I bought a DFS sofa when I moved into my new rental property 2 years ago. It was ex display. The cushions on the sofa and chair have gone completely flat, the chair has only been used around 30 times in the last 2 years as I live alone. I have turned all the cushions once a week as directed but still it is now a nightmare to sit on. I have been in touch with DFS who have told me they will sell me new inners for my seat cushions but nothing can be done about my back ones. They actually said I would be paying around £500 for 3 inners. I only paid £900 for the sofa chair and accent chair, and I am still paying this off. Is there anything else I can do, or will I be sitting on a sofa that gives me no support and neck problems for the next god knows how long? Thanks

I am currently claiming JSA and have been signed off and advised to claim ESA instead

Sorry another quick question. I am thinking of doing this on Tuesday after my payment for JSA has been processed. How long would it be before an ESA payment is made, would it be in time for next payment date in 2 weeks? Always assuming payment is made on the same day as my JSA, a Friday. And also do I need to tell my council as I have a HB payment due a week today and don't want it stopped. Thanks for the answers, just trying to get stuff straight in my head so I know how long I could be without money for

Thanks for the advice. Just wondered as I am in the North West would me claiming ESA mean I would be moved to Universal Credit. I have looked and my job centre isn't one that is going live immediately or in the next few months but scared I would end up on UC

My doctor signed me off for a month yesterday with depression. I was advised to make a claim for ESA but was told by someone else in the surgery that it would be best to wait until I have signed next so I am not without money for ages. I am not due to sign until next Tuesday so if I was to make a claim for ESA today (Wednesday), how long would I be without money for and what would happen to my housing benefit claim? I am scared stiff I will be left with no money to live on for weeks and weeks. Can anyone please advise? Also I have an initial doctors note for one month from yesterday, when would I need to submit a new note should my doctor give me one? Thanks for the help

Hi everyone, Not sure if anyone can help or not. This morning I had tests on a lump I had found and I was told that it was 95% certain that the lump was cancer and I would need treatment for breast cancer. This afternoon I had an appointment with my adviser for a post work programme interview, it wasn't a signing day but they still insist on checking my jobsearch throughly. Because of what had happened in the morning I completely forgot to take it and they threatened me with a sanction. And made appointments for me to be at the job centre every day for the next fortnight at varying times, one of these clashed with my appointment at the hospital for my test results and I told them this. This set them off saying I was signing when I wasn't actively seeking work, that I needed to fill in a sickness form, this would be my second period of sickness and would mean I would not be eligible for anymore sickness until November this year. I said this to them and I was told in a roundabout way it was tough. Then things went from bad to worse, my adviser made me sign off saying I was not eligible to claim JSA as I was now sick as I had breast cancer. They have now signed me off and I am not getting anymore JSA apart from 3 days that are due to me. Is what they did right? I have read that ESA isn't payable for some cancers so that doesn't seem an option plus at the moment I would not be able to get a doctors note as nothing is confirmed so what am I meant to live on? This is a worrying enough time as it is without having they worry of no money for bills and food now. Any advice welcome Thanks

Hello all, Have a problem that I could do with some urgent advice on. At my last post work programme appointment I didn't see my usual adviser as they were on holiday. The adviser I saw made me an appointment with the national careers service. I have this morning received a garbled message from someone at the service saying my appointment is today at 3pm yet my official letter issued by my adviser says its 11th November at the same time. I have rung the careers service phone number on the letter and the person I spoke to wasn't any help at all, basically I have been told they do not hold the diaries for appointments made at job centres and I have been unable to get through to my job centre at the moment. Just wondered what is my position is, I am fine to go on Monday but this afternoon would be undoable. Thanks for the advice

Sorry for starting yet another thread but I am hoping someone can help me. I am currently an Open University student and I have two exams in one day in October, one is a resit of an exam I failed in June and the other is for the current module I am studying. Its just the way the OU have worked things that they fall on the same day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, both for 3 hours. I told my adviser when I saw them on Friday as they made an appointment for me on the same day to attend a day long CV workshop, I explained this to them but I was told my exam's weren't important and I had to attend this CV workshop. They also pointed out to me that two exams in one day would mean I wasn't available for work on the day in question so my JSA would have been stopped if this appointment wasn't made. I tried to explain to them that this is my only chance to sit the resit and if I don't attend my exams then I have failed my modules and I won't complete my degree in time, they told me not their problem. Is it right I have to give up on my long term career goal of being a primary school teacher, a long term goal my adviser knew about? Any advice welcome. Thanks

My adviser is insisting on a copy of my CV, they know I won't email a copy so they have asked me to bring a hard copy to my next interview, just to have in my file. Would I be able to remove all my personal details from this apart from my job history as according to them its just to refer to in my interviews if she's not clear about some things. Thanks

Anyone have any idea how this would affect Open University degrees? I have 2 years left to complete then I have my degree. Its classed as part time distance learning but is higher than NVQ Level 2. Doing 2 modules a year which at a brick uni is seen as full time study but with the open university 120 credits a year is still part time as you can fit in study around everything else going on in life. I am really concerned now that my long term job goals of becoming a primary school teacher will now won't happen. Thanks

Thanks for the links

One final thing, I have had two appointments which were not on my signing day, was I able to claim my bus fares back for these as nothing as ever mentioned about the paying of fares. And if I was, it is it too late to claim them now, its £10 in total so a considerable amount. Thanks

Can you point me to the links for these FOI requests as they would be good to print as I have another appointment with my adviser tomorrow. Thanks

Hi all, Just come off the work programme and earlier today had my 3rd appointment with my adviser as part of the post work programme support. Today was also my signing day and I took my jobsearch in the job diary like I have for the last few years only to be told they were not satisfied that I was doing enough to look for work and using universal job match. At my last appointment I was asked to provide screenshots of my universal jobmatch account and also email me CV to them before this appointment, after asking for advice on here I decided not to email m CV nor provide printouts of the screens on UJM. I was told by them that it was a legal requirement to give them a copy of my CV and I had been mandated to do it at my last appointment, she did say it was mandatory but that was only verbally so not sure how that stands up. And with regard to UJM it was mandatory to either give them access to my account or provide printouts so it could be shown how I was using UJM and to see I was applying for jobs using it. As a result she has raised a doubt on my claim and suspended my money so no JSA for me, and it was made clear if I did not comply at my next meeting then it would be another sanction. As it was said, only 3 sanctions and I have no JSA for 3 years. Can anyone offer any help, where to find legislation etc as I feel I am fighting a losing battle at the moment. Thanks

Thank you for all the answers