Benefits stopped whilst investigate telephone-based alegation of fraud ....innocent until guilty no longer the rule?

[liverbird37]

Yes you are correct, in that if the usual payment day is a Monday, and it's a Bank Hol, then they pay it into account on the Friday before. Mine didn't go in today either, I have to wait until next Thursday for mine. Think they believe we can survive on fresh air.

[MIKEY DABODEE]

No if your money is due Monday or Tuesday you could have a FP today if I.S or E.S.A

bit late now I know

Edited June 2, 2012 by MIKEY DABODEE

[Nystagmite]

I've been paid early due to bank holiday, ditto the last bank holiday.

[flumps1976]

Not everyone can be paid in advance due to bank holidays.

If a person is in desperate need or could come to harm then they can contact social services and/or the police to be considered for an out of hours payment.

[Slatted]

Almost impossible to contact Social Services at weekend and what criteria would there be for it to be considered desparate? I just think that if a payment is not being paid before the due date then conact should be made to make sure that is known before the money does not arrive, especially this year with the double bank hols!

 

It is strange how it is not a single rule being applied any more either, some get and some not, that is so unfair....and why was my friend not told of FP ability? She may not have forced the issue because she is worn out but surely the fact she phoned should have been enough to get FP generated?

[flumps1976]

Not everyone is able to receive payment in advance, for example someobody signing for JSA who does variable hours of declared part time work will not be paid until after the bank holiday when they have submitted for & and [rovided any paylips to ensure that tey are paid a correct amount.

 

Realistically how could DWP contact every person to advise that they are not going to be paid in advance?

Although I do empathise with your friends situation what you suggest simply isn't realistic.

 

FP cannot be paid into every account either as not all accounts are suitable to receive these payments and this facility is not offered routinely. I don't knowe why as I don't actually work in a BC these days I work in the JCP customer service side and I get the flack from these type of cases.

[Slatted]

All I meant was that until this time I have never known of any case where payment has not been made in advance of a Bank Holiday and I was talking CTC not ESA from that viewpoint. It was automatic I believed, not subject to FP on every case.

 

Those who have to submit information before payment would already know that pay is dependent on their information so would have no such expectation.

 

My friend had chased them and so I just wondered why FP had not been offered because she had called. Also wondered why delay on ESA when she had called them every day since Wednesday and never had a callback.

 

I bet you would be upset if your salary was paid late and you had not been warned...especially if counting on it to provide food over the bank holiday?

[Tiger Lily]

I just dont understand why this friend never gets a call back. We have to do a three hour call back, are you sure your friend is requesting a call back?, if she doesnt ask the memo will be treated as a non call back.

Flumps is correct not all customers can have FPs if their account isnt suitable, these are usually building society accounts with roll numbers.

And having a pop at a salary going in, is not going to help your friend is it, There is something not adding up with your friends claim to ESA,

People on here have been trying to give some help and advice, I think now she needs to contact Welfare Rights or similar.

[flumps1976]

Slatted for your information when I returned from maternity leave a few years ago my wages were delayed and I had to wait until the next payday which isone of the reason I can empathise and hopefully not patronise.

I can only try and explain procedures and yes it wil not please everyone all of the time I and my other colleagues who frequent and offer advise on this forum do not make the rules so please do not turn this into something personal as it's not needed

 

Unless you are actually present during the phonecalls that your friend makes you can only acceot what they are telling you after the event so I agree with Tiger Lily that your friend needs to consider contacting a welfare adviser at CAB or somewhere similar for some additional help.

[MIKEY DABODEE]

I thought the friend received £120, ESA last week. The friend needs to seek some extra professionel help, eg CAB, or the One Stop Shop. heard about that on here, or similar. I am at a loss to why the friend doesnt receive a call back, there are safeguards in place to make sure it doesnt happen. I E the line manager gets an alert if the call back is not made within the specified time and will come over to find out why

 

Having a go at Flumps willl not solve anything and certainly will not help the friends problem one bit its just makes it worse. I think we have given all the advice we can on this thread.

