Good morning everyone, im new so please be patient (iv never used a message board before) Me and the father of my daughter split up in August 2012, we were still living under the same roof but led totally seperate lives, anyway i started claiming single parent allowance (i had a seperate bank account etc) but the bills and mortagage were coming out of our joint account, a long story short i recieved a letter saying they suspected my Ex was living at the same address as me (he was) so i rang and explained this to them and they said it was fine as long as i could prove i was contributing towards the bills etc, anyway i sent all evidence off of us putting the house on the market, and bank statements of our joint account with me transferring money in from my seperate account to cover half the bills every month. I recieved a letter back just before new years basically saying Thankyou no further action will be taken. Since then my Ex has moved out but last Saturday we were both out with our friends and saw each other and got talking and as you can imagine after a few drinks one thing led to another. He is still at a different address now but we are meeting up and contacting each other alot. How would i go about stopping my claim without it looking suspicious If we decide to give things another go? I dont want to lie in any way and recieve money that shouldnt be given to me but at the same time i dont want to call and say "i was investigated a few months ago, sent evidence but now i want to stop my claim as im back with the guy i was investigated for being in a relationship with" as it sounds very fishy. Thankyou for reading and your help. Emma x

I have just found out that 'someone' (I believe I know who) has used information that I provided the court with, to pretend to be me and closed all my benefit claims, saying I wasn't disabled. DLA, HB, ctb, ESA, all stopped and stoppage been backdated to September of last year. Do benefits record phonecalls and will they provide me with this, or any letters? Does this count as identity theft, or fraud? Is this civil, or criminal? Basically, it's linked to witness intimidation. Police are already investigating threatening emails sent to me; will they take this seriously? Can I tell benefits that I want them to call in the police, as someone has impersonated me and given false information?

Hi folks CSA has been in touch and have been given the figures etc on what to pay In regards to amounts, If the Ex who is now engaged (proof in paper) is living with the guy and he has a very successful buildings company Should my payments stay the same even knowing this information ? or would they lower knowing that she is with a new guy earning loads ? Thanks all

Hi all, not sure what to do. I had three payday loans and recently lost my job. Just checked my bank account now and see that PDUK have taken my JSA benefits paid in early this morning and I'm now left with 57p to last me for 2 weeks and I desperately needed much of it this morning. What should I do? Do my bank, Nationwide, have to return this money as it is a DWP benefit, or is that it?

Hi! I was just wondering. I was recently called for a Market research job that last two weeks. I was wondering if I can stop benefits and then restart them when the job finishes? If that makes sense. Any help greatly appreciated.

would people on benefits be allowed to get one of those argos cards that allows you to pay for things a bit at a time?

Read more.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20950691

Hello I'm 19 and currently caring for my father who suffers from mental illness. I quit education to look after him and the job requires me to do a lot of work daily so i decided to start a carers allowance claim ( in the process now ). I'm just wondering though would i also be able to claim income support or any other benefits? Also I travel over 15+ miles a day on train & would like to live closer to him am i eligible rent a DSS property? Thanks in advance for those who take there time to answer these questions

Evening all, Right first of all I am sorry if this is not in the right forum We all know that from next year they will be some huge changes from 2013 to benefits and here are a few things that will change: 1) Council Tax - It's been reported that people who are on JSA Will need to pay they tax out of they JSA, How on earth people going to survive regarding this? it's really stupid and I doubt any people will be able to afford food after they paid all the outgoings 2) Housing Benefit - I read somewhere that people under 25 will get they housing benefit cut, is this true? and also they will need to pay part rent if they got a spare bedroom that they don't use (This doesn't apply to me as I am 26 and I only live in a 1 bedroom flat) 3) Universal Credit - It's going to replace some benefits like: Jobseekers, Income Employment and Support Allowance, Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits and Housing Benefit. 4) Jobseekers - People who don't follow the JCP advicer and don't apply for all the Jobs they givin they could be tougher sanctions even up to 3 years! I think that is it or have I missed anything? To be honest I am dredding going into the new year, I can tell you now 2013 Is going to be a bleak and horrible year

Not sure if this has been posted already http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/dec/22/benefit-cap-delay-dwp-criticism

