Don't fully trust r/BenefitsAdviceUK on subreddit.

Briansteen50 · 11 January at 9:52AM

I hope i don't get any hate for this as it's just meant as a warning. I'm not into internet drama at my age. I'm sure they do good work and have given good advice but some of their advice has been very miss rather than hit.

Early last year I joined their reddit with a question about Pension credits. I am 68 and had 6k in savings. My partner is 55. I asked on there would I be entitled to Pension credits. They said I would be. I also asked the adviser on there if they were the DWP who said they weren't but being a mod they worked very closely with them and they said they USED to work for them.

I called up and spoke to one of the DWP people who said I wouldn't be as my partner is below pension age. I said i didn't think so but the reddit group mod said I would. The person said "No, they are not affiliated with us at all and all information on there isn't true even coming from people who work on the group".

I went back onto their reddit and posted an update on my original post to make sure anybody else who had the same question knew not mentioning her comments about the people who work on there as to not cause arguments.

The post was removed later stating it was spreading misinformation. I contacted the group and explained and they said that the adviser was wrong and I shouldn't post about it again as it was spreading misinformation and I should push it with the DWP as I was entitled.

I ended up contacting Citizens advice who confirmed I was not entitled to it and once again take any information on there with a pinch of salt.

A few months later my partner had a question about claiming the U.C component of care along with Caring allowance. I came on here with my old email addresses account (I can't log in to that anymore sorry) and You guys explained she could but it would be reduced from her U.C. At the same time.

She came on reddit and asked in the Benefits AdviceUK reddit page. They said "No, they won't cancel each other out and won't reduce your universal credit". She asked again to the MOD and said she'd i'd been told something different. The mod said that they work with the DWP so are more qualified to answer.
She called to make a claim and was told the prior was correct and it would reduce her U.C. She went on and once again put an 'update' on her post and it was removed because of misinformation. She then made another post asking why it was removed and that new post was removed and she was banned.

I don't understand how to block groups on reddit but I had a post pop up in November saying somebody was asking about claiming Pension credits. I clicked on it and they were in near enough same boat as we were. Same ages and age gap etc.
One of their advisers told them they could. I made a post saying "I was told by the DWP that if your partner is below Pension age you aren't able to get them unless you were claiming them before 2019.". My comment was removed and I was blocked. I messaged the admin who said I'd had multiple comments removed and was spreading misinformation and blocked.

I only post this not to cause arguments but to maybe help people not get in trouble and to always chest with DWP or Citizens advice.

Take care.

Briansteen50 · 11 January at 9:56AM

I've just noticed a few typos but can't see how to edit. I am sorry.

flaneurs_lobster · 11 January at 10:28AM

You make a good point.

I'm sure that the good folk over at r/BenefitsAdviceUK (or at least the Moderators) are only there because they want to offer their experience to the widest possible audience for purely altruistic reasons.

The same could be said of any advice or opinion offered by anyone on this forum.

But they are not authoritative, official channels for the bodies that a) make the rules, and b) award the benefits.

To be blunt, they are just a bunch of anonymous people on the internet. You have to decide just how much credence you give to anything said there (or here).

If you find out that someone has given bad or incorrect advice on an online forum then you can decide to post a repost quoting your more authoritative source, but be aware that you may not get thanked for your correction, you might get yourself banned, you might find yourself on the receiving end of a bunch of abuse.

Don't treat these non-official channels with more respect or regard than you need to, they really are not that important although they may think that they are. Feel no remorse or regret about simply cutting communications and walking away.

QrizB · 11 January at 10:31AM

Briansteen50 said:
I've just noticed a few typos but can't see how to edit. I am sorry.

Once you lose your "newbie" status you'll be allowed to edit your posts. Just keep using the forums (& posting replies) for a bit longer.

born_again · 11 January at 10:38AM

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/benefits-entitlements/couples-benefits/

Briansteen50 · 11 January at 10:44AM

flaneurs_lobster said:

If you find out that someone has given bad or incorrect advice on an online forum then you can decide to post a repost quoting your more authoritative source, but be aware that you may not get thanked for your correction, you might get yourself banned, you might find yourself on the receiving end of a bunch of abuse.

That to me is a BIG flag when you're banning somebody without hearing their point of view, especially when you're reposting official information received from the DWP people. As i say I did get banned and 'muted' so I couldn't even reply to their message they sent me.

I also think it's worrying when some of them also say they worked for the DWP previously as it makes you 'trust' them that bit more.

Briansteen50 · 11 January at 10:45AM

QrizB said:

Briansteen50 said:
I've just noticed a few typos but can't see how to edit. I am sorry.
Once you lose your "newbie" status you'll be allowed to edit your posts. Just keep using the forums (& posting replies) for a bit longer.

Thank you. I just noticed my "Newbie" status has gone so I can edit now.

flaneurs_lobster · 11 January at 11:04AM

Briansteen50 said:

That to me is a BIG flag when you're banning somebody without hearing their point of view, especially when you're reposting official information received from the DWP people. As i say I did get banned and 'muted' so I couldn't even reply to their message they sent me.

I also think it's worrying when some of them also say they worked for the DWP previously as it makes you 'trust' them that bit more.

Two points.

1) You have reposted YOUR advice given to YOU on Reddit, may or may not be generally applicable.
We have no knowledge as to the context or tone of your interactions over on Reddit, but let's just say that they can be (in my experience) quite robust, forthright and often downright offensive. Getting banned over there is not exactly hard.

2) Again, anyone can claim anything online, might well be true that someone worked for the DWP, maybe they were senior frontline staff dealing with benefit claims, maybe they worked in the canteen, maybe they just made it up.

Altior · 11 January at 12:24PM

Not directly to do with reddit I suppose, but more generally there is professional etiquette. This is reflected in online settings, you can also get this in your own working life. On occasion you might have to correct a peer, colleague or especially someone determined to be formally more senior to you.

If you feel that is needed, it is much better to do it privately, then seek to do it publicly. They may well be wrong, there is a chance you are wrong. But generally, stakeholders have to have faith in the process. If 'experts' are being undermined publicly, it threatens the structure of the whole process. And of course, many professionals can react badly to a public challenging of their knowledge.

Nobody is infallible. Absolutely nobody. If you find yourself needing to correct a perceived expert, it's far more prudent to do it privately, if at all possible. They are much more likely to react well, and make relevant corrections if appropriate.

I see no issue with asking experts to substantiate their opinion. For example, if they say law x states this, please direct me to where I can read law x for myself. Not third party or charity websites, as there is a possibility that they are incorrect too.

And that doesn't even cover the rather significant element of interpretation !