Asking for a friend who was previously on IB and has failed the ESA medical, currently appealing. Whilst he was on IB his water rates were deducted from his money at £12.00 a week. some for arrears, some for current bill. He is now on the assessment rate of £71 ish a week, and they have still deducted the £12.00. This is leaving him about £8 a day to live on. Can we do anything about getting this amount lowered whilst his income is reduced? Thanks for your help.

I've been working nearly solidly for the last 18 months and I have joined a new recruitment agency. I had 12 months continuous work and another 5 months continuous work. The recruitment consultant said because I have not been working for 2 years I have to provide proof I was claiming benefits before I started work 18 months ago. Well I threw all of my job center paperwork out when I began work. I just do not understand why they would want this...you would think they would want to zap you into a job asap...but instead I've been made to jump through hoops! I don't know how I'm going to provide this since I dumped all paperwork out....

Hello, I hope you are all well. Although if you're on the benefits part of the forum I'm guessing you're not, but, anyway, I'm babbling now... I have been off sick since February. I have had my first (out of three) formal meetings to try and get me back into work (or 'supported' back into work, hmmm) recently and they want me back in a month. I am currently struggling through a relapse in anorexia and with the lovely depression that goes along with it. My question is, if I leave work (before I am dismissed) am I entitled to claim benefits straight away if at all? I think I am entitled to ESA, DLA and housing benefit(?) My sick pay finishes on the 25th of this month (after a month of being on half pay) because I only started working for this business in January. I am entitled to SSP, I think. But thinking about it, does that mean I'm not entitled to ESA? I don't want to be dismissed, because I haven't done anything wrong. However, I've read the sickness policy, and it's all there in black and white, so in their minds, of course it's fair, and legal, which is the main thing. I hope you can help!

Acolleague recently told me that he can now work/earn money of up to 15 hoursper week and £99 per week - and it will not effect his benefits ! This is despite him being in receipt ofIncome support, Incapacity benefit & DLA. I suggested that he checks things out thoroughly before doing anything. If one isable to work, shouldn't their benefits be re-assessed ? I have noidea what this system is called, so can't look into it. Any ideasplease ? Thanks forreading this.

The Armed Forces’ Benefits Calculator will provide you with an indication of the value of the total benefits you receive as a member of the Armed Forces. It will do this by calculating the financial value of your remuneration and allowances package, together with an indicative value for the other benefits you receive in return for military service, which will indicate what these benefits might cost were you to replicate them in the civilian sector. Armed Forces Benefits Calculator V5.1

Hi, I am the user formerly known as BigGreenForest. I havent logged in in ahwile due to health issues while I've beein in and out of hospital a lot, or just too ill to do things. In that time I've managed to forget both my email and CAG passwords. Hotmail have now blocked access to my email due to too many failed password atempts, so I'm forced to start anew. Anyway, I'm in a mess. Regarding my ongoing battle with the Council accusing me of benefit fraud, that finally osrted out. They gave up after 15 months of effort, and my solicitor gathered some evidence that thier manner of what they were doignwas unethical and malitious, that he would have used in court. I'm releived it's all over, but it cost me thousands in solicitors fees. I am in a bad rut in so mnay ways. Before all this happened, and I was working (then got fired when I got ill), I swore I'd never go near benefits again. But then things changed after I lost my job, got ill, and couldn;t find anything else. Despite my health issues (I have ongoing mentail health issues with panic attacks, anxiety, major depression, plus a lot of physical pain, and newer issues such as dizzyness, disorientation and concentration problems since an operation last year) I have been trying to find some kind of part time work. I have not been claiming any benefits so far, and have been living on help from my grandmother, and what savings I have left. But things are starting to run out, and I have a big grey area. When I was working I put some compensation money I recieved into what the bank caleld a Tracker bond. At the time I was unde rthe impression I would be working full time for a loing time, so it made sense to put it into this, where the interest was good, but the catch was that I wasn;t allowed to access the money in the Bond until Mearch 2014. At the time it seemed like a worthwhile sacrifice for the interest, under the impression O would have wages to manage on. in my current situation, with no work, and no benefits, my remaining money has been dwindling at a much bigger than expted rate due to things like a lot of prescription charges and rpair work to my home, which is an ongoing issue. I am due to have to spend something in the region of £2500 on more urgent repairs to the house, I have an £800 council tax bill this year, plus the usual bills, and I am already £450 behind on my energy bill, which I am paying in installments. Quite simply put, I will run out of savings long before I can access the money that's locked in the Bond until next year. What are my situation here? How does inaccessible money count with regards to benefits? I will have a 'dead zone' with no money. Can I resort to council tax benefit and JSA when i run out of money I can gain access to, or will they (as I think), say that I have the money in the Bond, and deny me any benefits as a result? This is an issue I never expected. None of it, the unemployment, the health issues, the problems with the council fraud people, this weird savings grey area. Does anybody know what I can do? Thanks

