Hi, i am i am hoping someone can help me. My husband has a full time job, which he absolutely hates...he's been there since june 2014 Without going into why he hates it, i was wondering how long before he should be able to claim benefits? Btw i am not working and i dont claim any benefits...

A friend transferred some money out of his bank account to an etrade account as he thinks he will lose his job in a couple of months, and wanted less than £6,000 in the account, but worries that housing benefit and DWP will do data matching or go into his accounts and see the transaction and then look into the etrade account (which isn't trading at the moment). Will they notice the money being sent out, do they monitor transactions three months before and do data matching? Does the DWP employ credit reference agencies who pick up on these transactions and etrade accounts? He's thinking of closing this bank account and opening another one in another bank. To stop this transaction being fund for £6,000 out of account. Obviously, he will get contribution based benefits after working for four years.

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Hi all, i am wondering if you can help me. Ive had the most distressing phone call with an advisor from Eurdio. I was completing my deferment application and become quite concerned when I came to section 9 which asked for gross total income including state benefits. I currently receive rent that is heavily subsidised by housing benefit as I rent privately, I receive some council tax benefit, child and working tax and child benefit. My wages are only £900 per month but when I added the above benefits my gross total income was above their £2398 threshold for deferment. I contacted them to see if the above benefits were included in what they considered my gross income and I was told that they were. I tried to explain that the above were means tested that were used to help me pay my rent which is £1400 per month (I live in London) and my childcare and that I could not see how these could be used. They said that they had a list of all benefits that could be used in their calculations and that both housing benefit, child tax credits and child benefits could be. Is this right?, I have complained and will escalate to ombudsman if necessary Things are so tight for me at the moment I cant deal with another bill. Please help

Good morning all, please I need someone to guide me. I would like to know what sort of benefits can be available to someone that has been out of job for almost 2 years if their immigration status changes. Dued for Idenfinite Leave to Remain 3 years ago but UKBA actually advised them (husband and wife) to stop working considering the fact that they have children. It has really been challenging for the family. If there are benefits available to them, can the benefits be back dated in order to offset their debts, as they are seriously in huge debt. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you

The BBC will make the unemployed and low-paid workers compete against each other for a cash prize in a controversial Hunger Games-type show to find ““Britain’s Hardest Grafter”. The BBC plan to screen a "Hunger Games" style game show will make unemployed people and low-paid workers compete in a series of challenges and tasks in competition for a cash prize. Only the UK’s lowest-paid workers and the unemployed will be invited to compete. At the end of each episode, those who have produced the least will be eliminated and by the end of the process, just one worker will remain. The winner will receive in the region of £15,000 which is estimated to be a year’s living wage, outside of London. This is the next rung down the ladder in the disturbing trend of voyeuristic "poverty porn" made popular in programmes like 'Benefits Street'. Unemployment and poverty are serious social issues and should not be the subject of a cheap game show format, designed to exploit some of the most impoverished in our society for the purposes of dubious "entertainment". Not even the cheapest and tackiest of the cable or satellite channels have stooped to this level. We believe a higher standard should be expected from the BBC, a national broadcaster that is funded by public subscription in the form of the license fee. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/bbc-to-pit-lowpaid-against-each-other-in-hunger-gamesstyle-show-to-find-britains-hardest-grafter-10279386.html And if you're disgusted by that: The BBC: Stop the BBC's "Hunger Games" Style Show - Sign the Petition! 384 signatures are still needed! https://www.change.org/p/the-bbc-stop-the-bbc-s-hunger-games-style-show The BBC states that its mission is... "To enrich people's lives with programmes and services that inform, educate and entertain." Now that mission apparently includes the exploitation of the poor and vulnerable members of our society as fodder for a game show. The signatories of this petition strongly object to this degrading and exploitative format and demand that the BBC abandon its plans to broadcast this programme. This poverty porn is getting out of control imo.

