I understand and feel for you, my issue is with the way the country is run as a whole from the top down.

It always seems if you have any chance of making a break from getting off benefits there is always a clause that takes something off you.

JM- have you applied for help from the prescription charges people in Newcastle (HC1 form, I think).

And no matter what you should be entitled the CTB due to low income.

My biggest bugbear is that people don't know about these benefits and just think, because they aren't on IS or JSA, they are no loger entitled to help.

Try your local council welfare rights officer- a godsend.

JM

I also claim DLA (Higher) and due to lack of mobility you are entitled to claim for your prescriptions.

Have a look at [email protected] I'm sure you will find it on there.

Hope this helps

best wishes and good luck with your claim

JB

Hi folks.

I've just started browsing the site, as I feel I am being ripped off by HSBC, and this is my first post (although I have contributed to the Debt Collectors site).

I picked up alibobsy's comment "legislation is in place to protect my benefits payments".

My wife and I are old age pensioners and live on some £240 per week out of which we must pay mortgage and utilities. No capital. We recently exceeded our £1000 overdraft, explained our prevailing situation to HSBC who paid the cheques drawn but charged £110 "arrangement fees" without a word of explanation or breakdown. That, clearly, came out of one week's benefits payments.

Could you expand on the 'legislation' you refer to alibobsy? Is it relevant to the above?

Also can anyone guide me to an explanation of the acronyms used on the site, e.g. SDA, DLA, LT, Incap, FIL, MIL, DLA, IIDB etc.?

Again, to avoid crashing into anyone else's theme, could someone tell me how to start a new thread?

I have a feeling this is going to be a long haul, but despite my age I am quite compus mentis, but regrettably not very computer literate. Sorry.

Vandermerwe

Hello Vandermerwe

Please read Right of Appropriation - Stop the bank from taking your money

I hope this helps.

deedee

I picked up alibobsy's comment "legislation is in place to protect my benefits payments".

 

My wife and I are old age pensioners and live on some £240 per week out of which we must pay mortgage and utilities. No capital. We recently exceeded our £1000 overdraft, explained our prevailing situation to HSBC who paid the cheques drawn but charged £110 "arrangement fees" without a word of explanation or breakdown. That, clearly, came out of one week's benefits payments.

 

Could you expand on the 'legislation' you refer to alibobsy? Is it relevant to the above?

 

Also can anyone guide me to an explanation of the acronyms used on the site, e.g. SDA, DLA, LT, Incap, FIL, MIL, DLA, IIDB etc.?

 

Again, to avoid crashing into anyone else's theme, could someone tell me how to start a new thread?

 

I have a feeling this is going to be a long haul, but despite my age I am quite compus mentis, but regrettably not very computer literate. Sorry.

 

Vandermerwe

As DeeDee said have a look on that thread, the legislation means they can't take benefits to cover bank charges or at least they aren't supposed to. Unfortunately I suspect this refers to income based benefits such as IS(income support),JSA(job seekers allowance income based), and pensioner credits. The £240 a week you get is this just retirement pension? Have you tried claiming pensioner credit to top up your pension?

A few acronyms

MIL mother in law

FIL father in law

DLA disabled living allowance-a benefit

SDA severe disablement allowance-a benefit

IIDB industrial injuries benefit-a benefit

Incap- incapacity benefit

LT- not sure about this did I use it lol could be in ref to incap which has different rates one of which is LT long term.

BTW by the way

LOL laugh out loud

ROFL rolls on floor laughing

the last 3 are used all over the internet so you get used to using them and forget some people out there are just getting into forums sorry!

To post a new thread find the section you want to post in and go to the bottom of the page. Click on the little blue link to "new thread" and you can start one there.

Good luck

ali x

Thanks deedee 1310 and alibobsy.

That's very helpful. I'm very conscious I am now poaching on someone else's thread, but you've set me on the road ali x and I can now guess OH means 'other half'!

BTW the benefits to which I referred include pension credit, attendance allowance and carer's allowance.

Thanks again.

Vandermerwe

Glad I could help

deedee x

That was a quick response deedee - thanks a lot.

A quick question if I may. I've obviously stumbled into a hornets' next with HSBC over my modest overdraft limit of £1000 which has increased to £2500 for what I believe to be legitimate reasons, but includes around £500 "arrangement fees" over the past 90 days and now 4 bounced cheques.

In what I now gather is a 'template' letter from them they suggested various sources of help and I phoned one of them, the charity National Debtline, and asked if I should try and resolve the matter amicably as a customer of 6 years' good standing, but the answer was a resounding 'no - you are just a number to them, reclaim your charges, do not discuss by telephone, keep copies of all correspondence etc. etc.

Quite an eye opener!