I will shortly have to pay the shortfall in rent as my house will be under occupied. I currently have non dependents here whose income is not taken into account wrt to HB or CTC as I am in receipt of DLA. If I were to get a lodger, would their income also not be taken into account as with my non dependent adult children, or as they are not related, is that different? Also, how would any money they pay towards the household bills be taken into account for HB, CTB or even my ESA (ir)? Thank you.

I lived overseas and following a relationship break up had to move back to the UK. My home overseas was placed on the market and with 3 children (one severly disabled) I returned to the UK. An accident prevented me from working and I claimed income support. The dss accepted the overseas house was on the market and no income was generated from it. I was required to give updates every 6-12 months and during that time reduced the asking price. Our situation remain unchanged. Last week I was sent a letter telling me that benefit was suspended as they had not received the latest form back. I had posted it 2 wks earlier and phoned the office immediately. I was told that if I went to the office and filled out a new form my benefit should be reinstated. However I have done that and they are now saying it all needs to go to a decision maker to determine if I am still eligible as I still have the property as capital. I am floored and worried sick! Last Sept the dss asked for an updated valuation on the property and I couldn't get an agent to value the property without charges that I cannot afford. I provided the initial valuation and evidence that the property was up for sale, and they accepted that. I now have debts overseas as I have been unable to keep up with local taxes (council tax equivalent) on the property. Advise please.

ok so back in Jan i had a letter from dwp inviting me for an IUC. I have been accused of living with a partner for the last 3 years. To cut a long story short my ESA payments have been suspended and they are seeking an overpayment. grounds for suspicion well back 3 years ago my ex turned up at my door after losing his job and his home asking for my help. i helped him find somewhere to stay and my family loaned him a considerable amount of money to pay off some of his debts.. during this time we began an intimate relationship. however, he had a lot of problems. he's an alcoholic and smokes in excess of 40 ciggarettes a day. When drinking he becomes abusive and in the past, verbal and mental abuse turned to physical abuse (i was forced into a womens refuge to flee from him). So for that reason i could not let him live with me because unlike the past i had children to think about. When not under the influence of beer he's the nicest person ever.. So we devised a plan.... he would transfer money into my bank. I would buy his ciggarettes for him, pay my family back money he owed and either transfer money to him or give cash if i saw him on a daily basis to cover his living costs.. the idea was that he wouldnt be able to drink and would be forced to cut down on his smoking and everyone would be guaranteed money back that they borrowed him.. it was supposed to lead to him being a better person (giving up eventually both drinking and smoking) and put our relationship in a place where we could live together. Needless to say, it never worked out.. not to go into too much detail i spent every week fighting with him from pay day till mid week (when he was drunk) and the rest of the time he would be trying to convince me it wont happen again, which i always fell for. or i did until some time after april last year. Since then i have not even been in an intimate relationship with him. For a while we were not even in touch till he lost his job and his home again qround 7 months ago. I have medical issues, mental and physical which have left me unable to do normal day to day things and need a lot of support from family and friends. i got most of my support from my sister, who became pregnant and suffered some complications which left her unable to to provide the level of support she had previously. I moved house and a few weeks later i was burgled. I was already struggling to cope alone and my ex was only too happy to jump to my aid when natuarally i was scared to sleep i my house alone because during the burgulary my daughter heard someone enter the bedroom of my 2 younger children, aged just 5 and 9 months at the time. i asked him to stay on a few occations in the aftermath and during this time my mental health took a serious nose dive and i stopped functioning as a normal person would. my ex was doing practically everything around the house and looking after my younger children when my elder daughter was not at home. sometimes after the children hhad gone to bed he stayed at my house and used the internet. i discovered after i was invited for an interview that he was sometimes falling asleep on the sofa. So again to cut a long story short, thinking i had done nothing wrong i went along to the interview. I didnt know they were going to accuse me of living with him for the last 3 years. I thought the problem was only that recently my ex stayed more than he should have and i felt confident i could clear that up and that it wouldnt happen again because i had already asked my ex to stay away when i had discovered he was 'falling asleep' so even though i had not even been in contact with him between jan and about 4 weeks ago (when he became homeless again) the dwp has decided that i was and is still living with him. for almost a month i have been relying on a credit card, but thats going to run out of funds pretty soon. Im really not living with him and i dont know what i am supposed to do. i have spoken to the dwp and been advised of only 2 paths i can take. Either i make a new claim, where i will have to explain what happened between me and my ex (admit we DID live together, but not now) or i have to appeal, which can take weeks. I have of course written an appeal with a full explanation but in the meantime im worried sick because i have letters coming from everywhere all jumping on the back of a supposed over payment of benefits. Housing benefit is demanding proof of my ex's earning so they can adjust how much housing benefit i get. The same for council tax benefit.. I am seriously worrying i wont even be able to feed my children and will be forced to put them in care and will end up losing my home because i dont have the info they want because my ex does not live with me. I have taken legal advice and have been told that the DWP have complicated rules and dont even have to prove that you have been living with someone to do this. I can only hope that my personal situation was enough to prove that it would not have been reasonable to ask my ex for financial assistance due to his lifestyle. I feel like im in a no win situation, and to make matteres worse my ex is ready and willing to move in saying he will change, which i know he wont.. what if they say i am living with him still after the appeal? i will either be forced to do what my ex wants or i wont be able to feed my own children. Tough choices which are seriously affecting my mental health to a point wherei feel suicidal because i see no way out

