Thanks so much for your advice. I am single, not a parent and not disabled. I have not been working because I was at college (13 hrs per week) and now have a level 2 qualification. I got JSA and housing while I was on this course because it was only 13 hrs per week. I then went to do the level 3 but had to leave because I couldn't get any support to stay at college. Although that course was also only 13 hrs per week the college say it is full time and so I could not get JSA or housing benefit. I had to leave college and try for a job. Since then the housing are looking for all the rent backdated to when I started the level 2 course and the DWP are looking for repayment of all the JSA I already had because the college states in its prospectus that the level 2 course of 13 hours per week is full time. Then I had the council tax looking for that too. But if I was considered a full time student then I shouldn't have any council tax - I hope I got through to them on this one! I owe 1000s of pounds, and I can't pay it. Then this letter was the final straw. I am thinking I am going to be evicted and have no home as well as no job. I'll get the new income based claim in asap - thanks again.

Just to add, they say they cannot pay because entitlement based on Class 1 NI contributions has run out.

Hello, I have had a letter from the DWP telling me that my JSA is ending in 3 weeks because my entitlement has run out. I have not got a job and I don't know what to do now. They say I may still get housing benefit and reduced council tax but I will have no income to pay my share of the council tax. I have a one bedroom council flat. They say I can appeal. I am really trying to get a job, but so far no luck. Do I move to another type of benefit now? Thanks in advance for any help.

Hi Ganymede, but I will pay in the long run as I will lose my no claims bonus. Also I can't believe that my insurance company would just pay out without investigating properly, this isn't the first time this has happened to me. This kind of practice is just making people dishonest.

Thanks for all your replies. The owner of the vehicle which caused the accident was traced via his registration. He denies everything. At the time he told me to drive on and not say anything to the owner of the damaged car - so I don't think he is going to take responsibility for this. I was wondering if the SAR would be helpful because I had several telephone conversations with my insurers and I told them that it was only a wing mirror which was damaged. What is really getting to me is that my insurance company just doesn't seem to be on my side - I gave them the whole story and was of course prepared to pay for the wing mirror. I have photographs of the claimant's car which prove that the other damage was done by a black vehicle, mine is blue. The damage doesn't look like £1900 but he also put in a bill for a hire car during the repair. I am putting together a letter + photos to my insurer and also asking them for all the data they have on me, including recordings of telephone conversations. I think they are completely incompetent if they pay out a claim like this when there is proof otherwise and then penalise me for it. What is insurance for after all! I am quite surprised that the insurance companies want to do everything via telephone calls these days instead of the old way of filling out an accident report. I wonder if it is so they can 'lose' the phone recordings and deny certain conversations ever took place. Would anyone recommend using a broker instead - at least you could have face to face communication with someone like Swinton who have offices throughout England.

It's Elephant

Hi, a few months ago a large van was going to cause a head on collision with me (he was travelling across to the wrong side of the road). I managed to swerve in time but unfortunately hit the wing mirror of a parked car. I stopped and the owner of the parked car came out. There was no damage to my car. The van driver also stopped down the road and came back to see what he had done - he knew he had been the cause. We both asked him for his details which he refused and he fled the scene. We took his reg no, I also took photos of the damage. When the man with the damaged wing mirror made a claim against my insurance company he added other damage which was on his car. I told my insurance company that I had only damaged the wing mirror and they asked if I would be agreeable to paying for a new one. I said yes. Since then they have paid out £1900 to the man whose wing mirror was damaged. My ins co also accepted his claime for other damage without contacting me. I will now lose my no claims bonus when my insurance is due. As the money has been paid out is there anything I can do? I have the photos I took at the scene.

Hello to all who helped me on this forum. I thought I would just fill you in on the outcome of my insurance problems. The IFB were very sympathetic and said they would be helping Bell's with the case. The quotes I got on the internet were worthless, when they heard the story none would take me on. I was desparate. They put me on to a broker, Swinton, who found cover for me, but guess how much, £2300. I had no choice. A week after I have taken and paid for the cover from Swinton I received a call from Bells telling me that they had made a mistake and were now willing to renew my cover after all. They said they would not be paying out this claimant as it was a fraudulent claim. But too late, I said. But when I moaned about my unfair treatment and bartered with them I got them down to a good price. Then I had to speak to Swinton to release me. This they did, taking just the cost of the week's cover and a small cancellation fee. I did some research on this company who had sent the letters from the claimant. It is not his insurance, but a company of solicitors, Walker Morris in London. They have a department which offers 'no win, no fee' personal injury claims. I can't believe they took this one on, I think they are immoral. Anyway, that's my rant for today, and I am glad to say that I am quite relieved to have my insurance record restored, and my money back. Regards to all.

I did contact my insurers, Bell, and they told me that I am high risk and so will definitely not renew my insurance in January. I told them that I thought they were being hard on me as this is the one and only claim I have made, but they would not move on their decision. I have a letter prepared for the IFB and I will be reporting the incident to the Police when I get home after my Christmas break. I am staying at my mother's home in the ROI and so can't get much done from here. Today I used Moneysupermarket.com for a quotation and put in that a company had declined insurance for me. I was pleasantly surprised to find 6 companies offering insurance for me, and the best one, Admiral, wasn't much more than I paid last year. So this has taken the worry away about not getting insured. But I will still be reporting the incident as these [problematic] need to be stopped.

Oh WOW! I can't believe that, but you may be right. It never crossed my mind. Thanks flyingdoc.

Hello to all who replied to me. I am going to contact my insurance company tomorrow to see why exactly they have refused to renew my policy due in 3 weeks time. Then I am going to report the whole incidence to the police and the IFB. My insurance company, Bell, is a member of the IFB, so hopefully their involvement will help me. I think it will be difficult to get insurance from another company until this matter is cleared up. Thanks for all your comments. I'll get back to let you know what happens.

Hi Flyingdoc, thanks so much for your advice, gratefully received, I just didn't know where to start, so lucky to have discovered this website. I will let you know how I get on.

My car insurance is due for renewal in January but my company is telling me that because a claim from last August is still not settled they will not be offering me cover when my present policy expires. I caused minimal damage to the bumper of a car which stopped suddenly in front of me in heavy traffic. The other driver would not give me any of his details even though I gave him all mine, I am fully comp insured. I made a claim and my car was repaired. Then a letter arrived from the other driver saying that he was injured. Then another letter saying his brother was in the car and he was injured. Then more letters saying there were 2 more passengers in the back of his car and they were both injured. He was the only one in the car at the time of the accident and he was not injured in any way. The matter is still not settled so now my company won't renew my insurance. Can they do this? What can I do, will anyone else take me on if there is a case pending? Can anyone give me advice, please.