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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to think if you have worked in thsi country no one wants to help you

90 replies

tjacksonpfc · 06/02/2010 20:45

Bit of background i've worked all my life up until i had my 2 dc eldest one is 6 on july. 2 years ago i started working part time aswell. my dp has always worked aswell.

Any way last feb i had to give up work due to ill health i am going in for shoulder reconstruction surgery next month and am waiting to see an orthopedic surgeon about collapsed vertebrae they found i had in december.

Since i gave up work we have struggled by on dps wages and help from friends and family. when i was at drs 2 weeks ago she asked what benefits we got i said none as we have never claimed not thinking we were entitled.

The dr told me to contact the dwp as we should be entitled to something as dp only brings home £250 a week {i no its more than a lot of people get}.

I done this filled out all the forms to get a letter today telling me that im not entitled to employment support allowance as ive not paid enough contributions in last 3 years. whilst i was being a sahm and working part time so not earining enough to pay NI. And my dp earns to much according to what the goverment think a family of four need to live on.

I was really upset by this as we have always worked and the one time we ask for help we get told no so we have to struggle on paying rent and everything else. when there are people that have never worked get everythinbg handed to them.

AIBU to think the goverment policys are all wrong?

sorry its a long post but need to get it off my chest.

OP posts:
GypsyMoth · 06/02/2010 20:48

What do people who have never worked get??? Don't understand that

ToccataAndFudge · 06/02/2010 20:50

have you applied for tax credits? Have you applied for housing benefit and council tax benefits?

Original poster
tjacksonpfc · 06/02/2010 20:52

ilovetiffany they get jsa free rent, poll tax, prescriptions, dental care school meals the things that everyone else has to pay for.

what i am saying is it feels like if you have worked and never asked for help. if you get into a situation where you cant work through no fault of your won the goverment say oh well and doesnt want to no. hardly seems fair to me.

OP posts:
rainbowinthesky · 06/02/2010 20:52

I don't get the comment about what people get who havent worked in this country either .
What about housing benefit and childrens tax credits?

MsHighwater · 06/02/2010 20:52

If you haven't done it already, you should go somewhere for a full benefits check (entitledto.com would be a place to start) - you don't say what all the forms were so I don't know what you applied for. You might be entitled to something else.

But, it's a contributory system so you have to pay in to get back out some benefits. If you haven't, you haven't. And, there are earnings limits for a good reason. If you, jointly, earn above the limit, you don't qualify, end of story. The system isn't perfect but just giving more money to more people wouldn't change it for the better.

Go get that benefits check.

expatinscotland · 06/02/2010 20:53

'I done this filled out all the forms to get a letter today telling me that im not entitled to employment support allowance as ive not paid enough contributions in last 3 years.'

And also because your partner is working over 16 hours/week.

You should get working and child tax credits.

These are administered through the HMRC, though, not the DWP.

Also if you rent, then possibly Local Housing Allowance (Housing Benefit) and some council tax benefit, but you need to go to your council to apply for this.

rainbowinthesky · 06/02/2010 20:54

What about disability allowance if you are unable to work through ill health?

ToccataAndFudge · 06/02/2010 20:55

oh and ESA is an absolute f*cker to get even if you have no other income.

H's CPN took another someone else to their medical for it recently - they scored him 0 points for the question about sight..........and he's blind in one eye!!!

SrStanislaus · 06/02/2010 20:56

You seem very frustrated by your circumstances but dont blame others for the situation you are in. And dont believe everything you read in the papers.
Have you actually checked what you ARE entitled to?
From the bare facts you give it seems to me that you would be entitled to at least an extra £100 per week (and Im being conservative here)

Please check first .There is help if your income is what you say.

www.turn2us.entitledto.co.uk/entitlementcalculator.aspx

expatinscotland · 06/02/2010 20:57

'What about disability allowance if you are unable to work through ill health?'

Disability Living Allowance.

It's possible to apply for this as well.

It's not means-tested. It is pretty hard to get (usually for life-threatening or lifelong conditions).

But possible to apply.

Original poster
tjacksonpfc · 06/02/2010 20:58

all we get is family tax credits. nothing else.

