hardship allowance

[Nystagmite]

I just cannot understand the law that they have the right to stop peoples benefits and leave them destitute and in debt and especially more so in your care with you having a child? I no its hard to bring your human rights into it and the law is the law but the more people who go down different routes and complain in stead of just excepting it then it could get highlighted to show how people are been bullied, intimidated and treated like a animal. I would advise everyone to complain to there MP, downing street, solicitors, CAB and even write or fax European Court of Human Rights. People have nothing else to lose so why not..!

Glad you have got something anyway..!

 

In order to get these benefits, you have to meet criteria. Why bring the child into it? The OP would get tax credits and child benefit for the child.

[flumps1976]

Something has gone wrong somewhere and you definitely need to request a reconsideration of the hardship decision (that will be considered faster than an appeal) as you are not able to make an application until the decision is.

In the office where I work I have the unforunate job to be on the team that calls customers when an adverse decision is made and have to take the flack, abuse etc. Someone should have notified you of the decision when it was made and you should also have received a letter fro the Benefit Centre advising of the sanction on your claim.

I would request an appointment with the customer service manager to make the complaint

[oblivious]

yes that is true seenitbefore and when you ask why it was so late they blame royal mail!....I asked them twice now where the letter is as housing benefit asked to see it and all they say is one has been sent out...thankyou tidon I will certainly be doing all you have advised....I did meet the criteria nystagmite I looked for jobs those weeks just because I did not write to employers or ring them does not mean to say I have not looked hard enough...when you apply for jobs its rare you get a reply back so what hope would I have asking for a job that it not even advertised or does not exsist....Yes I do get money for my daughter but she has to suffer because I have had to use money meant for her to pay for bills and the like....thankyou flumps for the advice I will make that appointment tommorrow. I have requested a call back from the processing centre so hopefully I will know a bit more by tommorrow. thanks again to all of you that take time to reply.

[oblivious]

can I just clarify with you flumps as you have mentioned calls.....should I have had a phonecall telling me that the hardship claim had failed or is it enough for them to send a letter no matter how long it takes to get to me?

[tidon]

Why bring the child into it? The OP would get tax credits and child benefit for the child.

 

I brought the child into it because of the simple fact is she as a child to look after and do you think that the tax credits and child benefit will keep her and her child for two weeks when she as rent, gas electric, water rates and whatever else she as to pay out a week let alone FOOD to buy then if you think she can manage to get by on that then i would like to no what planet you are on and what she would gets on tax credits and child benefit she would spend that alone on gas and electric just to keep them with light and heat.. so yes.. that's why i brought the child into it..!!!

And i'm disgusted with it because its alight people talking and thinking its easy living in this day and age and you thinking she can get by on the pittance she would get on tax credits and child benefits and as she as had her benefit sanctioned she wouldn't get tax credit anyway and if that were the case she would only have £20.30 child benefit a week for her and her child to live on..!!

[oblivious]

wow thankyou so much tidon you have just said everything I would like to say in the way I would have liked to have said it but could not do....to think there are good people like you who does not even know me to have such understanding and passion for how I am living and have been living is beyond words to me... it feels so good to have you on my side I am blown away thankyou so much

[Nystagmite]

I brought the child into it because of the simple fact is she as a child to look after and do you think that the tax credits and child benefit will keep her and her child for two weeks when she as rent, gas electric, water rates and whatever else she as to pay out a week let alone FOOD to buy then if you think she can manage to get by on that then i would like to no what planet you are on and what she would gets on tax credits and child benefit she would spend that alone on gas and electric just to keep them with light and heat.. so yes.. that's why i brought the child into it..!!!

And i'm disgusted with it because its alight people talking and thinking its easy living in this day and age and you thinking she can get by on the pittance she would get on tax credits and child benefits and as she as had her benefit sanctioned she wouldn't get tax credit anyway and if that were the case she would only have £20.30 child benefit a week for her and her child to live on..!!

