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007paul007

BE CAREFUL WHEN IT COMES TO BENEFITS

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Hi to all that remember me, but I just thought i would share this experience with you and what is happenning now. Firstly I am unemployed and me and my partner care for 2 children with special needs, my son is 18 and has severe autism, epilepsy and IBS. I claim income Support for the family and both children get DLA and me and my other half both get carers allowance. Well when he turned 16, not only did his DLA stop, but we also had to pay for the respite, we were advised to claim incapacity benefit in youth, which my son could get cause he was still going to school, but first we had to become his appointee, which we did. The gentleman came around saw my son and agreed we could become his appointee and said he woudl contact the DLA and incapacity deparments. My son is still going to school and finishes school next July at the age of 19, it is a special needs school and has a curriculum like any other school. Well a few days ago I had a review from the benefit office and today they phoned me and said that i should not of been claiming Income support for my son, as i did when he was a minor and that they will claiming back the money for the past 2 years. I will be appealling against it as I was not informed by anybody until now. So be careful out there !

Edited by 007paul007

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Hi Paul,

Long time no see, nice to see you back.

I dont understand why they stopped your sons DLA. My son (22) claims DLA and incapacity benefit. The benefit system is a minefield, good luck!

How is your lad doing these days?

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So sorry to hear this Paul. :(

 

You're right about the benefits system. It's hell to negotiate, they make you fight for every scrap, then find an excuse to take it off you.

 

Good luck with the appeal, let us know what happens.

 

K x

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Two years after my Dad died the Pension people decided that my Mum had been over paid when he died. I actually found this very funny seeing as she lived without a penny for five weeks because of an error on their part. They are now trying to reclaim more money than she was actually paid which I find impossible to believe. Despite Age Concern fighting this for my Mum and also the local Benefits People disputing this Debt Recovery are now taking �9 each week off my Mum and started doing so before they asked if the amount was OK. There has been one error after another and so it continues. It trook them a year to respond to the appeal. My Dad has now been dead for almost four years. Do not believe what they are telling you until you have sought advice.

 

When my DS2s DLA was up for renewal this year despite him now having a serious visual impairment his rate was reduced. However they did not inform us of the decision - again their mistake which they admitted. I was also told that the time for appeal had passed :angry: However they kindly allowed us to appeal. After passing on much information and after a full assessment carried out in my home by Ian Jordan, I received a call asking me when I was going to send them the info they had asked for. I informed that that I had done so four weeks ago. I was asked to resend by e-mail and then by post - which I did. I then asked for confirmation that they had indeed received this info and was informed that it was now attached to Sean's file - who I asked is Sean certainly not my son. :angry: Eventually they raised the rate for care to what it had been previously.

 

You don't have to tell me about these people I have had a belly full of them this year.

 

Cat

Edited by Cat

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I presonally would have a look at www.benefitsandworks.co.uk

You pay 16.50 for the year but for the knowledgeand quality of advice I feel it was money well spent!

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Hi Lorry

 

My son is doing fine thanx under the cicumstances, various things going on which I can't mention here ! hows things with you ?

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Hi Paul

Having a bit of a rough time at the moment. Huge temper tantrums which result in him screaming and running around the house bashing his head on any hard object. Terrifying to be part of to be honest and we dont really know who to turn to for help. On going battle with social services (official complaint and ombudsman) So totally stressed out all round!!

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Hi all

Sorry it's been so long, but a lot of things have happenned.

Firstly it seems that when my son turned 16 he was allowed to claim incapacity benefit in youth, the only way he could qualify for this was by still being at school, this was 2004 and he does not leave school until this year. If he got this benefit then we would lose child benefit and also the income support would be adjusted. Well we reached Christmas and New year without any word and then low and behold on the day of my Father in laws funeral a letter from the benefits agency arrives, saying although it was their mistake, I have been overpayed by nearly �15,000 and could I pay it back, they included a bank giro slip to pay it back.

