ESA compared to Incapacity Benefit / Income Support

[antone]

I'm renting a room from a private landlord at the moment (shared accomodation), and none of the furniture in my room is mine. Wouldn't it cost a small fortune to get new furniture if I had to move to one of these unfurnished places?

 

Depends. It's possible to get furniture quite cheaply if you don't need the latest, greatest stuff from expensive stores - charity shops and other organisations can provide decent things second hand.

 

Also, my wife and I are in our 40s. We've accumulated stuff over the years. Actually, our biggest worry when we moved in the summer was that we might have too much stuff. I'd have struggled with an unfurnished place when I was 21.

[estellyn]

I'm renting a room from a private landlord at the moment (shared accomodation), and none of the furniture in my room is mine. Wouldn't it cost a small fortune to get new furniture if I had to move to one of these unfurnished places?

 

 

Remembering when I moved in with my husband in our first rented house, after living in a shared house, when you have little money, most of the furniture comes from second hand shops - apart from a bed which we already had, we furnished the house on less than £100. New furniture would be extravagant unless you had the money to pay for it.

[abc123def]

When I left my (abusive) xh with a child, we had a black sack of clothing and some toiletries each. I bought the cheapest beds I could find (that broke within a year) and a fridge/freezer, fortunately the flat came with a washing machine. A friend turfed out a sofa from her shed, wiped off the mouldy bits and someone donated a large old fashioned TV, that was all we had. Bit by bit we got more bits. You make do. I have orthopaedic problems and that mouldy sofa killed my back but I still think of it with fondness.

[Consumer dude]

When I left my (abusive) xh with a child, we had a black sack of clothing and some toiletries each. I bought the cheapest beds I could find (that broke within a year) and a fridge/freezer, fortunately the flat came with a washing machine. A friend turfed out a sofa from her shed, wiped off the mouldy bits and someone donated a large old fashioned TV, that was all we had. Bit by bit we got more bits. You make do. I have orthopaedic problems and that mouldy sofa killed my back but I still think of it with fondness.

 

Its called survival..

[Foebane72]

Thanks for your replies.

[oleg]

In many areas, recycled furniture is available at no/low cost to needy new tenants.

 

http://www.frn.org.uk

[Stigman]

Also for cheap/free furniture and used goods. check out the Freecycle Networks, mainly in the Yahoo Groups and also Gumtree Freebie section.

 

Stigman

[romulusandremus]

If most landlords are not taking on tenants who claim benefits, especially HB, then what's the point of this benefit at all? Or am I missing something?

 

To be honest HB that relates to private lets is dying a natural death. Who actually can find a place at or below the 1/3 level that will allow HB claimants to rent? Those that do are generally the pits.

 

 

I know of one disgusting individual (28) that is supposed to have heart failure!!! Yes he has a problem but he is now OK with the medication he is on and lives a normal life - if you call binge drinking and consuming/selling class A drugs normal. He managed to convince the council via his GP that he couldn't walk 5 metres without getting out of breath - load of rubbish, I know the guy he is my ex son in law!! He was given a new 1 bed semi bungalow which he deals from, but spends most of his time living with his new GF. He has big ideas - he wants to buy it under the RTB scheme and let it out.

[antone]

I know one guy who spends a lot of his time boasting about how he's perfectly capable of work but claims ESA anyway. Honestly, he shows up on benefit forums far and wide, berating other claimants while talking about how he fixed his guttering and drives too fast. He's an apparently endless source of daft, meaningless little anecdotes - as far as I can tell, he knows every single undeserving claimant in all of Canterbury. Or is that Folkestone? If that doesn't convince readers that benefit claimants are scumbags, I don't know what will.

[estellyn]

I know one guy who spends a lot of his time boasting about how he's perfectly capable of work but claims ESA anyway. Honestly, he shows up on benefit forums far and wide, berating other claimants while talking about how he fixed his guttering and drives too fast. He's an apparently endless source of daft, meaningless little anecdotes - as far as I can tell, he knows every single undeserving claimant in all of Canterbury. Or is that Folkestone? If that doesn't convince readers that benefit claimants are scumbags, I don't know what will.

 

 

Too funny!!!!

[RaeUK]

Quite so, antone. Indeed, he must be a super man to know so much. And then chronicle it all for us. I wonder if he signs his epistles 'clerk, Kent'.

[outa10]

Antone , Could you please clarify what all benefit claimants are please ? I live on benefits , not through choice but because I'm disabled . I would love to get up and go to work every day to support my family but it's not going to happen . I suggest some ignorant people get their facts right before they start shouting their mouth off and tarring everyone with the same brush !

