bs0lth
-
Posts
515 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Post article
CAGMag
Blogs
Keywords
Everything posted by bs0lth
-
Ellie I have been trying to get help for the last 5 weeks, they totally closed my claim, said that I would have to claim again, and because I had missed the appointment that I had to wait until I had the appointment / medical before they would pay me anything at all. Unless I won my appeal which I was told today that I had and my claim was reopened and the new claim merged with it. Why they had to merge the two I have no idea, it would have made more sense to close that one. I have had loads of help on my thread, I came on here because I applied or tried to get help with the Chris stuff from my local council which I kept being pushed towards. After talking to them they pushed me back to the DWP saying that if my claim was open I should be getting something from them. the horrifying thing is though is the council can only give you 3 days help, and you can only apply for help once a year... not month YEAR which means that your stuck with no help. I have been pretty fortunate since my family is feeding me, if I didnt have that fall back I would have been in trouble 5 weeks ago when my last payment was due. to be honest its 7 weeks in total since my last payment, 5 weeks since it was due and 3 days help is just no help at all... it wont even plug the hole. I submitted a SAR two weeks ago, but that can take up to 40 days to come back, which is another 6 weeks, it will be interesting to see what it has to say though and thank god it does not cost the normal £10 otherwise I wouldn't be able to have done it.
-
Hi Honeybee I started the other thread to see what others have to say about the crisis help available. I know its sort of linked with my on going case but thought it might have been better to discuss it in a different thread. I wanted to see if others had a different experience to what I have been told today.. would it be possible to split the threads again or should I just keep them together
-
Hi Ellie I thought it was going to go to tribunal, however, after contacting them today I was told that they had upheld my appeal and my claim was reopened. This happened without it going to tribunal. I actually phoned on a completely different matter. The guide is very interesting, nobody at all told me about the short term help, they all said, and have done for the last 5 weeks I needed to contact my local council for help. The local council are inundated with requests, I had to wait 20 mins for somebody to answer the phone and say we will call you back when possible within the next three days... Nobody seem to know and understand what on earth is going on. I suppose only time will tell.
-
I wonder what other councils are providing... and I also thank god for my neighbour who lets me use his internet otherwise I would have been skuppered for help...
-
yes have but told to go and seek help from my local council, DWP have said that I will not get any money until I attend the ATOS medical... catch 22 situation here I think I just thank god I have family that has helped out with food I am able to cook so I can at least eek out what I do have and dont buy prepacked meals etc to live on...
-
I have and ongoing case for ESA, they stopped my benefit 5 weeks ago stating that I did not give my reasons for failing to attend the medical. However this is not what this thread is about. For the last 5 weeks I have had no income at all coming in, I have had to beg and borrow I have so far not tried steeling but its getting close... I have asked the DWP for help, and they keep replying talk to your local council as they deal with Crisis situations now. They do not give out money but they can help with food, gas and electric. So today I called them .. I am down to 42p left on my electricity meter and it will go off tonight.. the gas ran out two weeks ago. I talked to the crisis people who went through a lot of questions..including have you applied for a short term benefit advance or budgeting loan.. because I hadn't they referred me back to the DWP... BUT... what shocked me the most was the amount of help or little help you can get My local council's crisis help consists of a food parcel to feed you for 3 days and £10 voucher for gas and electric I asked what happened after 3 days... nothing you can only apply for this help `once a year... so I may not get any money until ATOS gives me a medical, which in their words will take 6 weeks, and I have been without money now for 5 weeks... and I can get 3 days worth of help total... Where do you go for help next?
-
One other thing, When I talked to my local council crisis support guy, he was saying that if the DWP had accepted my appeal and reopened my case that they should pay me in the interim if they did not then I should be allowed a short term benefit advance in leiu of payment of ESA. I have asked every person I have talked to for the last 5 weeks about what help I could get to live on... they have all said talk to your local council. Nobody has said that I could be given the Short term benefit advance.. all of them said that I could not get any money until completing the medical. The Council guy also said that they were complaining to the DWP as 80% of everyone that called them should have been offered help by the DWP first. They want me to ring them back tomorrow after I get my call to update them. They are seriously worried that it seems that the SWP are fobbing eveeryone off with the words.. go to your local council for help...
-
This is doing my head in, I have missed about 4 appoiintments all together over 2 years, I started a new thread with this last lot but it was merged to keep it less confusing... but it is confusing...