 

I don't know of anyone who has to pay for their gas, electric and water every week. As for losing the tax credits - she wouldn't lose them. Why would she?

[oblivious]

I have prepayment metres so I have to pay weekly

[tidon]

I don't know of anyone who has to pay for their gas, electric and water every week. As for losing the tax credits - she wouldn't lose them. Why would she?

Think you might be a little bit out of touch Nystagmite as i am also on prepay meters for gas and electric the same as Oblivious and have to pay water rates every week as i have a water meter so at this time of year before i pay anything out i have to pay between 30/35 pound a week on gas, electric and water and pay even more in winter so i can understand where where Oblivious is coming from.!

[tidon]

I have prepayment metres so I have to pay weekly

 

What annoys me Oblivious is i no how hard it is to bring kids up when you have nothing to live on, i have been there and no what it feels like, i've brought 2 kids up on my own and not known where the next penny is going to come from and scrap every last penny to buy a loaf of bread just to give the kids some toast and had to steal potatoes out of peoples vegetable plot to make some chips for the kids just to survive because i had no one to turn to for help.. yes it were hard and god knows how i got through it but i did, but i get wound up when people dont understand how tough it is and they think its easy to live when you have no other means of money when you have a child to look after as well.!

I wish you and your child all the luck and hope you get something sorted out real quick.. !

[flumps1976]

tax credits are not affected by jsa sanctions.

 

The office that I work in states that someone from the customer sercvice team is required to call a claimant in the event of sanction or disallowance being imposed on a claim from either failing to attend signings and or appointments, if they are found to have been dismissed from employment or left volutarily, and if they are sanctioned due to refusing/failing to apply for a job, if the claimant is found not be actively seeking or available for employment.

I'm not sure if it is a local arrangement or national as we found that claimants were coming into the office and the likes of me were being physically and verbally assaulted, abused when we have no part in the referral or deision making (just happen to be on the rota to sit at reception on that day!), as they went to draw out the money from the bank and there wass nothing there. It was deemed a better customer service for us to call to advise of the decision andreceive all the abus over the phone instead!

and yes I do get considerable verbal abuse which the system deserves, I however do not!

Also as the computer system is very outdated and only as good as the computer programmers design them. There will be glitches where some letters fail to be produced and some where 6 copies of the same letter are issued. When I used to process I can hand on heart state that I know I processed a claim fully and the system states entitlement etter issued but it was never recived by the claimant and all details held for name and address were correct so no actual reason why it was never received.

[seen this before]

should I have had a phonecall telling me that the hardship claim had failed

 

it may mean called over in the job centre,you need to complain and point out you intend to appeal.you were given no warning that your money had stopped and you have a child to support and no consideration appears to have been given.you have been job searching,and seeing your gp.also you have been treated unfairly.

[oblivious]

thankyou all for your replies and support it is very much appreciated...You have done well tidon to bring two children up on your own and yes it is very hard and single parents are still stereotyped as being lazy scroungers who let their kids run wild, whilst there maybe some like that the majority are not. I do not rely on benefits all year round and only claim in the summer as for the last 3 years have been studying first an access course and then 2 years doing a degree for which I am going into my third year.

 

thankyou for the information flumps as far as I am aware my local do not call. I understand it must be hard for you to get abuse and peoples frustrations and you not deserve it.

 

Yes I am going appeal seenitbefore I have the appeal forms already and will go to see a CAB advisor to help me with that.

 

the situation it this thus far...I recieved a phonecall from the processing centre that the claim for hardship was declined bacause it was made after the sanction period, what these people fail to understand is that I could have not possibly have claimed any sooner than the decision was made all I can do is ask for a recosideration which I will type up today.

 

I have spoken to the manager at my local job centre and made a complaint and she says she will look into it and get back to me.

 

Tommorrow I go to sign on and have asked to change my jobseekers agreement to something that is more towards my circumstances as I now know more about my rights and which hopefully not set me up to fail.