Sorry the link didn't work but if you copy and paste this it should work. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/248826/esa214-rev-oct2013.pdf Thank you!

Hi again, Sorry this is a link to the government website. It says on it about disabled students on page 11/12 (special circumstances section). It's the very last bullet point of the list of special circumstances. It does not specify about "youth" or otherwise. Please can somebody clarify this, thanks. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/248826/esa214-rev-oct2013.pdf

Hi thanks, This is an extract from a website A claimant can also be treated as having limited capability for work in respect of certain (usually time-limited) situations. These are the following: For the purposes of meeting the condition of having had limited capability for work for 196 days in order to qualify for contributory ESA through the youth route, a claimant will be treated as having limited capability for work on any day when they were entitled to SSP.8 For income-related ESA, they are a student in education and in receipt of DLA and does not count as a 'qualifying young person' - i.e. as in for child benefit.9 Does this make sense to anybody!!?? Thanks

Hi I hope someone can help me, I have been in receipt of Disability Living Allowance Higher rate care & mobility since 1999. I have also been in receipt of Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) continuously since 1998. My benefit didnt stop when they scrapped SDA and replaced it with Incapacity Benefit. I was just told I could remain on SDA indefinatly. This was also the case when they scrapped Incapacity benefit for Employment and support allowance. My benefit didn't change. Alas, I have today received a form ESA50 to migrate from SDA to Employment & Support Allowance. I knew this would happen sooner rather than later due to all the benefit changes etc. Having read the rules for exemptions for medical assessment I notice that I may fall into one of the categories for exemption of the assessment and am seeking confirmation that I am correct. I am a mature student (age 34) studying 5 GCSE's on a full time college course. I have been on the course since Sept 2013. I read on a website that as a student who is in receipt of DLA then I am treated as having Limited Capabiliy for work. Please can somebody clarify this information. To give you some further info about my circumstances...I live with my husband and 3 children. My husband works full time but earns minimum wage. We also receive tax credits and some housing benefit. I'm also wandering where I stand with claiming ESA due to my husband working and if this impacts on my exemption from the medical as I am a student. Hope this all makes sense! Thanks in advance CDJ755

Hi all. I got married 2 weeks ago. I began the process of changing documents into my married name. First port of call was my Natwest bank account. The account is a joint account and always has been although obviously my name was my maiden name. I have informed them of my married name and my bank account has now been updated. I then rang to inform tax credits and child benefit of mu name change. This was Easily done without the need to send any documents. But when I rang the Disability Living Allowance (one of the benefits I receive) they told me I need to fax over my marriage certificate via the jobcenter. I have not got round to doing this. Now I was expecting my usual monthly payment from the disability living allowance yesterday but when I checked my bank account it has not gone in!! My question is this - is this because the name on my bank account is now different to what they have listed and is this going to happen tomoro when I am expecting to receive another DWP benefit (severe disablement allowance). The bank have told me payments are usually accepted based on the account number and sort code and are not usually affected by the name but also said they can't be sure! Any information on this would be gratefully received. Thank you.

It's so frustrating I know. The Housing wud rather make you uproot your whole family and cause so much disruption and only end up paying the you the same amount of benefit (or maybemore!) at another property!!

Hi quick update. I sent my letter of confession to tax credits back in April as it before the deadline of 16th May. Nothing whatsoever changed (not even my payments!) until last week when they finally stopped paying me childcare. But that is all that's happened! That was last Friday and I've heard nothing since - no letter nothing! I know it's due any day now but the waiting is driving me mad! Anyone know how long before I should expect a letter. x

Hi. I once looked into this with my Local Authority and they said they could only pay me Housing Benefit and treat my mum as landlord if she had had previous unrelated tenants in the property before. In other words they would only accept your Parents as your landlord if they could prove they have previously been a landlord to other people who are not just relatives. This was a while ago now tho and it could be that all Local Authoritys have different rules but that was my experience with mine. x

Hiya - Everyone on here is has been so helpful to me so thought I would aska question on behalf of a friend. MY friend is Disabled on HR DLA and claims Severe Disablement Allowance ( As Incap was called a long time ago). There is such a thing called Permitted Work I beleive she can do but we are unsure of the exact rules. She has been offered just a week and a halfs worth of work for which she will get minnimum wage. She will work 5 1/2 hours per day for 3 days on Week one and 4 days on Week two and then the work comes to an end. Like I said just a temporary one off offer of work to get her out and about. The work is very easy and in no way contridicts her DLA claim as she is only able to do very little. Now from what ive read online, the rules say she can work ON AVERAGE 16 hours per week. What exactly does "on average mean"? Does it mean on average over say a month? Also the maximum earnings she can earn is £95. Does this mean on average also? So, Week 1 she will work 16 1/2 hours and earn £99 Gross Pay Week 2 she will work 22 hours and earn £132 Gross Pay Week 3 no work Week 4 no work And if im right in thinking "on average" means over a month, is a month based on 4 weeks or 1st to the 1st? Thank You in advance.

