That's a very good point. Do we have any good jokes about atheists? Hmmmmmmmmmmm - maybe not - perhaps because they've lost all hope and hope does spring eternal!!

The matter of not being able to get credit would, in this situation, be a good thing as it is best for some people that they cannot have this option. So if that is all the negative markers do, then we may have to settle for that. Paying nothing is not an option either. Even if the creditors do not take the debt to court, there is still the distressing matter of someone having to deal with all the threats and hassle of the bombardment of letters etc. For some, it's more than just a nuisance, it can push them over the edge. However, as I said, there has to be a written agreement that when the debt is settled, it is fully settled for good. I simply don't trust any financial institution anymore and without those agreements, they'd be back like a shot if they could to have another go.

Pinky - he should talk to his advisor on the next appointment. I never heard back from my letter although I was back to work two weeks later anyway. But it didn't affect my benefits so I assume they just accepted my letter. Does your friend need extra help with his job searches etc because he has difficulties in specific ways? It may be that his agreement needs to be reviewed and amended to ensure that he is not given totally unsuitable jobs to apply for.

I would at the very least try and talk to the CAB before you do anything. I'm not sure that it's correct about contributions based JSA either because it was not what I was told when I went on it last year. However, there is a clear requirement to inform the DWP/JC of any change of circumstances, and that includes receiving what would be consdered a signficant sum of money. Also, just to ensure there are no other issues with the situation, maybe check out the tax implications for gifting that sum of money. Better to have all the facts first before you open the inevitable can of worms.

I think DX raises good points tho which anyone who is hoping to achieve a settlement needs to consider ensuring they achieve as much as possible. The removal of negative markers would be a great bonus, but may have to be forgone to achieve the end result of clearance of debt, but ensuring that the debt is marked as settled and will never be pursued again surely have to be unnegotiable terms. If the creditor will not agree to them, then the inference is that they will at some point chance their luck and go for the debt again - or sell it on etc and that could be years down the line. Yes, it may be possible to challenge any claim and stop it going further - BUT - a) it's more hassle and trouble when you thought everything was finished and b) who knows how the law will change in a year or more? For peace of mind, those two points have to be agreed - it's just not worth the risk IMHO.

I'm not sure that is correct, LGO. I believe that even if the OP's parents had paid that sum of money to pay off the debts, the OP should still have declared it and that would have affected his benefit entitlements. Also, the JC might have allowed him to be given a car for a grand or so, but £17k??? That's way more than a reliable car just to improve the possibility of getting a job. The DWP will want to know where all the rest of the money went too so I think the OP really does need to get some proper advice and bite the bullet to sort this out, asap.

I don't know if this will help at all, but I had a similar experience a while back and this may (or may not) shed some light on what has happened: When you're given a job by the JC advisor, it goes on your record on the system. At some point, the advisors are supposed to go through the jobs they gave you to update what happened and then tick the appropriate selection. So, they're something like: did not apply, no response etc. In my case a job was advertised as located in a town which is very accessible. Turns out the location was not just more than twice the distance away, but totally inaccessible by public transport which is all I have. So, when the advisor did a quick run through of the jobs on my file on the system, the only option to tick that she had from the drop down menus was 'did not apply'. In my case, I sent a full explanatory letter, complete with printout of map etc. However, the advisor (who was very understanding) later said that all I had to state on the form for the reason for my non-application was that it was not accessible within the agreed 90 mins travel time. So, whilst it's a very worrying situation, the way that you respond is quite important. If the job that was advertised was found to be something you simply could not do or get to, especially where the advertising company has made an error or omitted a key requirement, then you need to stick to the facts under the agreement. It might also be worth insisting on knowing whether another JC advisor marked the person's file without discussion with them first so that other notes could have been put on that person's record to prevent this kind of problem arising.

I think you need to get some legal advice on this because that's a lot of money to not declare. How long ago was it paid - ie how long were you still in receipt of benefits after you'd received the gift?

Just realised that you'd asked this before on another thread a month ago, so not sure if there's anything else that can be added. Hope you do get the support and diagnosis you are looking for.

