urgent advice needed please

[bartonski]

my girlfriend claimed for sickness benefit or the modern day equivalent 5 months ago

and is still waiting to be referred to a doctor for an appointment to assess her condition.

 

The last conversation with the benefits office today ended up with her being told that there are no available appointments

and it could take another 6 months and the best thing for her to do would be to contact a charity for financial assistance.

 

Shes not well and even making phone calls isnt easy for her.

 

I've managed to support her and her son for the past 6 months but now im defaulting on my debts as well as her depts.

 

Is this really how the system works now?

 

she is in genuine need for help but cant seem to get it.

 

She has a 14 year old son,

cannot work,

no money coming in

and that has been the situation for the past 6 months.

 

Her housing benefit keeps getting canceled as the benefits office cant process the sickness benefit in time.

 

She cannot get income support or any other benefit as she is claiming for sickness benefit! its ridiculous.

 

Does any body have any suggestions?

many thanks

[SabreSheep]

Someone may correct me if i'm wrong.

 

Until she gets sickness benefit (ESA) she should be able to make a housing benefit claim on a nill income basis. As soon as ESA is paid she must then update the LHA of a change of circumstances.

 

I would also make an appointment with the local CAB see if there is anything they can recommend.

 

Also you may want to (if others agree) inform your creditors that you are suffering financial hardship at the moment. Explain the problem to them and ask if they will be able to suspend payments, charges and interest for a few months. If they wont help come back and see if someone can help assess how to use BCOBs against your creditors.

[estellyn]

Why is your girlfriend not receiving assessment rate ESA while waiting for an assessment? Has she had a previous assessment and failed in the preceding 6 months?

[bartonski]

Hi everybody. Thanks for your replies. She's waiting for an assessment for PIP and also ESA. We've never heard of the assessment rate whilst waiting for the assessment, sounds promising. It's her first claim as she was employed but made redundant a year ago. she was living off of her redundancy payment for around 6 months but now has run out of cash.

[bartonski]

also forgot to say, she did manage to get housing benefit but it has been cancelled twice. The reason being that the ESA had not been awarded yet

[antone]

She should be paid the assessment rate while waiting for the medical, provided her GP or other doctor will write "fit notes" (sick lines) for her. Once she has these and sends them to the DWP, it typically takes two or three weeks to get a claim into payment. It's important that fit notes cover every day of her claim except the first seven days, for which she can self-certify.

 

After some time (varies between different parts of the UK, but six months wouldn't be unusual) she will probably be called for an assessment.

 

As advised upthread, she needs to speak directly to the council about her HB, possibly making a "nil income declaration" until her ESA is sorted.