I started a claim for ESA myself three months or so ago. The man on the phone said that, as DP was working, I could only claim on a contributions basis, and as I have only been working part time for the past few years (studying and having DD) I would probably only get my stamp paid. Fair enough, I thought.
Then DP lost his job, about two months ago.
He rang the jobcentre to tell them (and told them that I was waiting to hear on a claim for ESA in the course of the claim for JSA that they put him in for). I rang the DWP and told them that DP had lost his job.
About a month after that (in which time we still hadn't had a penny from ESA or JSA, but I had been awarded DLA and that had started paying) I got a letter to say I didn't have enough contributions and so would only get my stamp paid. I rang them and told them again that DP had lost his job. The person I spoke to had a look at my record and said that DP being unemployed had been added to my notes, but nothing in my claim had been changed. He said he would send me out a form to fill in.
Two weeks later (so two weeks or so ago) the form still hadn't arrived (and neither of us had had any money, although DP had been attending the jobcentre to sign on and they had been impressed at his efforts to find a job) so I rang again.
This time the woman on the phone said that me and DP should both be on his claim for JSA (even though I am incapable of work). Halfway through the phonecall, she changed her mind and said that, actually, we should both be on my claim for ESA and that we could be arrested for trying to make separate claims. This was the first we had heard even of the concept that somebody capable of work could be on an ESA claim. She said she would send out a form for me to restart my ESA claim and that DP should stop his JSA claim immediately.
DP rang the JSA dept, who said there was no hurry, and that next time he came in to sign on, he should just tick a certain box on the form.
The form from ESA never arrived. When I rang to see where it was, apparently there was a note on my file saying that after the woman had hung up, she had decided that my claim was stamp only, and so I didn't need the form. This is despite me spending about an hour on the phone to her explaining my situation in detail. She hadn't bothered to contact me to tell me of her change of mind.
The person agreed to send the form out again, plus a form for making an official complaint. But not before saying that DP should have been on JSA until he became incapable of work. I could have thrown the phone across the room, but managed to stay calm and explain that no, DP is seeking work, I am ill. We can't be the only couple in the country in that situation.
I got the form (ESA1), filled it out, and sent it back, with my latest sicknote, the complaint form and my form for claiming the sure start maternity grant (I am 34 weeks pregnant) all in the same envelope.
Today I got a letter saying there is a 10 day gap between my sicknotes (due to me not realising it was about to run out before someone casually mentioned it in one of my many phonecalls, then the usual wait for a non-urgent appointment at the GPs) I rang them, and they said there would be a gap in my payments. When I said I haven't had any payments, they were shocked, then did a bit of digging, and said that it was because my claim is stamp only.
DP also rang the jobcentre to say he can't sign on today due to having an interview, and mentioned that he will be stopping his claim anyway due to me claiming ESA. They said it was nothing to do with them, and he should speak to the ESA department.
I am now waiting (since 9.30am) for a supervisor to ring me back.
ARGH!!!!!!!! Somebody please help me. If it wasn't for DPs parents lending us money, we would actually be homeless and starving, as the council are refusing to even look at our claim for housing and council tax benefit until we are being paid our benefits, and have also said they can only backdate for a month.
What can I do?