DWP Is it me??

*Hetty 58

I missed a bit "A new apprenticeship, called a returnership, will be created for those aged 50 and older wanting to return to work. Mr Hunt said it will make existing skills programmes more appealing for older workers and focus on previous experience.

An extra £400m will increase mental health and musculoskeletal workplace support to stop people being forced to leave work due to sickness.

An extra £200m a year - in addition to the £500m already allocated - will be made available to tackle "the curse" of potholes.

Public leisure c
centres and pools will share a £63m fund to help with costs.

On the other hand, the money promised to get Social Care' out of the depths of despair has been halved!!

"Ministers set to halve the £500m promised to invest in staffing of sector with more than 165,000 vacancies, report says"

The NHS is in crisis because of social care - if the social care was available, then people can be moved out of hospitals. That will free up ore beds on the wards, which will free up space in A&E, which will allow ambulances able to hand over their patient to het to more calls .... just how STUPID can they be?

Nana56

MadeinYorkshire, you have my sympathy. DWP absolutely hopeless. I had to wait for form to arrive yo vlsim my pension as letter with invitation code didn't arrive. They couldn't send another. Two phone calls to get form, then they list my marriage certificate . Each time I phoned got different response. Think they say anything to get rid of you. Took 2 months of calls ti get pension.
Now dont seem to get any letters even though DH does. To be honest won't phone in case causes more confusion.

*Nana56
It sure does, as long as you know that they are paying you properly, I would not bather calling! I had to because they were paying me wrong!

Hetty58

MadeInYorkshire, - back to work? I really don't have the energy (or seem to have the time) now - having worn myself out completely many years ago. Tell me they're joking - please!

*Hetty58
Not joking sadly! It was all in the budget ... "In the Spring Budget we are setting out a package of measures designed to support people to enter work, increase their working hours and extend their working lives."

They're targeting people who have retired early. mothers with young children, the disabled, and wanting the jobless to move to the country and pick crops!

The government will abolish the work capability assessment for disabled people and separate benefit entitlement from an individual's ability to work. The aim is to enable disabled people to seek work without fear of losing their benefits. (whether they want to or not)

A new programme called universal support will also fund extra support for disabled people to find work.

Look at this link - It's terrifying to be honest. I WISH I could work, it's awful not having a purpose, and I do what I can online as I am a bit of an 'expert patient' on my myriad of medical issues, but I am just not well or reliable enough to commit to anything, just as I wasn't 13 years ago and I have had 5 major surgeries since then, (24 in total over 20 years)

www.gov.uk/government/publications/spring-budget-2023-disability-white-paper-factsheet/spring-budget-2023-factsheet-disability-white-paper

The second link shows how they are helping the other people who are 'economically inactive' back to work. This bit is frightening - "Strengthening the application of the Universal Credit sanctions regime: this includes additional training for Jobcentre Work Coaches to ensure they are applying sanctions effectively, including for claimants who do not look for or take up employment, and automating administrative elements of the sanctions process, including sending automated messages to claimants who fail to meet with their Work Coach, to reduce error rates and free up Work Coach time." No doubt, the said 'work coaches' will have targets, so will be sanctioning as many people as they can.

My daughter went back to work this week for the first time since her sister died. She works 3 days a week during school hours. Day 1 was ok, other than the teachers were on strike! Nanny to the rescue. Day 2 was a disaster as Pre-school called and she had to leave to pick the little one up who had a temperature. Day 3, it was a Teacher's Training Day, other Nanny to the rescue! These Ministers who will all have nannies/au pairs to look after their children, just haven't a clue!

Older workers will be supported to work for longer and to return to work.

The ways they are going to do this is in this link .....

www.gov.uk/government/publications/spring-budget-2023-labour-market-factsheet/spring-budget-2023-factsheet-labour-market-measures

MadeinYorkshire, you have my sympathy. DWP absolutely hopeless. I had to wait for form to arrive yo vlsim my pension as letter with invitation code didn't arrive. They couldn't send another. Two phone calls to get form, then they list my marriage certificate . Each time I phoned got different response. Think they say anything to get rid of you. Took 2 months of calls ti get pension.
Now dont seem to get any letters even though DH does. To be honest won't phone in case causes more confusion.

Fridayschild

Don’t think it’s anything to do with the alphabet. I got my letter about my pension increase two or three weeks ago and DH hasn’t had his yet. We have the same surname.

