Please help - they cancelled my IS two weeks ago without me knowing. How will this affect my entitlement to 'back to work grant' etc?

[Lowla]

I phoned the Income support helpline last week to notify them of a change of circumstances. I've registered self-employed, so no longer entitled to IS.

The woman said that since i'm working over 16 hours a week and in receipt of WTC, i'd be entitled to the following:

Four weeks run on of my current housing and council tax benefit
Back to work grant
In work credit

Yesterday, i received a letter in the post from DWP. It said i had failed to respond to their request for more information regarding my IS claim (apparantly they sent me a form last month!) and therefore my IS has been stopped as of 28th August.

I didn't receive a form in the post. And now i'm terrified what this means.

I'm only entitled to the above 3 things if i've been on IS for over 6 months with no break and gone straight into work. Them stopping my IS on the 28th will obviously count as a break so what does this mean?

Why are they allowed to just cancel my IS like that? They didn't even send a follow up letter or phone or anything. Just cut it right off. I'm going to phone tomorrow to sort this out but i'm in tears right now with worry.

I am relying on the rent run on and grant etc in order to get myself on my feet until my business takes off (registered as self employed cleaner). I don't even have a customer yet! Without the grant etc i'll need to go back onto IS.

Please advise.

Just to add - when i phoned last week to notify the woman that i am now working over sixteen hours, she didn't even mention them cancelling my IS two weeks ago. She had all my details on the computer yet said nothing. She even asked if i've had a break in my IS claim, and i told her no.

Good luck sorting it!

How much is the back to work grant?

Hi it's £100 i think. I was counting on it to pay for my cleaning materials and leaflets etc. If i don't get it, i'm going to have to go back onto IS.

I really hope i get it sorted tomorrow.

Sometimes they send out automatic letters that dont affect you. I used to get letters telling me i was working & asking me to provide proof of wages. Was not working was volunteering but their system didnt recognise the difference.

Give them another phone & see what they say.

Oh and btw i got that letter u were talking about. I think everyone did. And it said that if u didnt fill it out & return it u werent complying & your claim would be cancelled.

She had all my details on the computer yet said nothing. She even asked if i've had a break in my IS claim, and i told her no.

So ring her again and tell the truth! This won't sort out until you SORT it out!

I didn't lie!

I didn't have a break in my claim. As far as i knew, my money hadn't been stopped. Only after i phoned to inform them i'm now working, did i get this letter saying they stopped my money back in August because i didn't send back a review form - a form i didn't even receive.

Anyway. I think it's sorted. The guy from IS did my review over the form. They're paying me arrears from the 28th August, they've cancelled my claim because i'm now working, and hopefully i should get my back to work grant as it wasn't my fault i didn't receive their form.

Apparantly my claim wasn't suspended, my money was just stopped. So there's no break in my claim.

Please do everything with the DWP in writing, keep copies and send recorded delivery. If you need evidence when taking action on their incompetence you need everything in writing. They loose paperwork, have no record of calls made etc so even if you have to phone for speed follow up with a letter "further to our conversation on date time, etc". Go to the Citizens Advice for advice as letter them has some impact. I always copy in my MP making it clear that they are c.c on letters to the DWP. MP slow to act and in effective but the fact that they are copied in on letters make the DWP think twice. Making a formal complaint headed as such speeds things up to.