Benefits advice

[Flatasawitchestit]

If anyone has any info that could help or works for the dwp please help.

My dad died earlier this year suddenly. My mum was classed as his carer and obviously once he died that allowance stopped. She now gets a widows pension £58 per week and housing benefit on her rented house of £390 per month.

She can't live on the amount she's given. Her rent is £600pcm alone. She's applied for social housing but it does t look hopeful.

Dos anyone know of any benefits she could also apply for or any additional help? We are getting mixed advice from CAB / age concern. Mum isn't very confident and this has taken a huge knock since dad died. She is applying for JSA but I'm not sure how this is going to work as she's got awful arthritis in her hands so manual work wouldn't be a good idea. She's quite frail (about 5 1/2 stone ) and she's not putting her heating on or even lights and often is sat with a blanket around her in the darkness. My hearts breaking for the loss of my dad, her loss and now the fact we've got another two months worth of money left to help her pay the rent and then she will probably be evicted as there's nothing left to pay the shortfall of rent.


If you'd prefer to PM me please do.

[NicknameIncomplete]

Have u looked at pension credit?

Or instead of jsa what about esa (employment & support allowance), it might be better suited if your mum has health problems.

[SugarSpunSisters]

How old is she?

Pension Credit if a pensioner
ESA if unfit for work
JSA if actively seeking and available for work
Council Tax reduction
Housing benefit / Discretionary Housing payment to cover shortfall (not guaranteed but worth applying)


Possible Personal Independence Payment or Attendance Allowance depending on care and or mobility needs.

[SugarSpunSisters]

What mixed advice have you been getting? Both Age UK and CAB are dust ally good at benefit checks.

[SugarSpunSisters]

Dust alley?! usually !

[dovaffanculo]

bebefits calculator This is a good way for you to check the figures for yourself.

You do need to have to hand a lot of information about last year as well as this years income but as long as that is available it is very accurate.

[Flatasawitchestit]

Thanks for your replies.

Mixed advice. She saw age concern with dad and they helped them sort out benefits as they were both useless really! They'd both worked up until then so didn't have a clue. Mum found out last week that she'd have also been entitled to another benefit which has lost her 3k and this cent be backdated. CAB recently just said she was getting all she could, no mention of the ESA mentioned.

I need to get her to authorise me looking into all this. She's not great at it bless her.

[SugarSpunSisters]

If you can say how old she is then at least you can be pointed in the right direction

[Flatasawitchestit]

Sorry!

She's 59.

[JulieMumsnet]

Evening.

We've been asked to move this into the bereavement section.

Wishing you all the best, Flat

[Flatasawitchestit]

Thank you lovely people.

[ssd]

that a very high rent for her to pay by herself, is it an option to move into somewhere smaller?

am soory for your loss, op

[ssd]

sorry not soory

[Flatasawitchestit]

She can, but a 1 bed is just 50-100 per month cheaper and we'd really hope to get her into social housing as this would be the best option for financial and secure reasons.

Her and dad lived somewhere else, we've already moved her quickly once he died to somewhere smaller and slightly cheaper.

Thanks for your kind comments.

[Auntidote]

Did your Dad have any life insurance policies that haven't been claimed yet?

Or even did she claim but might she be not spending the money on necessities for herself because of some feeling that it must be preserved?

[SugarSpunSisters]

Sorry, I didn't realise the thread had been moved.

The £58 Widows Pension she receives, is this a private pension or from HMRC?

Her options really are limited to JSA if she is actively seeking and available for work or if she is not fit for work then look at Employment Support Allowance.

Have a look at the list of descriptors that have to be met in order to be awarded ESA - 15 points or more are needed to qualify.

ESA Descriptors

Also if she has care needs, look in PIP - 8 - 12 points needed from either or both category in order to qualify

[[http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/benefits_e/benefits_sick_or_disabled_people_and_carers_ew/benefits_personal_independence_payment_e/benefits_the_pip_assessment_e/pip_activities_descriptors_and_points.htm PIP Descriptors (PDF Link)

Also, apply for Discretionary Housing Payment which might be awarded to cover shortfall of the Housing Benefit - Rent. It is entirely discretionary and varies between Local Authorities but it's with giving it a go.

Don't forget 25% off Council tax also.

[SugarSpunSisters]

Sorry! The PIP link

Clicky Link!

[Flatasawitchestit]

Thank you for the replies.

No life insurances at all