Diary of a benefit claimant.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/getting-universal-credit-if-youre-sick-or-disabled/

I will send another link in due course ( I can’t do it from my ipad).

Unfortunately they have closed down and the nearest is ok "as the crow flies", but about a 2+ hour trip by buses.

I did find the CAB advisor absolutely lovely when I phoned their helpline; if only I could speak to her again.

Oh, I can!
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/help-with-your-esa-claim/fill-in-form-esa/
Although this refers to ESA50, the form is the same as UC50. There is help with every question and, I think, details of the descriptors which show how points are scored.

Feel free to PM me if you wish. I am happy to help.

Oh thanks for that link.
I just looked at the info it gives, and it says I should give detailed info about my condition (s)
Nobody from the dwp has asked me for details..
I wonder if they will do that next time?

Thank you so much.
Having looked at all that info, I think it's fair to say you may well get a panicky pm from me at some point!
It's really very nice of you, because I know it is tedious.

Oh MissA,
I am so sorry to hear of your plight. I hope you will be able to sort something soon.

Thank you all.
I started the thread originally to prove that benefits aren't just dished out willy nilly, but it seems I am more in need of a bit of support than I thought.

Spot on H1954,they absolutely hope you give up.
You would think it was their personal money and not the Governments.
I would think that by now when you are on the phone for so long that they should phone you back,the local housing group in our area ask if they can phone you back,then you press a specified button.
Hang on in there MissA.
And don`t let them/it get to you,they win if that happens.
I also believe you only get 4 weeks back pay,hope i am mistaken.

Thats probably the case, I'd imagine.
Nobody has mentioned backdating anything, even though a week has gone by due to the missing appointment, when nobody phoned.
I can live with that though. As long as some money comes in at some point, and as long as I'm not railroaded into agreeing terms I can't keep.

So far, so good.

Better than I was expecting.

UC is paid five weeks after your claim. An advance payment can be taken to bridge the gap but it is repayable by deductions from ongoing payments. Sorry I am not an expert on when the claim period starts, so I wont comment on that. There is no backdating .

You should not be asked a load of health questions at this stage, as long as you keep providing fit notes. Eventually they will ask you to complete the health assessment form UC50.

I've had a phone call today from the "troubled families" advisor.
(That was the term used at the job centre, even though their name has changed, and the person with their details didn't leave his photocopying to walk 3 steps and allow me a little dignity)

Again, lots of emphasis on "popping" here and there, along with questions about when I last saw my gp, and advice to see "somebody else in the practice", even though I said that there is just the one doctor.

I asked what I would need to see the gp for, since I have a current sick note.
Apparently it's to tell the gp that my mental health isn't good.

I told mr. Troubled family that I'm reluctant to do that, since it has taken almost 2 years to convince anyone that I am physically unwell, and not have it dismissed as "stress".

Still no text from my job coach, which admittedly will be just to confirm what time he will be phoning on Friday, but the call is treated as an official appointment, so it feels pretty disrespectful.

So a job centre employee has diagnosed a mental health problem and wants you to inform your GP ?
Isn't that the wrong way round?

I believe the DWP deliberately employs people who are not very bright and gives them confusing training which results in an incompetent service to clients from employees who are (maybe) doing their best.

Sorry you are having to deal with this MissA.

I just wish there was some way that we could improve your life MissA, it’s seems to me that you have had such a rough hand dealt you and you still fight on. Good luck -I hope the boys are doing okay and life improves rapidly.

Thank you.
It'll all come right in the end, I'm sure.

It just may take some considerable time.

Sending you best wishes ❤ Miss A. Maybe the Jobcentre employee wants you to let your GP know that time spent in Jobcentres is likely to cause mental health problems in it's client group, even if the client didn't come in with one......

I reckon that's it.

MissAdventure

Thank you.
It'll all come right in the end, I'm sure.

It just may take some considerable time.

But it shouldn't.

Adding more and more stress to an already stressful situation is just not right.

Maybe the Jobcentre employee wants you to let your GP know that time spent in Jobcentres is likely to cause mental health problems in it's client group, even if the client didn't come in with one ......
Too true!

Have some ? I made it especially for you MissA.
And

Oh I could just eat a big slice of cake..
I'm not normally a cakey person.

Anyone having to ask for the advance payment to Universal credit should ask for the payments to be spread out for as long as poss to give you more money each month.

Yes, I asked for 2 years to pay it back.

I'm also going to be having a word with the job coach when he phones, about making a definite appointment time.

Sorry I meant repayments should be spread out

I’ve just caught up with all of this Miss A, I don’t know how I missed seeing it before.

I’m so very sorry that you’ve had to cope with this when you are so poorly and hope you will get some help very soon.

I am retired now and so it is many years since I needed to have a sick note and so on, and maybe the system has changed dramatically since I was affected by it.

I hope you don't mind me asking, but as you have a sick note, why is the jobcentre involved at all?

Have the two systems been merged in some way?