Hope someone can advise me. I have had to complete a current year assessment for my daughter`s student finance as my wife and I are now disabled but in 2007/8 I was working full time. My question is that in discussion with my daughter we are in no doubt that she will get a full loan but she dosn`t think that the 25% means tested part is repayable and becomes a grant. Any ideas?

Connif Thanks for that but cannot even sit in wheelchair as too painful. Should be interesting as I normally lie down or have to stand with a stick. I think I`m turning into an Aborigine as I find it easier just to stand on my left leg!

Stacked against the public then as usual. I was supposed to have my interview last Wednesday 15th. I sent them a recent 28 page Medical Report from a Harley Street Consultant fully detailing my problem and prognosis. I sent it Royal Mail Next Day Tracker on the 7th and it was confirmed as delivered to them on the 8th. My wife phoned them on Tuesday 14th to make sure the medical adviser had it and would have read it and they denied all knowledge!!After being passed around 4 times and speaking to the medical centre I was attending with no luck Atos finally revealed that they are a week behind with opening their post!!!!!! Mickey Mouse or what. Envelope was plastered URGENT and it cost me £2.80 at the library to photocopy it and £5.40 to post it plus I don`t go out in public unless really important and I decided this was! They agreed that the interview should be rearranged with no fault on my part and that they would look for the report. I received a new appointment (28th) and my wife phoned them back to confirm they`d found the report. After a lot of umming and Arring they said they had. Wife wasn`t too confident though! Anyway I`ll go to their interview with my mate who will take notes and my copy of the report. Also I asked if they had a lift or was the interview on ground level. They said no to both but after much debate agreed to open a ground floor office! Also asked about disabled psrking. None but multi storey! Hpefully Blue Badge will find me somewhere. I`ll keep you posted people!!!!!

Hi I work in the public sector and my Manager has been my best friend in getting me help. I have been off sick since last September. He is in almost daily email contact,phones me with any news and takes me out for lunch at least once a month! He is trying through my HR and a private health solutions company to get me ill health retirement. He knows about my condition and is very discreet. Obviously not all managers are the same and in the private sector may not have the resources to be as understanding or helpful. You may think my manager is a touchy feely person but nothing could be further from the truth. He hates malingerers,works very hard at his job and expects the same from his team. He is 56 a non drinker but always puts his hand in his pocket. He will regularly buy his team of 10 breakfast but expects and gets respect. Sorry this went a bit off theme and it looks like I`m in love with my manager but he is a one off. Maybe you have the same?

Received from Atos Healthcare this morning! Atos Healthcare has clear guidance agreed with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on audio taping and video taping a medical examination. This is designed to ensure that a consistent approach is taken to all such requests and is designed to safeguard the interests of both the customer and the HCP(health care professional). The DWP never requires that a medical assessment for the purpose of advising on entitlement to state sickness or disability benefits be recorded on audio or videotape. Any request can only be agreed with the prior consent of the HCP, and then only if stringent safeguards are in place to ensure that the recording is complete, accurate and that the facility is available for simultaneous copies to be made available to all parties present. The recording must be made by a professional operator, on equipment of a high standard, properly calibrated by a qualified engineer immediately prior to the recording being made. The equipment must have facility for reproduction so that a copy of the tape can be retained by all parties. The cost of the making the arrangements rests with the customer, as recording is not a requirement of the DWP. If Atos Healthcare is unable to grant a request for recording we will offer you an opportunity to rearrange your appointment so you can arrange for the examination to take place with a chaperone or other witness. If you wish to record the examination, taking the requirements above into consideration, please contact the examination centre that your husband is due to attend, and enquire whether the examining HCP is willing to have the assessment recorded. with regards, Customer Relations

Thanks SJ my wife has the Nokia 5800 which we tried out and it records for an hour so I`ll do that but if possible I would like them to know I`m recording it

Anyone?

Still waiting for my mortgage relief as I am in the first 13 weeks of ESA.Have you tried a Debt Management Plan with Consumer Credit Councelling Service or any other charity bases Debt advisers? Look at their website they are very helpful.

Probebly a stupid point to bring up but my council have a £6000 savings maximum when accessing council tax relief

Your jobcentre plus should give you the form stamped by them,you fill in the first bit then phone your mortgage lender and get the address where you should send it for them to complete their bit. Good luck!

