yes thats what i meant,so as soon as you go onto benefits,are all benefits means tested.like i say since leaving school,till my heart problems i worked for around 30 yrs.so am a novice to benefits.so as a couple,we are penalised,for being honest,so in real terms both my partner and i lose 36 pounds a week.i can see why some people abuse the system.

i downloaded the file to see what the benifit rates are,and not sure if im getting the correct rate.im 55 yrs old,and my girlfriend,partner is 42. we get 112.55p per week.on top of that i get 44.20 as im sick.and get lower rate incapcity benifit.how come as a couple we get less than a single person.who gets a flat rate of 71.00.excuse my ingnorance.but i have always worked.and dont know the ins and outs of the benifit system. am i correct in saying,we are being penalised for being a couple by almost 38 pounds a week.thanks in advance.

hi,im new to the forum,in june 2008,i had been summoned to have a medical assesment,due to being on incapacity benifit after having a stroke and being in hospital,i was asked to raise my hands above my head,touch my toes,then sit onto the edge of a table,the assesment officer then asked me about my health,wont go into all the details,but shortage of breath,chest pains and so on,i also informed him that i was waiting on results of having a camera down my throat[cant remember the name of the procedure].to cut a long story short,he failed me, i appealed as i knew i wasnt not fit for work. 10 MONTHS LATER,i went for my appeal hearing.a panel of 3 people.one was a doctor,and finally they had my medical records turn up,they cancelled an earlier appeal hearing,due to losing my medical records.he[the doctor] almost got on his knees to me,to get in touch with freemans hospital in newcastle.as it turned out that the test results i was waiting for,had shown,that i had a hole in my heart,and also a right to left heart shunt. the surgeon who operated on me for 4 1/2 hours ,said that i had been a walking time bomb for those 10 months,and could have dropped dead anytime.the operation does not seem to have worked,as i still suffer from lack of breath,and still have tia[small strokes]into double figures now.ive just recieved my esa50 form to fill.yes im worried,and feel rightly worried.because i felt that at my last medical,my symptoms were not even considered.i will ask for this medical,if i have to attend one,to be recorded. if i could have taken legal action,i would have done so.simply because the guy who failed me.did not appear to even listen to me.