speciality section

tazwhoever

This is a suggestion for MSE especially for this thread, we should have a 'speciality section' which helps other users to identify people to specialises in areas, like tax credits, council tax, dla, etc. This will be very helpful for users.

[Deleted User]

tazwhoever wrote: »

This is a suggestion for MSE especially for this thread, we should have a 'speciality section' which helps other users to identify people to specialises in areas, like tax credits, council tax, dla, etc. This will be very helpful for users.

We tend to find that people with certain knowledge of different benefits answer specific questions.
However if you want to send some feedback about this then pm me and I will move this thread to the right forum.
HTH

marliepanda

tazwhoever wrote: »

This is a suggestion for MSE especially for this thread, we should have a 'speciality section' which helps other users to identify people to specialises in areas, like tax credits, council tax, dla, etc. This will be very helpful for users.

I disagree as it’s far more likely that someone will be claiming multiple benefits than just one. Having to start different threads for each benefit is pointless as some benefits directly affect the others.

Plus it’s a free forum. No one is paid for their advice. Having forums of ‘specialist’ users is something you pay for.

Basically I don’t see anything wrong with the current way the forum works...

NeilCr

Personally, I know quite a bit about certain benefits and less about others (for example UC as it's newish in our area). Whatever, I always try to post links so that the poster has something to look at as well as my comments.

There are, obviously, some folks with speciality knowledge - the excellent darksparkle on tax credits is once that springs readily to mind. Epitome on ESA, when they were posting.

But, I think, the majority of posters on benefits are more likely to be like me. And, if you have a speciality list who decides who is on it, who keeps it up to date, who takes people off for incorrect advice (remember MSE don't moderate here). Plus, while speciality knowledge is good, if you concentrate solely on that you may miss input from others.

tazwhoever

marliepanda and NeilCr, thank you for your comments, it makes sense.

For new posters, it takes time to find out (ie) darksparkle on tax credits, Epitome on ESA, etc.

NeilCr

tazwhoever wrote: »

marliepanda and NeilCr, thank you for your comments, it makes sense.

For new posters, it takes time to find out (ie) darksparkle on tax credits, Epitome on ESA, etc.

No problem

And I completely agree with your comments about newcomers. It's difficult for them (especially if they are in a vulnerable or upset state) to know who is someone to trust. As most will know we have had an extremely problematic troll for some time on this forum, in particular. They sounded plausible but gave some incorrect advice.

We do try to counter this type of troll. A lot of us use links from trusted sources CAB, gov.uk, entitledto, CPAG etc to support what we are saying. This issue has been raised a number of times and in various ways with MSE but, as yet, no changes have been made.

I can only say to someone new - take a look through the forum - see if someone has had a similar problem and look at who helped resolve it.

I do hope MSE can find a way to make this better!

Darksparkle

My bigggest suggestion to newcomers, be clear in your title what benefit you're asking about.

I help where I can but I do miss posts if they just say "benefit help" or "advice on benefits"

Alice_Holt

Darksparkle wrote: »

My biggest suggestion to newcomers, be clear in your title what benefit you're asking about.

And give sufficient information in the message section to enable sensible replies..
Then follow up with any more info necessary to answer your question, when this is requested by helpful forumites.

Ames

I have wondered if a sticky with all the information that would be useful for a poster to include would help.

Something like:
Are you in a live or full service UC area.
Are you claiming contributions based or income based benefits.
Are you single, how many children do you have.
Do you live alone.
Do you claim PIP/DLA? What rates?

But I think they have something similar on Consumer Rights and hardly any new posts on there actually contain the information. So it's probably more useful in theory than practice.

[Deleted User]

As Ames suggests a sticky outlining information that would help us give better answers, and faster might be a good idea and I would be more than open to suggestions before I make a sticky, and perhaps how to word the title of the sticky as its late now and i'm off to bed after a rotten day.

NeilCr

Ames wrote: »

I have wondered if a sticky with all the information that would be useful for a poster to include would help.

Something like:
Are you in a live or full service UC area.
Are you claiming contributions based or income based benefits.
Are you single, how many children do you have.
Do you live alone.
Do you claim PIP/DLA? What rates?

But I think they have something similar on Consumer Rights and hardly any new posts on there actually contain the information. So it's probably more useful in theory than practice.

I just don't think newbies read stickies.

I've been dabbling on the parking forum and a recurring theme is "read the stickies before you post questions"