I have been turned down for Carers Allowance as I get ESA and this is an `underlying`entitlement

I get Employment Support Allowance as I have become unable to work so it may be different from JSA but I have just applied for help with my mortgage. When I was working it was £1000 per month but I had to change it to interest only which being on a tracker and the interest rate cuts took it down to £83.They will only help with the interest. I believe the form I filled in was an MI 11 or 12.I applied for council tax relief provided all the evidence which was pretty extensive and they turned me down as I had too much money coming in! Worth applying though but go and see them or make an appointment. Child tax credits if you have any children. Mine shot up from £40 per week to £210.

Hi I have an ESA interview next week with Atos and was wondering if there is anything to stop me audio taping it?.

Keep a diary and try and write down what she say`s as soon as she leaves. Any meetings try and take a friend. Could record her but you`d probably have to tell her you were doin it (which might make her moderate her manner). Put everything in writing to her boss.She seems a bit over the top for a parking problem!

Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) This is the minimum level of earnings that an employee needs to qualify for benefits, such as Retirement Pension and Jobseekers Allowance. If an employee’s earnings reach or exceed this level, but do not exceed the Earnings Threshold, they will not pay National Insurance contributions but will be treated as having paid them when claiming benefit. For this reason, you must keep details of an employee’s earnings at or above the LEL on a form P11 or equivalent record and report them at the end of the year on a form P14. Earnings Threshold (ET) When the earnings exceed this level National Insurance contributions become payable by the employee and employer. Upper Accrual Point (UAP) The UAP is set at £770 a week, £3,337 a month, and £40,040 a year. Employers and their employees who are members of contracted-out occupational pension schemes pay NICs at the reduced contracted-out rate up to the UAP only. They then pay NICs at the higher standard rate on the employee’s earnings between the UAP and the UEL. Upper Earnings Limit (UEL) Where earnings exceed the UEL, the employee pays National Insurance contributions at 1 per cent on those earnings above the UEL. The UEL does not apply to employer’s National Insurance contributions, which are payable on all earnings above the Earnings Threshold, including those above the UEL, at the appropriate rate.

HM Revenue & Customs: Rates and Allowances - National Insurance Contributions

No I think you can earn this amount before having to pay NI but still build up contributions Look at this sitehttp://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/nic.htm

£4200 not £42000

Got caught the same way as they expected disabled people to pay even in disabled place. The same company,sorry shysters,operate my local supermarket parking and there it`s free so it`s a bit confusing but I`m rabbiting on now! IGNORE THEM

I thinkthis is the level of earnings per week to qualify for NI credits but someone more knowledgable will probanly be along later. Also you may already have done it but browse thr forum to help with applying for DLA. Good luck

If your husband works thenit`s unlikely you`ll get council tax relief. My wife and I are disabled on DLA. She`s in Incapacity Benefit I`m on Employment Support Allowance.Wife gets a pension of £400 and they turned us down. Fill in the forms though but be prepared to produce lots of paperwork. Best to make an appointment to go and see them. Good luck!

Hmm see your point but I have been a motorcyclist or car driver for 32 years and paid my dues the same as you so they should compensate fairly.Bit like the NHS you pay in then when you`re ill they`re not always there.

me again interview was in my town. If you don`t make the interview and cannot get it waived I believe it affects your benefits. I always think it best to go to these things and let them see how much effort you`ve made and how distressing it is for you. Remember if you say you can`t attend these are local people who may well see you out doing other thing. Apologies for that if you are housebound but thought it worth making the point. They will ask what work you`ve done in the past and what you think you can do now but stick to your guns if you really can`t do anything.

Sorry interview was about 40 minutes. I was a victim of an RTA so we spent most of the time talking about that. She asked about other people at home and about my disabled wife,what care we were getting etc. She gave me info on prescription charges and said I should have been assessed for motgage interest relief and gave me the forms.

I`ve just had one of these. The lady I saw was very pleasant and could see that I was very uncomfortable and in pain. She could see that I would not be fit for any type of work and spent most of the time checking and showing me her screen which is unusual to see if I was getting all the benefits I was entitled to! She did say that I would be expected to ubdertake 6 more interviews but with the British Legion (no never ben in the forces) who would look at my circumstances and discuss part time or voluntary work.I told her that I was actually still employed but on no pay but she said these interviews are computer generated within the first 13 weeks of claiming ESA. Hope this helps. Good luck