At the end of the day he will have to apply for the job or be sanctioned with or without the certificate.

Thank you No sorry you are wrong, I did not include any payment for Carers Allowance. Carers Allowance has been claimed but because it is countered by the State Pensions (underlying entitlement only), whereas the Carers Premium is instead payable which makes up the 'Appropriate Amount' for Pension Credit purposes. You have to be careful when you claim Carers Allowance to make sure that they are both given as an underlying entitlement only otherwise it would cause the Severe Disability Premium of £119.00 a week to be removed. Like I said before you have to know how one benefit would react with others as claiming the wrong benefit can lead to an overall reduction in income which is not what you want. It's called maximisation.

The £500 relates to a couple who are 65+ and both get the lowest rate of AA, and receive a total of £175 state pension between them. You will find the calculations in another of my post elsewhere. The current position of what your wife would have received today would have been a minimum weekly income of £278.90. Additionally there would have been no Council Tax to pay and she would have received maximum Housing Benefit or up to £69.81 a week towards the interest on a mortgage.

Oh I see, the Social Worker, the OT and the County Council are all involved in a benefit fraud conspiracy with my sister? Yeah they must be. As for my mathematics, I stand by every single figure. I have spent my entire working life of 44 years playing with figures as a qualified accountant. The problem maybe is that you just don't understand the mathematics behind the calculations - that isn't my fault. The art behind benefit claims is to produce evidence that is indisputable by the DWP. Asking a GP or Consultant to write a report is a waste of my time and theirs. A report from the OT who works for the County Council carries a lot more weight when dealing with DLA of AA as would a report from a CPN/OT if mental health is an issue. You should never be scared of putting in an appeal if you have the proper evidence that would support your appeal and blow the backside off any report that the DWP may want to get. At best with AA & DLA claims the DWP will generally take the easy option and go for a GP report. You know that it will either be rubbish at worst or at best, partially helpful.

Communism is the word!! Hey but look what happened in Russia and is happening now in China. The first is one of the biggest capitalistic countries in the world and the other is getting there!! All for one and one for all they shout! By the way I am very rarely wrong, others may have a different opinion to mine!

You do it both ways, their way and yours.

It certainly isn't flawed. It is well known amongst Welfare Rights professionals that AA is far easier to get than what Mid care DLA was. I am aware of one in particular pensioner who is now 68 and was awarded the day and night rate of AA on the basis of arthritis which was not so debilitating that she needed a carer or that help was needed for most of the day or night. Yes it was a problem that caused difficulties with getting in and out of the bath, getting in and out of bed, fastening clothes and shoes etc. The claimant in question asked for a self referred Social Services report which was carried out and which was sent to the DWP. On the strength of that the award was given. Medically there is nothing wrong with her and the only medication taken is Paracetamol. The lady in question is fully able to mobilise outdoors and enjoys an active retirement and happens to be my sister! If she had to claim DLA I doubt that given the same situation she would get the lower rate for care if that. Have you read the link I gave to AgeUK? http://www.ageuk.org.uk/Documents/EN-GB/Lets%20Talk%20Money/LTM%20Attendance%20Allowance%20Leaflet.pdf?dtrk=true

I appreciate that it doesn't, but by admitting that this is what they are doing is actually playing right into the hands of the government. I don't blame taxpayers for being annoyed when they read what is happening with some. Maybe some middle ground does have to be sought - maybe it is only paid for those over state pension age that receive Guaranteed Pension Credit AND NO Savings Credit. Even after having said that, some, not all, but a sizeable number of these pensioners will be receiving up to £500 a week via GPC! Maybe the answer is to remove the payment altogether.

I don't, I respect hard graft and a more than willing employee. I further respect an employee that gets up hours before others and travels a great distance just to be there on time. I also respect and admire those employees that against all adversity health wise, still manage to put in the hours at work. If you think that the DWP made a mistake and placed you in the wrong group, there is no point moaning about it, the answer is clear - an appeal should have been lodged the day the decision notice was received. Given what you have said you would have good grounds for being put in the Support Group on the basis that finding you fit for work or being placed in the Work Group would be injurious to your health.

I'm sorry if you are offended with what I posted and that you are just about tolerating my opinions. The post in question was not intended as a personal insult to anyone, more so an opinion of what I see every day. I can't understand why it is acceptable for society to find excuses and reasons not to do something when it is just as easy to do it. I read somewhere recently that you cannot be made to look for a job that is more than 90 mins travel away. Is that by car or public transport? It may well be the case that there is a job 2 hours away by public transport or 55mins by car - but from what I read, many would argue that they cannot be mandated to apply for that job. I just don't understand the world today - maybe I am an old has been and still live in the past.

I was trying to explain the mind-set involved. Given that there are few jobs available, the ones that are there will go to those that go the extra mile looking for them. I never mentioned anything about working in the 'black economy' which is illegal. Or maybe you are of the opinion that it is only right that people should be allowed to choose who they work for and where. That was OK 10/15 years ago, but today it is a different ball game - such as it was in the 50's and 60's.

Of course. But given that the Jobcentre have issued a directive that her husband must apply for the job in question they have the choice of either ignoring that demand and possibly having to face a sanction or apply with or without the 'Sub Contractors Certificate'. Their choice, not mine and not yours.

Whether I could or couldn't is here nor there, I'm not the one claiming the benefit and having to obey the rules that are laid down. As you say with the 'right support and help be able to enter the workplace', then isn't that what the DWP/Jobcentre/WP is trying to do? If you seriously think that the DWP made a bad decision he should have appealed against it when it was originally made.

All he had to do was do as he was told. The Jobcentre would look the idiot for telling him to apply

I'm a little worried that with that attitude, you seem to be finding reasons and excuses instead of ways to find a job. A very old friend of mine who used to be a stevedore at the old London Docks. He was never guaranteed any work but turned up every morning on the off chance he was one of those picked for a days work. Living as he did in the East End of London, he used to walk miles every morning asking everybody and anybody if they could give him a days/nights work if he wasn't picked that morning. Invariably someone somewhere would give him some work to carry him through to the following day.