Anyway I went to the cab who are dealing with and the benfit agency said that although it was their mistake it was because I failed to tell them my son had left school in 2004, which of course he didn't, the cab have got a letter from the school, which has been sent off to them to confirm them. On top of all this, last week i was in hospital, with a suspected heart attack, turns out I may have an irregular heart beat, and the stress has aggrevated this.

So as you see I have had a lot on my plate and i will try and update you I can, if the stress don't kill me first lol !

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Blimmin heck, poor you guys! Thats outrageous....what did they think you were going to do, as carers on income support- go to the bank and withdraw the full 15 grand and blithely hand it over? I hope it gets sorted out soon, and that all goes well with your health.

I am,at present, trying to appeal against an order to repay child tax credits from 2003-2004, taken out by my ex and apparently cosigned by me.....which is rather odd, as I chucked him out 3 months after our youngest was born in January '03! They are not listening however- theyre awfy good at getting organised when they want money back, but not quite so quick off the mark when it comes to pay-outs!

Good luck with this Paul, I wish you all the best.

Esther

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How awful and unfair. Is there anyone who can help you with this, it seems so wrong, A social worker? or do they stop when they reach a certain age. Sorry I'm not much use :(.

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I have got someone helping me from CAB, we have just been appointed someone from adult services to help get things in place just after my son leaves school.

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Hi all

 

Just thought I would share the good news with you, after a long fight and with the help of the CAB I recieved a letter yesterday saying that the �15,000 overpayment, which they had admitted was there mistake was being written off and that I did not have to repay it. So thats a huge worry off my mind !

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oh thats good news,disgusting though they put you through the worry in the first place >:D<<'>

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Hi all

 

Just a quick update, you may read that in June this year, further up on thread I had recieved a letter from the benefits agency telling me they had written off the debt, in black and white.

 

Well today 5 months after this decision i recieve a letter telling me I have to pay it bakc, they have knocked �800 off the total and are saying it is now an amount I can afford to pay, even though they have admitted it was thier mistake in writing twice now !

 

The first letter they sent in january came on the day of a family members funeral and the second came today my son's birthday, I heard them laughing about it in the back ground when they thought they had put down the phone !!

 

Off to CAB wednesday and most probarbly the docs again if the stress hits my chest like before.

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Considering they sent a letter saying it was written off, and now are changing their mind, I would consider writing to your MP and asking them to help. They can ask for an explanation, and the dss have to reply.

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They did the self same thing with my Mum and despite getting everybody on board who we could she has eventually had to pay the benefit back, even though they have still been unable to prove that there was ever an over-payment :angry:

 

They wors my poor Mum down unti she just wanted it over with because everytime she got another letter - which were usually sent 10 months apart - she became upset all over again and said she felt that they were not allowing my dad to rest in peace :(

 

Cat

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Hi everyone that can remember, sorry I have not been on for a long while but i have been ill with a lot of problems this end but all seems to be moving the right way forward. I finallly got a load of my mind this week when the benefit agency finally sent me a letter on the 11th April saying they had done a review of the case and found in my favour as there was not enough evidence and that i would not have to pay the money back.

 

Great news hopefully I can move forward now !

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they shouldnt of taken the DLA away from you when he turned 16 its wrong he should get it as long as you dont have over a certain amount in the account but claiming for incapacity right ok this confuses me. incapacity is if not working and incapable of working, income support if have low income. i think the system is wrong. i get all 3 benefit and certainly dla shouldnt of been taken away from you i suggest u appeal.

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Hi everyone that can remember, sorry I have not been on for a long while but i have been ill with a lot of problems this end but all seems to be moving the right way forward. I finallly got a load of my mind this week when the benefit agency finally sent me a letter on the 11th April saying they had done a review of the case and found in my favour as there was not enough evidence and that i would not have to pay the money back.

 

Great news hopefully I can move forward now !

 

Good news Paul, what a relief!

 

K x

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