How to claim benefits

[Anon123]

I’ve been turned down from claiming employment and support allowance despite my doctor stating I have depression as Im struggling with my exs abuse
so I’ve had to put in a claim for job seekers allowance.
I will put in an appeal for employment and support but apparently that takes time.
Anyone had any experience of claiming?
I’m struggling as it is and feel I really need to be able to support the children without trying to work as well.
Anyone have any advice please?
Rather worried as I have a mortgage and you can’t get help with that if you’re working (if I was renting i would get help ).

[Malaya]

I would advise you to contact an advocacy service. They can help fight your cause for you. Of course there’s also the citizens advice bureau too but advocacy for me is better. Your local mind might be able to help, but I do know that they have had massive budget cuts. Your area might be one of the lucky ones though.

Money saving expert.com is a fantastic website full of information on how to save money, change your mortgage and bills suppliers if it’s a possibility, and even save on shopping etc. They also have a booklet called mental health and debt which is useful

Hang in there, things will get better. You just need the right help. Have you called women’s aid helpline? My worker ends me all sorts of information to help me out.

Have you got your tax credits and child benefit? Child maintenance ?

[Anon123]

Thank you so much Malaya I had no idea about advocacy service at all. Your advice is absolutely amazing.
I will look on the website and follow through all your advice.
sadly I’m trying to sort out child maintenance as I’ve had nothing for months But child Maintence options really not helping much 🙁
I thank you so much for your kindness 😀. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me as everything seems to be going wrong at the moment.

[Lisa]

Hi Anon,

Just a little one to say that Malaya’s advice is very good. Your local Women’s Aid group can help you, as can CAB and also there is a great organisation called Turn2us who can help you – http://www.turn2us.org.uk have a look at there website and get in touch with them too if you need any extra clarification.

You are doing brilliantly.

Best wishes,

Lisa
Forum Moderator

[Anonymous]

Hi ive been fighting for esa since (month removed by moderator) . I taking them to a tribural!! My family have been supporting me for months . I was diagnosed with ptsd .how can they force you to work when suffering from domestic viloence. I want to go to the papers . But my ex still under investigation.. hes been rebailed after rebailed.. iam fighting for justice too .. iam not giving up this fight .. it makes ne sick that when you need help the most . We don’t get it . Keeping fighting hun xx

[Malaya]

Aw shucks lol thanks.

I would advise advocacy to anyone who is in a situation where they are struggling To be heard or too drained to do all the fighting. It’s a shame we can’t know each other’s locations as I’d happily find out your local services

Iamfree keep fighting, but think about the above advice for yourself

I got so overwhelmed and stressed out I couldn’t even make a phone call. I had help from someone who has helped me sort out benefits, and met with my social worker to get care payments sorted out as I have physical illness. It was and still is a life saver for me

Lots of love xx

[Malaya]

I meant to say I’m happy to chat anytime. Is there a private message facility on here? If so, feel free to pm me

[Anon123]

Sadly there is no advocacy service in my area. The Job centre were really awful when I went there, showed no understanding of the situation and insisted I had to go there on an inset day which I explained I can’t as my child struggles with anything at the moment.
I left having been bombarded with information and things I needed to do. I explained it was too much but basically I was told if I wanted the money that’s what I need to do. I did ask her to speak to her manager which she did but said I had no choice, had to go there weekly, she couldn’t phone me when children were off, had to do all the tasks.
Since then I’ve stuggled so much, not being able to sleep, very tired continually, panic attacks.
Then I had a phone call yesterday telling me that I can fill in a form stating I’ve suffered domestic abuse and that will mean I don’t have to go in if children are off school.
That’s a start but I don’t know how to cope with all the things she’s told me to do, or having to go to group meetings.
I’m trying to work out whether it’s possible to live without the money but that will leave me with just tax credits and child benefit which is £(detail removed by moderator) a month, but I’ve got the mortgage to pay.
Which will leave me with £(detail removed by moderator) a month.
I’m also guessing if you don’t claim benefit you cant get council tax reduction either.
I need to still contact turn to us and citizens advice.but feeling totally overwhelmed and sick.
I’ve lived on much less before but I’m scared about doing that again, have awful memories of being freezing cold,no hot water, no food yet at the same time I can’t cope with what she’s asking.
Any ideas ?

[SaharaD]

Hi Anon

(detail removed by moderator) If you are struggling with your mortgage, I suggest you get on the money advice service as soon as possible. There was a mortgage relief fund from the government that only paid the interest for a few months but I don’t know if that still exists.

https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en
The Money Advice Service
0800 138 7777 *
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
Saturday, 9am to 1pm
Sunday and Bank Holidays, closed
* Calls are free.

It is worth contacting Stepchange, if you can’t get enough money coming in to pay the mortgage. They will give you the options you have, pros and cons.

https://www.stepchange.org/
StepChange Debt charity
0800 138 1111
Freephone (including all mobiles)
Open till 8pm during the week and their is also a free online chat until the same time.

Netmums, Money Saving Expert and gingerbread have ideas on how to save money.

Things like not heating the whole house. Put everyone in one room and shut the door. Usually the kitchen is a good one because you will get heat from the cooker while you are cooking as well as the radiator. Not point heating the hallway as you spend so little time in it. Same with the bathroom. So turn off the radiators. If you can get the children to sleep with you in one room then you can turn off the radiators in the other rooms.

You can go to the food bank and they give you decent amount of food. The struggle for fresh food is difficult but you might have to do end of day shops to market stalls and supermarkets to get thing you can freeze. As a poor student I took multivitamins because I couldn’t afford decent fresh food and I also had nowhere to store large quantities of frozen reduced things.

Swapping energy provider can also help with saving money.

If you appeal your ESA decision, they have to continue paying the lower rate of 70 something. This appeal rate plus the child benefit and child tax credits will go towards the council tax reduction. Consider getting a lodger in and your can earn up to a certain amount tax free. There are websites that you can earn money online in exchange for vouchers to stores like Sainsbury’s. I’m not sure if you have to declare this as work but I know many people who do it because they don’t have to leave home or spend hours at the computer and it is not cash in hand or going into their bank account like a normal wage. Clarify with the CAB is this is legal. I’m not sure.

To be honest when I was in the refuge, I struggled to eat so I lost a lot of weight (I wasn’t underweight) and I saved a lot of money. Depending on how long you have been struggling with symptoms (6 months to a year), I suggest looking into medication and therapy which can go towards evidence for a claim for ESA and PIP.

I managed to find a job that was 16 hours and two days a week because I found that it helped me mostly mentally to feel that I had at least some sort of capability and also less time at home ruminating which was seriously doing my head in for sure. I’m not very good with spending a long time alone with my thoughts. They always seem to turn negative and make be feel down. But getting out 2 days a week for work and 3 days a week for support and therapy groups and general chores seem to make me well enough.

I know it’s hard with kids but don’t forget when they are at school, it’s time to look after you. if they are not school age yet, you should be getting income support. I think there is 16 hours of nursery places free but please check with the parent support agencies. I don’t have children so I’m not too familiar.

[Confused123]

Hey hUn

Think u can still claim housing benefit if u on low income regardless to if u have mortgage

[Author]

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