NatWest-RBS face customer backlash as it cuts perks on packaged Advantage Gold and Select Silver current accounts while increasing cost Millions of customers who signed up for paid-for accounts with banking giant NatWest have been told they must fork out £24 extra for the privilege and face losing £142 worth of perks. Natwest is writing to customers who are already signed up to its popular Advantage Gold account, telling them it will cost an extra £2.05 a month. The bank previously promised these customers £864 worth of savings through the insurance and discounts offered with the account. But from February this will drop to £722, yet the monthly fee will go up to £15. RBS/NatWest is also hiking the cost of its Select Silver accounts, from £8 to £10. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/saving/article-2250437/Perks-cut-NatWest-RBS-packaged-current-accounts.html#ixzz2FaVZTF4z How long before other banks follow suit?

More than £18 million in benefits wrongly paid to prisoners for the past four years has not been clawed back, figures reveal. A freedom of information request by the Mail on Sunday found that between 2007 and 2011, overpayments as a result of "customers being in prison" were made worth £31.7 million. But the Department for Work and Pensions figures said only £13.1 million was recovered - a shortfall of £18.6 million, or £4.65 million per year. The newspaper said the problem had first been reported to Government officials in 1994 but it was not until February this year a new centralised system to cross reference files with the Ministry of Justice was created. Tory MP Philip Davies condemned the figures and told the MoS: "The fact prisoners are receiving benefits after committing crimes is so ludicrous it beggars belief. "You'd think they would be the one group of people who wouldn't be able to rip off the taxpayer in their situation." A DWP spokeswoman said: "Prisoners are not entitled to benefits and we always seek to recover any overpayments. "A more efficient system was brought in earlier this year to ensure that we are quickly informed when a benefit claimant is sent to prison and we can stop benefit payments immediately." The system was changed in February at the urging of Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How come they cannot get it back - they make sure we pay any overpayment back, regardless of what financial mess it leaves us in.

Hi All, I recently lost my job, due to financial problems, (I borrowed some money from my employer via company credit card, which was paid back but company basically gave me the option of quitting or being sacked.) I was advised by someone (a friend) who works for JCP that because I left my job and the circumstances I wouldn't get any benefits. My partner and I have tried to make his salary (£800) last as long as possible but with rent, gas and electric, phones and a small amount of food, we've run out... Could you please advise whether JCP will give me a crisis loan and would I get Benefits if I applied? Many thanks for your help

Read this article and you will be flabbergasted! Click on this link. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2238017/UK-gives-19million-aid-South-Africa--president-spends-17-5million-palace.html

I am looking for general advice and hoped someone could help me. My husband has been on incapicity benefit for 7-8 years now (he has a mental illness and despite having worked for over 30 years (through a lot of medication) he now cannot work as it has taken its toll). He moved to ESA and that has now stopped. We currently have lost over £400 and have been told that we are not entitled to any benefits as I work full time and earn just over £22,000 a year. We are going to try to get unemployment benefit (we have a appointment tomorrow) but I dont hold out much hope for this. I just wondered if there is anything else we can do? I earn a decent salary but after paying the bills etc, there isn't a lot left over (i also have a 17 year old son who is waiting to hear from college if he has a place). Any advice would be appreciated Thanks

Sorry if this is the wrong place. Hi All, I have been unemployed since 20th July and was told by loads of people including my previous employer that I couldn't claim benefits as I resigned. I now believe that this is not true but in the meantime I have gone nearly £2000 into overdraft. Can anyone advise me on the best way to try and get something from DWP. To make things worse or better I start a new job on Tues but still leaves me with a huge debt. Help please

