No money, no formula, no food.....no help!

[flumps1976]

Not a good situation I agree.

 

I agree that you need to contacthe tax credits to ensure that your claim is processed correctly and that you are receiving the full entitlemt for 2 children with the disregard of £100 per week for the maternity leave. I also assume that you are receiving the child benefit of £33.70 per week for the children.

 

Unfortunately the rate of materity pay does exceed the couple rate for income related benefits and there is nothing that the staff in JCP can do.

By advising you visit the police they are ensuring that you get a "front line" referral to access the food banks that are around as you have to be referred to these by either the police or social services usually.

Crisis loans could be a temporary solution but that has to be repaid and they will only be able to award too based on your ability to repay with a maximum of 3 awards so it's not an ideal solution either.

[sillygirl1]

Have you checked on

 

http://www.entitledto.com

 

Put in all your details and print out the results and go and dump it in front of the lady in the DWP office, and quietly and firmly ask to see an advisor as a matter of urgency, if she refuses take her name (and a picture) and write a formal complaint about her, address it to the Manager of the DWP office and hand it in, copy in your local MP and the local newspaper. Usually produces a fairly swift result.

[jackieandwayne]

Yes, of course, Children and Families at your local council (or called something very similar). A lot of people would be scared to ask them for help but this is what they are there for primarily.

 

Also, and I am assuming you are in private rented, if you are up to it, you should maybe make an appt now to go in and see a housing advisor at the council's housing or homeless dept. I'm not trying to put the willies up you over losing your home (and in any case you would be found unintentionally homeless and housed by the council somehwere) but you are technically at risk of losing your home if you can't pay the rent. You will be surprised at the amount of intervention this dept can give to avoid just this happening to you. And it always pays to be one step ahead, so go along if you are up to it, and let them open a case for you.

 

Keep posting so we know you are ok - and hey, however skint you are, never forget to find the pennies to buy that lottery ticket on Saturday night! When I was penniless I remember digging down the back of the sofa, going through old coats and bags, til I got enough for my ticket, just the one line, and i got three numbers - so the dog food was paid for for a week! And remember as well, that your are at rock bottom now, you can,t get any lower, so the only way now must be up.

 

X

[antarctica]

I thought someone put a helpful post on about Foodbanks, where did that go?

[honeybee13]

I thought someone put a helpful post on about Foodbanks, where did that go?

 

There's something in post #19, Antarctica.

 

HB

[antarctica]

There's something in post #19, Antarctica.

 

HB

 

Sorry HB, I am a Muppet, I didn't realise it was on the first page - duh!

[LaughingGirl]

Also, go and have a word with your GP or practice nurse. As well as providing you with emotional support, they will very likely be able to to refer you to services that can help both financially and practically.

 

When things like this happen, you can try to go it alone or you can dig in and get as many people on-side as you can. I've done it both ways in the past, and I guarantee you that you want to chose the latter option. As someone else has said, as bad as things are at the minute, the only way is up from here.

 

Please update us, let us know how you're getting on. Good luck!

[Nystagmite]

Have you checked on

 

http://www.entitledto.com

 

Put in all your details and print out the results and go and dump it in front of the lady in the DWP office, and quietly and firmly ask to see an advisor as a matter of urgency, if she refuses take her name (and a picture) and write a formal complaint about her, address it to the Manager of the DWP office and hand it in, copy in your local MP and the local newspaper. Usually produces a fairly swift result.

 

You have to remember that these calculators are only a guide.

[Annette1973]

Hi there. Where do you live? I don't have much myself but I am sure I could scare up a few bob for some nappies and formula.

 

Your situation is similar to ours a few months ago. We were also told to go to the Police. Apparently if you can't get a crisis loan, the Police are under some sort of obligation to assist you with food etc.... I thought it sounded a bit strange at the time as well.

 

I know exactly how you are feeling. My family and I lost almost everything due to my ill health. We lost both of our businesses and our car, all we have left is the house and I don't know how much longer we are going to be able to hold onto it. We have the Mortgage Rescue Scheme paying the interest on our mortgage, however, so many creditors are threatening to apply for a forced sale so they can get their money.

 

Please dont be too proud to accept some of the offers for help with food etc.... I haven't belonged to this site for long,but the help and support I have received is immeasurable. You deserve help and if people are willing to offer it, accept it graciously.

 

Good luck with everything.

[MIKEY DABODEE]

You have to remember that these calculators are only a guide.

thats right they are not gospel

 

Originally Posted by sillygirl1

Have you checked on

 

www.entitledto.com

 

Put in all your details and print out the results and go and dump it in front of the lady in the DWP office, and quietly and firmly ask to see an advisor as a matter of urgency, if she refuses take her name (and a picture) and write a formal complaint about her, address it to the Manager of the DWP office and hand it in, copy in your local MP and the local newspaper. Usually produces a fairly swift result

 

You just cant and should not just go into a Jobcentre and start taking pictures of the staff.

