly (nearest station for example)? Many of us are also in London and might know where there is local help available to you, places that serve free meals etc.

TimeCapsule

To the person who sent me a private message I *think* I have replied to you. I typed and sent a message back to your inbox but I kept getting an error message. Please check to see if you got it. Many thanks x

TimeCapsule

I finally just got a call back from the DWP. I could barely understand what the man was saying and didn't want to be rude by continually interrupting him. He said that my claim had been limited off the system or something. Apparently this was due to my claim having been due for review or reassessment last month. Due to their backlog of claims they are apparently not reassessing claimants at the moment and according to him this meant my claim is now "offline." He says he has to "rebuild" my claim and that will take around 5 working days.

I have pretty much no idea what this means.

As I posted earlier the customer services person I spoke to first thing this morning told me that my renewal date for my ESA claim has been deferred for two years to 2017. I did a Google search and found that this apparently is happening to loads of claimants due to huge backlogs. It seems they are focusing on processing new benefits claims and deferring reassessments for most current claimants for two years to allow them to catch up with the backlog.

But then I spoke to yet another person who said she cannot see any mention of a 2017 renewal date on my claim. So I asked her when I would be reassessed then and why I wasn't reassessed last month when I was due to be and she got really cagey and just kept strongly denying that it had been deferred to 2017. She told me to "look out for" a payment in my bank account by the end of the week.

The guy who had actually phoned me back told me I've been moved from the ESA Support Group into the other group (I think it's called Work Related Activity). I asked him how I could have been moved from one group to another without filling in any kind of form or having a medical. He said, "yes that does seem ridiculous." But then the woman in their customer services department said that I'm in the Support Group and have not been moved.

It is fair to say I have no idea at all what is going on. If I ring them up yet again they will think I am unhinged.

shegirl

TimeCapsule wrote: »

I finally just got a call back from the DWP. I could barely understand what the man was saying and didn't want to be rude by continually interrupting him. He said that my claim had been limited off the system or something. Apparently this was due to my claim having been due for review or reassessment last month. Due to their backlog of claims they are apparently not reassessing claimants at the moment and according to him this meant my claim is now "offline." He says he has to "rebuild" my claim and that will take around 5 working days.

I have pretty much no idea what this means.

As I posted earlier the customer services person I spoke to first thing this morning told me that my renewal date for my ESA claim has been deferred for two years to 2017. I did a Google search and found that this apparently is happening to loads of claimants due to huge backlogs. It seems they are focusing on processing new benefits claims and deferring reassessments for most current claimants for two years to allow them to catch up with the backlog.

But then I spoke to yet another person who said she cannot see any mention of a 2017 renewal date on my claim. So I asked her when I would be reassessed then and why I wasn't reassessed last month when I was due to be and she got really cagey and just kept strongly denying that it had been deferred to 2017. She told me to "look out for" a payment in my bank account by the end of the week.

The guy who had actually phoned me back told me I've been moved from the ESA Support Group into the other group (I think it's called Work Related Activity). I asked him how I could have been moved from one group to another without filling in any kind of form or having a medical. He said, "yes that does seem ridiculous." But then the woman in their customer services department said that I'm in the Support Group and have not been moved.

It is fair to say I have no idea at all what is going on. If I ring them up yet again they will think I am unhinged.

Did you explain to them that you've been left with no money, have no food and no electric?

TimeCapsule

shegirl wrote: »

Did you explain to them that you've been left with no money, have no food and no electric?

Yes I did. Didn't seem to give a sh*t. It looks like I will have to call back again to ask for the Advance somebody else mentioned. It's disconcerting that even the man who called me back seemed confused about what's going on. The only positive thing is that all the people there I've spoken to agree that my claim has not been stopped or anything and that I'm still entitled to payments. It's just not clear when any payment is going to come through.

pmlindyloo

Ring them back and ask for a short term budget advance.

Hopefully you will get someone you can understand.

Don't worry about what they think of you. If this had happened to anyone in your circumstances they would be feeling the stress.

Just as an aside have you tried ringing your bank to see if they will allow you a short term overdraft?

When this is eventually sorted out I would seriously consider making a complaint and asking for some compensation if the bank charges you interest on a bank overdraft.

For the future:

Make an official complaint. Get your MP involved.

Visit CAB and make an application for PIP. This could give you some extra money.

PS. Start writing down every single phone call you make and ask for the name of the person you are speaking to.
Ask for a manager/.supervisor.

ask for who to write to as you wish to make a complaint.

In other words make yourself a nuisance whilst trying to remain cool, calm and collected.

This is not acceptable.

TimeCapsule

Thanks LindyLoo. I will get back on the phone!

giddypenguin

If I were you I'd also fire an email off to your local MP - explaining what you've been put through and that you have no idea what's going on.

As others have said, citizens advice, churches and finding a food bank referral (try an emergency telephone appointment with your GP - they often have food bank vouchers) are good places to look for the interim.

So wish I could do more to help xxx

HB58

I do hope you will get the money into your account tomorrow (today would have been better but it's too late for that now). I think that people who work and earn a decent salary simply have no idea that there are people who really do live hand to mouth and cannot manage if their money isn't in the bank when it should be.

To pick up on something you said earlier - don't start doing 'permitted work' without first clearing it with the DWP. The last thing you want is to have your claim stopped for the sake of a few £ per week!

TimeCapsule

Thanks to somebody's kindness I was able to eat today and top up my electricity. The ESA payment has not reached my bank account yet but it's been confirmed that there is nothing wrong with my claim and payment will supposedly be imminent.