Benefits need help A.S.A.P. — Scope | Disability forum
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Benefits need help A.S.A.P.

sarahD80
sarahD80 Community member Posts: 7 Listener
Hi can anyone help me please. I was on E.S.A. But just recently stopped. I got turned down on a mandatory reconsideration so I sent it to tribunal only to be turned down yet again and have my benifit stopped. Is there anything I can do what so ever please. I  suffer with severe depression, anxity, high blood pressure, and panic attacks. I hate phoneing or meeting new people. Can someone help me please. As I have no money or no benefit what so ever. Many many thanks for your time and patience in this matter.

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,357 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi,

    As you've been found fit for work by a Tribunal the only way you can now appeal this is if an error in law was made in making the decision. For this you'll need to write to the Tribunal and ask them to send you the Statement Of Reasons and they you need to find someone who specialises in finding an error in law. This is extremely difficult to do and not many people succeed.

    Other than that, the first thing you need to do is check your area isn't a full Universal Credit area, if it is then it's this you'll have to claim. Pop your postcode into this link to check. http://ucpostcode.entitledto.co.uk/ucdate

    If it's not a full universal credit area then to be able to re-claim ESA it must either be for a worsening of an existing condition or for a new condition, one that wasn't mentioned in the previous claim. You will not be able to re-claim for the same condition as your last claim.

    If you claim Housing Benefit then go to your local council and ask them for a nil income form, otherwise your housing benefit will also stop.

    I'd advise going to your local CAB for further advise.



    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • mehrfarbig
    mehrfarbig Community member Posts: 33 Connected
    You'll need to apply for Job Seekers to get money and as the post above stated ask for a statement of reasons from the tribunal. 

    Have you applied for Personal Independence Payment? 
    Sarah
  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
    sarahD80,

    If you've not been successful at tribunal then the first step is to ask for the statement of written reasons as Poppy suggests. Unfortunately, I think you will need professional help on a face to face basis to check if there has been an error of law. Your local CAB or a disability information service might be able to help.

    Poppy's advice about Housing Benefit is good - you need to make sure that doesn't stop, if it hasn't already. If it has stopped, you may not be able to reclaim it, as your area may have started to make Universal Credit available instead. The same applies to Jobseeker's Allowance (it will depend on your work history, as contribution-based JSA is still available everywhere, but income-based JSA isn't).

    You urgently need some advice about what to claim now, and I don't want things to get worse for you, so unfortunately I do think you need to get help locally - I know you don't want to do this, but I'm not sure there is any other option.

    For now, as mehrfarbig suggests, you could claim PIP - this can't be backdated and so it's best to claim it sooner rather than later if you haven't done so already.

    You can find out via this website whether Universal Credit is available in your area. If it is, then as you are not getting any benefits at all at the moment, it's likely that a claim for Universal Credit will be needed. However, it's best to get some advice where someone can talk to you and ask you more questions, because claiming Universal Credit isn't the right answer for everyone and can cause more problems.

    If Universal Credit isn't available, then the relevant benefits are likely to be Jobseeker's Allowance and Housing Benefit (if you pay rent).

    Wherever you live, you can claim Council Tax Reduction (sometimes called Council Tax Support) from your local authority.

     To get the best advice on what to do about the tribunal meanwhile, you need to get the written reasons & show them to an adviser.

    Will
    The Benefits Training Co:

  • Matilda
    Matilda Community member Posts: 2,593 Disability Gamechanger
    You might be eligible to claim PIP.  Disability Rights UK site has a good guide to claiming PIP.  PIP is for how your conditions affect your daily living and mobility, not for the conditions themselves.

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