Citizens advice + UC. Just ranting

[Jodielou5972]

Hi all, long story short I have to submit a change of circumstances for my benefits and subsequently change over to universal credit. I have no idea how any of it works so I rang citizens advice, who told me they hold a benefits drop in service every morning 9-12.
Off I went today, got there for 9:15am and I was already ticket number 53 to be seen 🤦🏻‍♀️
The woman at the desk assured me I would receive help, and advised me to wait.
After 1.5 hours I was ready to pee my pants (32 weeks pregnant), I got up and asked where the toilet was. The woman actually scoffed at me, pulling a face and told me the toilets aren't for public use and I have to leave the centre and walk into the town centre to use those toilets! Everyone in the room was so angry. I am carrying very very large it's hard to miss!
Anyway, I don't expect "special treatment", maybe kindness and understanding. But I wiped my mouth and walked to the toilet and back.
I never got seen till 11:30 only for them to tell me they no longer help with claims/forms and literally gave me a 0800 number to ring. That was it!!!
Complete rant for no reason I just thought it was appalling. They are supposed to be there to help and offer support!

Oh, may as well ask, if anyone knows where abouts will help with universal credit that would be appreciated!

You will need ID documents - passport, driving license etc if you have them. Sometimes you can do all the verification online. I did my son's claim this way. If you have rent to pay you will need to upload tenancy agreement at some point unless it's council or HA rent.
I worked at CAB for a number of years but found I had to pretty much teach myself a lot. Some colleagues were rubbish at advising and lost clients a lot of money. I left in the end as I was so fed up with the awful service that some advisors gave to vulnerable people.

UC is basically made up of a number of elements that you are eligible for - so if you rent then you get a rent element, everyone gets a standard element either single or couples, then if you have kids you get childrens elements, if you are a carer you get carers element. All these add up to your total UC. Then earnings reduce the award at a taper rate.

It's not difficult to set up the claim if computer literate. The problems I find are that DWP are not very helpful at telling people how Uc works so elements are frequently missed off and if people don't know or don't have help from organizations like CAB to guide them, they are none the wiser ! I have a couple I am helping currently who have been getting zero awards on UC for well over a year because 2 crucial elements were missing off their claim. Now that I have highlighted this, things seem to be getting sorted but they have struggled all through the cost of living crisis, missed out on cost of living payments etc all because DWP missed things.

Where does op say she is disabled?

I thought ESA was an out of work disability benefit?

Should disabled people not have children??

If you are already on ESA you should not need a new assessment unless you were due for a re-assessment anyway. Switching to Uc from ESA should not trigger a new medical assessment. he was correct in what he told you.

It is for people too unwell to work. It's not a disability benefit like PIP.

It’s not a trick question, having children is physically and mentally strenuous - if you’re too unwell to work then I don’t see how you are well enough to raise a child 🤷🏼‍♀️

I am not disabled. Just unable to work, indefinitely.
But the question is still awful, someone paralysed from the waist down can still be a parent. Someone deaf. Someone with only 1 arm. Blind. With down's syndrome.
There are an infinite number of reasons a person cannot work.

People with those conditions work, I’ve had colleagues with all of those conditions bar Downs Syndrome but a bloke who lives on my road has DS and works.

If you’re unable to work indefinitely, you’re in no place to have a baby. But you say you are in a place to have a baby, therefore you should be working. Benefits are money taken from working people to give to people who aren’t working, so I don’t think it’s wrong or controversial to point this all out.

Perhaps the inability to work was caused by pregnancy itself though ? Some people have to have bedrest for months of a high risk pregnancy. If they aren't in a permanent job they would need to claim benefits if not entitled to sick pay.

@Babyroobs i doubt that’s the case even if OP now magically says it is…

Plus she says she’s on legacy benefits which suggests this has been going on for years, well before she got pregnant.

I was brutally raped by my last manager.
This has caused PTSD, social anxiety and agoraphobia. As well as everything else. Which are all made worse when in working environments, understandably.
Just because I was raped and find it difficult in work situations, doesn't mean I don't have the right to have a child. Surely?
Thanks for being so nice though 👍

Ps. I've had mental health assessments through out pregnancy and they aren't concerned about my ability to parent.
I have personal issues which effect my ability to work.

Well nobody has the ‘right’ to a child, disabled or otherwise. It isn’t unreasonable to ask how, if somebody is so unwell they cannot work, they are able to get pregnant, have a baby and raise a child. You’re trying to make this a ‘discrimination’ type issue when it isn’t, I’m just asking practical and sensible questions.

No, you made assumptions and pigeon holed what it meant to be "unable to work". Your ignorance didn't allow you to imagine the thousands of different ways a person may not be able to work, but can still be a parent. Life isn't black and white.

Haha I'm not trying to make it a discrimination issue at all. I'm giving you the truth to your "sensible questions".

If you have severe social anxiety and agrophobia, CAB may be able to offer like video appointments rather than having to wit for hours in a crowded building with lots of other people. I know when I worked for CAB we were able to advise via video link.

Thank you, I didn't think of that! I'm going to ring the help to claim number, and there is another organisation that can apparently help. Hopefully it can be done over the phone like you say x

You shouldn’t need to go through another health assessment your entitlement will carry over.
you can use universal credit essentials website to work out your claim to the penny.
www.uceplus.co.uk

is this your first child? If so you have up until baby is 6 months to claim the maternity grant £500.
and like some one suggested above. Make sure you get the help to save account deposit up to £50pm
the government give you 50p for every £1 so if even just manage to save 400 in the 4 years you’ll end up with 600.
and if you are in a couple on a joint claim you can each have one.

Thank you! That's all really helpful, especially the link.

Didn't know about the help to save, that's actually really good.. Will enquire about that when I ring.

Thank you again x

Exactly. Horrible post.

You shouldn't feel you have to justify yourself to the likes of @Moonicorn

What has been your change of circumstance? Not all changes trigger a move to UC.