Opinions Please,just read an article where Dame Ann Begg Labour MP states that the state pension is a Benefit,this same statement has been made numerous times before by various people.It does raise the question if this is the case and it is a Benefit,why can it be taxed,it must be the only benefit that can be taxed. Regards FS

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2299927/Sharon-Minkin-refuses-job-better-benefits.html If this story is true .............. then, hopefully, once the benefit cap comes into force, she'll be well and truly ********. My children paid their own way through college and university ..... so did I...... and we still have the outstanding student loans to prove it. She really is taking the biscuit! Impecunious!

Hi, I have my tribunal for unfair dismissal on the grounds of TUPE for a three day hearing on 8th 9th 10th April.On Thursday the respondent (the company that brought the old company I worked for) solicitor got in touch with ACAS who in turn got in touch with me (im un-represented) and asked if I want to settle on 3k that is their best offer and wont be offering again! My schedule of loss was done by a solicitor who I paid for and has my los at just over 33k. I KNOW i wont get awarded this much. But I feel its worth a shot at going to court if anything for the experience. Catch- I receive HB, CTB and DLA lowest rate. Will all of this be taken off me if I win? Thank you:|

I have been on benefits for the previous 18 years due to personal circumstances and I recently found the confidence to finally find work I went to a want2work adviser who got me to sign a form and "join" then told me to text her if I needed anything.. Anyways I found my self a job vacancy.. Applied got invited to interview, I called the want2work adviser said I have a interview and can they help me with tips etc.. She said I can give you vouchers for an outfit, I thought ok that would be helpful because it was something I was fretting about.. so I went to meet her.. she said ok Ive met you once really we should meet 3 times before I offer financial help so sign this box to say we have had another meeting and I can fill it in later.. I was a bit upset if I am honest at this and said not to worry about the clothes and could I just have some help with confidence and how to act in the interview.. basically she said well we can put you on a confidence course but we have no dates available, So I left there.. Went to my interview and luckily I got offered the job since then this want2work person is calling me daily to see if I have got the job, I did not answer the first 2 calls because I was annoyed she did not really try to help me finaly I answered today and told her I got the job she said brilliant let me write it all down and you can come in and we can sign you off... I have no idea now what I do next about canceling benefit claims etc or how i go about seeing if I am entitled to help with rent It feels to me if this woman just wants to add me on a list as a success to her when in reality she has done nothing to help me Should I go in to see her or go to the benefits office and spea to someone else?