I wonder if it is to do with age.

I got mine weeks before DH.

Don’t think it’s anything to do with the alphabet. I got my letter about my pension increase two or three weeks ago and DH hasn’t had his yet. We have the same surname.

I have had no letters yet about pension increase or.anything connected with DWP
My surname is C.so near front of alphabet, if it works that way

MadeInYorkshire, - back to work? I really don't have the energy (or seem to have the time) now - having worn myself out completely many years ago. Tell me they're joking - please!

Not yet old enough for my pension, but have been contacting the DWP for months as I believed that they were paying me wrong ... and have had no heating on all winter because of it! It took 5 calls, (one of which I ended up with a very rude man, who just dismissed me completely) culminating in a three-way call with a lady whose son was on the Martin Lewis TV Show in November, and we were Tweeting each other an hour after the show and he said that he would help me. They said they would call back within 76 hours, which obviously they didn't, so another week later a further call - you don't get to speak to anyone who can DO anything - it's now just a call centre! This time they did call me back the following day, but it was more by luck than judgement that I actually got anywhere. I kept repeating that I didn't understand how an increase in my pension of £5.04 in two years had knocked me off income related benefits - which lost me free prescriptions/dental treatment etc ... eventually, I got her to look at my pension, and they had me down for having a £94 a week other pension, which is one I drew down and no longer got. Looks through my file to find a letter dated 21st May 2021 saying such, which they had just ignored! I don't trust them as far as I can throw them, This year will be fun as Jeremy Hunt now wants me, the 'economically inactive' to go back to work, and will penalise me for not being able to do so - any vacancies anywhere for a mattress tester or a doorstop?

Surname J, no letter yet. Didn't get one for heating allowance either.
DH receives all his letters. From when I tried to apply for my pension (took many phone calls). Paperwork lost etc, been a fiasco.

Think letters are issued with regard to NI number.

Had both and also notification from HMRC of my increased income tax liability for 2023/4. There are 11.5 million ppl entitled to the winter fuel allowance and 12.3 million receive a state pension so the DWP have a lot of notifications to produce.

at the moment our letters are seeming to be only delivered as and when the po think of it. I get no letters for 4 days and then several. So far have received nothing from DWP but dont know if they are both to blame or just one of them. Either way dont expect anything good from them

Yes I received my letter about increase in pension but nothing about heating allowance. Mind you I am at the beginning of the alphabet. I really need my heating allowance and would be very angry if they axed that. If you are lucky enough not to need your heating allowance donate it to charity but DO NOT return it to the government. They will think we all don't need it.

I am another W who has not yet had the letter. I am always later than my friends.

I think they're being sent out alphabetically as my surname is J and have received it but my sister is W and has not.

I have been trying to get a pension forecast for days. Website wouldn't let me get one on there because I don't have a driver's license or passport or other things they ask for. Tried phoning the last 3 days at different times and get to the department and it cuts off. So have now had to send a letter . Because of a Neurological condition my hands shake writing is very difficult took me a hour to write the letter. Hopefully they will reply.

I don't get my state pension until next year but it's been years since I had a forecast and I need to know how to claim any of my late husband's contributions. He died in 2004 aged 47 but had paid 30 years NI.

effalump

Four month away from State Pension. How long before birthday do you actually get an invite to claim your pension?

You should hear any time soon . Usually it’s four months

Nothing here yet

I had my pension increase letter yesterday. Perhaps it depends on area?

PinkCosmos

I have had a letter last week asking me to apply for my state pension which I am eligible for in July. I did this online and found it very straight forward.

It had the old weekly pension amount on it. It didn't mention the increase due in April - which seemed a bit odd as it was already known about.

Your confirmation letter will give the increased rate. We've both done this recently.

Hubby hasn't had the letter about the state pension yet. Surname T. How much is the increase please?

Four month away from State Pension. How long before birthday do you actually get an invite to claim your pension?

I have had a letter last week asking me to apply for my state pension which I am eligible for in July. I did this online and found it very straight forward.

It had the old weekly pension amount on it. It didn't mention the increase due in April - which seemed a bit odd as it was already known about.

Had my letter a few weeks ago but it quoted an incorrect starting figure, different to other statements so have written to query. Tried to phone first but gave up after hanging on for at least 45 mins.