help with esa payment changes

[ytsrik1978]

Hi i was on esa and carers allowance do to my own health conditions and having to have a operation on my knee i am unable to care for the person anymore i cancelled the carers allowance on the 14th of july 2012 my esa money should of gone up. I have rang employment and support allowance several times and all they can tell me is that it takes several weeks to sort out and they will get someone to ring me back of which they never do.
In the mean time they expect me to live off £67.18 a fortnight is there anything i can do about this?
i would be most gratefull if anyone can help me
Thank you kirsty

[factor-fiction]

Do you mean £67.18 a week rather than per fortnight?

[ytsrik1978]

i mean exactly what i said they expect me to live off £67.18 a fortnight is there anything i can do?
thank you kirsty

[wolf63]

Have you been in touch with them to get a breakdown of their calculation? Have you told them that your carers allowance has stopped?

[ytsrik1978]

they wont give me a break down of their calculations and i informed they straight after the care allowance was cancelled they wont tell me anything just that it can take several weeks to sort out and they say someone will ring me back of which they dont
thanks kirsty

[factor-fiction]

Is there any other income in the household or fairly large savings?
When I was on JSA last year I have only received around £68 a week which didn't even cover my council tax, mortgage and utility bills, never mind pay my student son's rent of £100 a week, but it was because my wife was earning a reasonable salary.

[factor-fiction]

Have you asked about an emergency loan from DWP?

[factor-fiction]

It's actually called a Crisis Loan

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/sf401-print.pdf

[themas]

Go to your local CAB urgently & ask them for help in taking this up. Make sure you take with you all the relevant papers.

[ytsrik1978]

i dont have any other income and i dont have any savings the most i cold et out of the employment and support allowance call center is that its CLERICAL but unsure what this means ? it too phone calls to get them to tell me that
thank you
kirsty

[factor-fiction]

I remember overhearing an employee at the Job Centre offering to organise a 'clerical' payment to someone who was waiting for an application to be approved. I took it to mean a one-off manual payment of some sort, but I could have been wrong

[factor-fiction]

http://uk.answers.yah...20100126131922AAVveI2
This may help.

[cathfromsaron]

you will get it backdated!

have you applied for DLA yet?

[THECORBYLOON]

Benefit claims are normally processed on a computer system but sometimes that is not possible either because of a system fault or if there are peculiarities about the case. If it can't be processed on the computer it's done clerically and that's why you've been telt it's clerical.

If I were you I'd get in touch wi the call centre and tell them you want an urgent call back from the processing section within an hour to speak to about the case. They may say it's a three hour call back, if you're okay wi three hours rather than an hour fine, if not tell them it's causing you hardship and you want an urgent call back.

When you speak to the call centre tell them you have a copy of the letter telling you the Carer's Allowance has stopped and you want to post or fax it to the ESA section (if someone can go to the local Jobcentre for you ask if the Jobcentre will fax it for you. You are best to get the name of someone to fax it to so you can chase it up wi that person if need be.)

The call centre can notify the appropriate section and you should get a call back from the processing section within the agreed time. If they don't call back within the time, call again tell them you've not had a call back and it then gets escalated to higher levels and people in higher grades start getting involved.

If you put in an application for a Crisis Loan, the Social Fund section should work out there are arrears of ESA due and they will refuse to pay because the ESA section should pay the arrears. They may or may not get in touch wi the ESA section and insist that the ESA section pay the arrears asap to avoid the crisis.

[ytsrik1978]

yes i have applied for DLA.
I rang the employment and support call centre on friday they told me i would get a call back by 5pm but i never did .I then rang again at 8am this morning they said wait till 12 noon for a call back they never rang back i rang again and got told that i would have a call back within the hour they never rang me i rang again got told i would get a ring back within a hour i therang again i then got told i would have a priority phone call within the hour off the processing team i then of which they didnt ring me i rang one last time today and got told i will have to wait till tommorrow and that it aid clerical. its i nightmare like they are all robots when you ring them up.
thanks
kirsty

[ytsrik1978]

just checked my bank all they have given me for this fortnight is £67.18 when i should be getting £135 a fortnight can anyone advice me please everytime i ring them they just say someone will ring me back and they never do
thank you
kirsty

[factor-fiction]

We can't really help until you get to speak to someone. You need to stay on the phone until you get an answer. I sympathise though- phone calls to the 0845 numbers can cost several £s a time when you are hanging on.

The £67.18 may not cover a full 2 week period.

[THECORBYLOON]

Any news on the payment?

[ytsrik1978]

finally got through to them and they said i will get all back pay on friday and they have upped my money also managed to find a cheaper number ring them all thank you all for your help
thank you
kirsty

[Jemisa]

GREAT! another AB result. Good Luck Kirsty. :)

jem

[ytsrik1978]

thank you jem
x kirsty