I was in Court today and heard a case that involved a debtor with a Court fine, this was in the enforcement stage from a few years ago. Whilst watching this case I was intrigued that the defendant (D) was able to successfully swear the SD. The reason this was more interesting than normal was this was a fine for a traffic offence more than 18 months ago and was at the enforcement stage. The defendant was shocked that the first they knew of the debt was when the EA came calling. Good friends advised the debtor to make an SD. This was heard today. The bench in its wisdom made the following comments, Reheard the means form (MC100) not heard at the first hearing Bench asked if D would have pleaded guilty and paid the fine if they had attended that day, D said yes The bench reduced the fines and costs to monies already paid to the EA. Said to D your fine is now paid in full and you owe us nothing. Due to the bench rehearing the case it in fact noted that D had paid over what was due with their new levels of fines. But said they could not return the extra money at the moment. The bench at no time asked D if they had received the further steps notice. D had made an arrangement to pay the EA but never had a CGA in place. Now this is where it gets interesting, since the original fine has now been changed and that all payments to the EA been accepted by the Court as payment in full. But, as this case had gone out to enforcement can the EA still claim the fees added to date? Then bench said to D that they were to inform the EA that the case has now been reheard and that any monies due to the Court are now paid in full. Since the case has now been reheard and all monies due to the Court are paid , but, minus the EA's fees can the EA' still go after the fees that have been due to this point? I believe not, due to a new hearing and a new outcome which in all respect has put the case back to the equivalent to the day of the original case. Therefore now enforcement cannot be continued and in this case the EA has to abide by the new hearing results. Can the EA now go after the fees that have already be added? I think not. As the reason for the enforcement has now ceased due to the new hearing.

This thread is designed to assist you with obtaining as much information as you may need to get a good understanding of certain types of benefits including 1. Universal Credit (UC) 2. PIP (Personal Independent Payments (PIPs) 3. Contribution based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) 4. Contribution based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) for people who are eligible for UC The link below was first published 22/03/2013 and updated 23/04/2015 If you wish to know more please follow the link below and then spend some time looking through the large amount of links and data listings to find your benefit or question. Please see here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-for-decision-making-staff-guide Although this link is meant for the Approved Decision Makers (ADM) anyone can read them to gain an entry level of knowledge for your benefit. If you follow the above link and wish to know about being sanctioned you would then need to find the relevant number of the document within that link, in this case the link would relate to K1-K9 and so on. This link above covers so much information and may be of use to you. Getting to know what is/maybe required of you can be found within this link. I also covers living together as a married couple (LTAMC) since many posters often ask how many nights can a partner stay over that question is answered here for you in detail. See E4 for this information If you have found your question in the link and still need to ask questions please start your own thread within this part of the forum see below. http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=160 Note to readers sorry for the long list in the link/s but they are worth reading and you could benfit from what you find contained within.

I hope this is the right place to find answers to our questions. My partner is on DLA and I am on working tax credits (self employed working 36 hours a week). My partners mother died November 2014 and left everything to my partner and his brother. It is mainly the house (with alot of equity taken off). My partner is the executor and when the house is sold the eventual proceeds will be split between him and his brother. Sounds great, but, we are in the middle of the long process of the changes with the benefits regarding my partners ESA and DLA. And I have just received the form to renew my working tax credits. What are we supposed to declare, when are we supposed to declare it............. we are so stuck for money at the moment as my partners ESA stopped last June and he has, only last week, received an appointment for an assessment. We have been surviving on about £200 a week (most of that is DLA for my partner), with £250 a month mortgage to pay. I am so frightened of doing the wrong thing and messing up all the paperwork, it is such a minefield with every question ending 'you may be done for fraud' or 'owe money'. I would appreciate any advice please or any suggestions of who we can go to for help with the forms etc. T

