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UK Veteran help with dealing with PIP

twonker
twonker Posts: 617 Pioneering
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.


Comments

  • Paddie
    Paddie Community member Posts: 75 Courageous
    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
    wilko Community member Posts: 2,458 Disability Gamechanger
    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
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,330 Disability Gamechanger
    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.
  • twonker
    twonker Posts: 617 Pioneering
    edited May 2019
    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
    twonker Posts: 617 Pioneering
    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
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    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
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • twonker
    twonker Posts: 617 Pioneering
    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
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    I do hope that you can get the advice and support appropriate to your situation
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • twonker
    twonker Posts: 617 Pioneering
    edited May 2019
    twonker 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
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 10,821 Scope online community team
    Hi @twonker, I'm so glad you were able to find some support with this and that they even do home visits. 
    Community Manager
    Scope
  • twonker
    twonker Posts: 617 Pioneering
    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
    Paddie Community member Posts: 75 Courageous
    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 

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