Job Centre Plus Scaring Me All The Time.

lisa_martin_2

Hiya.

Well I dont really know what to say. Maybe I should start with a little bit about me?

I'm Lisa, 28, Live in Devon, Husband and 1 daughter age 9.

I have been diagnosed with severe depression, anxiety and have claustaphobic tendancies.

I claim Incapacity Benefit & Low rate DLA, Income Support for my husband, Child tax Credit and Child benefit.

I claim Income Support for my husband as he cannot work because of my illness we get £20 a week income Support.

But we are constantly being hounded by the jobcentre with fone calls about us returning to work and interviews being set up for us to attend. Today I had another letter which has really really really scared me and im sick of it. I have never claimed before as I have always worked and had well to do job with a well to do sallary and I am absolutly petrified that the jobcentre are going to take the little money we have because I cant make an appointment.

I have however started seeing a CPN will she be able to stop these horrors? I am trying to get better, but I cannot handle these knockbacks all the time, they make me feel sick and I worry that I am doing something wrong.

I am thinkin about giving up the £20 income support so I can stop the constant hassle.

And just to put the icing on the cake 8 weeks ago I had sprained my ankle a grade 3 they called it and now my ankle gives away and it twists so am starting physio in 2weeks time. I can't walk around the house tidy and am feeling pretty crap about the whole thing. Maybe its just a crap day today and tomorrow will be better?

what you think??

Thanks for reading.
Regards, Lisa.

Hapless_2

Unfortunately these appointments are compulsary, but they CAN do them over the phone. This was in Devon too.
Phone them up and explain the situation, if your CPN can give you a letter to send to them more the better, but they should be able to do it like that.

Good luck

lisa_martin_2

The appointment has been cancled and now my husband is waiting a call of the person who wrote the letter so we can find out exactly what its for. We are hoping that someone can come out to us instead or we can do it over the phone. My husband mentioned something about them wanting to check our bank account (just to make sure I am not getting any other income. Is this normal?)

P.S I have nothing to hide but I dont like the constant proving myself all the time

A very sad Lisa.

Hapless_2

lisa_martin wrote: »

The appointment has been cancled and now my husband is waiting a call of the person who wrote the letter so we can find out exactly what its for. We are hoping that someone can come out to us instead or we can do it over the phone. My husband mentioned something about them wanting to check our bank account (just to make sure I am not getting any other income. Is this normal?)

P.S I have nothing to hide but I dont like the constant proving myself all the time

A very sad Lisa.

They quite often do random bank account checks, it's usually to check you have no savings you haven't told them about or any other income.
Sometimes it's also to make sure you are getting everything you are entitled to.

lisa_martin_2

I thought I'd type out the letter on here and see what u all think about it?

Dear me.

This letter has been sent by a centerlised Admin Team who do not have scess to your records and are unable to supply you with specific information about this interview.

We need to see you to discuss your claim to benefit. It is essential that you attend this interview. If you do not it may affect your benefit. We would like you to attend an interview at ..........................

To avoid unnecessary delay, please bring this letter with you and show Reception immediatly on your arrival Please ask for Mr XXXXXXX

Please arrive at the office promptly as it may be difficult to fit in another appointment, you must contact me to arrange a mutually convenient appointment.

Things I will need to see
Passport
Driving Licence
Utility Bills
Rent Agreement

Evidence to support your claim as follows
Current bank statement.


I mean. What the hell is this all about?

I am sooo scared

seven-day-weekend

I understand that it can be stressful to receive these things when you are suffering from depression (my husband has depression). I suppose though that if you are claiming a means-tested benefit (Income Support), then they have to check your finances. This is quite normal afaik. I assume the other things are to prove your identity and that you live where you say you do..

I think however that you can have someone come to check them at your home. Maybe your husband could enquire about that?

Don't be scared - they are not singling you out.

lisa_martin_2

Thanks for replying


I just get things from the job centre like this all the time. well not exactly like the last letter but simular.

All this is for the sake of £20.70 a week Income support for my husband

:-(

TigerAngel11

It does seem scary - I have anxiety and depression to and, at times, my dealings with the Job Centre just seems to make things worse - but they have to do this to make sure that they catch anyone fraudulently claiming benefit. This may make you feel like a criminal but, as you say, you have done nothing wrong and have nothing to worry about. Obviously, it's easy to say this but sometimes you have to think things through rationally.

I had a terrible experience with the Job Centre when I was 18, which put me off claiming benefits when I really needed them, but since then I have found the people I've dealt with to be extremely nice and helpful. If you're so scared because an individual has treated you badly, try requesting to see someone else. Please remember that the majority of Job Centre employees want to help people in your situation.

They talk about aiming to get you and your husband back into work, because that's their (and presumably your) goal. This doesn't mean that they're going to force you to apply for jobs you can't handle - it means that you both decide what you're working towards. It may seem impossible to imagine doing any sort of work now, but depression can and does improve with treatment and eventually you will get to the stage where you can start gradually finding your way back to work. When you reach this stage, the Job Centre peopel will be there to help you and can empathise with your situation because they've dealt with you all the way through.

The important thing is to realise that they're not out to get you. If you explain that you can't work at the moment, they will understand and arrange another meeting in the future. Actually, after a few such meetings, my Personal Adviser told me that they wouldn't arrange any more meetings (at least not in the short term) and I could contact her when I was ready to take the next step. When you do reach the stage in your recovery where you can start finding your way back to work, the Job Centre can help you with various schemes like Permitted Work and volunteering.

As stressful as it can be, just relax and remember that they're not picking on you: the sad truth is that a lot of people do claim benefit fraudulently and they have to check that you're not one of them. If they didn't do this, chances are the benefit system would collapse - so it's actually for your own good (and my own good, etc. etc.)

I found it helpful to take my Mum along to these meetings - they don't mind if there's another person present. It made me slightly less nervous and having someone else there meant that they reminded me to ask the questions I needed to and helped me to understand everything.

Good luck anyway,

Leigh