The Benefits Office managed to make a right mess of my claim following the death of my husband in May last year and landed me with £4000 of debt in housing and council tax benefit. That is going to Appeal but at the moment, this is not the (latest) problem. Earlier this year I badly broke my wrist and it hasn't healed properly. Now under a specialist hand hospital. I got a small amount of ESA - £10.65 a week (that plus my late husband's two small pensions took my weekly income to the government's magic figure of £71 per week). I decided to cash in my own pension because no matter how much information they want and get, the Benefits Office seem totally incapable of getting things right, so I decided to come off ESA and look for work. Easier said than done. Anyway, I registered with an agency I used to temp for years ago and to date I have had 2 jobs from them since August. The first was a total disaster. I worked 1 1/2 hours the first day and the computer system had a major crash and all the staff were sent home. Back to the same firm the following week and worked 1 1/2 days this time. More computer problems, no spare terminal so a permanent member of staff had to take over mine and I was sent home. Break of two weeks and I got another temp job, worked 4 days one week and 3 1/2 the next (Bank Holiday plus a hospital appointment for my wrist). I didn't get very much wages from these jobs as you can imagine, even less because I was put on Emergency Tax but at least it got me out of the house! I have been unable to get a job since - there's nothing in anything where I live and due to my age, despite applying for numerous jobs, I seem to be getting passed over all the time. Now the Benefits Office strikes again They wanted details of my pensions (the three total £74 a week) so my housing/council tax benefit can be worked out. I go in with all the information they require, get a receipt for everything I took in which was 4 pay slips, proof of my late husband's pensions and proof of my own pension. I even took in a letter from the specialist hospital explaining what's wrong with my hand/wrist. A few days later I get a letter asking for the same information again. So I rang them up...to be told, and I quote "Well, you must be working. How did you survive over the past few months on £74". I won't say what happened next but I really fell out with the woman on the phone. If the Benefits Office think people can't live on £74, perhaps they would like to tell those in government this. So, while the Benefits Office are being incompetent again, my rent arrears, which I had cleared are now spiralling out of control. I am about to be taken to Court for Repossession. At least our housing department are sympathetic and from what I can gather, they don't like the way the Benefits Office is run either but it doesn't stop their process of repossession. I am worried sick. Had a very interesting conversation with one of the Housing Officers earlier this week. They had notification from the Benefits Office that I am not entitled to ANY housing benefit for the following reason: According to the Benefits Office I am working full-time, have two pensions, therefore I am not entitled to any benefits at all. In reality I have 3 pensions totalling £74.70 per week and I am NOT working AT ALL!!! What does it take to get these stupid people to get things right? Do they deliberately hire incompetents? Luckily I had the counter receipt which I insisted listed every document I had taken in, read it back to the lady in Housing. Even she can't get over their incompetence and said she was going to refer my case to higher up and that they are going to try and get me legal help. My rent is pennies short of £84 a week. I have a gross weekly income of £74.70 a week. Until I can find a job (and I shouldn't even be thinking about working with my wrist the way it is - op pending) plus Council tax on top of that anyone can see that it's an impossibility to survive like this. I'm seriously beginning to think my name is somehow blacklisted with the Benefits Office. While my late husband was lying in a hospital bed dying, he got the runaround from the Benefits Office too which I have no doubt hastened his death, caused him to have another heart attack in hospital. Is there anything I can do to make these people, for once, get it right? Anywhere I can go to get redress, put formal complaint? I really do feel I'm being victimised. Thank you for reading.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/nov/20/scrounger-stigma-poor-people-benefits I have to say I agree about the stigma. I have a blue badge form and am entitled due to HRM, but I haven't completed the form because I'd be scared of using the blue badge due to potential abuse. Instead I pay extra for taxis when I know I won't be able to get parked close to where I'm going - or just stay home.

Something that's been worrying me for a while... I work limited hours because of ill health. I'm coping at the moment but I have one day contracted and do one or two (at the moment two) extra days which I claim for as extras. One of them is due to a colleague cuttng her hours, the one that's temporary is due to another colleague leaving. (That job will soon be advertised but as a four day job). If I'm off sick I only get paid for the contracted day. About two years ago I was very ill and that illness lasted a month. Financially I was okay during the month as I claim for the extra hours at the end of each month so when I became sick at the end of February, I had just claimed for work done in February for which I was paid on 26th March. However when my pay came in the next month it was just SSP for the one day a week done during late Feb/March and at the time that totalled £293. I imediately put in a claim online for benefits as I barely had enough to pay rent and a few bills. I was clled back and told to claim ESA which I did. A few days later I was called and asked whether I got Statutory Sick Pay. I told them that I did but explained the amount and the contract v overtime situation but was told that if I got SSP I wasn't entitled to ESA or any other benefit. This is worrying me as that particular condition could come back (it has once although luckily not as severely) and my health condition fluctuates. I daren't be off sick if I have to live on so little. It would be a bit more now but still wouldn't give me anything to live on. Was I properly advised? Could I have claimed anything? I can't bethe only person on a varied contract who would not get enough SSP to live on but getting SSP rules out benefits?

