Benefit Help Advice if possible please?

[StinkyFeet]

Hi Everybody, I sincerely hope you are all well?

 

Am looking for a bit of advice as dont know which way to turn for my father at the minute as far as it goes for benefits etc as my father has worked for 42 years since leaving school, he is now 56.

 

Sadly my father experienced two heart attacks close together and the 2nd was really serious.

 

He was employed as a taxi driver prior to this but has had to call a day on that due to doctor advising him he cannot work.

 

He isn't the able man he used to be and his only income is from a private company pension annuity that pays him a little under £2500 per year before tax.

 

My dad would like to return to work, however, if im honest this aint going to happen, he cannot walk more then 10 minutes before he totally out of breath and feeling dizzy. He is constantly sleepy and can no longer do any choirs like he used to (cook, clean or tidy up). He lives with me in my mortgaged property and his income used to contribute to house bills etc. The only minor income is that of his annuity.

 

Some one advised me that I could possibly get housing benefit for my dad to assist with house expenses.

 

They also briefly said that my father would be possibly entitled in some sort of incapacibility benefit due to not being able to work due to his current health.

 

This is where I get lost, my father depends on me a lot and I am trying to sort this out but dont know who to talk to, where to go or what to ask for etc.

 

This is where im really hoping you could help if possible with that nudge in right direction?

 

Thank you for your time reading this post and sorry if I rambled on, just trying to cover as much as I can in as much detail as possible.

[babybear39]

Your father should contact your local council who can arrange for a welfare rights officer to come and help with benefit claims.

 

Contact DWP and DLA requesting benefits forms and for the date to be clearly noted from the time of contact as these things take weeks/months to sort out.

 

He MAY be lucky and get some backdated but there would have to be substantial evidence and reasons provided to confirm why he has not contacted them sooner. Be firm and fight for his rights!

 

Not hopeful on the housing benefit side of things. But I do know he is certainly entitled to some benefits if his income is only £2500 per year.

 

Has he seen his GP recently? Any consultants?

 

Hope this helps and good luck to you and your dad

[StinkyFeet]

Thank you babybear39 for your reply, it is greatly appreciated.

 

His private company pension he receives every year in November and is just under the £2500 figure, however this year to to a mistake by annuity company and tax man, £200 was taken off it. This has been queried and confirmed a mistake, now is the waiting game for it to come back.

 

He seen his GP the other week for routine check, they clearly advised him he mustn't return to working under any circumstances for the time being.

He is due to see a consultant next month at the hospital to check that the procedure he had done is ok.

 

That a bout it really, we spoke to CAB yesterday who advised to look at Employment support benefit or something to that nature.

[Jadkins]

Your Dad needs to make a claim for Employment and Support Allowance. You can do this over the phone by phoning 0800 0556688. If he doesn't want to make the call himself then you can do it on his behalf. He will need to make the initial call though and explain that he wants you to give them his details. You need the following information to hand when making the call: his National Insurance Number, bank account details,previous employment details,Doctor's name and the practice address,first date of sickness,dates admitted to hospital. That's all I think. To claim DLA there has to be a pre existing condition for 6mths or more, there are exceptions to this rule but I don't think they apply here. You can always give DLA a ring for advice on 08457 123456. They are extremely nice people. When you're Dad has made his ESA claim he'll get a statement in the post. This is just a copy of the information you gave over the phone. Read through it to make sure everything is correct. There will be a covering with it and it may ask for copies of documents to verify the information you have given, it will certainly ask for a medical certificate. Take any documentation and med cert to your local Jobcentre. They should photocopy this for you and stamp it as certified copies. You will need to give the original med cert in though, but I would suggest getting a copy of it just in case.

[babybear39]

Are you his main carer? If so, do you work full time? Do any of your family members care for him that either don't work or are on 16 or less hours a week (think this is right but you'd need to check with DWP) because they may qualify for carer's allowance which is approx. £50 per week.

[StinkyFeet]

Thank you both for your reply, my wife works only a few hours a week and we are in receipt of working tax credit, she is concerned that the Carer part of the claim could / would reduce working tax credits hence defeating the object really. I work round 50 to 70 hours week (self employed) due to being the only income now due to my dads sickness.

[babybear39]

The best advice I can give is that you need to make an appointment with a welfare rights officer at your local council. You should also request social services provide a social worker who can then assess if your father qualifies for care etc. Hope this helps

[StinkyFeet]

Cannot thank you all enough, thank you so much. My father has made a call to the 0800 0556688, chap was very polite and helpful and went over everything and information on way to him now.

Will update when received etc as no doubt we get lost again