-
Hi ok last reply got lost somehow but I will try to sort it out again. Missed the appointment in November, they wrote to me and said I failed to fill in the BF223 failure to attend letter. I did not receive that and phoned them when they wrote to me to explain that I had not received the appointment nor the BF223. They took my reasons over the phone and said they would arrange another medical and I HAD to attend. The next medical was 11th Feb 13 I did not receive this appointment and a BF223 was sent out that I did get.. filled it in and sent it back ... got a proof of postage dated 18th February Got a letter on the 15th March saying that they were stopping my ESA because I had not returned the BF223 phoned them and said oh yes I did and have the proof of postage to prove I sent it back... told me to take proof of postage to my local office which I did Phoned DWP and asked asked them to start my ESA again.. they told me that they couldn't because the Decision maker had upheld the stoppage of it because I filled in the BF223 and sent it back. they stated it was sent from ATOS so if I received that then I must have received their appointment letter and so it was right to stop my ESA. Have not yet had in writing why they stopped it although keep asking for it So its been 5 weeks since they stopped everything put in an appeal and today was told that it was upheld and my claim has been reopened hope this helps
-
Benefit Stopped because of ATOS incompetence - ** RESOLVED **
bs0lth replied to Heckler's topic in Benefits and HMRC
Honeybee, I've started reading that thread... doesn't sound promising... and seems more common than I thought. Just keep going, everyone on here will help you get there in the end, its amazing the advice you get... its my thread HB told you about, its been a nightmare but without the help I would have jumped off my local bridge by now... just keep plodding on with it -
I have also been onto to them to try to fast track my medical, but two weeks on and they still have not sent my file to ATOS .... I thought it woudl have been a lot easier if I won the appeal... apparently not...
-
Hi Estellyn I have spoken to three people today at the DWP. All of them totally useless... I asked for the Decision maker to call me back, its the only time I seem to be able to get any logical help, they said someone would phone me back before 5pm today or between 9-1pm tomorrow so I am still sitting waiting for their phone call. The persons on the end of the phone said that the appeal was sucessfull and the notes on the computer were put there today.. they said the reasons were acceptable. I asked about the new claim I made and was told that it was merged with the old one... I was also told that I had to attend a medical before I was entitled to any money, thats what I was told would happen with the new claim but was told that with the old claim if the appeal was allowed my moeny would start up again, today I was told it would only start up again if I attended the medical... so hence I asked to talk to a decision maker.. I will update again when I have talked to them.... I dont know if there is something else going on or not...
-
Benefit Stopped because of ATOS incompetence - ** RESOLVED **
bs0lth replied to Heckler's topic in Benefits and HMRC
oh one other thing, you really need to get in touch with the Royal Mail and tell them there are letters going missing and ask them to look into it for you. -
Benefit Stopped because of ATOS incompetence - ** RESOLVED **
bs0lth replied to Heckler's topic in Benefits and HMRC
Hiya I can completely understand what you are going through here, this happened to me 5 weeks ago and I am still fighting. You need to get them to send you an appeal form to appeal the decision I got a lot of help from the people on here, you can have a look at my thread here http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?372590-ESA-Stopped-for-failing-to-attend-appointment.-Can-somebody-please-help-%283-Viewing%29-nbsp I was also told to reapply for ESA but told that I would have to attend the medical before they could make a payment... I have tried for the last two weeks to get the medical fast tracked and as of yet they still have not forwarded on my files to ATOS so I am currently waiting for them to call me back I submitted a SAR to find out exactly what they have on their systems I honestly think there are cracks in their database, they cant provide copies of letters and they cant provide proof that this been sent and where to... but you need to find out. I had problems because they say I received the BF223 failure to attend form so by this reasoning I will have received the appointment form... if you have not received either then you stand a better chance than me. I honestly know what your going through, there are some really usefull links on my thread it would be worth going through and having a look hope any of this is some help L -
Hiya, I have had problems with my ESA being stopped 5 weeks ago, where is in the past if this happened I would have applied for a Crisis Loan, but today was told that I have to apply to my Council for help. So have been onto my council for help. They are not issuing any money what so ever, their crisis help states that they can help ONCE in a 52 week period. They will give you a food package with enough food in for 3 days and a £10 gas or electricity voucher. that is all of the help they are willing to give. I have just been told today that even though my appeal had been upheld before I get any money from them at all I have to attend a medical. Atos says its going to be the end of May before I can get one, so I now have to wait 6 weeks for an appointment... and I have all ready waited 5 weeks to get this far. I have no idea how I am going to cope in the next 6 weeks... The local councils are unprepared for whats going on, and the help is so limited its virtually useless...
