UK Veteran help with dealing with PIP

twonker

Being a veteran (was in the TA for many years) I am supposed to get extra help with claiming benefits and filling out forms and all manner of other things which never seem to materialise. Does anybody know if the RBL have a face to face consultation process?

If not are there any other organisations that I can link into. 

I am fed up of struggling on my own for years with various benefit claims and especially the PIP re-assessment early next year and never had any advice from anybody in the past. Seeing that others are getting help and support I was hoping to get some of it for myself.
I have tried the Veteran Gateway and it all seems to be via telephone for advice.

Paddie

Sorry to hear your struggling have you tried contacting SSAFA?
www.ssafa.org. uk
or just google SSAFA they will be able to help you.
let me know how you get on..
good luck 
Paddie 

wilko

Hello most advice services offer over the phone advice or have regional drop in offices but these will be rare if at all. We have to look at it from the providers side and the costs involved in providing the kind of service you are looking for or wish was available. But with doctor's making fewer house calls and over the phone consultations when and where appropriate is the norm now. Unless your local CAB can help or advise then you me and many others are left to our selves to sourse our own help. 

poppy123456

https://advicelocal.uk/

twonker

Paddie said:

Sorry to hear your struggling have you tried contacting SSAFA?
www.ssafa.org. uk
or just google SSAFA they will be able to help you.
let me know how you get on..
good luck 
Paddie 

Thanks Paddie, To be honest I am confused as it seems now that all of the agencies, SSAFA, RBL etc all come under the government's veteran gateway.
I will try them and see what they offer. I do know that a fellow veteran contacted the RBL a year or two ago, could have been 2016, and all they offered was a chat on the phone with a guy based in Cardiff.
SSAFA did help me out with face to face contact back in 1996/7 when I needed support for PTSD.
Maybe they are still around. I have all of my service details etc to prove my status.
You may also possibly know. Is the new Veteran Armed Forces ID card now available for those that left the service before December 2018?

twonker

wilko said:

Hello most advice services offer over the phone advice or have regional drop in offices but these will be rare if at all. We have to look at it from the providers side and the costs involved in providing the kind of service you are looking for or wish was available. But with doctor's making fewer house calls and over the phone consultations when and where appropriate is the norm now. Unless your local CAB can help or advise then you me and many others are left to our selves to source our own help. 

That's what I have been thinking hence why I have never bothered contacting anyone before. CAB don't seem to have a good reputation if you go by the many posts on here by people that have used them - too few qualified and experienced staff for too many people asking for help.

CockneyRebel

In fairness to the CAB, they do have many things to deal with and like a GP they are not specialists in all areas. If you are lucky, as I was, then you may have a knowledgeable benefits advisor but they are few and far between. The lack of resources does not help the situation but if you have time you can find out about and gain some useful knowledge that can be shared on forums such as this. But beware, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing

twonker

CockneyRebel said:

In fairness to the CAB, they do have many things to deal with and like a GP they are not specialists in all areas. If you are lucky, as I was, then you may have a knowledgeable benefits advisor but they are few and far between. The lack of resources does not help the situation but if you have time you can find out about and gain some useful knowledge that can be shared on forums such as this. But beware, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing

Whatever the reason is very few people that I know hold the CAB in good regard.
I agree, that's why I have been always sceptical of phone advice, or even welfare rights advice - you never know how good the advice is. Better to do it yourself but then you are penalised because you don't understand how the system works.
I'll get hold of SSAFA in the morning and take it from there.

CockneyRebel

I do hope that you can get the advice and support appropriate to your situation

twonker

twonker said:

CockneyRebel said:

In fairness to the CAB, they do have many things to deal with and like a GP they are not specialists in all areas. If you are lucky, as I was, then you may have a knowledgeable benefits advisor but they are few and far between. The lack of resources does not help the situation but if you have time you can find out about and gain some useful knowledge that can be shared on forums such as this. But beware, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing

Whatever the reason is very few people that I know hold the CAB in good regard.
I agree, that's why I have been always sceptical of phone advice, or even welfare rights advice - you never know how good the advice is. Better to do it yourself but then you are penalised because you don't understand how the system works.
I'll get hold of SSAFA in the morning and take it from there.

I managed to acquire a local telephone number for SSAFA and left a message to ring me back.
Received the call 30mins ago and the guy could not be anymore helpful.
It seems that they (through their contacts) have a local guy that used to head up the Welfare Rights department of the council until he was made redundant.
He does home visits and will if needed represent at a Tribunal. At least I get something for the time and effort I gave in my service to the country.
There is no rush as it is about 10 months away for the PIP2 forms. I also asked what he knew about this idea of all state pensioners being given automatic 10 year awards and no more re-assessments. As far as he was concerned it isn't going to happen for the likes of me as I don't have a high/high award and don't have the condition that the DWP are requiring.   

Adrian_Scope

Hi @twonker, I'm so glad you were able to find some support with this and that they even do home visits. 

twonker

Adrian_Scope said:

Hi @twonker, I'm so glad you were able to find some support with this and that they even do home visits. 

Yes thanks. It's better late than never I suppose after years of appeals because no one at the DWP actually believed that I was in any way disabled enough to qualify for DLA/PIP. It's a wonderful feeling knowing that someone is there for me.

Paddie

So pleased you contacted SSAFA.... I knew they would help... they are there for you!!!!!
i used to volunteer for them but had to stop re health issues