[antone]

Antone , Could you please clarify what all benefit claimants are please ? I live on benefits , not through choice but because I'm disabled . I would love to get up and go to work every day to support my family but it's not going to happen . I suggest some ignorant people get their facts right before they start shouting their mouth off and tarring everyone with the same brush !

 

I'm not sure what you're asking me here. Rest assured that I do not hold benefit claimants in contempt - that would be hypocrisy, as I've been one in the past and quite possibly will be again. But I don't understand your question.

[outa10]

My question is simple - look at your above comment posted yesterday at 22.14 . You end it with " If that doesn't convince readers that all benefit claimants are ######s " - What's the missing word , would like to know what I'm being called ?

[antone]

My question is simple - look at your above comment posted yesterday at 22.14 . You end it with " If that doesn't convince readers that all benefit claimants are ######s " - What's the missing word , would like to know what I'm being called ?

 

Er, you are not being called anything. That whole exchange relates to a forum troll, who is not you, I assume. The post you refer to was a joke. We have this troll, and...look, I'm not going into the details. But it was not intended to be taken seriously, and if you pay attention to posts here, you'll see why.

 

Look, spend some time reading around this forum and you'll see why I made that post. Unless you're another incarnation of that guy, you'll be fine.

[outa10]

I apologise if I've read it wrong but like i said i saw the words all benefit claimants and took that to include me and just to clarify I'm not the troll that you're referring to and never would be .

[id6052]

I apologise if I've read it wrong but like i said i saw the words all benefit claimants and took that to include me and just to clarify I'm not the troll that you're referring to and never would be .

 

outa10

 

I am 100% confident that Antone meant no offence to you or any other benefit claimant as he is very supportive of those who find themelves in such a position

 

The comment was tongue in cheek and directed at the postings/rantings of a particular troll who regularly tries to portray benefit claimants in a negative way

[antone]

I apologise if I've read it wrong but like i said i saw the words all benefit claimants and took that to include me and just to clarify I'm not the troll that you're referring to and never would be .

 

Right, sorry if you were offended. Basically that message was a parody of the "views" of one of our regular trolls who signs up with many different usernames, and I know you're not him.

[Foebane72]

I have been on this benefit for nearly a year now, having been put on ESA WRAG (contribution-based) from IS after filling out their form.

 

However, during this time, I have never had a WCA nor had letters telling me to attend work-based interviews, even though the original letter said this would happen.

 

So what happens when the benefit ends in May - will I be put onto income-based ESA WRAG (as I have no savings and no income at all) or will they somehow move me to JSA? I suppose they'll finally make the WCA appointment at that time.

 

I am on medication for mental problems, namely anxiety and paranoia, and have been since before my last job in 2004-2005, just so you know my circumstances.

[antone]

You say you were moved over from IS - normally that would mean you'd be on income-related ESA. However, strange things happen. If you're on contribution based ESA and your 365 days is up, you need to complete form ESA3 to apply for income-related. You should qualify for this since you have no savings or other income, though if you have a partner their income will be considered as well.

 

You won't be moved to JSA because of this, and it is not connected to the WCA process.

[worried33]

They will probably inform you its going to end soon and I would hope they have the kindness to send you an ESA3 form to convert to income based ESA (if you qualify).

 

Lucky you havent even had one interview on WRAG.

 

If you move to income based ESA, and get put in WRAG again after another WCA, then unless the prognosis time is over 12 months you will likely be mandated to the work programme.

 

Regarding IS to CB based, my experience of the DWP is they prefer putting people on contribution based benefits when they are found to qualify for both. I am still on CB based even tho I do qualify for income based and as a result I am getting no enhanced disability premium.

[Foebane72]

So no chance I may be moved to JSA? I hope I don't. I've been reading up on how frequent, unfair and nasty JSA sanctions are and I hear it's the main benefit that has that, and that ESA sanctions are not anywhere near as nasty.

 

What gets me though is that JSA sanctions are lifted when "people re-engage with the programme" - is that really harder to do than it sounds?

[antone]

No, you won't be moved to JSA because of your contributions situation. If you're entitled to ESA(IR) and complete the appropriate form, that's what you'll get.

[Foebane72]

No savings, no partner - so I should be entitled to ESA(IR)?

[antone]

No savings, no partner - so I should be entitled to ESA(IR)?

 

Yes, it's very possible that you would be entitled to ESA(IR) as you have no other household income or savings. Form ESA3 is used to make the appropriate application.

 

Just to note, the WCA process is governed by a different set of rules - applying for ESA(IR) will not trigger a WCA.