Hi, im joe and im 27. Iv recently ruptured a disc in my back and am off work only recieving SSP. iv just had a letter from the hospital sayin that the wait to see a consultant is 14 weeks and the operation wait is 9.5 months after that!!!! Im only entitled 2 28 weeks SSP and i cant afford to pay my rent and eat on 85.85 p/w. Im also stayin with a friend at his flat at the moment but have to move out in a few months so am going to be homeless aswell. Will the council house me?? And what benefits am i entitled to???? can somebody please help me as i have no idea what to do...... Thanks

if the daily mail isn't banging on about non existent snow then it is slagging off benefit claimants, you can tell a newspaper is on its way out when it keeps repeating the same old rubbish! give it rest daily mail, your tiresome and boring now *yawn* its funny how nothing is said in this article about MP's and bankers who are the real scroungers with their expenses, bonuses etc. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2289593/More-20-everyones-income-tax-goes-straight-benefits-sparking-fresh-calls-cuts-welfare.html

Please could anyone tell me if Natwest are allowed to take my benifits payments to pay my debit balance .. WHICH they caused by taking money out of my account to pay for my ex husbands debt .... I am havng brest cancer treatment and i am fighting a losing batt with the bank ... It took them 7 months to change my address, and they debited my months benefits instead of crediting and then told me it was my faul and charged me for the priveledge for their mistake ... Took me 4 months to sort that one out .. But is this lastest one thats worrying me . If they take my benefits to pay for my ex hubbys debt then they leave me with nothing to live on for 4 works . Help and advice please Jayne

My friend, yes its a friend has had a fraud investigation from DWP round, they said they had evidence of she was not living alone and talked to them, she also had an interview under caution at the job center i think, one of thier offices anyways. this was 9 weeks ago. in the 9 weeks they have stopped all her benefits of child tax, housing and income support etc they have now said that their are no grounds to support their case and is waiting for it to be finalised! whaterver finalised means maybe someone can explain they have also said to her that she can re-apply for the benefits after 6 weeks have passed after the case is finalised , but their will be no back-payment of any money while the investigation went on and she is not entitled to anything. is this correct

Hi I would greatly appreciate some expert advice on my case: money is being forcibly removed from my benefit for a debt more than six years old which I don't think I've ever acknowledged and I think I may already have largely paid back through an earlier forced benefit deduction. I received a letter from ESA at the weekend telling me £8.50 will be taken off my benefit every week for an unspecified debt to the Social Fund. I have just put a DRO through and thought this debt would have been included on it, but after several phone calls today, I learnt that this debt is APPARENTLY for a budgeting loan I had in 2005 for £327 when I was a single person briefly in receipt of JSA. The man I spoke to from DWP debt management told me I have nearly £250 outstanding on this figure and implied it was because I'd stopped claiming JSA to start work (which I did in the December of that year). I have no recollection of having been loaned this large amount of money. I was told on the phone they had written to me about it on various occasions over the years, and I have received various non-specific letters about moneys owed to DWP, but I'm sure I haven't acknowledged this debt to them in the last six years, which would I believe make it a statute debt? Is this correct? The man I spoke to from DWP debt management sounded surprised when I told him that I'd had £9 a week forcibly deducted from my maternity allowance in 2011 (for about 6 months) for an unspecified debt to the Social Fund. I told him that this high amount had driven us as a family into homelessness through poverty and, having since learnt that DWP can not deduct more money from your benefit than you can afford, that the amount being deducted should be reduced to something more affordable. The man I spoke to gave me the address of a Jobcentre in Balham London to write to to appeal the amount being deducted from my benefit. I'm thinking of writing the following to them (in brief): 1) that I can't afford to have anything more than, say, £4 a week deducted from my benefit 2) that I do not acknowledge this debt 3) that unless they can provide evidence to the contrary, this is a statute debt and all deductions from my benefit should therefore stop 4) can they tell me what the £9 a week they deducted from my maternity allowance was for? Does this sound like the best way forward? Can I stop them from taking money from my benefit for this debt? Many thanks in advance for your advice on this matter Lilys