The trouble i had with the contriibution part is they take the last 3 years in to account, of NI ive been a sahm mum for 6 years. Doing part time cleaning 2 hours a night 5 days a week not earning enough to pay tax and NI on it.

Before dc i always paid. the forms i filled out were for employment support allowance which is the old incapacity benfit. But with the new one they work with people with illness to find a job that they are able to do.

Dp brings home £250 per week out of that we have to pay £102.35 rent before we think of bills and food.

OP posts:
ToccataAndFudge · 06/02/2010 21:00

so you need to make sure you're told the Tax credits about your reduced income, and you need to get an application form from the council for LHA (housing benefit)/council tax credit.

You won't get the full amount on that salary, but unless you live somewhere incredibly cheap (rental price wise) in the country I'm sure you'd get some help with that.

rainbowinthesky · 06/02/2010 21:01

So you've not actually paid any tax or ni for 6 years but want something back now? I agree you should be entitled to tax credits and I guess housing benefit but I'm not sure what else.

Original poster
tjacksonpfc · 06/02/2010 21:01

SRS sorry if it comes across taht im blaming others im only really blaming the goverment.

It just really bugs me that people i went to school with have never worked got no intention of working just live of benefits.

The one time we have asked for help after paying into the system they dont want to no.

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 06/02/2010 21:01

it's not called family tax credits.

it's Working Tax and Child Tax Credits.

you can apply for local housing allowance/housing benefit and council tax benefit through your local council.

and you can apply for Disability Living Allowance.

i don't see how this equates to no one wanting to help you.

southeastastra · 06/02/2010 21:02

no yanbu, government policies are all wrong

ToccataAndFudge · 06/02/2010 21:02

well I've worked and paid tax and NI............I don't get any more money now as a single parent than a single parent who has never worked

Original poster
tjacksonpfc · 06/02/2010 21:03

thanks for that expat all i got told about was this new emas like i said. we have never applied for anything before so dont no what we can apply for no one tells you anything do they.

OP posts:
rainbowinthesky · 06/02/2010 21:03

You are right. It is unfair.

chegirlsgotheartburn · 06/02/2010 21:04

DLA isnt for life threatening conditions.

It is hard to get though (even if your condition is life threatening!).

I dont know what ESA is, is it new? Has it replaced incapacity benefit?

If it hasnt - have you applied for that instead?

You say you cant work due to your health condition so you should apply for DLA with help from someone who knows how to fill in the forms.

You will probably only get the lower rates but that is still a help.

You can get that at the same time as you get incapacity benefit.

I dont understand why you dont get tax credits if you have children and are on a low income.

Have you actually asked anyone what you can get rather than looked at the things you cant?

BTW I hate the assumption that everyone else gets 'everything handed to them'. They dont.

rainbowinthesky · 06/02/2010 21:05

I guess though a single parent who has always worked but doesnt now compared with a single parent who has never worked doesnt actually need any more money than the latter. I guess the same has to apply to families.

southeastastra · 06/02/2010 21:06

can you get a degree in know who can get what benefits do you reckon?

expatinscotland · 06/02/2010 21:06

everyone who is in receipt of benefits does have to go through the applications process.

so start with the council for the LHA/HB and council tax benefit application.

ring up for a DLA form - i'll warn you, it's a looong application form, you'll need your doctor's to complete it and DLA is quite difficult to get.

and contact the tax credit office on monday about reduced income, as toccata suggests.

ESA is so hard to get there was a lady on BBC Scotland last week got denied it and she's having chemotherapy.

expatinscotland · 06/02/2010 21:08

'DLA isnt for life threatening conditions.'

well, of course it isn't. that's why i said it's 'usually' as in most usually awarded for such conditions and lifelong ones.

anyone can apply, however.

my daughter gets it. she has severe dyspraxia and multiple learning difficulties, however, that are never going to be cured.

ToccataAndFudge · 06/02/2010 21:11

"I guess the same has to apply to families. "

Indeed last year (well up until middle of this last week) I had a joint claim with H for benefits.

He had worked continuously for nearly 9yrs, obviously I had also worked in previous years (but not for so long).

We got the same benefits as a couple that had never worked in their lives.

Definitely look into the LHA/CTB and Tax Credits to make sure you're getting what you're entitled to there.