The ongoing fun of claiming benefits.

Over on Mumsnet there have recently been a number of benefit bashing threads, including the usual one of someone whose neighbour has "a new car every year and multiple foreign holidays" but claims to be disabled

Only one of my neighbours knows my name and I doubt if she or any of them know I am on a disability benefit. I dont discuss my personal or financial affairs with neighbours. The less they know about you the better.

Speak to your MP about this.

I have just had a call from the dwp.
The enhanced rate will start in November, not this month.

They made a mistake when they told me, apparently.

biglouis

Over on Mumsnet there have recently been a number of benefit bashing threads, including the usual one of someone whose neighbour has "a new car every year and multiple foreign holidays" but claims to be disabled

Only one of my neighbours knows my name and I doubt if she or any of them know I am on a disability benefit. I dont discuss my personal or financial affairs with neighbours. The less they know about you the better.

When I read what these people have to say I remember the MP who reported back from his door knocking. Several people told him a similar tale of a woman "on benefits" who had this, did that, etc.

He went down and knocked on her door and had a chat, then came back to talk to the complainers. She was running her own business. She worked from home quite a bit as she had young children (this was before it became a "thing"). She was NOT on benefits.

The Mumsnet people and those who come out with these things on GN are nasty, vicious, ignorant gossips as far as I am concerned. There are few people I like less.

On other threads there have been talks about what has been said about GN on MN. Apparently we are a lot of out of date fuddy duddies who only come on GN to moan about their children.

I have never read MN and never intend to. The posters are Gransnet are the salt of the earth and try to help eachother no matter what the topic is. Yes there are some rotters on GN but they are reported and disappear. But then reappear under a different name . But they soon out themselves and they are ignored . It's the only way to deal them that sort. If you respond to them it gives them a voice. So they are best ignored.

MissA typical DWP I sometimes wonder if it would be better run by chimps. ?

Ah well, I'm a long way further in my journey than I thought I would be, at this point.

It was a hell of a mess to try and unravel, and made worse by feeling so unwell at that point.
I really do think I've been lucky, in many ways.

It’s good you have managed to get it sorted out.

It is good, in so many ways.

I was in a pretty desperate state.

I’m very sorry to hear that. Makes me all the more glad for you.

That’s good news Miss A I’m glad you’re getting there

MissA - so pleased for you. I hope you feel better now x

MissAdventure

It is good, in so many ways.

I was in a pretty desperate state.

He seems reasonably sane. That has to be progress. I will no doubt be back to worrying tomorrow though.

So sorry, MissA, I was catching up with your story and then made myself a cup of tea and replied to a new PM tread.

I am so pleased you are recovering from what seemed like and endless task. I really shouldn't be like this.

MissA it is lovely to see you so positive.

MissAdventure

I have just had a call from the dwp.
The enhanced rate will start in November, not this month.

They made a mistake when they told me, apparently.

brilliant news

Oh dealing with the DWP is just dreadful! I have had to be in touch recently as I didn't get the Cost of Living payment ..... apparently, because I "did the right thing" (a good Truss quote, and WORKED before I became useless, I am NOT entitled to it!! So my £1400 debt to British Gas means that the heating in my conservatory will not be going on at all. Cannot get ECO4 funding for solar panels or insulation as the rest of the house is gas, but I can't live in there, and the council keep ignoring me (as does my delightful Tory MP) about a grant to give me a downstairs bathroom, rather than having to strip wash in the kitchen ..... no bath/shower now for 9 months and my skin is suffering.

We do NOT get a new car every year, it is 3 years, and we pay for it out of our benefits anyway - just extended mine to a 5 year lease as the Advanced Payments on anything that would even vaguely suit me are around £5k, so that ain't happening either! Oven blew up a few weeks ago, daughter/carer has moved out as couldn't get any money to do the works needed for house to work for all of us, and will be taking the microwave shortly; kitchen cupboards are falling down, my riser/recliner in which I have slept now for over 12 years (not the same one!) failed on Friday night, chairs are not on the out of hours list so didn't get a new one until yesterday - 4 nights of (not) sleeping in agony, legs filling with fluid and getting around 3 hours a night if I was lucky.

Quite frankly I have no joy in life left, just had enough now - and the prospect of even more austerity with this crew in Govt is terrifying me quite frankly. No idea how I will survive this?

I am so sorry about your misfortunes, MadeinYorkshire.
Local authorities have been given funding to help people through the cost of living crisis, especially those who might not qualify under other categories, so it might be worth a general enquiry. Each council does things differently so I cant advise in more detail. I hope you can get some support.

I hope you are ok MadeInYorkshire x

We need to get our collective heads together and wok out a strategy for MadeinYorkshires problems.

Oooh. Wok.. I thought I'd managed to correct every mistake.

MadeIn Yorkshire, are there any local advocacy groups where you are, or disability rights, welfare advice, debt/money advice ?
how about contacting your local councillor ?
Age UK ? CAB ?
google local advice and support.
good luck.

Age uk and the citizen advice were both absolutely brilliant with me; they almost babied me through what needed to be done, which was exactly what I needed.

Then, they gradually helped me to feel a bit more in control of things.

Citizens advice have been a great help to my daughter with her PIP claim.
She wanted PIP so she could get a blue badge ,you cant get one in her area without being on a benefit.She had her claim turned down twice despite having doctors letters of support about her illnesses .
The lovely man from Citizens advice went to the third attempt with her and she got the lowest level which was fine as she had told them she didn't want money just proof she couldn't walk any distance because of her hyper joint mobility syndrome.
The people on these panels are not medically qualified and work for DWP to stop people getting benefits they need .The DWP pays them more than the benefits would cost according to the Citizens advice guy .Its all a horrible mess .

MadeinYorkshire sorry you are going through this. Does your local council have a welfare department if they do they can help you with any financial help you are entitled to. Plus if you have an illness get in touch with the charity that deals with it.

My PIP and MRN decisions went against me. But found help from The Brain Charity and everything is now in the hands of a solicitors they use. The solicitor assigned to my case is lovely and we will be going to tribunal but as they aren't giving out any dates due to a backlog of tribunals so it will be next year before we get there.

If they had people with any form of disabilitiy either physical ,mental or both write the questions on the forms and then they assess them and do the assessments and ask GPs and any specialists we see the system wouldn't be so unfair.

But everything is done by the able bodied. And assessor's have no medical training . They need to realise anyone can be disabled physically and mentally at anytime of their life.

I was born with my 2 conditions no cure as it's in my genes only treatment but according to PIP my condition will improve. In fact I have gotten worse since . Since August had 9 pain flares and my walking is getting worse and my balance.

Waiting for an appointment to see my neurologist.

What so annoys me they are quick to hand benefits to who come to this country but who haven't paid a penny into the system.

If people what to live and work here then yes they are entitled if they have paid taxes and NI .

Last time I was on hold to PIP found it very insulting that for the hour I was on hold a recorded message was telling Ukraine nationals not to worry their PIP payments will not stop?. I know there is a war on be stop giving everyone benefits they haven't paid into.

I had planned on going back to work once our son was at school unfortunately my health getting worse made that impossible when he was 6 months old and our daughter 4.

34 years I have been fighting for benefits but won't give up.

I may have missed it MadeinYorkshire, but which disability payments are you getting? Those are the ones that will trigger an upgrade on a bathroom to a wet-room, etc.