DWP et al

[Tâf]

I religiously report any "change in circumstance" that happens (as required by law for any benefit). Change of address, change of income or savings, etc.

So I was slightly annoyed today after I was told our housing benefits have been overpaid and they will claw back the excess at £11 per week.

Because they say my missus started receiving Carers Allowance.

I told them that my missus has been receiving that benefit for over 20 years, and as it had not stopped there was no "change of circumstance" to report.

A quick check of their records... "OOPS!"

A call to an invigilator.

"As it was an administrative error on our part, we cannot reclaim the overpayment".

"No problem" I replied, "I don't want to receive benefits I am not entitled to. Please send me the bill and I will pay it immediately".

"Ummmmm... we can't do that.... it's illegal...."

DOH!!!

Then I asked about the Poll Tax bill Direct Debit that should have been taken on 1st July, then recalculated to be paid on 1st August. Still no money taken.

"The old system was that Poll tax was paid monthly by Direct Debit, and rent weekly by Standing Order. In preparation for Universal Credit both now are to be paid weekly by one combined Standing Order. The 3 'No Payment Weeks" of rent no longer exist, so the annual rent is spread over 52 weeks instead of 49".

"And when are you going to tell people about this?" I enquired.

"New cases start immediately, old cases start next April, letters will be sent out".

"How much do you want me to set up the Standing Order for then?"

"Hmmmm you were paying £36 per week, you must now pay £91 per week"

[K@]

Bring on the bloody revolution.

[El]

You couldn't make it up 

[K@]

Although this was written back in April, I think the evidence proves the point and may even be worse, now.

http://evolvepolitics.com/its-sad-but-as-a-disabled-person-i-know-the-tories-would-much-prefer-us-dead

[Tâf]

Both Labour and the Tories pledged to "help the Carers". So why does receiving Carers Allowance reduce Housing Benefit and Community Charge Benefit? And why were their pledges to "help disabled people buy their own homes"? And why are both Disabled Living Allowance and Carers Allowance frozen?

And from what I have read, changing to Universal Credit reduces the total benefits received "to help people into work" notwithstanding that you are a full-time Carer or have disabilities that either prevent work or make employers shy away with no calls of "discrimination".

[K@]

They're in it for themselves, rather than to represent those who elected them.

People wonder why there's such goings-on in the Labour party. It's the beginning of a revolt, against that. 'course, it won't happen on the blue side, because all of those want the press and big business to grease their palms, so that they can all prosper.

The rest of us simply don't matter. If they could kill us off, they would. What they're doing is the nearest they can get, to that. They've painted the disabled as scroungers, who bleed "normal" people dry, deliberately and Brexit is only helping them to turn society against those scroungers, in the hope that the great unwashed'll kill them off, saving them the job.

'course, when that's done, they don't realise that they'll be next.

[Tâf]

Now that my son has won his case for Personal Independence Payments, the missus should be getting Carers Allowance.

She reclaimed online on 17th July. No sign of it yet so I just called them. After 26 minutes on hold:

"We are presently dealing with a backlog for Carers Allowance for both DLA and PIP, renewals and new cases. Estimates are for cases to be dealt within 8 to 10 weeks, but this could change due to leave and sickness".

[El]

It was the getting through to any of them that used to annoy me. That constant bloody long winded drivel beforehand telling you to go online or wait for an adviser.  Then the music with " your call is important to us....you can call at our less busy times or go online" then music....Thank you for waiting . Your call is important to us.....
An hour later and you are ready to rip the head off the person who finally answers you  Only to be told to call back .
It's disgraceful what they are putting people through. Pip was already in practice when Chris became disabled but I wish the old system was available. He is not going to improve anymore. He will deteriorate.  But we will go through this every 3 or 4 years for pip and every year for esa. What a waste of resources this is.
Sister in law has cancer and is frightened to ne in hospital much longer cos the @#$$@@ing swines will take husbands car and care allowance from them. A disabled person is only allowed to be in hospital for so long before payments are removed.
OK I get that funds cannot go to people in care homes and your carer is not caring for you there.
But cancer? Inoperable cancer ? Where she is in and out of christys? 
The heartless bbbbbs 

[K@]

Don't forget... you pay for those calls, too.

Bastards.

[El]

Pissin Universal Credit
Just had eldest up in bits. Seems she did not go to an appointment that she knew nothing about. This supposed appointment was in October and as she did not attend...They are sanctioning her 12.50 per day since then. She has pleaded with them that she did not know of this appointment but they will not have it. Said they sent it by post and she failed to attend. How can you prove that you did not receive something. 
How in the name of humanity can a government knowingly leave you with zero money to live on?  Seems she can apply for a hardship loan off them to be paid back to them. How can they roll out this flawed system to the rest of the country? All this will promote is loan sharks , food banks and sheer poverty. Do they not realise that if you give people zero money and they have no savings at all, that you are forcing them to have no heat or light in winter? That there is a possibility of that person being evicted? 
Nasty, evil set of heartless arsewipes

[Tâf]

The UC system is atrocious, especially the way they can cut you off at a whim. 2 mates have suffered sanctions that left them unable to pay rent, power or food after internal systems failed to accept that they had attended for job searches. It took the word of a security guard to prove they had attended, but they still had to wait for the money to reappear.

"It helps people back into work" is what the cons say every single time, but only in a minority of cases in some areas.

[Lisa]

It's a shower of shit el.

[El]

Seems a bit of a money spinner to me. Say your flawed system is set to send an appointment out to someone but it doesn't.  You can then sanction that person a whole month later and charge them 12.50 a day for the month. Therefore you don't have to pay them any income for the month. Then, you can offer them a hardship loan of their money  and the person pays it back to you.
Hell fire, you make them borrow their payment off you and then make them pay their benefit back 
You can do that thousands of times and save a shed load of money to pay in bonuses to the shit who thought up this legal scam.

[K@]

A report has just said that a fifth of British people are living in poverty...

[Tâf]

If you are found to have limited capability for work and work-related activity you'll get an extra amount each month added to your Universal Credit payment.

If you made your claim on the grounds of having a health condition or disability on or after 3 April 2017 and are found to have limited capability for work, you won't get an extra amount of Universal Credit.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition-quick-guide/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition

Will I get less money if I move from ESA to Universal Credit?

The rates paid for the limited capability for work elements are lower than the current ESA rates.

https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/universal-credit-for-disabled-people

....medically retired as a roadsweeper in 2011 and before universal credit came in he was getting by on a patchwork of disability benefits. The titles – employment and support allowance (ESA), enhanced disability premium (EDP), and severe disability premium (SDP).

...by moving house meant he was transferred onto universal credit early. What he discovered was a reality that scores of disabled people across the UK will soon be facing: neither EDP nor SDP exist under universal credit.

Do the sums and changing to universal credit means Philip is losing £40 a week. That's a cut of more than £2,000 a year.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/31/universal-credit-pushing-disabled-people-into-poverty


And just a snifter of how complicated UC is.....  https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/universal-credit-uc