 

Ask for a name? yes. But make a formal complaint, when she is just doing her job, and get in the MP

Its just as frustrating for them.

There is a strict appointment system in place.

And if possible an appointment can be made and will be made

 

I agree if you have a real complaint, then yes, those avenues are available

and they do bring results

 

We know how desperate the OP, BUT

There is extra help available to the OP

 

They as a family should not be and ARE not expected to live on just £130 per week.

 

As I have said they are entitled to a lot more benefit in the form of CTC and maybe WTC

 

So lets hope he gets it sorted very soon......

Edited May 9, 2012 by MIKEY DABODEE

[darkcyde]

Hi all - thank you all so much for all your comments, and thank you Antartica for your PM - I did try to reply whilst out but I got a message back saying I couldn't send PMs blah blah blah, so wasn't sure if it went through.

 

Ok, I'm starting to understand all this now....we have just got back from HMRC regarding Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits....they couldn't help us face to face but they had priority lines to the call centre. My wife called from there as she is the nominated receiver of the credits. Basically, long story short, due to our current situation we should be in receipt of more CTC and WTC.

 

For those who are in a similar situation or just browsing...

 

I have been off work sick since Oct 2011 and in receipt of SSP until march 2012 when I was made redundant. Denied ESA (both contribution due to lack of them, and income as we earn too much) and DLA which is pending appeal. I was earning about £28k up until Oct 2011 working 40 hours a week.

 

My wife is on Statuory Maternity Pay only after giving birth to twins on 11/11/11, but worked 40 hours a week up to this point earning about £16.5k.

 

I've done a summary like this so people who are desperately looking for answers can get a recap and understand what's happening.

 

Apparently, we should have informed them in Oct 2011 that our situation had drastically changed, and this would have triggered larger CTC and WTC payments to us back then. However, given that I was ill, my boys had been born but were in intensive care, etc, etc anything remotely like this was the last thing on our mind.....when you spend 20 hours a day staring into a incubator you have to be reminded to even eat!

 

The very helpful lady my wife spoke to took some figures from our P60s and gave us some rough figures in return....given the current situation we should be getting about £115 a week CTC, and about £55 WTC, AND we were probably not paid enough for last year too because we didn't inform them that our situation had changed so we will be getting a rebate for that too. On rough calculations we should be getting a few thousand in lump, plus this years back dated too to beginning of April as we've only been receiving £11.45 in CTC a week.

 

The lesson learned here is as soon as your circumstances change, tell them, even if you think you'll be fine, tell them! We had thousands in savings which gave us a very false sense of security - it doesn't take long before you notice its gone like us.

 

Whilst my wife was on the phone I wasn't breathing....I was reading what she was scribbling down, but obviously only getting half the conversation it made no sense to me at all. When she put down the phone and told me what was said it took every scrap of will power I had left to not break down in tears in the middle of the enquiry office....I had to get out of there pretty quickly!

 

So as it stands, these payments will begin immediately (in the next week, two at most) and the backdate will be calculated once my wife receives and returns the official claim pack that we should receive in the next few weeks. With this, and my wifes SMP and the HB and CTB, we now break even.

 

I now understand that ESA couldn't pay me anymore because that is all they were responsible for.....they were assuming other departments like Tax Credits were paying out too.....and this is where the system falls down. What they need is one department which handles payments, like a funnel, then they can check what is coming down the line to the familys and that will trigger alerts to say that people should be getting x, y and z.

 

BUT that is exactly what they don't want, isn't it. They want benefits and credits to go unclaimed, so there is more surplus left over at the end to deal with the national debt. I understand that, but what they don't realise is how ill this can make people.

 

Since Saturday I have been a complete wreck since I received the ESA letter....weeks and weeks of hope destroyed via A4. This needs to stop....how many people have been pushed over the edge in these situations. How many situations that we read about (particularly in America) about gunmen in clock towers - people get pushed too far. I'm not saying that they should be exhonerated, but you get my point.

 

How many people who commit benefit fraud were pushed into it because they had no other choice. How many turn to crime because they had no other choice. Whilst sitting in the One Stop Shop waiting to speak to someone, my wife and I went through that phase where you laugh at the problem, even though it was dire. She joked that if I went to prison, she'd be a single mum and would get al lthe help she needed, I'd get Sky TV and a PS3, and a mobile phone, and a warm bed and 3 meals a day....I said, can I go and knock on the prison door and ask to be let in?

 

Joking aside, I know it's not all that sweet inside, but still you get the point I'm trying to make here. People are struggling right now, and not enough is being done to educate as to how you can get what you are entitled to.

 

As someone said earlier, the Fat Cat Politians get a nice salary, and then they steal from us too on top of that.....they need to be made to live for a month or two like the common man, just trying to make ends meet, trying to keep food on the table, and trying to keep the house a livable temperature without stealing from another pot of money that's meant to pay to keep the lights on.

 

I think I should go into politics!!

