I agree, and I have become a member!!! The BNP!!!!!!!! I never thought that it would happen.

Hello & Merry Christmas. Christmas day it is but it doesn't feel like it to me. Can't sleep, worried sick & I sometimes wish I was a child again and everybody else did the worrying for me. there is no magic anymore just heartache. How do I apply to the Tribunal? Misadvised, no one misadvised me or advised me, I just read the letter and it said that I should now claim JSA. Are you serious? Her mum would not go to Age Concern. She's a private person and not one for talking about tings or asking for help from charities. She doesn't even know that I get food from the bank! So get me right, you are saying that to get matters right her mum has to go looking for welfare? Then things should fall into place? That's a tall order. I'll speak with my wife in the morning - she's sleeping at the moment thank goodness. First time for a few nights. I have to stay up incase her mum wakes in the night. Not much of a life really but you just have to make do with what cards you are dealt I suppose. Thanks and goodnight.

Hello I hear what you are saying, but honestly my illness is no worse. Of course I am stressed who wouldn't be, but that is not being ill it's just life. I know what the ESA people where trying to do, they wanted me to lie and say that I am a lot worse when I am not. I shouldn't have to do that. We aren't going to starve or freeze to death, we do have about £95 a week coming in from my wife's mum which is a great help. I try to look on the bright side of things, if I do have to wait until February it is only 8 weeks away

Hello Thanks for that, I never gave him a thought. I don't suppose he woud dig into his pocket and give out a bit of Christmas cheer. MP's are all wind and baggy trousers! I'll write him a letter to see what he can do, but I can't see that it will be anything this side of the New Year.

Hello Thanks, it seems that way doesn't it.

Hello No she doesn't receive any of that - she is not disabled, just old. No it hasn't, the ESA people kept on asking the same question when I rang them up. My illness is no better or no worse than it was a year ago. It's still the same illness and I have the same medication given to me by the doctor.

Hello Oh yes the council have been brilliant, once they realised that we had not been able to pay the rent after they stopped my ESA and then the JSA, they came round the house and we filled in some forms. The rent and council tax is all covered thank goodness. DLA, do you mean for me, my wife or her mother? None of us claims anything now. Isn't DLA for disabled people? None of us is disabled, it's only me that is ill. My wife's mum gets her state pension and a bit extra from a pension that my father in law left but that is only a few pounds a week.

Hello carers allowance??? No nothing like that. How would she claim that? Does she have to go into the Jobcentre and claim it? We actually don't get anything from the government now, not since they stopped my JSA payments. I've said that we are now almost out of money, about £23 left on the debit card. We have been using our credit cards to live off and pay the bills, but they are all nearly maxed out

Hello, We asked about doing that, but as my wife is looking after her mother who lives with us and needs 24/7 care the Jobcentre said that she wouldn't be allowed to claim JSA as she couldn't very well look after her mum and work at least 16 hours a week - it just isn't possible. But thanks for your advice.

Hello, desperate times means desperate measures. I hate asking for help but needs must. We are a couple in our late 50's. I have been sick since 2004, but tried to carry on working until last year when I left my employment as I couldn't see a way of guaranteeing that I could be there evry day. Having never claimed a benefit in our lives I went down to the Jobcentre. Eventually I claimed ESA and sent in my sick note. Everything was fine and we were receiving an income. I then had to go to a medical and a few weeks later my money stopped. Then I got a letter from them telling me that I was not sick enough to be given ESA anymore and should claim JSA instead. That was in August. I then went down to the Jobcentre again and they arranged for me to claim JSA. Eventually my money started again. Then I had a meeting with one of the advisors in October who told me that because I had a sick note they had ruled that I could not be treated as looking for work so my money stopped again. Since mid October we haven't had a penny from anybody. I went to the Jobcentre a few times in November and early December to find out what money we could have. Each time they told me to ring the ESA people which I had done many times. The ESA people have told me that I cannot put in a new claim until at least February 2013 unless I have got worse, which I haven't, or have a new illness, which I haven't. I also put in an appeal which the ESA people told me to, but that was refused in early November as they said that I didn't have any good grounds for making it late - I just didn't understand what I was supposed to do. The ESA woman on the phone had a right go at me for not following the advice in their letter and should have appealed months ago. I told her I had followed their advice and claimed JSA! What do I know about appealing? Is this right that we can't have any more benefit money until next february? We have used all of our bit of savings we had and now there is nothingleft. We have been getting food from the bank, but now they are getting funny as we are going to often. We are having to rely on neighbours for some meals but Chrixtmas dinner will consist of sausage & chips!! I would say that the housing have been brilliant, they sent someone out to see us and sorted that out after it kept stopping. Any help please?