Thought this may be of some interest. http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/nov/20/benefits-stigma-newspapers-report-welfare

im writing this on behalf of a friend ive known for years, she has been so stupid its unreal. she was a single parent claiming benefits for housing, council tax, and tax credits. in mid 2010 her partner moved in with her but she didnt inform the benefits agency of her change in circumstances until early this year. making it at least 18 months of benefits over payments she received, totaling up to anywhere between £14000-£16000. from what i can understand she thinks she is being investigated, her partner moved all of his possessions into her house in 2010 and used to travel 40+ miles each day to work. he had no mail sent to the address, but bearing in mind he used to live 40 miles away where he worked all his bank statements show 99% of the transactions made during the time they were together were done in her hometown, his work had her address and phone number as an emergency contact from about a week after he moved in. plus the fact all the neighbors knew he was there and for how long. she said she is going to say he didnt "live" there, but just "stayed " a lot! ive told her that by saying this she is admitting guilt straight away as there has been a crackdown on benefit fraud. just wondered if anyone had any ideas on what could happen if she is found to have commited benefit fraud (which in my eyes to be fair she has) bearing in mind she has a 10 and 13 year old. cant believe how stupid she has been! any views/advice greatly appreciated.

does anybody know if being granted a student grant of £9000 affects your benefit entitlement, housing benefit, council tax benefits and working tax credits? my girlfriend works 19hrs a week, and is classed as a full time student even though she is only at uni 11hrs a week. any advice greatly appreciated.

hi all, not really got time to go into too much detail right now with the background of how this all came up (will give details tomorrow when I can) but due to changes in circumstances certain benefits got stopped last year and took quite a few months to be restarted again. .the same has happened over the summer this year and both of these instances have resulted in a build up of debt. I am on the verge of being taken to court for repossession of my home (local authority) but have paid the majority of what I owe with back payments of the benefits I have just had reinstated. I have recently gained employment, a year after graduating last year as a mature student with 2 children and will get my first pay on 30th november. My most urgent problem right now is that, despite telling british gas of my situation re benefit non-payment, on and off for over a year, as well as my rent arrears this has caused, they are refusing to stop court action (on thursday this week, to cut off my supply on 20th november) despite my application to the british gas energy trust and my offer to pay a substantial amount to both my gas and electric bills on the 30th of november and every month from then on now I am working. I know this is very last minute but I really dont know what to do. My home phone is incoming calls only until I can pay that bill which I have told them so email is the only way at present that I can talk to them..they have given me a freephone number but the only pay phone near me has glue stuck in the coin slot!!! Any advice would be truly appreciated. .all I want to do is get out of this mess ..if only they would give me 2 more weeks and I will have been payed and will be able to pay them!!! Thank you for any help you can give ..to be honest I just wanna give up. .really seems like theres no way out, they just wont give me the extra week or two to come up with the money..

Hi. I have a situation which is pretty unique (I believe) and don't seem to get a straight answer from any of the government sites or even my bank, so I was wondering if anyone here has any advice. In 2006 I divorced and my (ex) wife stayed in our mortgaged property while I rented a different property that was completely separate. Unfortunately, she was unable to take over the mortgage or to raise enough capital to buy the property from me, so the mortgage is in my name still despite me not living there. In Lieu of maintenance, I pay the mortgage for her (they're around the same price). She is self-employed and makes a maximum of £7k a year but also has tax credits and maintenance from her previous husband to make up the shortfall. We have no written contract between ourselves for the mortgaged property and I am not in a landlord position, as she has free reign to do anything to the property and I have no landlord-style liability to fix things if they go wrong. Last month I lost my job through a dismissal (long story) but although I qualify Contribution based JSA, Housing benefit for my rented home and council tax benefit. The grey area is the mortgage, which is still in my name and needs paying. The bank has asked me to make token payments and really to pay the contractual minimum which monthly is more than my income now. They also suggested that I go to the jobcentre and complete the form MI12, but can I do this and still claim housing benefit as the rented property and the mortgaged property are two separate addresses although both in my name. I don't want her evicted as we're still on good terms, and as I am in negative equity with the property, sale of any description is out of the question. Any advice would be gratefully accepted.

Read more : http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/doctor-shocked-benefits-system-004300362.html