Hi all, rather a strange post so please bear with me. Today I had a 3 hour long final assessment as an admin assistant and got offered the job after my 1 on 1 interview at the end. I was called away to the interview when I was inbetween filling in all the forms. When I finished the forms, the another lady who worked there (not the one who interview me) looked through my forms and said I need to provide proof of the last 3 years of my benefits. I was a carer for my Gran up until Sept 2014 but was getting Carers Allowance up until August 2012. The Carers Allowance stopped due to my Gran being in hospital so much but I still carried on being her carer even though I was claiming JSA. In April 2014 I started to claim ESA as my Grans health began to deteriorate and she was in and out of hospital again but I was still her carer. My Gran passed in Sept 2014 and am signing off ESA now as this job offer has really given me the boost I needed and that I never thought Id get. My question is, why do I need to provide this information? How do I go about providing this information? From the DWP? I didnt even know I could get this info.

my brother wants to buy me a brand new car and im receiving support group esa plus mobility low rate pip so my question is can I accept my brothers offer of a new car ?. I know this is a strange question but these days just covering my back.

I had driving offence just before Christmas 2014,, was fined by magistrates court amount £500.00 .. I am on benefits ,spoke to clerk of the court on phone requesting £20.00 per week on payment card ,, made 3 payments on card , benefits were taken unlawfully from bank account , had no money to feed daughter or pay bills for 2 weeks ,unable to continue to pay off fine on card. I received an enforcement notice from excel civil enforcement dated 18/02/2015 asking me to contact them before the 28.02/2015, ,,i am on benefits ,I am 30 yrs old benefits each week amount to £110.00 per week , I am a single parent . I rang excel on the 26th of February ,,they told me that the minimum I could pay was £35.00 per week ,despite me informing her I could not afford that much , she said I would have to make 12payments of £35.00 and one single payment of £20.00., ,despite my protests and telling her numerous times I could not afford that amount out of my weekly benefit amount of £110.00 per week shewas insistent that they would not accept anything else , I made an arrangement for the amount of £35.00 per week to be direct debited from my bank account . I made a £20.00 payment , ,but before any of the direct debits could be taken ,my benefit money was unlawfully taken from my account which left me with £4.82 p to live on ..in the meantime ,I contacted the police about money being removed from my account , ,they gave me a crime number ,,I was borrowing money from family land friends for basics ,food ,gas and electric ,dinner money for my 8 year old daughter ,this morning ,27 th March ,,excel bailiffs knocked on my door at 6.30 a.m ,,intending to remove goods ,informed me that he was recording and filming all conversations and what was happening . I asked him If I could call the court office when it opened at 9 oclock to tryand arrange a payment and explain the situation of all monies being taken from my account unlawfully also asked the bailiffif he would be prepared to do the same thing arrange payments ,,he said no ,he was there to take the payment in fll ,which amounted to original £470.00plus the compliance fee £55.00 ,plus enforcement fee of £235.00,,. ..told me that if I didn,t pay him the full amount he would get a warrant immediately to remove the goods ,,told him that they were on hp ,he said he would take the only settee I had ,it would be sold for next to nothing and that he would come back for more ,,I tried to make a payment arrangement with him numerous times but he declined each time and stated that only full payment would be accepted he was not prepared to come to any payment arrangement of any kind and that it would be a waste of time ringing the magistrates courts as that they were the ones that had sent him,as he knows what they would say , ,and they woud not be prepared to come to any arrangement as they would only tell me exactly what he had told me i.e. payment in full as he knows how they work .I asked my friend over the phone to pay £301 on his debit card ,I had to pay £100.00 out of my rent money ,then contacted my father over phone who said he would pay the remaining amount £360.00, ,I asked him if he could go to my fathers to fetchthe 360 ,then wait until 9 a.m.for me to contact the court office to speak to them and try to make other payment arrangments and after he picked the money up from my father he could cme back to me to find out what the court had said ,but he said no ,as his vehicle was tracked ..I had to telephone my friend again ,who was in work ,who offered a part payment of £300.00 and then would he come to an arrangement with my self to pay the remaining balance in instalments I could afford ,but the bailiff said a firm no !!..payment mustbe made in full today. .Now I have no money for rent ,for food ,for gas for electric etc;; ..despite me informing the bailiff , I have his name ,of my situation and that my 8 year old daughter was upstairs who would go hungry and cold ..after payments were made by my friend and father ,,he then wroteout on a form a controlled goods agreements ,,Ido not understand why he handed methis controlledgoods form and made me sign it after thedebt had been paid in full ,I am destitute ..please help