Hi Nystagmite Not sure if you got your questions answered on another thread, but if it helps, my advice would be to get a full diagnosis. You are a whole person, and your conditions may be separate in that one does not cause the other, but they are combined in the impact they have on your life as a whole. Try not to think of it as being labelled, but rather getting a complete picture of what conditions you have which affect the way you can live, or what you need in order to achieve the life you want to leed. Only the specialists can advise on how you get a complete and full diagnosis leading to a better understanding of your needs, so best to ask the consultants first of all. If that doesn't provide the response that helps, discuss with your GP, and maybe search the internet for forums that give specific advice and self-help info. For example, if you have any concerns that you may be affected by a condition on the Autistic Spectrum Disorder, then the National Autistic Society can be a great place to start for more advice on what you can do, where you can get help, your rights etc.

Oh nooooooo - not messing about - we needs a good laugh and those pics are priceless.

You need to upload it to a photo hosting site - try Tinypic - it's free and easy. Then use the Insert Image icon (the squarish one with the little tree in the middle, next to the email envelope icon) to add the pic to a post.

Hi DX - yep - read that loud and clear on many threads and that, plus the blog, has been invaluable help as would never have thought just how devious the creditors could be. Bit of a boo boo in my question tho - sorry about that - really, if the funds were available (and we got all the satisfactory conditions met), we're looking at how to pay it direct eg by going into a bank. So, very basic bank account, no cheque book, no internet banking, no telephone banking, no trusted friends or relatives to send cheques etc. As I'm thinking as I type, should we request a pro-forma thingie like you get with utitilities accounts etc with a tear off slip at the bottom, which is part of the letter which agrees the T&C's of a F&F settlement?

Hi This is a bit hypothetical at the moment. IF - having done all the homework from the great advice here, one was in a position to make a quick settlement offer - and one did not have a cheque book or a third party who could help out in that respect, what is the best way to pay the agreed settlement sum?

Hopefully some helpful info on references. The underlined bits are by me. What should an employer say in my reference? Anyone providing a reference has a duty to take reasonable care not to give misleading information about the employee. Employers should avoid being unfairly selective in the information they provide and avoid including facts or opinions that could create a false inference in the mind of a prospective employer. Does a previous employer have to reveal any problems that occurred in the past employment? Where an employee has performed at an unacceptably low level or has been dismissed for a reason that would cast doubt on his or her suitability for future employment, the person giving a reference can: provide no reference at all; provide only a basic, factual reference, giving the dates of employment and the job title; provide a detailed account, including references to any negative issues What can I do if my old employer provides a bad reference? If you believe your past employer's reference unfairly harmed your future work prospects you may be able to sue for negligent misstatement. To do so, you must show that: the information in the reference is misleading; providing such misleading information has had a detrimental effect on your standing with a prospective employer; your former employer was negligent in providing such a reference. Alternatively, if you think there is an element of discrimination involved, you can bring your former employer to an employment tribunal. So, whilst it is not true that a former employer cannot provide a 'bad' reference, any negative comments must be accurate, fair and balanced. Also, from the Direct Gov website, it does say that: "Once you start working for a new employer you can ask them for a copy of any reference they've been given from your previous employers. They should supply it to you under data protection law."

Tinnitus. It's a bit monotone, but at least I feel something is singing 'my tune'.

That dog has got lovely clean gnashers!

Izzit - it does not surprise me that you had such a pointless and inaccurate response from a Consultant at all. The medical profession is not in agreement with their acceptance of these conditions or how to help. I have been told that a couple of years ago, the then Government required that all Mental Health teams could provide a psychotherapist who could specialise in diagnosing and supporting adults with Aspergers. So, your local CMHT should also be able to provide you with information on who is the appropriate person for a self referral. However, try not to be put off and do contact other organisations or post on forums (links further up) to get some other views and perspectives on what might be helpful for you. Sadly, the one down side is that it does seem to be a battle to get a proper and formal diagnosis once you're an adult, but persistence does seem to pay off. If you can afford a private diagnosis, the NAS can supply you with a list of qualified practitionersnearest to you - although be prepared for that not being 'near' in the usual sense of the word.

