h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11728546

I welcome this new universal credit. I was disappointed to see it won't affect me or the Teenacher until 2015. Hopefully I won't be on any benefits by then, but we'll see. I've been on one or another since I moved out of my mum's house, even though I've worked all that time except 6 months after Teenacher was born (and I mean *after* - I worked right up the morning I went into labour) and the two years I had to take off to get him finally diagnosed and settled in a decent school.

Currently I have to claim (and maintain):

Disability Living Allowance
Carer's Allowance
Working Tax Credit
Child Tax Credit
Council Tax Benefit
Child Benefit

That's not too many, only six, but that's six sets of letters every year, and in some cases every six months. Six sets of calls to make every single time I have a change in income. Six sets of people to get angry at because I've reported a change and they've ignored it, or they've sent me a letter which didn't arrive and they cut my benefit off because I didn't answer it.

A couple of months ago I was fighting with Tax Credits (F35977?thread=7795070) trying to get through to report my small profit, now I am arguing with Carer's Allowance as without my accounts they suspended my payments. I'm now trying to get that back on and backdated, which is tricky as they only backdate for three months and I'm arguing that this is not fair when they REFUSED to take my word for it what I was working and I can't be blamed for my accountant taking 4 months to do my books. Also Council Tax I have to fight with, because they've ignored the accounts I took in over two months ago, and decided to suddenly cut off the teeny tiny benefit they had given me in lieu of not having my books as I 'didn't report I was no longer getting Carer's Allowance'. So another two sets of call centres and phone calls to make and letters to write to sort that out, just a week or so after finally sorting out the tax credits.

So yes, having ONE benefit would certainly ease that pressure.

As for cutting benefits for people who turn down 3 job offers, does anyone know anyone who has done this? Even the people I know who have not been working for a long time haven't actually had any job offers....

I forgot to say, they are also talking about easing us back into work by not cutting of benefits immediately. When I was first at work they did 'a week in hand' or whatever it was called - so you still got a week's benefit after taking on a job to help pay for transport etc until you got paid. Not that helpful for me as at the time I was salaried and they wouldn't pay a month but just shows the helpful things they were doing (also I had a discount bus pass off peak when out of work) and then CUT they should really have just kept on as they are bringing them back saying they are new and wonderful.

*sigh*

AFAIK there is a 4-week run on with some benefits (eg HB) when starting work.

I'm not sure the new proposals are actually going to make it less complicated. But part of the proposal seems to be that councils will have more discretion on paying some benefits. And that can only lead to more arguing.

I haven't seen anything more than the vaguest of proposals yet though. No doubt the devil will be in the detail. Most MPs appear to have no concept of what life is like even with a weekly wage (as opposed to inheritance and double salaries) so I can't imagine they'll come up with something fair for benefits.

However, a streamlined system which means you don't have to have arguments with six different sets of people would certainly be an improvement, and long overdue given that organisations have moved on from card-index systems to keep track of people

Mol

Well, I know I'm in cloud cuckoo land thinking it will be easier and better, but I had been thinking for a long time that now everything is computerised why do I have to tell each of them what other benefits I get, when they should just be able to look it up on their computers.

Although, if they cock up, then there won't be the other benefits to rely on while it's sorted out.

I hope that the politicians who were in that programme where they had to live on a wage for a week (like most normal people) get involved, or they send some more out to live like it first!

You only get the four week run-on if you've been on benefits for more than six months. Thanks to the Jobcentre cocking up I lost out on mine because even though I had been on JSA for over six months, because there was a 'break' (one day I didn't sign on as I had a migraine and they didn't receive my sick note form thingy) I got nowt

I'm thinking that there will be one benefit but that there will be 10 different departments paying into that 'one' benefit. You'll still need the 'housing' lot to decide on whether it needs a housing contribution, child benefit people to decide on that, disability 'specialists' to work on that...
It all sounds good and less complicated as a soundbite but I'll believe it's less complex when I see it.

It would be good if they manage it though.

All of that still leaving you with the samenumber of departments to argue with of course ...
Not that I'm a cynic or anything.

Well by the time it comes in I hope I won't be on benefits anyway, or not so reliant on them. Here's hoping my job starts paying some actual money at some point in the next few years!

I seem to remember you saying in the past that you were going to get J to claim benefits on his own behalf as soon as he was 16? So it's his paperwork!

Sadly only one of them, he's finally asked me to take him to the high street to organise his 16+ bank account so he can have his own money from next month.

I asm *still* fighting with council tax, but at least the man today said 'it didn't seem right' and cleared up a couple of other bits for me.

He's going to have a proper look and I'm going back on Friday. He would have done it while I waited, but of course couldn't get parked in their carpark so was in a 30 min only bay (which was all used up just waiting for someone to acknowledge I was even there....) so couldn't really wait any longer.

Try and get written confirmation that he's done what he's said he's done, and why. This could come in handy if a colleague later goes into the system and 'corrects' what he changes.

Not unknown, sadly ...

Mol

I will, thanks. He was very patient with me, although I get very annoyed when council tax BENEFIT is apparently totally different from council tax. Bloody ridiculous. He wanted me to queue up AGAIN to find out what the status of my bill is, as I haven't paid anything all year due to not expecting to have to! I didn't have time. They'll have to send the bailiffs.

Yup, CTB a different section, and they don't always talk to each other.

I'm surprised you've not already had a summons though, if in fact you haven't had a CTB entitlement.

CTB can take a while to process if you're self-employed, but the council shouldn't take recovery action re unpaid CT if you have a CTB claim that's still being considered.

Let me know if you need help, I spend my working life disentangling this sort of thing!

Mol

Maybe I have had a summons and the postie kindly lost it!

Just found out J should have had an interview with DLA before he can take over his benefit to make sure he can manage his money (which we thought was happening on Wednesday, ie his 16th birthday). I've told them to get their skates on as I'm away in January and he's staying with his uncle - who constantly runs out of money so he needs to make sure he can at least buy his lunch at school if he needs to! (he refuses to agree to school dinners which I'd get free ). 'oh we can't do it before Christmas I'll do you a call back URGENT'.

They also told me HE can't give them his bank details. *I* have to do it. But he doesn't want to tell me his bank details. 'I'll put you in for an urgent call back'. *sigh*.

Oh that's just pants. There is a process called transition planning which is supposed to start at 14+ to make sure there is a smooth and seamless (government phrasing, not mine) transition to adult services and 16+ education. I know my job means that I'm not often going to meet people where that's happened, but I really don't think it should be as difficult at is often is.

Mol

He is getting a lot of help at school for various things, just this has annoyed me because I wanted to make sure he has some money while I'm away! As it's a month without income I have to make sure there's enough in my account to cover bills, so it's a bit awkward having to give him money myself! He'll be 16 then. Not my responsibility anymore.