My husband told me last week that he had been made redundant from his job of 6 years. I completed an online application for JSA yesterday and today he confessed that he had actually been dismissed for gross misconduct for continual poor performance and bring the company into disrepute. He is frantically looking for employment... anything he can get. Most advice websites I visit state that he will probably get his benefits sanctioned for potentially up to 26 weeks. We have no income other than my carers allowance (we have a severely disabled child, who needs constant care) and tax credits. We have a mortgage and insurance but will not be able to claim since he got dismissed. We are in a very difficult situation and I'm worried sick. I appreciate he deserves to be sanctioned but it's me and our two children that will suffer too. The CAB websites suggest that as a carer I may be able to claim Income Support rather than my husband claiming JSA. Does anyone know if this is correct. Thanks in advance...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31464897 I like most always knew that the man was a fool but this as well as showing everyone just how much of an idiot he is, this is asking for trouble, as forcing anyone to have treatment would surely infringe their human rights, as would be denying them benefits on those grounds, not to mention he has clearly forgotten that our broken NHS cannot cope as things are now without adding more pressure, He and his cronies really have no clue, They have obviously lost some of the grey matter they where born with ,(assuming that they had sufficient to begin life with)

Hi. I'm 24 and looking to go back into education in September (by which time I'll be 25) to study Animal Behaviour. I was told by a university this week that I would need either A Levels or an Access to HE course to allow me to apply. There seems to be plenty of funding available for university students, but I can't seem to find any for full time college students, as you can not apply for student living grants/loans until uni. I am living away from home and have been claiming ESA for a while now, but that will be ending soon. I know I can get a loan to cover the cost of any course and exam fees (from 24+ Advanced Learning Loan), but does anyone know of any help with living costs, or even any benefits I can claim whilst at college to pay for rent, food, bills etc? I don't know if this is the right place to post this thread, or even if anyone here can help, but I thought it was worth a shot as CAG has been very helpful in the past, and I'm struggling to work out what to do now after being turned down by the university. Thanks. Matt.

I have been a carer for years and have received Carers Allowance legitimately all this time, or so I thought. In 2013 I landed a 15 hr contract and double checked I didn't do any more than I was entitled to. I kept the Carers up to date and three months later was re-awarded the allowance. Slowly, things changed. I would do an odd four hour shift extra each month or something, still not putting me over, or so I thought..... then I was asked to train as a Supervisor. All this at the same time as my husband was taken very ill. I took my eye off the ball. Work began to demand more and more of me, but I always explained I was a carer and told them I couldn't do anymore than a couple of hours extra each month. But they always asked for more. In December last year I realised I was well over that month - about £90 for that month and this corresponded with my husbands surgery.... again, eye off the ball. Just been paid for Jan this year and realised it was well over and decided to contact Carers as I would have to pay back that months money. They proceeded to explain 50p over was too much and I had not been entitled since November. That's when I made the horrifying discovery that I had consistently gone over, sometimes by a lot but most times by a couple of £'s.... Iv'e broken the law!!!!!!!!! I am utterly heartbroken and very confused and scared to death frankly...... I shall call them first thing to explain that it is worse than I first thought. They have already suspended my Carers and so now I have asked for extra shifts to make up the short fall!!!! What shall I do?! And will I be prosecuted?!

hi, I have become homeless and I am worried that my disability benefit might stop as it has not gone into bank last night. can they stop it. please help.

