What am I entitled to???? HELP!!!

nickiebabe

Hiya,
Hope someone can clear something up for me!! Here goes......

I'm currently receiving Incapacity Benefit as I had an injury at work and can't work as I can not walk far, or do simple things like climb stairs, kneel or lift items by bending my knees. I'm currently waiting to go to appeal over my industrial injuries benefit on the 14th July.

I was told by my benefits adviser (who is really nice and helpful...for a change!!:A ) that I was entitled to Income Support as well as I am on a low income and can not work because I am classed as sick/disabled. We read up on all the stuff and have had this confirmed by one of her colleagues, just to make sure.

Got the letter back from the benefits office today telling me that I am NOT entitled to Income Support :mad: as I already receive OVER the minimum amount of £44.00 per week that the government has as the guideline for a single person to survive on per week.

When I logged onto the jobcentre plus website it clearly states that if you are not receiving SSP and can not work because of sickness or disability then you should claim both Incapacity Benefit AND Income Support.

Obivously because of what I was told, I rang them and queried the decision, spoke to a REALLY RUDE and unhelpful "team leader" (if that's what she call's herself) Sorry to rant, but just because you are on benefits does not mean that you can be spoken to like rubbish!!! Rant Over!! :mad:

She insisted that the decision was correct and continued to be abrupt and defensive, I was in tears on the phone as I have been waiting for this since the end of April and I'm now really begining to struggle on just the incapcity benefit alone.... I'm feeling so down and depressed about the whole situation at the moment...These people just DONT CARE that it is YOUR life that they are messing with...Does anybody else feel like this I wonder??? Is there some sort of process that I can go through to complain about her?

Please..Please..Please can someone confirm to me what I am entitled to, I would be so greatful because I don't know how much more I can take of all this!

Thanks!

withabix

nickiebabe wrote:

I'm currently receiving Incapacity Benefit as I had an injury at work and can't work as I can not walk far, or do simple things like climb stairs, kneel or lift items by bending my knees.

Was your accident recorded in the accident book and have you contacted a solicitor to make a claim against your employer, or was it your own fault?

Please elaborate on your accident - you may well be entitled to ££££.

Ted_Hutchinson

The rates for Income Support are set out IS
and the rates for Incapacity Benefit IB

From the first link you will see that if you are aged 18-24 you get £44.50
There is a Disability Premium listed Disability Premium £23.95(single) however the terms for this are set out on the Disability Alliance Website where you can see either you should be getting long -term IB or short term IB because you are terminally ill. We know that because you have an injury this probably means you have probably not got a condition meaning you are likely to die in the next 6 months, so until you qualify for Long term IB + disability Premium you are stuck with IB alone.
Short-term lower rate first 28 weeks £57.65
Short-term higher rate 28-52 weeks £68.20
Long-term basic rate after 52 weeks £76.45
so by the time you qualify for the long term rate you could be over 25 in which case you potential IS would be £56.20 +disability premium 23.95=£80.15 so you can look forward to IS then. But hopefully you will be back at work before that happens.
ENTITLEDTO is a useful place to check your entitlements.

Fran

nickiebabe wrote:

Hiya,

She insisted that the decision was correct and continued to be abrupt and defensive, I was in tears on the phone as I have been waiting for this since the end of April and I'm now really begining to struggle on just the incapcity benefit alone.... I'm feeling so down and depressed about the whole situation at the moment...These people just DONT CARE that it is YOUR life that they are messing with...Does anybody else feel like this I wonder??? Is there some sort of process that I can go through to complain about her?

You can go through their complaints procedure, starting with a complaint to the office where the woman was. If you ask them they should tell you who to complain to. There is info on the Citiens Advice website re complaints.

I hope you get somewhere with your industrial injuries and that your injuries improve soon. If you are now having problems with bills or rent etc. post again and someone will be able to help with that too.

nickiebabe

Thanks Ted and Fran :A !!

I worked for Royal Mail and was a member of the union, so everything has been recorded in the accident book (it was an accident on duty!) and the union has been great at sorting out a solicitor and getting the claim moving, could take a while though, but that's not the issue. I've got to have an operation on my knee because the injury is worse than first thought.

I have decided to go back to college and will become a full time student in september, does this make any difference? I know 2/3'ds of my fees will be paid as the college have confimed this but does it make any difference to the benefits that I am entitled to?

I live at home, but both my parents have been made redunant in the last 4 months!! We are all finding it hard to all keep out heads above water, I am on the council housing waiting list but don't know if my or my parents circumstances would help me get further up the ladder? I obivously have debts and so forth but I have arranged with the companies to pay these off at small amounts each week.

We've never been in this position before and are finding it real hard to know what each of us is entitled to.

BWZN93

You say College, do you mean College or University?

I believe you can claim some benefits during college, i'm not entirely sure what, but can only have Student Loans at University, a reduction on Council Tax bills, and there is a University Finance Office where you can claim extra money as hardship grants, disabled grants etc. Your college should also have a student finance office who will be able to advise you on exactly what can be claimed as a college student.


Jo xx

jenpoptab

I think that it may be worth speaking to CAB or local Jobcentre Plus as sometimes you may not qualify for benefits if you are in education, it usually depends on amount of hours you do, i.e if 16+ it's classed as F/T

Savvy_Sue

nickiebabe wrote:

I live at home, but both my parents have been made redunant in the last 4 months!! We are all finding it hard to all keep out heads above water, I am on the council housing waiting list but don't know if my or my parents circumstances would help me get further up the ladder? I obivously have debts and so forth but I have arranged with the companies to pay these off at small amounts each week.

It is always worth telling notifying the council of changes to your housing situation, and your parents' redundancy is, I think, relevant, your inability to work at present certainly is, and being unable to climb stairs definitely is - if it looks like a long term problem then obviously it will affect the kind of accommodation you can be offered.

nickiebabe wrote:

We've never been in this position before and are finding it real hard to know what each of us is entitled to.

Hopefully the 'entitled to' site which Ted mentioned earlier will help, otherwise it sounds like getting advice from CAB or similar would be useful for your parents as well as for you. Hope it all gets better soon!