Will do, and also amend the Right of Appropriation letter to suit my needs, but could you advise on how to obtain the best help from this website.

Do I start a new thread (which now can do, thanks ali) and call it something like 'Newbie takes on the Honkers and Shankers'

Shall appreciate you advice, please remember I'm not computer literate!

Regards.

Vandermerwe

Are you wanting to claim from HSBC first? If so, you will need to start a new post in the HSBC Forum. You can name your thread anything you want! might I suggest vandermerwe v HSBCriminal? LOL (laugh out loud)!

When you have done so, the good people of the HSBC forum will help assist you, as will I.

deedee x

Hi deedee.

Thanks a lot. I've called my thread Old Age Pensioner -v-HSBC.

I just need to make sure I take the first step correctly.

I've downloaded an enormous amount of data to collate and file as reading the screen is a bit difficult for me.

Best wishes.

Vandermerwe

Hi deedee.

 

Thanks a lot. I've called my thread Old Age Pensioner -v-HSBC.

 

I just need to make sure I take the first step correctly.

Great! Well I'll subscribe to your thread. I can't help with anything HSBCriminal specific, but I can help with the preliminary letter, lba stuff as will others on the thread.

I've downloaded an enormous amount of data to collate and file as reading the screen is a bit difficult for me.

LOL! Yes, I understand and it was the same for me too, it's just that I managed to keep reading on-screen. By virtue of the amount of the amount of information I took in, I had a severe headache for two days! Needless to say it's much better as I understand so much more now.

Good luck with everything.

deedee

Don't know if this has already been mentioned, but what about those already on benefit and having to pay these charges from their benefit income, how can they then say that they have to declare any sums returned to them

hello

happy ner year to everyone

well i am in constant discussions with my bank and lots of correspondence 7 hardback folders im in court with them 8th jan@2pm

but i am worried as i got an email from my banks solicter and she is saying that the law and benefits acts are improper and that they can take charges from benefits etc

is there another benefits act i can get hold of please

i need something to show them that they are wrong

i am on DLA& MOBILITY in which they took there charges out of them yes i have proof on my statements

thvm for any offer of help

hugs

abg

abg

What the bank is doing to you is wrong and (IMO) against the law. However, the law they are breaking is not that in the benefits acts. It's the common law on penalties in contacts and (probably) the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999. THat's where we need to concentrate.

Unfortunately, at the moment we cannot (easily) pursue them that way either becaue of the test case.

hello steven tyvvm for your replies

i am so confused as i have put everything in my thread

abroadgirl v abbey

please feel free to take a look

i dont really know what i can do i have told and sent hardship letters and proof that the charges were taken form my benefits which left me with nothing till my next payment so i understand now that i canrt fight this i just dont know anymore tyvm for everything hugs

abg

abg

I have been following your thread. You have been given some good advice by Jansus and others, and Stonedecroze has offered some practical help too. I suggest you allow Stonedecroze to help - I have been talking to him about the possible way forward.

Thanks to Joa for the following information:

Are you sure this is write as when l contacted my local benefits agency about the bank charges on behalf of my Father in lawthey told him any bank charges that had been illegally taken form his benefit money they dont have to be declared as they are repaaying money they were not allowed to take. He aslo recieved this in writing.

Chrissi

That's interesting GM I wonder if the benefits agency have been given new instructions by the government regarding these refunds. Would be fair to disregard these as a special case.

Nice one

ali x

well my FIL is part of the test case so it may be differernt if thet is the case.

I know he will not be declearing the money as he is entitled to about £8k back.

Chrissi

Are you sure this is write as when l contacted my local benefits agency about the bank charges on behalf of my Father in lawthey told him any bank charges that had been illegally taken form his benefit money they dont have to be declared as they are repaaying money they were not allowed to take. He aslo recieved this in writing.

 

Chrissi

Very interesting indeed. I was wondering if you could PM me with the details, i.e. the authority/agency which wrote the letter, did it refer specifically to the refunded bank charges, the amount.

I would be very interested because couple of years ago there was a case which run all the way to the Commissioner regarding arrears of capital and which failed miserably.

Of course we have to remember that refunds below certain thresholds would not affect the benefit, however i am interested in amounts above that thresholds.

DWP - Resource centre - Information for local authorities - Publications - Guidance and manuals - Housing Benefit Guidance Manual - Part B - BP1 - Assessment of capital

and

DWP - Resource centre - Information for local authorities - Publications - Guidance and manuals - Housing Benefit Guidance Manual - Part B - BP1 - Assessment of capital

i would just like to add, that if you read about on the internet, the banks are not actually allowed to take charges from peoples benefits as these people are given the minimum amount of money that is needed to live on. So you are in your right to claim it back as it shoudnt have been taken in the first place.