WELL DONE YOU TWO FOR RINGING!!!!! So NB7702, Have they calculated the overpayment and given you a rough estimate of how much you owe? And was your overpayment over more than one tax year? If so, did they say you will have to pay a penalty for making a false declaration?? Dis they mention prosecution at all? Sorry for the twenty questions Im just desperate to know whats gonna happen!! Feel free to Message me if you dont want to put everything on here. I wish i could have the courage to phone - im just burying my head in the sand at the mo and will have a heartattack when a brown envelope comes thru my letterbox.

Hi NB7702, Im still with no change - still waiting for a reply to my letter - nearly 4 weeks now. Well done for writing the letter as that, for me, was really tough. Like you say the enormity of it hits you once you start writing it all down. I too feel so ashamed I cant speak to anyone about it - not even the CAB - I just cant bring myself to say the words. Remember to post the letter Recorded or better still Special delivery for your own peace of mind. Good luck - let me know if anything changes for you. CDJ755 x

I am quite aware of the point you were making and I never at any point in my post said that I disagree with you. The rules on punishment for benefit fraud should be the same across all government bodies. I just thought this site was here for the sole purpose to help, support and offer advice to distressed people - whatever the situation they find themsleves in, and most importantly without judgement. I just found your post rather insensitive given the fact that by your own admission you have read alot of posts from people who are in a desperate situation with tax credits. For someone who is in a fragile state anyway to read such opinions from yourself can tip some people over the edge. Some people have written that they are suicidal - I personally would want to offer sympathy, suppport and advice and nothing but. I accept that your opinions are, in the main part, about the system in general but I still feel they are inappropriate and found some comments very judgemental at a time when so many people who are likely to read your comments are at a breaking point already.

I felt that watchinginvestigation2011 opinion refers to fraudulent tax credits claims in general.

Dear watchinginvestigation2011 On behalf of all the desperate people on this forum who come here for some support and sympathetic factual advice without judgement or irrelevant opinions - THANK YOU! Thank you for making us feel even lower than we already did. Yes there is a difference with the way Govenment bodies deal with Fraud and I do agree with you that it can seem unfair but I dont see how this forum is the place to air your opinions regarding this matter, especially after you have read how many desperate people are on here looking for ADVICE. Not a soft ear, nor a harsh reprimand - just factual ADVICE. Yet you post such an insensitive opinion. Your opinion offers no solid factual advice and only puts the fear of God into already desperate (some SUICIDAL) people. I beleive that the type of people who visit this forum are not the people who Defraud the system for the sole purpose of greed with no remorse. The people who are here are usually in severe financial hardship and did not realise how much it was turning into. They have no idea the penalties/punishments for what they are doing and do not conciously think "oh well its tax credits ill get away with it" . Thats why they come here to get the SYMPATHETIC advice they are searching for without judgement. Not to flippently be told that they need to "sort their lives out". I am one of the genuine Disabled people who cannot work that you refer to in you post. I know how hard it is to access help. I stuggle physically every day on my own while my partner is forced to work a 40+ hour week for minimum wage. Im not condoning fraud in anyway I just find it a little harsh to be posting opinions that offer no advice or support to the people that come here searching for it.

Hello iminsuchamess and Retman Just been reading thru your posts and im in same boat as you. I have overclaimed around £18K in childcare over an 18 month period and Ive sent in a letter of confession after my claim was selected for review. I sent the letter as Im too petrified to ring them. I sent the letter 3 weeks ago and they STILL havnt suspended my childcare costs (i get paid weekly). Im in total limbo. Im just wondering have either of you sent in a letter of confession yet or rang up to confess and have HMRC stopped your payments of childcare? Or have they even contacted you again? I have my own thread on here already and will update my situation when it changes. Thank you in advance.