Hi all, I wrote a book last year and it was picked up by a publisher and was published in February of this year 2014 and has been doing pretty well, it is available worldwide. I run a Facebook page which went crazy popular and it has now got over 100,000 likes. It currently has about 125,000 likes. I was approached by a publisher to write a book on the subject of Wicca which I did. I have been on benefits since being made redundant last March 2013. When my book was published I had a case worker who I saw regularly to help me get back into work and I asked her about the book and what I need to do and she said I shouldn't worry it is more a case of paying tax on it at the end of the year as long as my savings or earnings don't go past £6000. Well the book hasn't made £6000 yet I get a monthly payment from the publishers for royalties of the sales and e-book sales, it started out as about £600 but has now whittled down to about £200 a month for the physical book and the e-book versions. . I am also on a work program called A4E which everyone knows about the book I even took a signed copy in for one of the advisers as she was interested in Wicca. I have always been totally open about the book with both the dole and A4E. I often told the person signing me on I had a book and they would say 'Oh good for you I will look it up' and nothing more said. I had a customer compliance interview with the benefits office and they asked to see my bank statements and other relevant information regarding the book which I showed them. The man interviewing me said they would regard the book as capital and didn't even take a photocopy of my bank statements just made a quick note of my earnings from the book. Today when i went to sign there was a garbled letter in the book that said I must fill in a B7 form which is for people who are working part time and to declare any hours worked or pay. The man seemed confused and went to ask the person who put the letter in my signing book, which he says he 'thinks' that is what i need to do, then they couldn't work out what is was i needed to do so they sent me to another woman who then says I need to fill out a B16 for self employment and they have made an appointment for me for Monday. I don't really want to sign or say I am working part time as i am not I am still available for work and am not working for any company, neither do I want to sign that I am self Employed as I am not I do not own a company or work for one I have owned. No one seems to know including myself what is to be done in these circumstances. I have always been told that my book is capital and it can make up to at least £3000 before it affects my benefit. Can anyone help please??

Hi all, I have sleep apnoea (diagnosed a few weeks ago as a severe case) and am frequently so tired that I cannot work, or cannot work effectively (e.g. fall asleep in meetings, feel like a zombie all day so i can't perform up to the standard that an employer would require of me) I have lost 3 jobs over the last 5 years due to this, although at the time I was unaware of why I felt so awful. My current position is as follows: - I am unemployed. - I would like to be working and lead a normal life. - I have begun treatment for my condition but it is not working yet and it's unlikely to resolve within the next few months. - I don't feel like I can apply for jobs because, in my current state, my performance will be so variable that an employer won't tolerate it, therefore i will be dismissed again. Has anyone any idea what I can do about benefits? As I see it - jobseekers allowance is not possible because I'm not looking for a job - sick pay is not possible because I am unemployed - some sort of disability allowance maybe? I'm unsure if I could qualify for the personal independence payment. I checked using the calculator on the benefits and work website and I score enough points to qualify. The problem there for me is that my day to day activities aren't affected every day, only on the bad days which occur on average about 2-4 days per week so would that disqualify me? If anyone can help me with this, I'd be very grateful. It's causing me massive stress! Thanks, Oliver