-
Hi Speedfreek thanks for your reply. Well here is whats been going on.... as you know I submitted my appeal form last week and thought ok I will give them a ring to make sure its been received, mainly because I really cant believe its got there until Im told its got there. So I was told that it had got there and that they have reversed their decission to disallow my benefit and have had reopened my claim. You might think its a cause for celebration but its not... what they are saying is that they refuse to pay me until I attend a medical.. ok how long is that going to take... the extremely snotty woman on the phone just said phone ATOS on this number and make an appointment, and if you need help with living expenses phone your local council... no help what so ever... so phoned ATOS who do not have the files yet, they said that its going to take up to 6 weeks for them to process the files and then after they have arrange an interview for me... until I attend an interview I am not entitled to any money even though my claim has been reinstated and the reasons for not attending have been accepted. So I phoned back and asked if they can fast track my documents and medical appointment was told that they will send the files to ATOS in the next couple of days and its up to ATOS to process them to ask me for an appointment... loads of help not So phoned ATOS to ask about making an appointment. they said ... sorry we dont have you information we cant give you an appointment. Nice lady on phone said that once they had the files processed they could make the appointment within 2-4 days... so thats a help... however processing can take up to 6 weeks and she said even if they got the files today then its going to be the end of May before I get an appointment so phoned the DWP back to ask about starting my payments again... They said talk to my council for crisis help... So phoned my council, they said they can issue a food parcel and a gas and electricty voucher. £10 gas and electricity... and food for 3 days BUT and i mean BUT they will only issue 1 of these every 52 weeks so once I have it I have to wait a year before I can get another one... The council told me that they cant not pay me if the appeal has been upheld... and they cant help me because the appeal has been upheld back to the DWP and I am now sitting waiting for the decision maker to call me back.... this is unbelivable...
-
Hi Speedfreek, I understand lack of cognitive thought, my heads just bombarded at the moment. I had a letter from them stating that they had received my BF223 form and I sent it back, I then recieved a letter from them stating that they were disallowing my ESA because I failed to return the BF223. I had sent it back and I took it to the post office who issued me with a certificate of posting. I rang DWP said that I sent it back and I had a cert of posting to prove that I had sent it back. They asked me to take in my cert of posting to my local JCP and they would forward on the proof of posting. They said that they would then pass the proof of posting onto the decision makers to ask them to reconsider. I heard nothing back from them so phoned them. They said that they had reconsidered and their original decision still stood. I asked them on what grounds and they said that I had received the Bf223 so therefore I would have received the appointment letter as they are both send out from ATOS. I asked if they would put the decision in writing for me to refer to and they said they would, I also asked for the resons the decision has been upheld in writing as well. I have received neither by post. I asked if I could appeal the decision and they said I could but had to wait until I was sent out an appeal form.. I had no idea that this was to go to a tribunal. I thought it was to get the decission looked at again. I have made another claim for ESA but they say its dependant on a medical. which could take how long I have a mortgage and its killing me since I have no money coming in at all at the moment, living on what family can supply at the moment. mortgage is in dreadful state and just barley with familyhelp meeting the payments. I handed in the SAR and hopefully this will give me the information to help proceed but to be honest I now need something else to go on with... Working is out of the question atm, but seriously thinking about trying to get a job, however, I wouldnt employ me at the moment. its just taking too long to do anything, I even tried handing in my appeal form to be told that they can not accept anything handed in with or without an appointment and to post it.. post box on the corner of the street... which means its going to take at least 4-5 days before its even opened and scanned in... its crackers that you can not talk to anyone face to face about this... and its going to take at least 40 days for the stuff from the SAR to come back to me... and how long for a tribunal... and what do I live on in the mean time I know fresh air.. thanks for your thoughts I appreciate them... its all getting far too much atm L
-
Speedfreek, I dont know if this will actually do any good at all, I did hand in a SAR to the local office and sent in a copy with the appeal form, what I really need is the information back from them but its going to take time I just now need to keep going with this. To be honest, its just all got too much last week, and I couldnt think straight, I am reading as much as I can to see what I can come up with, but the DWP are just shutting me down each time I phone them. I have still to receive written confirmation of why I was denied it being restarted although I have asked each time I phoned to talk to somebody. The calls alone are costing a fortune and I keep asking them to call me back which they say that they cant... its a nightmare
-