 

Flumps gives excellent support, help and advice on here and I personally have learnt loads from her. eg I now why a FP cant always be paid on the same day on JSA

Edited June 3, 2012 by MIKEY DABODEE

[Slatted]

I didn't mean anything to upset anyone. My comments about salary were just meant to evoke empathy and not directed at Flumps or anyone else in particular.

 

I had only meant my first comment to respond directly to her as she had implied I was not being realistic but I had assumed that the rules had changed for all benefit payments due on bank holidays and therefore a standard mailout could have been done telling all on benefits of the new procedure.... That was why I mentioned about salary, it was meant as an illustration for "customer care" and not meant to upset anyone.

 

Maybe I did feel a bit patronised as I did not make the comment without realising the numbers involved, merely recognising the impact of non payment on any person, not especially the impact on my friend.

 

I have been present on earlier occasions when callbacks were promised but not made, she used loudspeaker, and I have also had direct experience of call backs not being made and also gave information earlier of my own experience when FP were sporadically offered. I do not just take her word about things.

 

Maybe I misunderstood how these threads work as others seem to divert and share thoughts as well as information.

 

I thank everyone for their help and have also learned a lot about what goes on behind the scenes but also how much it is a matter of what the ideal is against what actually happens and who you get working on the case.

 

And yes she did get £120 but after six weeks that was used in catching up rent (comunal charge) payments and refilling the electric and gas meter, not to mention paying back anyone who had lent her money.....she had anticipated CTC to buy stuff for the weekend and that is why I made the comment I did.

 

I have personally never known benefits due on a bank holiday to be paid after the event and my husband has been on benefits for 20 years.

 

As to the comments about CAB etc I have mentioned many times that the Law Centre have had a representative involved and they are the equivalent of CAB (who do not have anyone available). It was their apparent inability to do anything that meant I felt led to ask the question that started the thread.

 

I will leave it now until an outcome is known and, if relevant, post it here for information.

[flumps1976]

slatted I did know that you comment wasn't directed at me but things can be read in so many different ways online!

The HOTT system that was introduced a couple of months ago is now set up so that if a call back is requested andnot followed up within 3 hours an alert is set and until it is picked up and actioned the original message can be tracked and traced which is why those of us who work with the HOTT system find it unusual that the call backs are't happening.

Don't stop posting on here as this forum is helpful and we all have knowledge from so many areas that we can usually find an outcome of sorts

[Tiger Lily]

Hopefully now some benefit has been paid things should be on the way to being sorted out. She should recevie a notification letter in the post with a breakdown of this payment.

Does your friend have to pay the law society for the work it has done on her claim? I hope not

Please keep us updated because we are all clearly missing something on her claim.

[MIKEY DABODEE]

Contact centres are coming to an end, when Univeral credit rolls they will be a thing of the past for BDCs, they will take the calls in house themselves.

The only thing I can think to why the call backs are not being returned is maybe the call centre is not sending the Memo for the call back to St Austell BDC

Slatted I understand your frustration and I sincerely hope your friend gets the full entitlement soon.

keep us updated and maybe ditch the Law Centre if its not resolved soon, they seem as much help as a choclate teapot in this case

[Slatted]

My thoughts exactly! The CAB are not any better, in my experience and thats the problem.

 

The Benefits "expert" there should be able to claim Legal Aid for my friend but, of course, if she is not on benefits at that time I am not sure....but then I don't think he has done anything about that yet.

 

My friend has at least agreed to let me advocate for her so if she gets nowhere on Wednesday we are going to the Law Centre drop in on Thursday to find out what we can do next. I will also be looking into a complaint about the reason the money was stopped without evidence etc

 

I have heard of many people left without any income for many weeks and whilst I understand that sanctions may be required they seem extreme and the lack of any income for several weeks or months is unjustifiable in my opinion....at least in prison someone get food etc..do they really want people on to starve? Especially where food banks not readily available......my friend was in tears today because she does not even have bread or milk to last her and her two teenage daughters.....

 

On the subject of bank holiday payments am I to understand that they are no longer automatically going to be paid in advance? Just so that I can plan accordingly?