Izzit - I can only suggest that you contact the NAS helpline and have a chat with one of their advisors. Your GP has a duty of care and must not just simply refuse your right to help without very good reason. If that GP won't help, ask the NAS about escalating it to a formal complaint. Also, contact any other organisation that can help - NAS and others provide excellent and simply explained leaflets. If you Google "National Autism Groups | National Asperger Groups | UK Autism and Asperger Support |" then go down to the site that begins with "Windminstre"l and click on the Cache option (not the actual link to the page) - that will bring up a list of local Aspergers organisations. The actual page has been removed from the site, but the web page is still viewable. Nystagmite - I'm not sure those figures are correct but it certainly is not rare. Quite simply, a few years ago, it was estimated that 1 in 1000 men had Aspergers, many of whom were believed to be undiagnosed, and of those who were diagnosed as adults, possibly as many as 50% only came to light as a result of being tested following a prison sentance. Since then, there is the very slow but growing acceptance that a) more than 1 in 1000 men may have Aspergers and that whilst it was believed to have just affected the male population, it is now accpeted to affect females too. So, the stats are open to being changed and changed again. That said, the more people who are PROPERLY diagnosed, the better because it will help in the long term, maybe not for older adults, but certainly for children and young adults growing up. It is also important not to just 'flop' along with a suggestion that you may have "traits of Aspergers" as this means absolutely nothing in terms of getting help and understanding. This is not to say that getting a formal diagnosis magically transforms anything - but it is the beginning to opening doors of understanding and then being able to get help. Another very good reason for insisting on getting a formal diagnosis is that for some bizarre reason, "Aspergers Syndrome" has become some kind of fashionable condition to have - which is really appalling because people who really do have Aspergers can find themselves living miserable lives when it's not been diagnosed. There are people out there who claim to have Aspergers, who simply do not - they're just badly behaved and rude - and that then casts a stigma on those who genuinely do have it.

I think you'll be alright, as long as they don't start moving and running amok througout the boards! It's when they start picking up the thread titles and running around with the words on top of their little legs you'll need to head for the hills yerself!

This was a boo boo post on the wrong thread - have no idea what happened there.

If you are registered with a GP practice, it might be worth asking if they have a Mental Health lead professional at the practice. This would be one of the doctors who has chosen to specialise in, and support those patients who have MH issues, whether that's short term depression, or full-on permanent conditions.

Or perhaps ........................... "I see you're back. Did you bring the ffffavvvva beans this time?" 8)

There are different ways to start the ball rolling and it depends how well you get on with your GP, or how receptive they are to even considering you may have a disorder which falls under the autistic spectrum. Some GPs are, rather sadly, still in the dark ages when it comes to accepting even autism itself, let alone Aspergers. Others are more enlightened. However, one common response to adults who want to 'find out' if they do have an ASD, is, "Why do you want to know? What good do you think it will do?". I have no idea why any doctor would ask this, but they do. Yours may not, but it's worth thinking about this so you have it sorted in your mind why you are requesting a formal diagnosis. Just as an example only - you mention you have depression. Well, there are many reasons why people suffer depression and not all cases are suitable for treatment with anti-depressants. If your depression is a part of having Aspergers, then having a diagnosis so you know first of all, and then having access to the appropriate health care professionals could help you manage this for yourself in the long term so it becomes far less of a problem. If you don't have a very good rapport with your GP, then I would recommend contacting the National Autistic Society and chatting to them first of all. They have so much helpful literature, but will also listen to your needs and tailor the help they provide to those needs, at any one time. So, if your circumstances change, or you need help on another issue that crops up, they will provide it.

Maxx - it may also be a question of what contract the agency has with the client - so that can work both ways. The client may have an agreement with the agency that only preferred 3rd Tier agencies (umbrella) can be used. Equally, there may be no such agreement and the client may even have an agreement that the agency must allow any othe company to source their contractors if the agency cannot do so. Another way around this is to look at setting up your own limited company to do this - I believe it's not that difficult and you may be able to get the other guy at your place of work to help you, even to still end up physically doing the PAYE etc.