 

Anyway, that's my 10 pence worth....it looks like we are going to be ok, but I will hold my breath until the payments actually come through.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone for your kind words, advice and support....and offers of food and nappies!! You are all too kind for words!

 

I will come back with an update once the payments have started - to anyone in my boat, keep pushing for what you are owed!

[honeybee13]

Hello again and thank you for letting us know, also for trying to help other people.

 

I'm very pleased you went and got help from the right place and hope it will all be sorted soonest.

 

Best wishes to you all, HB

[MIKEY DABODEE]

glad its all worked out for you all, benefits are a nightmare.

 

Be forwarned then when your wifes SMP runs out, and this should be 39 weeks since the date it started.

you will be entitled to ESA IB, even with the working tax credits, and your child tax credits should stay the same

so claim again then.

 

but ESA IB will stop when she goes back to work...

[LaughingGirl]

Delighted to hear that things are moving forward for you!

 

Keep us posted, I really hope everything moves quickly for you now.

 

All the best!

[antarctica]

Thanks so much for coming back and updating. I hope they sort things out quickly for you!

 

A

[Tiger Lily]

I have just read the complete thread, what a sad situation, the system is clearly not working.

Vunerable people are being let down, will Universal Credits be the thread that knits it all together,

we will see. Well at least it will be one department administering it.

No excuses then.

[assisted blonde]

really pleased to hear things seem to be improving, good luck.

[worried33]

I think you were mostly let down by the person at that welcome desk who by the sound of it was probably treating people agressively to get rid of them, and that might be worth doing a complaint about.

[osdset]

I have just read the complete thread, what a sad situation, the system is clearly not working.

Vunerable people are being let down, will Universal Credits be the thread that knits it all together,

we will see. Well at least it will be one department administering it.

No excuses then.

 

Well I sincerely hope I am no longer stuck in the benefits system when the bureaucratic nightmare that UC will be gets rolled out.

[mammyoftwins]

Hi, I'm so sorry to hear of your situation, takes me right back to when my twins were born. My partner lost his job the day I came out of hospital with them and I ended up having to go back to work when they were 4 months old just to try to scrape some money to get by. Like you, even though I was only earning £12000 a year, my partner and I weren't entitled to anything from housng benefit or council tax benefit, jobcentre, food stamps, nothing!

 

We did manage to sort out our tax credits claim and ended up with about £400 a month in CTC when it was finally sorted out. After the bills and travelling expenses getting to work, we were in my rather hefty overdraft pretty much month on month with it now and then getting into the black again by a few pennies. When there was no overdraft, I used my credit card which obviously had to be paid back but most months there wasn't any money to pay it and that got bigger and bigger and harder and harder to pay back resulting in £3000 in debt with the overdraft and credit card!

 

The tax credits helped a lot when they were finally sorted though and it meant we could do a proper food shop after all the rent and bills were paid in full (my rent was £315 a month so slightly more than you are paying now after help).

 

I didnt contact the HMRC office to get a claim pacl as I had heard of waiting 2 weeks or more and sometimes people not getting the pack and I was able to get one from my local jobcentre offices. Try there as you can just pick one up quickly and easily and get home, fill it in and send it off. Shortens the length of time waiting with no money significantly!

 

Is there no disability or invalidity payments you can get? I know my mum gets around £60 a week in invalidity payments as she has CFS like you. You have a VERY lengthly form to fill in but once it's done, it gets processed quite quickly. You will obviously need letters from your doctor etc but you should be fine. My dad has a mid range paid job i.e. £28k maybe more and she still gets the same payments and fills in the form every year. I believe invalidity is the one you need and I am under the impression that it is not means tested unless your partner earns £50k+, I'm assuming this is not the case

 

Give it a go and apply, apply, apply for everything and anything you may be able to get! It HAS to be done or you will make yourself feel worse and that's not going to help anyone is it.

 

All the best, hope things improve soon. It's not a barrel of laughs being penniless i know! x

[flumps1976]

JCP are not allowed to issue Tax Credit claim packs now.

[Angry Sikdred]

Contact the Benefits Advisory Group on 0845 345 0310, they came out to see me at my home and helped me kick the DWP's ass. Make sure your paperwork is all ready and in order as they are pushed for time and need to see lots of people, make their job a bit easier. Hope this helps, xkx:madgrin:

[benidorm60]

Contact the Benefits Advisory Group on 0845 345 0310, they came out to see me at my home and helped me kick the DWP's ass. Make sure your paperwork is all ready and in order as they are pushed for time and need to see lots of people, make their job a bit easier. Hope this helps, xkx:madgrin:

 

Thats not a good attitude to have anyway

No help at all

[honeybee13]

Angry Sikred, as I mentioned on the other thread, I think these people only help with problems in their area of Dartford, which may or may not be of use to the OP.

 

HB

[mammyoftwins]

JCP are not allowed to issue Tax Credit claim packs now.

 

Since when? Is this a recent change as they gave me my form in 2010?