I've done wrong

[worryingmore]

You've read far too much into this..... it means a decision as to whether you'll get the money or not; not a decision to put your head on a spike.... lol...

 

Please calm down.... there is nothing to worry about.

 

((((((((((((( BIG HUGS )))))))))))))

 

:-)

 

I could see my head on said spike just now, not a pretty sight i might add.

 

I have settled into what can only be described as a moderate tremor

[worryingmore]

i hadn't heard anything from them so i called, i was told that I am entitled to it, I still don't feel completely sure about it. I don't know what to do. I'm worried in case they come back later and say that I shouldn't have been getting it after all.

 

the person I spoke to didn't say why they were still paying it, but then i didn't ask.

Edited February 19, 2011 by worryingmore

[jadeybags]

Sounds so similar to my situ. Although I didn't notice my AND their mess up until 2 years later when it came to a review. Was told last week how much I owed back 1600 including council tax. The whole thing has scared me so much,, even though my compliance officer was a diamond. I emailed & told them to stop my claim as of now. Rang them the next day & they received the email, have suspended the benefit & then it will be processed & closed down. After that my new award letter came through & I cant make head nor tail of it, avaialiable amounts, applicable amounts, my sis used to work for DWP overpayments dept & even she cant make the figures match. And now I am just thanking him up there that I have cancelled it. I will be upping my hours, working my derier off from now on as a single parent to pay all my rent & council tax, & run a car to gte them to school 5 miles away. I just thank the lord for tax credits. Although those will go down a bit now, but still not too bad. I cant face ever going through that again.

The fact the figures still dont seem to add up might mean I hear from them again, but I will face that if it happens. I just feel so much better now I am not dealing with untrained staff that do the working out & responsible for my own finances & not just trusting what someone had told me over the phone 2 years ago.

Hope you are feeling a bit more settled, but I definitely understand the fear of them still not getting it right, all too well xxx

[worryingmore]

hello

 

Isn't it an awful situation to be in. I guess that some might not be bothered and wouldn't give it a second thought, but I like you am not like that. I'm not tough enough, and never have been.

 

i don't feel more settled. the only other possible explanation is that i've misunderstood the rules, it is complicated to say the least and you could think one thing then another time after time. i really do not know. One thing's for sure i will certainly never forget this.

 

Erika, any thoughts? many, many thanks

Edited February 19, 2011 by worryingmore

[jadeybags]

I wont forget it either, nasty experience. I wont be able to until the 1600 I borrowed to pay it back is paid off anyway! Since this all started a couple of weeks ago for me, I found an online benefit calculator through a link on here & they are still not working mine out right. It's still a total mess up. Glad to be off it.

I dont know what to suggest to you really. I know you're feeling you have lost all trust in them like I do & cant face going through it again. x

[worryingmore]

I dont know what to suggest to you really. I know you're feeling you have lost all trust in them like I do & cant face going through it again. x

 

were they ok with you about it, it looks like you tried to sort it out as i have been. Is there or has there been mention of taking it further.

 

Just looking for some reasurrance i guess.

 

I'm waiting to see if Erika has any further thoughts on this, could do with a bit of advice.

 

Thankyou

Edited February 19, 2011 by worryingmore

[jadeybags]

Well, to be honest, the compliance officer that came out to do my review was a lovely lady. She actually came a few days before but I was at work, & left a card to call her, apparently I should have got a letter to say she would be coming to do a review, I didn't get it, rearranged her to come a few days later. She showed me the letter that would have been sent, they have to give you notice. I definitely hadn't got it. Appologised to her saying I would have rearranged if I had got it as I work mondays! Anyway, that's when she cheked what she had me down for, & she said it was 275 a month, I have never only earn that apart from my first payslip when I first started working after coming off income support, because I only worked about 2 & a half weeks before we all got paid!

She did say if it's less than 500 over payment they tend to just write & take it out your benefit, if it's over, you usually get called in for a taped interview but said it's nothing to worry about, just to put your side across about how it has arrisen.

Well a few days later she rang to say what the overpayment was, 1200 housing benefit! BUT she did say that's still not an amazing amount to them! And that whoever worked my benefit out on that payslip should have asked for another payslip because I had given them my work contract & it was obvious it didn't match! She said she has explained to the lady that does the interviews that this is my first job after being on income support & claiming housing benefit & she could see by the look on my face that I was gobsmaked they only had me down for 275 earnings, I went & got her all my payslips! I had also been told on the phone back when I started working that I would get full housing benefit. I even questiioned that person at the time saying tht at my lone parent back to work thingy where they work out your benefits based on working 16 hours a week that I would have to pay about 45 a week towards my rent. But the person on the phone at the time said the law changed literally 2 or 3 weeks before that CSA payments are no longer taken into account as an income, we can keep them. So I assumed it was all fine, my CSA payments were 45 a week then! it all made sense. & didn't read award letters as long as my rent was paid!

So anyway, the compliance officer last week said I should just get a letter, not have to go in for an interview.

And that's exactly what happened. Our council doesn't bother with calling you in for anything under 500.

I believe I was treated well what with the amount of over payment, but I have lost all trust in the staff that do the working out. The compliance lady was wonderful though.

Edited February 19, 2011 by jadeybags
spelling!

[worryingmore]

Sounds like yours has been looked at & is ok. must be a huge relief.

Edited February 19, 2011 by worryingmore

[PriorityOne]

i hadn't heard anything from them so i called, i was told that I am entitled to it, I still don't feel completely sure about it. I don't know what to do. I'm worried in case they come back later and say that I shouldn't have been getting it after all.

 

the person I spoke to didn't say why they were still paying it, but then i didn't ask.

 

Ask for confirmation in writing....

[worryingmore]

Ask for confirmation in writing....

 

My guess is they will send another standard letter, and nothing in detail.

[PriorityOne]

My guess is they will send another standard letter, and nothing in detail.

 

Request it in detail... ask them for a detailed explanation and not a template reply....

[worryingmore]

Request it in detail... ask them for a detailed explanation and not a template reply....

 

they might have done this, it takes ages for letters to get to you. I really don't want to phone again, I have had enough, truly. The only other thing I can do is to stop the claim, that way they're not paying me any more, if i'm losing out then so be it, or if they come back in the future over it at least i haven't carried on receiving the money. The worry caused by uncertainty over it just isn't worth it.