Benefits madness

Relative of mine who is actually very ill, just been told she's not eligible for employment support allowance hecause she's too well! (scored 0 points out of 15), got put through to apply for JSA. Can't get JSA because she's too ill.

How can that happen?

The people that are bright will always be able to claim benefits, even when they do not need them.

The Tories have set up a benefits system which makes it difficult for anyone to claim, so the real claimants suffer too.

Relative of mine who is actually very ill, just been told she's not eligible for employment support allowance hecause she's too well! (scored 0 points out of 15), got put through to apply for JSA. Can't get JSA because she's too ill.

 

How can that happen?

She needs to appeal the decision, it should say something about it on her letter she received. If she doesn't know how to appeal or is too sick, she is best contacting citizens advice and telling them whats happened and that she needs help to appeal the decision and they should get the ball rolling. If she appeals, her ESA might be reinstated until the appeal decision.

She only has a month to appeal.

Citizens advice link: https://citizensadvicesheffield.org.uk/get-help/

link to a good site/forum about benefits:

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-appeals

She needs to appeal the decision, it should say something about it on her letter she received. If she doesn't know how to appeal or is too sick, she is best contacting citizens advice and telling them whats happened and that she needs help to appeal the decision and they should get the ball rolling. If she appeals, her ESA might be reinstated until the appeal decision.

 

She only has a month to appeal.

 

Citizens advice link: https://citizensadvicesheffield.org.uk/get-help/

 

link to a good site/forum about benefits:

 

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-appeals

A month to appeal and a 5 weeks until you can get an appointment with Citizen's advice....

Relative of mine who is actually very ill, just been told she's not eligible for employment support allowance hecause she's too well! (scored 0 points out of 15), got put through to apply for JSA. Can't get JSA because she's too ill.

 

How can that happen?

I'm not sure it works like that or didn't when I did some consultancy work for the DWP a few years ago.

If you fail the assessment you can appeal as the poster above said.

The Jobscentre don't assess whether you are ill or not, you just need to comply with the jobseekers agreement which is to actively look for work and attend the jobcentre on your signing day. So I think your friend has refused to agree to what is stipulated in the Jobseeker Agreement?

---------- Post added 23-06-2017 at 13:02 ----------

A month to appeal and a 5 weeks until you can get an appointment with Citizen's advice....

Citizen's advice is drop in - no appointment required (at least my local one is)

I'm not sure it works like that or didn't when I did some consultancy work for the DWP a few years ago.

 

If you fail the assessment you can appeal as the poster above said.

 

The Jobscentre don't assess whether you are ill or not, you just need to comply with the jobseekers agreement which is to actively look for work and attend the jobcentre on your signing day. So I think your friend has refused to agree to what is stipulated in the Jobseeker Agreement?

She was on the phone with the JSA people, and think she said she's not well enough to work; and they said she wouldn't be eligible then. I *think* that's what happened.

I think she really needs help filling in the forms, both in terms of applying for the benefits, and appealing decisions. She's absolutely gobsmacked (not to mention distraught) at the decision, she said she felt 100% sure she'd get the benefit, given the terrible state of her physical health.

Well done Tory government!

She was on the phone with the JSA people, and think she said she's not well enough to work; and they said she wouldn't be eligible then. I *think* that's what happened.

 

I think she really needs help filling in the forms, both in terms of applying for the benefits, and appealing decisions. She's absolutely gobsmacked (not to mention distraught) at the decision, she said she felt 100% sure she'd get the benefit, given the terrible state of her physical health.

 

Well done Tory government!

Its not really the Tory government. My information is from like 2008/2009 and the process was the same then.

Its not really the Tory government. My information is from like 2008/2009 and the process was the same then.

The process has been tightened up considerably. They've moved the goalposts and made it extremely difficult to get benefits. I could go into details but the information is too confidential for a public forum

A month to appeal and a 5 weeks until you can get an appointment with Citizen's advice....

This is really misleading as usual.

Theres more than one branch of CAB and they have drop in days plus you can phone in as well. If someone has an urgent time critical situation then they will be seen.

Anyone with any common sense would just lodge an appeal in any event and seek an extension and point out you needed to get proper advice.

---------- Post added 24-06-2017 at 11:31 ----------

Relative of mine who is actually very ill, just been told she's not eligible for employment support allowance hecause she's too well! (scored 0 points out of 15), got put through to apply for JSA. Can't get JSA because she's too ill.

 

How can that happen?

The benefits system can be complicated and she should really go and see CAB. If she has failed ESA and mist go on JSA, then she will only be expected to search for jobs applicable to her ability and limitations. A letter from her GP backing her up would protect her. She should also appeal the ESA or at least get further advice if it was incorrect.

If you google it there are forums set up for this.

 

The benefits system can be complicated and she should really go and see CAB.

yup, even the jobcentres have been known to not know whats going on

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/benefits-introduction/problems-with-benefits-and-tax-credits/challenging-a-benefit-decision/challenging-a-dwp-benefit-decision-on-or-after-28-october-2013/appealing-against-a-benefit-decision/appealing-against-a-dwp-benefit-decision/

Personally, I'd go on the offensive with it, but I don't have time just now to go over that...

Unfortunately the Government's only MANDATORY thing is to take money from you before you get it whilst you are working.... When you are not for any reason, you are treated like scum...

This is the "fairer society" .................