Diary of a benefit claimant.

Such a kind offer Cabbie21. I sometimes think the anxiety to do with claiming benefits wipes out normal brain function - even when it's only trying to help a relative, etc. Just being able to have a facts based conversation with someone who knows can help so much.

MissAdventure, think before you speak. Do not try to “please” the assessor. Look out for your own interests.
For PIP, and it is probably very similar for UC LCWRA, the principle is reliability. If you cannot do something safely, within a reasonable time scale and as often as you would expect to repeat the activity, then you cannot do it reliably.

Although you may not receive any extra payment straightaway( it is normally after 13 weeks), they get the assessments done in advance.

There are several people on here who could offer more help via PM, those who have recent personal experience of the system, and those of us who are trained advisors, so do get in touch if you wish.

MissAdventure I'm sorry if I've misunderstood all this. My understanding is that you are already receiving the unemployment and child components of Universal Credit.

The issue now is whether you have a disability/illness which means you might be able to work in the future or not at all. The rules state that there's a three month waiting time before you become eligible. All this has changed over the last couple of years and some people are still on the old system, but are transitioning.

I don't want to pry into your personal circumstances, but I know other people who have found their experience of the DWP frustrating to say the least. Unfortunately, they're short-staffed and have a high turnover and I have the impression that they're not all aware how rule changes work - especially as much of the work is done by a computer.

MissAdventure

"Could you walk quickly for 200 metres"?

"Ermm. Oooh, well, I expect I could if you put a lit rocket up my backside. Yes, yes, I could"

*ZERO POINTS*

????

"Could you walk quickly for 200 metres"?

"Ermm. Oooh, well, I expect I could if you put a lit rocket up my backside. Yes, yes, I could"

ZERO POINTS

It does help to be reminded of that, thank you.

The trouble is, you kind of get to like the person and don't want to "let them down".
Ridiculous, eh?

I know it happened on the pip interview.
I found myself imagining all kinds of ways I might be able to manage to do something, and suggesting it to the assessor!

Miss A I don't know if this will help. On another thread, someone (who helped people claim in a past life) had a very good way of thinking when it came to claiming. I think it may help you reply to the "can you" questions.

We all want to be able to do things, so the majority of us want to make a positive answer (and you are right about our mums too ). She suggested you pause and think - or in your case even say - when I was well I could, (for example) walk across the floor with no problem. I can do it now by ... . You then unravel and describe getting up from the chair, getting your balance, etc.

I hope this helps.

It may just be the process that one official requests of the "face-to-face" assessment place that they see you. So they book the next available appointment.

If I'm not eligible for extra payment at this point, then I'm wondering why I have an assessment next week.
Not that it matters, really, but I would have thought they would assess at the exact time, rather than weeks before.

I may magically get better, in theory.

MissAdventure, Sorry, I don't understand what you mean.

Well, I hope they aren't planning to reassess me when it's nearer the time!
Is it strange then, that I have this assessment so soon?

Stardreamer I expect you thought you were supporting MissAdventure, but I can't see that she has much to worry about her claim. I haven't been following the thread that closely and I haven't read all the posts, but I can't see that MissAdventure has written anything which would prejudice her claim. I haven't a clue where she lives. Unfortunately, there are thousands of people everyday who are frustrated with the way the DWP operates. I doubt if any journalist would pick on this one, especially as I'm fairly sure she's not eligible for any extra payments just yet.

I acted to try to support MissAdventure. If the price of that is you criticising me, hey ho.

MissA is a very intelligent woman and knows better than to disclose where she lives on here, though she might perhaps do so in a PM to those to whom she is close. I hope she would do that if she felt it might help, and I am sure that none here would ever betray such a confidence.

Germanshepherdsmum

Sick woman, unable to work, applies for benefits. That’s sure to make the news. Not even my boring local rag would be reporting that.

Perhaps the hoops she has to jump through might, though.
Could speed things up, too.

If the media come after you for your story, MissA make sure you charge an appropriate fee.

Sick woman, unable to work, applies for benefits. That’s sure to make the news. Not even my boring local rag would be reporting that.

If a journalist finds out which assessment centre there is enough information in this thread and the fact that this thread exists to potentially lead to trouble for MissAdventure if a journalist rings them and states things from this thread and that jigsaw-identifies MissAdventure.

I wrote that post in an attempt to try to protect MissAdventure, who might not have disclosed her location in this thread anyway, so maybe my post was pointless in practice but I don't know that and I acted. We really don't know what a human being employed at an assessment centre might disclose by not thinking before speaking.

I accept that, in a theoretical sense, that what I wrote may be unnecessary, but I wrote it and I consider that, regardless of the theory, that that is a good post and I am glad I posted it.

I'm not sure there's a story here anyway. Sorry!

My understanding is that MissA is applying for LCWRA. There's a three month waiting period before it kicks in from the time evidence is provided of having limited capability for work.

I don't know when MissA submitted this information, but this thread started on 20 April, so it's probable that the three months hasn't been reached yet.

Sorry if I've got that wrong.

An assessment centre isn’t going to divulge information about a client to a journalist. And nobody knows Miss A’s name. We are all anonymous here.

CAREFUL!

Oh, that could give away which assessment centre and maybe lead to bother for MissAdventure.

I have seen newspaper articles that refer to people writing on Mumsnet.

So it may be that some journalists rehash a thread and make money.

If MissAdventure states her location on the open internet, some journalist might contact that assessment centre.

If you are going to fix something up, please do it outside the thread, maybe asking GNHQ to verify that whoever asks MissAdventure anything like that is bona fide and not a journalist willing to get a story regardless of embarrasing anyone else.

Midgey is right. Where are you? Gransnet is for life, MissA, not just for Christmas! Please remember- no is a complete answer to a question .

I know you haven’t asked but I do wish we could all help! The Gransnet army could soon rally round, what part of Britain do you live in? I’m near Stoke on Trent.

I remember you saying your job was washing bottoms MissA but you’re so very bright, witty and articulate and you must have been a wonderful carer, though capable of so much more. Don’t do yourself down, you’re a clever lady!

MissAdventure

It allows for my grandson, too, growstuff, that's the extra on top of my jobseekers.

Ah! That explains it. I didn't want you to think that's the standard amount for JSA.

I think it's everyone's default setting when faced with someone "in power" so to speak.
I do need to practice, instead of being eager not to be "rude". (I blame my mum)