Don't fully trust r/BenefitsAdviceUK on subreddit.

Briansteen50

As  title. 

Briansteen50

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

flaneurs_lobster

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

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

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

Briansteen50

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

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

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

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 !

TimeLord1

Reddit: Personally, I would not be asking for their opinion. I have seen random topics taken on a very negative, off-topic stance.

elsien

To be fair that happens here sometimes as well. Just one of the joys of anonymous Internet forums.