desperate for expert advice on incapacity benefit for 17 yr old

shelovestobuystuff

Please help.I am worried,son has had enough of things and the benefits people are really messing things up.
Son has a hopefully temporary illness which stops him from going out.He has great trouble dealing with people at the best of times and having to try to get info from different people all the time over the phone is making him ill.They keep telling him they have lost his medical certs or rather than he hasnt given them any which I have.One day its with a decicion maker then the next its not.
Today he was told his claim cant even go to a decicion maker because he filled out the wrong forms.We filled out everything they told us to fill out.Now they say we have to re-apply under the E.U. youth rules???
We were told that son had to apply for Incapacity benefit but wouldnt get any because he has never worked but that it had to go through that process first before the could make a decision on income support which would likely be awarded at the higher level with add ons because of illness.His claim has been sitting there for nearly 2 months,infact the 2 months medical cert which went with the claim is due to expire.They also asked for backdated med certs which I handed in personally to go with the claim for 3 months backdated(we were advised he could apply for this).They seem to keep losing and finding the certificates again and son is getting really anxious over this.The doctor would give us replacement certs if only the benefits office could make up their minds whether they have actually lost them or not.
Please someone help me.I have never had to apply for any sort of benefit like this before so dont know how it works and how to help make this easier for my son.I need advice which I can pass on to him please.

Benefits_Blagger

I think people your sons age are entitled to the IB, as he has never had the chance to build up the NI contributions the condition of qualifying is waived.

best thing is keep records and reciepts of everything handed in.

it will get sorted eventually and the any payments backdated.

i know it stressful for him, he just needs to hang in their.

he will have a nice big fat cheque when it is all sorted.

shelovestobuystuff

I didnt get reciepts for anything,are they meant to do that or do you need to ask for a reciept.I handed the stuff in personally to make sure it got there,we only live a 10 min walk from the office anyway so it was quicker than posting too.

jennybridger

benefits confuse me and stress me too - things are better than they were but when i first started claiming i was in a very similar state to this young lad and the same age too.

from what i understand i get income support (well i know i get that i see the money go into my account) and incapacity benefit - i think i understood it that the IB pays for my NI because i hadn't worked enough and paid enough NI due to my age.

so basically i don't get the money, it pays for my NI instead.

shelovestobuystuff

it is confusing.

shelovestobuystuff

Is there anyone who knows about the EU youth rules relating to incapacity benefit please?

bestpud

I can see why your son is stressed about it. It will get sorted eventually and, as already said, they will backdate it.

Re receipts: my advice would be to do everything in person if you can and ask for a receipt there and then. They don't always like it, but it is the only way you can prove you have handed things in, as well as proving the date you did so.

This applies when you ask for information too. Ask them to write down what they have said to you and get them to sign it. They really don't like doing this so you have to be firm with them! You could say your son needs it written due to his mental health issues if you want to be more subtle about it.

If you have to post something then send it recorded delivery.

Good luck, I hope he gets something soon.

shelovestobuystuff

Love your signature by the way.Very funny,quite true.

stazi

The benefit is called IB in Youth (or IBY) -nothing to do with the EU.

There are 2 ways to claim IBY.

If this is a brand new claim, and your son has already been sick for over 28 weeks, then it should have been made on form IBY1, with sick notes going back 28 weeks.

If your son has had an IB claim in already for 23 weeks and been getting Income Support since then, then the form would be an IBY22.

It sounds like form SC1 (to claim IB- not IBY) may have been completed. Also claim Income Support on form A1, if not already made.

These forms are clerical forms that you can still apply on, as most benefits are now claimed via a phone call and a paper statement issued.

Ring your JCP Benenfit Centre on Mon and as for a team leader to ring you back to explain the delay/what action to take next.

You may also want to consider claiming DLA as well on 08457 123456 if your son may be a danger to himself.

glossgal

Stazi is spot on, sounds like a normal IB claim was made instead of a special one. This isn't your fault if you were mislead. TBH I can count on one hand the number of DWP employees I've come across who even realise a 'youth' claim exists!

jackieb

Good luck with your son and your claim. My son is 19yo and he's a bit like your son (not suicidal I hope), but he's been diagnosed as having acute anxiety disorder (he doesn't go out, has panic attacks, a firework phobia, dyspraxia and ADD). He also had to claim IB, even though he was told he wouldn't get it. He had to keep getting sick notes from our GP to hand into the jobcentre, until he got an appointment with a doctor on behalf of the DSS. After he saw this doctor (I went in with him for his appointment) he got a letter saying he wouldn't have to do anything more until a years time (ie, no more sick notes from GP). We've never claimed benefits before either so I know how daunting you must be finding it, on top of the worry over your son. I think it's income support my son gets. I can't remember. He gets just over £90 each fortnight. He's been told it'll got up to about £70 each week in September, but he's applied for a place at college so we're hoping he's better by then.

Fortunately, his advisor at the jobcentre has been very helpful and understanding.