I don't know if there is anyone that can help in this matter, but it's really driving me mad. I had a main job, which I lost at the beginning of October, but also had a secondary job, which was on a commission only basis. I am now left with just the secondary job, which doesn't pay that much at all. I have recently made a claim for housing benefit who wanted to see evidence of the last 3 months commission I earned. This amounted to me earning £1600 over a 3 month period. With this in mind they have calculated that I would earn a wage of £115 per week. (They obviously multiplied £1600 by 4 to get a yearly income and then divided this by 52 weeks to get a weekly amount). To cut a long story short, everything I earn over £72.40 I have to pay for my rent with a disregard of £5. The problem I have with this is that most weeks I bring home approx £72 per week, which is no near enough to live on when they expect me to pay £40 a week rent plus £14 towards council tax too. Only last week I actually brought home £64, so how they could expect me to pay out £54 out of the £64 I earned is beyond me. To top it off my first payment from housing benefit will not arrive until December 15th. This will put me in nearly 3 months arrears with my private landlord, who I doubt would put up with this. I put in claim at beginning of October as soon as I lost my main job. My problem now is that because of this I am wanting to give my self employment up as I am much worse off than I would be on JSA. There are no other benefits I can claim like working tax credit as I don't work enough hours to get it (I would need to work 30 hours to get working tax). My daughter is now classed as a non-dependent so I don't get child tax credit either. She only has a bar job that earns pocket money (£52 a week), but housing benefit expect her to pay £14 towards rent, which would cover my weekly council tax, of which I get no benefit at all. Would I be able to quit this job without any problem on the basis that I am so much worse off. After all the benefits letters always say that the law says I need x amount of money to live on when in fact my earnings are much lower than this x amount. I did wonder whether it would be worth waiting until I find another job, but it appears you need to have a degree to do a cleaning job these days. I'm so angry with the whole system. It's so hard living as a single person when you have no spouse/partner to help pay towards the bills.

Am moving house so asked council to prepare final CT bill expecting a small adjustment. What I got through the post today was a demand for £900 overpaid CT benefit plus a further £600 CT underpayment. I dont receive benefits, havent claimed them and have paid my CT as a lump sum until this year when I decided to pay by instalments as I knew I was moving and didnt fancy paying the lot and then strugle to claim it back. The benefits office say they are right but if they arent I will have to appeal and that will take months. Compaint lodged, if I dont hear something in a couple of days I will name and shame. Question is, if I dont pay them £1500 will they be mean/pigheaded enough to take me to court to recover?

Hi, long story short, I am currently on benefits and have been since April of this year. My previous employer has now agreed after a long battle, that I was underpaid for the last few years and is paying me the difference between the pay that I actually received and the wage rise that I should have received, for those previous years. However I am concerned that they will give it as a wage payment, as if it is earnings for this year, when none of it would be applicable to this tax year since I have not received any wages in this tax year only benefits. So does anybody know if my current benefits might be stopped or affected because of the backpay? Thanks for any advice.

Hi, Hope this is not a stupid question but after paying a token £1 per month payment for a number of years my debt has been passed onto a new Dca and they want proof that I'm on benefits. I can provide a photocopied letter from the SSA but my question is a data protection one, , can the information they hold on me be passed to outside 3rd parties and any other agencies or is it held by them 'in house'. Many thanks...

Council has overpaid me for the last year and now I have been to ask to pay it back £1460. They claim I didn't update them that I had moved. They ask for previous address and give them a copy of utilities bills and bank statements which I did. I had someone ring me (I should call MR A) that I still owe them £1460 and I explained that you ask the copy of the bills etc. MR a response 'I can't be bother' and 'I don't know' he didn't even give a official reason why my complaint was dismissed. I made another complaint to the complaints department. Which they apologize for Mr A behavior etc etc. and they did found out I did call them and I had UPDATED the council that I had moved but they fail to act on that information, and I had email them on my current address, which was still in the same Brough. They claim they never received such email even though I have their acknowledge email. They claim if I moved out why I continue to accept HB. I explained to them I had emailed them 3 occasion and I had received acknowledge email from. I expect it was done, and even phoned that I had move out of the property. Well even though the council was informed and it is not my fault, I still have to pay back £1460. Well I complaint to LGO they claim it maladministration but they said I could appeal which I am planned to do. But now MR A says I got till next week Wednesday to make some kind of payment arrangement. But if I was privately renting which I have no rent agreement...How do I prove I was renting off a friend??

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/local/darlington/11552200.Sanctioned_man_who_stole_to_eat_is_jailed/