To ask the truth about life on benefits nowadays

[ginorwine]

Too many benefit programmes on implying different things- blaming media .
Also on some fb pages reports of increased food bank use and people with disability killing self due to new laws .
My cousin who is a wheelchair user has a sister bedroom and no issues over the bedroom tax and also says she as enough money for what she needs including a fantastic car that picks up the wheelchair and packs it into her boot , sufficient money for nice things , Petrol and meals out and said to me she genuinely feels she has a decent lifestyle .
Amongst the media hype am wondering what the reality actually is these days ....

I know a fair few people on benefits. The ones who are wise, pay there bills foods etc are the ones who live comfortably. But then i know those who spend all the money on nails hair extensions stupid expensive make up dont drive out every weekend drinking then come wednesday mid week moaning benefits arnt enough the havnt got money for electric and have to "lend" it.... some people do genuinely struggle, but i believe those people arnt recieving what they are fully entitled too. Its a warped world

Absolutely . I know both types too . Priorities I suppose but I always recall being told "make sure rent is paid. bills are paid and food for the table" .

I work for a foodbank, lots of people are getting screwed. It's a reality.

It really depends.
I know people on benefits who are bloody hard up, but also know my dad who is able to collect all the crap he wants, holidays to Berlin and Holland a few times a year. He's on top whack DLA for life, with top rate ESA.
I don't think his situation is the norm by far though.

I'm shocked that a PP stated a support letter from a Consultant costs £100 a page. Who pays... the claimant?

I work in the NHS as a PA to a Consultant Psychiatrist. We do at least 1 or 2 support letters a week for our patients. We charge not a single penny!

Becca, I'm speechless!

Katie0705 I am sorry you had to go through the UC hell but glad you had support and are now getting back to work.
Yes my situation is hideous I'm a long long way from home with no relatives left or anyone to help. I'm currently borrowing someone else's shoes but they're a size four and I'm a five and a half so they're killing my feet. If anyone thinks surviving on benefits is all latest iphones and fortnights in Spain they should come meet me

thenightsky the claimant and they only accept cash. My letter last time was over ten pages!

Benefit support letters are not NHS work, they never have been - they are private work, hence its more than £100 a page you're paying for the consultant and PA time. Only fit/sick notes are NHS work. When I worked in the NHS it was clear all letters should be paid for but it wasn't a rule as such. But in the last few years it has become a rule as staff cannot keep giving time to write continual letters - those in ESA support group can be assessed twice a year for example, plus PIP renewals can be every year so its a huge amount of clinician time.

It's the same for social services or housing reports - patient pays. Letters aren't sent until the patient pays.

The exception is dwp requests then dwp pays. That's why the don't bother.

Dumbo412 If your dad is getting the top rate disability benefits, he must be very severely disabled, and being disabled comes with high costs. Yes the money awarded is a decent amount but it doesn't make up for having to cope with a disability for years. And he will be transferred from DLA to PIP at some point even if he was awarded for life - my DLA was an indefinite award but I still had to apply for PIP. I did get an award but there is no indefinite award for PIP, they gave me an ongoing award but it will be reviewed in 10 years.

@TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge Jill didn't say she was on low rate DLA she said she is worried that when she has to transfer to PIP she may find it hard to get the award as more assessors are giving out lower awards or none and many more are having to go to appeal.

My pip application was horrendous and I initially got the wrong award. I am bedridden with a physical illness and submitted supporting medical evidence. . Obviously not all people are getting the incorrect award first time round but many more are than previously. I have also heard though in theory those with mental health conditions are still entitled assessors are failing many with mental health conditions initially. The appeal process is stressful and difficult when ill.

Becca
I'm an ex social
Worker and we never ever charge for letters tho
( it seems a thing that for eg gps charge re passports whereas I could do them too and just did them ) it took me time as a sw to write supportive letters and done of it was direct medical stuff from the ward files ( I was in a medical field) so it seems unfair ....

That's why I said about appeals happening in courts - a few counties are doing that now. It's horrendously stressful and assessors know that. My county has low level of claimants - the stress of going to court combined with not disability/welfare advice is why.

J f t
My daughter is a size 5
Would you like me to see if she has any spares ?

gin everyone is charged here so it's not really being unfair.

The fact is with increased assessments comes increased workload. I live somewhere GP surgeries are closing frequently which is very rural, they can't cope with NHS work never mind extra for government biased assessments.

Consultants too are very overworked and can't manage supporting letters on top.

It's good in other areas it's free, but likely won't be long term.

I'm on benefits - we are ok but i have to budget and I often go without. Our rent is covered by housing benefit. 2 kids - toddler gets handmedowns and 2nd hand clothes off Facebook. Always has one pair of decent fitting shoes. Teen doesn't do too bad, I go without so he gets what he needs and doesn't miss out on opportunities.

