Diary of a benefit claimant.

I have read every reply and am amazed and appalled with what goes on, particularly the sanctions that can be applied and what you have to go through to appeal.
I can see that I will have to be applying for help too, so I will be mentally prepared\ I think I will ask Age UK for help to apply. They were excellent when my Mum needed to fill out all those forms. One of their agents came to her flat and helped us fill in the whole form with the appropriate replies.
Best wishes MISS ADVENTURE. Thanks for posting this, and I hope you will feel better soon.

Do remember a diagnosis is not necessary to claim disability benefits; it is about quality of life taking into account pain levels, mental health, mobility, length of difficulties, etc. Obviously any "evidence" you have regarding visits to Drs and medication need to be there but you absolutely do not need a definitive diagnosis.

Sagi, re attendance allowance, why will you have to reclaim if your income changes.
AA isn't income related, so unless the claimant's condition improves, it should carry on.
you do have to inform them if the claimant goes into hosp.

I'm sure it won't. Next time you ring them they will have a totally different attitude - well that's what my granddaughter found! I think it depends very much on who you speak to. Make a big fuss! You don't sound in the mood to make a fuss but please do!. You don't deserve any of this!

I need to get my "fuss making head" on, it's true.
As I've said, I want to believe I'll get the help I need, so I will be starting out from that mindset.

I just wish I could get back to work and be left alone, though.

AA is not dealt with by local job centres, but a section at DWP.
i have found them to be reasonable, if strict, eg penalty charges for not informing soon enough of claimant going into hosp.
quite different from job centre, who speak as if one is a criminal, rude, arrogant, demeaning.
what it does to mental health, kick someone while they are down.
a person was required to attend a 3 week course in another town, supposedly to help with getting a job.
she was still required to sign on every week at the job centre, 2 bus rides away, during the morning session of the course.
failure to attend any part of either of these resulted in a penalty, a sanction, where benefit is withdrawn.
she tried to point out, politely, that it was impossible to be in two places at one time. job centre's failed to acknowledge this, and said if she failed to comply, she would be sanctioned.
she was spoken to as if she was a malingerer or worse. and all this is meant to help people feel confident and present themselves well enough to manage to get a job.
it was only when the people running the course intervened for her and begged an exemption, that she was let off having to sign-in those weeks.
but it was done as a one-off decision. as a kind of favour to the course provider, re business relations.
not to help the claimant, let alone admit they had required her to do something absolutely impossible.
this is what people are dealing with.
and yet some still think it is an easy option. go figure. and if it's so easy why don't the people who say that it is, do so themselves.
all the best MissAdventure.

MissA - phone your social work / council office as some councils have a dedicated benefit's worker that can come for a home visit to help you fill in all the forms. I know our Council had one, sadly she was not replaced after her maternity leave - but it's well worth checking out if they have one. Often they are attached to the social work team for services for older people. If you have a social worker they should check it out for you.

I don't have anyone, as I'm not a retiree, and not disabled.
As I've said, until the ball starts rolling, I'm a working age person who is off sick, which means I fall through the net.

There is no benefit helper at my council, that was done away with years ago, as I tried to find someone for my neighbour (and ended up doing it for her myself)

We do have a charity which can help, but they are snowed under and the wait is months, presently.

So, in order to haul myself back onto "the net", I have no option but to start the ball rolling myself.

It's vey soul destroying having to claim benefits. I've had that problem several times over the last 11 years.
Hope you get it sorted soon.

Watch this space!
Thanks again, all.

MissA I really do feel for you, but I think the attitude you”re taking is the correct one. Individually, job centre workers don’t go into their day to do anybody out of what’s due to them, but they do have very strict criteria to adhere to and are often as hidebound and frustrated by the system as their customers.

If you start off on a positive note and explain that you need extra help to navigate the system due to your health difficulties, I hope that you will find the staff to be helpful and take account of your complex needs.

I’m waiting along with everyone else to see how it works out for you and wishing you well. ?

Thank you.
I will definitely do all I can to help them to help me. Very strange; last year I was a support worker for people with complex needs.

Talk about having the rug swept out from under you, eh?