Hello there, I bring to you today a rather complicated question (I assume). I currently have Bipolar type 2 and Anxiety disorder, and I am receiving ESA. My mother is a widow and receives her widows pension among other complicated stuff I don't know about. I have this dream of one day moving to Spain as I'm sure it will help my head and my family who have a range of "issues". However, money is naturally short, and after bringing up the subject of moving again I was asked by my mother whether the help we both receive financially goes if we were to move to a new country. I assume it does, but does it get replaced with anything? If we were to move to Spain tomorrow, what sort of things would we have to do to make sure we are able to live? Apologies if this is a really daft question; I try to stay away from complicated financial worries like this. Thanks, -Jasper

My daughter is going through all her benefits being stopped and then re-instated as she claimed incorrectly, she was/is entitled but did 'something' the wrong way. She is being stopped huge amounts of Tax Credits as well as high amounts of housing benefit and income support. Are there any proper prescribed upper/lower limits, or time scales as added altogether the amount she is being 'stopped' is almost half of her total income. We have tried CAB but they don't make appointments anymore and the waiting times are horrendous.

I am currently off work on SSP been 4 months now. My employer has asked me to give them a decision by the end of this month on wether i will resign due to illness or wether they will dismiss me due to illness. they said I am better to resign as it looks better on my work record. I am not sure what the best option is I have or even if i would be able to claim benefits till I am 100% back to health to be able to work again. Any advice would be appreciated

Hello, new here so if this is in the wrong area i'm sorry (also dyslexic so excuse my poor english) I'm here on behalf a friend, he's been off work for 2 months now with mental illness (depression and anxiety attacks) He's been given a doctors note for his sick pay but so far his work place as only paid 2 weeks worth of SSP during that time. He's gone to CAB who moved him onto the jobcentre to take the matter further. they need 5 weeks of payslips to process his claim. He didnt have any since they were never mailed to him. He managed to get hold of work to get them mailed to him but 2 weeks were missing (2 weeks which he wasn't paid SSP) so the jobcentre wont process his claim. They asked him to get his workplace to sign out a SSP1 to declare why and acknowledge they werent paying his SSP. He's sent it in but they've done nothing about it and not returned. He's gone to his local HMRC office they told, its was the wrong department and couldn't help and sent him to another one who said the same, who sent him back to the jobcentre who told him they couldn't help without a SSP1 or those payslips. so he's at home with no gas, no electric and no food. Its heartbreaking, he's given up. this hasn't helped his mental illness to the point his doctor gave a sick note for a month now. He's been give the numbers of two organizations ACAS and another one he said was more local (didnt get the name) since ACAS might not help because he's only been working there 1 year and 10 months. Were inviting him over for a week of so to try and cheer him up and lift his spirits but is there nothing else we can do? is there nothing else HE can do? he's been going from pillar to post trying to get this sorted but gets fobbed off at every turn.

Hi I shall not go into my longwinded story but facts are, I have been told to make myself bankrupt or one of my debtors are going to do it for me, said it is best if i do it voluntary. I am disabled and on incapacity benefit of £102 per week, that is all i have, my debts include very large overpayments, one from concil, one from counicl tax and the other from dwp. I would like to know if i go bankrupt does this wipe everything including dwp amount? Can my benefit be affected? do they also come to your home and reposses possesions? not that i have any just basic stuff. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Hi all, Not sure if this has been posted anywhere as I can't find a topic on this but Just want to let you know what the goverment plans are and this is a stupid idea! The Goverment are stating that people on benefits will be issued with a card to get food and basic items and reduced fags and beer spending! First of all I don't smoke so this won't affect me but I like a drink now and then but I don't drink all the time! second how on earth will I be able to pay my bt bill as I have bt to search for Jobs online and apply online, this is just sick and really horrible what the goverment is doing to honest climants like me as people who play with the system who is not looking for work and like spending they lives on benefits and no intention of finding a Job is making honest climants who gets this card and take it to a tesco store ete so embarrassing and we don't have to put up with this! and if this gets into force how on earth people can pay they gas and electric top ups? as I have a top up meter for both and pay other bills like water? tv Licence? It really angers me this and honest climants shouldn't been made to suffer Here is the link: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/alexandraswann/100194870/welfare-cash-cards-can-help-reduce-the-benefits-bill-and-stop-people-buying-booze-and-fags-with-taxpayers-money/ What do you think of this?

Found this, not sure if it has already been posted but thought some may find it interesting: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21287323