Hi Speedfreek I spent most of Sunday and Yesterday sorting through all of this, basically in the appeal leaflet they sent me I wrote the following The DWP have been made aware that I have been having problems with getting appointments from ATOS. I asked that further appointments were sent either by recorded delivery to make sure that they arrived or that they confirmed that they arrived by telephone so that they could prove that the appointments were sent out. ATOS stated to me that they tried to telephone me after sending out the appointment but they could not tell me which number they called. I did not receive a call nor did I receive the appointments. The DWP have said time and time again that ATOS has sent out appointment letters but when I asked for copy letters they said there was non on the system. I asked for proof that the letters had been sent to me in the first place. I was told that it is on the system that they were sent but they can offer no proof that they were sent in the first place. If I send anything to the DWP and it gets waylaid or goes missing I have to prove that I sent it in the first place by either certificate of posting or sending by signed for mail. I have asked on several occasions for the address ATOS is sending the letters, I have been told each time that it is the same address that is on the system. Working in IT for many years I understand that the ATOS system could hold a different address to the one held on the DWP or there could be a mistake in the address but this as far as I know has not been checked. I have asked for copies of the letters sent by ATOS to see if I can see a problem to why they are not reaching me but as far I have not received them. I was told that because I received the BF223 which was sent out by ATOS that I must have received the original letter as it was sent to the same address. I was told by ATOS that the letter was sent out by the local benefits office and not by them. Which is what I have said all along I have not had mail from ATOS but I get everything sent via the local benefit office or the Dwp . I was also told that because I filled in the ESA50 (pink) that was sent out from ATOS that I must have received the letters of appointment. I did not receive or fill in the ESA50 I was written to, and told that I Had failed to fill it in. I went to my local JCP office and picked one up, filled it in and took it back there. I do have problems with my mail, the postman and Royal Mail are aware of the problems. There was a block of 23 apartments built at the top of my street. It has the same postcode as my address. I get mail for them on a regular basis and they get mail that is mean for me. This now normally happens when my original postman is on holiday or another postman is doing their rounds. The address of the flats is ****** ***** Street, not just ****e Street. The apartments have just one entry and only one letterbox that serve all 23. There is access to the mail posted there by ALL of the residents in the building. The mail is left by the front door for people to sort though and retrieve their mail. If mail for me is missed and not posted on to me then I can not say what happens to it. I don’t know if its thrown away, posted back or what they do with mail that is not for residents in the block. I can not trust what is being sent their finally getting to me. The last time I was at the apartments there was a pile of about 200 letters waiting to be sorted/collected, I retrieved two bank statements from that pile. Based on the above reasons I think that the decision to end my ESA was completely wrong. I also enclose a Subject Access request for all of the data held on me by you and ATOS
-
I have not idea now how to deal with the appeal form though now
-
Thanks for this help I appreciate it
-
Lily you makes some vaild points, I had to prove to the DWP that I sent in a reply to them, ok so they did not seem to get what I sent, but thank god I got a proof of postage to prove that I had at least sent the flaming thing, what is doing my head in is that they just say it was sent out... we sent it so that your lying saying you did not get it... they have no proof what so ever that they even sent it, and they cant prove that I got it.. they system sucks, appointments when they are that important should be signed for.... its not right and its not fair... ho hum
-
Hi Can I just say at the moment thank you for all answering this post. I have talked to the delivery office and tried to actually get somebody from customer services from Royal mail to talk to me but thats just a nightmare. I will have to keep going though because at the moment its on my to prove there is a problem with my mail. I will look into seeing if there is somewhere else to actually send the mail to, to be honest though the ONLY thing that is actually going "missing" at the moment seems to be the ATOS appointments, and to be honest I have had problems getting them for the last three years long before they built the flats at the top of the street. I dont know if its a bug on their computer system or what but bnever mind. I have printed out a SAR to send the DWP think its about time that I see exactly what they have on file for me, mainly because there is something going on there and I dont know maybe it will highlight the problems I also got an appeal leaflet through, but you know what no letter telling em when it had to come back by and they did not put in dates for me, just the leaflet and thats after asking again and agiain if I could appeal it. Been back along to the flats again today to see number 6 he wasnt there, looks like I will have to go again tomorrow. anyway thanks for your ideas, it gives me something else to look at tomorrow. L
-
Something else that has just crossed my mind. Both the DWP and ATOS knew about the problems I was having with the post, if this was the case and they couldnt get me on the phone why did they not send out the letter by recorded to make sure I got it? I have also thought about the suggestion to see the people at the similar address, I think I will go and talk to them and suggest a letter for them to sign after I have spoken to them, that way I can put in what they do with the mail. L
-
Hi Honeybee I have phoned ATOS they say that they sent out to my address, which is correct. This is what is so concerning that its just the ones with the appointments that I do not seem to get. Atos also said that they tried to phone me twice before my appointment to confirm that they had sent out the letter. I did not receive calls from them either, but saying that its only this week that the DWP took off my landline number and made sure that they had the correct phone number for me. Estellyn I did not think about doing that, I will draft out a letter for them to sign now, I had thought about going to see them to see if they would answer the DWP if they wrote to them. more food to think about Lynne
Latest
Our Picks
Reclaim the right Ltd
reg.05783665
reg. office:-
262 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End
England
HA5 4HS