Nobody should judge anyone who is claiming benefits. I was in receipt of Unemployment Benefit on several occasions during my youth as anxiety made it impossible to hold down a job. After starting a job as soon as I reached the end of my probation period I would be fired which meant going on benefit. This continued till I was 24, so I would NEVER judge anyone on benefits. It can happen to anyone. Society at the moment is very harsh and judgemental.

It is very difficult to claim benefits now. I really feel for you and it sounds as though you have an authentic claim. Please, please give them a hard time!

I know that you’re not happy with your MP, but I would give her the opportunity to go up in your estimation and ask her to help. As a PP said, she has to be impartial. When I worked in the civil service a complaint to an MP was treated very seriously, I assume it’s still the same.

Years ago my husband was out of work, went to sign on and apply for Job Seekers Allowance.
He was turned down for this as "the form hadn't been filled in correctly."
This was despite the fact that the Job Centre staff member he'd had his appointment with had filled it in on his behalf ?

I wish you a successful outcome MissAdventure ?

MissAdventure

Thank you.
I will definitely do all I can to help them to help me. Very strange; last year I was a support worker for people with complex needs.

Talk about having the rug swept out from under you, eh?

You never know what's round the corner.
Did you work for an organisation with an HR officer or Welfare Officer? Could they help?

I hope this all gets sorted for you soon, MissAdventure.

I have had to do this in thew past so i don't envy you. Its a nightmare. I ended up in tears. They certainly don't make it easy. Have you though of contacting Age UK . They are very helpful and can sometimes sort it out for you. The best of luck to you. XX

Sorry you're having such difficulties MissAdventure.

I know that UC system is a nightmare. My MLA and MP are very good at helping. I hope you get sorted out.

I know it's hell people don't realise it's the same as people not realising about depression divorce etc it's just under the radar unless you've got cancer nobody cares (no offence to anybody that's got cancer)

Saggi

I claimed Attendance Allowance on behalf of my husband last year! The form was 52 pages long……and took me three hours to fill in. I duly sent it off, got one telephone call from somebody saying I’d forgotten one question..,which I duly answered . Seems I could’ve been claiming this allowance for 16 years! Apparently lost about £43,000…… ah well..,c’est la vie! All that for £69 a week!
But I must say …the process was reasonably easy and the lady who asked the supplementary question was very nice. My first experience with any Social Service and I was pleasantly surprised. Mind you …. I have to repeat it all again soon in case my income has increased!!

I don’t think AA is means tested so you should not need to apply again. You might want to check.

I applied on behalf of my mum and also found the form onerous, repetitive and took me ages to complete. She was entitled to the higher amount as she needs 24 hour care but I did not need to declare her income or provide any financial details.

I'm a bit wary why they have asked straight away about 2017.
There is only one event I can remember from that year, and it is nothing to do with work..
It's all a horrible, hateful blur.

A big part of my younger DD's job involves advocating on behalf of her charity's service users regarding their benefit claims. It's an endless struggle. As you would expect, the attitude of staff members at the DSS (and at the Council housing department) varies from helpful to indifferent to callous. However, that's not the real problem. It's the way the system is designed. Even the most sympathetic adviser has limited options when it comes to applying the very punitive rules. As a result, you get ridiculous situations like people being sanctioned for missing appointments because they were waiting to be seen in A&E. It's inhumane.

When it comes to applying for benefits on health grounds, she tells people to describe their worst days, because having those days is the reason why you need to claim. That's what she told me when she insisted that I was entitled to Attendance Allowance, as a disabled pensioner, and must claim. I was anxious about claiming but it was very straightforward and I was granted it straight away.

However, she says that PIP is incredibly difficult to get and people are turned down for it when they are practically on their last legs. You can get Universal Credit, though, with sick notes from your GP. That's what our working age neighbour, who was living on her savings after being refused PIP, got with my DD's help. DD's other piece of advice is don't give up. If you are refused any type of benefit and you think you are entitled, keep applying and hopefully you will wear them down. She says it doesn't always work but it's always worth trying.

Thank you.
It's all very daunting, but once the ball is rolling I'm hoping I will be fine.
I'm not sure anyone would want to hear about my worst day, but every single thing is a terrible struggle, so at least I can beconsistent in my descriptions.