[flumps1976]

Normally payments will be paid in advance for the bank holidays so unless you have a change in your cicumstances for example irregular part time work then your payments should continue in the manner they always have

 

I am still concerned about the reasons that payment was just stopped, I am perfectly happy to stand corrected but as I posted previously I have worked for nearly 20 years in different departments completing different job roles for the DWP as it is now but I have never known payment be stopped purely based on receipt of an allegation, so I think it is a very good idea that you do go with your friend to ensure you are there to find out exactly what is going on.

Normally payments are suspended if there is medical evidence, an appeal hasn't been received in time, a medical was missed and good cause not shown for missing the appointment or information requested to ensure payment continues was not received.

 

I also think she should contact her local social service team or police especiallly if she has run out of food and milk and cannot provide for her children so she can be referred to the out of hours service or for help to access a food bank.

[Slatted]

Thanks for clearing that up Flumps.

 

Strange thing is that another friend also did not get CTC beforehand.....not sure what is going on there.

 

I am glad I am better so will be able to meet my friend more and get the letter etc I will let you know what it actually said....and hopefully she may have another letter by then with an explanation!

 

The Social Worker she has assgned already is being no help and the Emergency Social Services number was ringing off the hook......

[MIKEY DABODEE]

She should have a letter explainig what the £120 was about, may come Wednesday next week, notifications go out second class.

Edited June 3, 2012 by MIKEY DABODEE

[benidorm60]

All I hope is that the person who first made these terrible allegations are happy with their handywork, what goes around comes around with a bit of luck.

I was reported once for working, every month I clean my local church with my sister, we dont get paid at all. Was called in but luckily my benefit wasnt stopped but had to get a letter from the church. Still dont know who reported me though

[Slatted]

My friend called them this morning and they have said they are so busy they are not doing even 3 hour callbacks but 24hour! If that is working hours then she may not even hear this week!! It is getting stupid....I may have to call them tomorrow as my next payment is due but they have never paid me on time yet......

[flumps1976]

The callbacks have been extended for this week due to the increase in calls following the bank holiday weekend, and this is so that staff can be diverted to other areas of the departement liek crisis loans. It is clock hours not working hours in this instance.

[Slatted]

Thank God for that but still awkward when waiting for money and a callback...as it was my friend was in an appointment with her Doc, it is not as if life stops and we cannot plan for the call at all, three hours is tough enough, when they tried to call back and they just left a message asking her to ring if she wanted information.....that was not very helpful as of course she wanted information!!

 

Although I realise the Bank Hols would be a reason for different requirements it is tough on those of us who have to pay to ring and wait to speak to someone, all the while knowing how much the call is costing....

 

Fingers crossed for tomorrow....there is a first time for everything I suppose.....

[Slatted]

Well my money wasnt in my account so I rang and found a sympathetic lady who noticed that I had to call every two weeks since March and made suggestions as to what she will suggest to remedy this. Also noted that I "must have used most of your benefitt in calling us"...wow! empathy and sympathy...that was a nice change.

 

I got my callback within the hour and the FP to my account by the end of the day.

 

My friend got a callback eventually and was told her money would be backdated and in her account next Wednesday, not sure why she has to wait but she is grateful it sounds as if it will be over with then.....we wait and see if the money arrives now.

 

And I am still helping her with a complaint, she should never have had to be in this position....

[MIKEY DABODEE]

Is your clai clerical slatted ?

If so and you have to ring up again ask can your payment be set up as an ongoing LPS if thats the system they use, or ongoing FP on CPS untill its built on the system

They can do it easily

[Slatted]

What do you mean "clerical"? How would I know that?

 

All I know is that I have never been paid on time and always had to chase and no one has been able to tell me why....

 

Thanks for the advice...if the payment is late next time I will ask but any delay that time may be because I cannot get fit note in time because earliest general GP appointment is next friday and note is needed well before due date of 21 June I believe....I will be taking it to the local Jobcentre to cut out part of the post bit and hope it will be okay...