I have a decent 5yr old car (that desperately needs a service but can't afford yet), it was brought and paid for prior to me being on benefits, I couldn't afford it now. I have saved £300 as my emergency stash that I won't touch unless a real emergency. I haven't hadn't a haircut in over a year, I haven't brought new clothes in about 2 years (apart from a new top, that was half price for £8 to wear to a funeral), I go hunting reduced sections at local supermarket in the evenings regularly to put in the freezer. I am in desperate need of new shoes as I have my winter boots(done 3 winters), a pair of flip flops (done two summers and now nearly broke) and a pair of sketchers I got off Amazon for £15! But I never get round to buying them as teen ends up needing money for an activity or something. (A worthwhile one that I want him to have the opportunity to do not a "I want to go to the cinema with my mates kind of thing) also use camelcamelcamel and buy a lot of bargains off Amazon. We don't have sky etc I have an iPhone as I got that prior to being on benefits. I won't upgrade it, as would prefer to spend the money on the kids. I have no social life. We don't do holidays or big fun days out.

My parents are good and help pay for some of teens activities- for instance I paid for a trip away, they gave him his spending money. They have been here tonight and brought dinner with them. They purposely over brought and left it in my fridge. That helps. I also owe a 4 figure sum to them as they helped me carpet and furnish our home when I got it as me and rhe kids had nothing to put in it. And I pay it back in small amounts as and when I have some spare.

I find the banking app on my phone the best way to budget and I check it at least once a day.

Becca19962014 The Consultant Psychiatrist I work with says that because they are her patients and on her case load, she won't charge. They are NHS patients, not private, hence no charge.

And no support letters are 10 pages. They are just a paragraph of diagnosis, ongoing treatment and prognosis. We send the letter to the patient explaining that personal information is in the letter, please let us know if any of it is inaccurate. If not, please use the letter as you need.

ginorwine

Thanks very much for your kind offer I really appreciate it but please don't trouble yourself or your daughter, there's a clothes bank at a church nearby coming up so I'll be ok. Many thanks anyway

I'd love to know the true picture for most people on benefits.

We have relatives on benefits. The wife has never worked (for 30 years) and now claims disability. Her adult son is classed as her carer (but he doesn't need to do anything for her as she isn't that ill to require it) so that's more money.

The husband has never worked consistently and recently began claiming disability for having feet that turn outwards. He is having a university degree paid for, for free.

They have Louboutins, the latest tech, do renovations to their housing association home and have just bought a motor home. Everything is branded. They have more "stuff" than we do on two incomes.

I don't understand...

Thingy if you don't mind me saying - if we have any spare decent shoes you wd be most welcome to them - I'm a 4 and dd a 5 .

@AlmostAjillsandwich, I am sorry for all you have been through. If your dad applied for esa as u said he has health problems and was successful he could then get an income support top up. You can in theory gets carer's allowance and as part of income related ESA but difficult in practice possibly to get ESA when saying managing some care.

If they say he can look for work and refuse ESA he would only be entitled to JSA and would have to actively show he is looking for work to receive it. JSA does not include an income support top up or disability premiums. You can't get the £60 a week severe disability premium for those receiving care component of PIP unfortunately as you don't live alone (u could get the other disability premium if your dad was on esa but it's less, about £15 a week etc). If your dad was on pip care component as well as u, u could get severe disability premium but from what u said I don't think he would fulfil criteria for PIP. I would seriously ask your dad to consider applying for ESA if he is not well enough to work.

Meant to make clear - I truly believe most people on benefits really need them. I just don't understand these exceptions and how they get away with it while others work hard.

J t f
It would be no troubke at al
All the best

When you have been long term sick or disabled you get used to living within your means so it can seem that you're doing ok financially both externally and to yourself. All it takes,however, is one emergency (needing new cooker/fridge/major car repair/benefit delay/sanction etc) to fuck things up then you experience a whole different side of trying to exist within the system. When your monthly spend is predictable it is just about possible to exist on disability benefits but with the unpredictability of the new regime you'll find fewer and fewer living comfortably or not in fear.

thenight yes they'll be NHS patients but the work of doing the letters is private work not NHS work. Doing letters in NHS time means less time doing NHS work.

In the trust I worked in complaints were raised about the time staff spent on benefit letters and it not being NHS work so NHS work was suffering. Now too many want letters, there just isn't the time. I know if they could my orthopaedic consultant would give me a free letter but they aren't allowed by the trust to decide if they should be charged for anymore - they must be paid for and work done outside of NHS time.

I've tried complaining but was told it was inappropriate to expect free letters - if the dwp want letters they must ask, then Im not charged, but, the dwp are so don't ask. It's not the only trust doing it.

I am on disability and the other benefits that go with it. I have had an assessment for ESA and was moved from the support group to the work group. Triggered my PIP, which I am expecting to get removed as I have mental health problems, with PIP being taken away and ESA, my council tax will go up and my housing benefit down.

I will also say that today, my neighbours probably saw me walk into my house, with a "new" Apple computer and phone, also last week we came home with a new dishwasher. However the apples are hand me downs which is what a lot of things in my house are. We use them till they break completely and if we can afford to replace them, otherwise a member of my family might lend me one of their old systems. Dishwasher came from freecycle.

Unless you have access to their banks accounts never believe what you see or what you hear.