This morning I received another letter, in an envelope obviously from a government department. I put it on the coffee table and looked at it for a while, not wanting to know what was inside. Eventually, with a calming brew in hand, I opened it.
My Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit has been suspended.
As you know, my Jobseekers’ Allowance has already been suspended.
So, trying to stay calm, I immediately checked my bank account online to see how much money I have to survive on until my employers pay me my part-time wage or Jobcentre Plus reconsider my situation: I was hoping it would be enough to last till a get a giro next week when this mess is sorted.
Then I find £30 has been taken in unpaid direct debit fees from my benefits (for reasons beyond my understanding because everything has been paid on time).
I would’ve been better off staying on benefits.
If I were still on benefits I wouldn’t need to find bus fares to my part-time work. I could go hungry at home rather than while trying to give lectures. I could sit in front of the halogen heater and not have to venture out into the snow only to return to a permanently unheated flat.
Jobcentre Plus agreed to my working – I asked for permission before I signed any contracts – but still I’m penalised.
This is the reality of how workers are treated when they make concerted efforts to get off unemployment and to earn an income, albeit a part-time, temporary one. For trying not to rely on unemployment benefits, for trying to find work that could, perhaps, lead to getting off the dole completely, I now have literally no income.
I’m at a loss at what to do. I can’t begin to imagine what rabid Tories would suggest. I assume this would still be my fault: perhaps my entrepreneurial skills have failed me yet again; perhaps I chose the wrong two careers in journalism and academia; perhaps my qualifications aren’t the right type; perhaps I over-achieved; perhaps I under-achieved; perhaps living within my means doesn’t show enough gumption and I should invest my £67.50 per week into some money-spinning venture from which I’ll emerge richer than Mark Zuckerberg.
All I want is a job. I just want enough money to live on. I’m happy to forgo holidays, meals in fancy restaurants, new clothes, a car, a mobile phone and all the things I once took for granted. I can’t, though, not have money for rent, council tax, food, travel expenses to work.
I no longer know what I’m expected to do. I would’ve been better off staying on benefits.
Amount of money I have £21.62
Cost of travel to work: £11.50 per week
Days until I am paid: 40
Sorry to hear about your problems. As soon as any JSA is stopped, I believe your local authority is informed by the DWP about your change of circumstance. Get in touch with your local authority immediately and tell them of your situation. It’s best if you ask them at that time what evidence you will need to make a new claim for HB/CTB. This is important, I believe they now ask for bank statements, so get them asap. You may need to get confirmation from your new employer as to what your wage will be, and when it will be paid. With a part time job there are loads of pit falls when you try for extra help. It will depend on the hours that you work and the wage that you earn. There are very good sites online that can help you with this. The more you look into the benefit system, the more you learn. You’ll be making money writing about it soon enough. I could go further…but I won’t. I believe that the net can be used for good. So go do yourself some good. http://www.turn2us.org.uk/ There’s your starter for ten. I hope that helps. If you’d like more info, just get in touch through FB.
Thank you! This will help. I’ll keep it up as a comment so it might help others.
Since you are working part time, and you’re maintaining this blog, Have you thought about looking into Working Tax Credits and becoming self-employed? I do this part time as I am a writer of fiction still looking for that elusive publishing deal. I work about 10 hours a week as a Librarian as well and claim Working Tax Credit to make ends meet. We get part of our HB/CTB paid as well.
I would second this – even doing sporadic freelance work, you could get some tax credits. It wouldn’t be loads, but it might be enough to make a difference between eating or not eating.
http://kentfreedommovement.ning.com/forum/topics/bank-charges-not-allowed-on?xg_source=facebookshare
Aaa, interesting blog from Kent Freedom Movement. I brought Section 187 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 to the attention of my bank and was firmly told this is an old section which no longer exists and they can take money from my benefits (this is aside from the fact that they’re technically wrong to do so). I’ll look into it. Thanks!
The situation is shit I know, the only reason I’m not shivering and hungry in some squat, is because I have a child, most of my friends have been to uni, work for tescos or an equivalent and have moved back in with their parents. I too am at a loss as to how to get out of my dependency on housing benefit. The killer is the rent, and it just seems like my generation are footing the bill for our parents generation’s inflated mortgages…
Oscar – that is a huge over-statement. I am a struggling Uni-educated 30-something with a mortgage. I obtained this mortgage when things were going very well just a few short years ago; before the recession hit. Not everyone in their 20s and 30s is reliant on HB and anyone with a mortgage just has to struggle on. Somehow. There is NO, ZERO help for those with mortgages. So, think yourself ‘lucky’ in some way those of you ‘stuck’ on housing benefit. At least you don’t run the very real risk of losing your home in tough times.
Btw, UH, I sympathize with your plight. I did put in a claim for council tax benefit some time ago but the pen-pushing drones at county hall lost paperwork and wanted duplicate copies of the mounds of paper I’d already supplied. This included confidential stuff like bank statements, which they had somehow ‘misplaced’!! The whole process was humiliating and dragged on and on for weeks. I stopped the claim, even though based on my very small income (then and now), I should be getting help.
My sanity and self-respect I reasoned was worth more than the monthly struggle to pay my CT.
I know what you mean, I’m genuinely glad I never bought those few properties I looked at many years ago. That said, I never really earned enough as a jouralist to buy property near work and friends anyway: perhaps in the very early days but that soon changed and I had no chance when living in London. It is less stressful renting from a housing association – hence our needing more social housing! – but this messing about with my Housing Benefit has led me to fear losing my home. I don’t I will, I should be ok but, like you, say it tests your sanity. I hope your struggle doesn’t last too long.
They will be visiting your house soon to riffle through your underwear drawer and count your chairs. I have a ‘visit’ coming up. :- l
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Hi this is my situation. On the 28th July my Dad passed away, I had only just signed of for Job Seekers on the 18th June, and had never been on benefits before. It was decided that I was entitled to income based Job Seekers and I began to receive my benefit at 71.00 pw. I have a property that I own and have a morgage to pay on that, but was not entitled to any other financial help. When my dad passed away, I came to live temporarily with my mum, in order to support her as she is in her 80′s and was finding the emotional side very difficult to cope with. I thought I would do the right thing and contacted the Job Centre in Hounslow, and was advised that I needed to come in and complete the necessary paperwork. I did this three days after my dads death, obviously in grief, and finding the who thing a little to much to deal with. I was treated with no compassion, but hey, I filled in the forms, and added on one of them that my move was temporary, however, although previously I was able to look countrywide for a job, I was now seeking employment within a 60 mile radius of my mother in order to support her. Unbeknown to me the Job Centre passed that on to Glasgow and my benefits were stopped from the 28th July! I have been in an on going fight, as it has now be predetermined that I have two properties, which of course I dont! I went to sign on today, as i apparently have to…and asked about the situation, as depite my three calls to Glasgow no one had got back to me. I was advised I needed A64A form that Glasgow should have sent me. I advised the JC that I had now not received any benefits for 4 weeks and although I am actively seeking work, I now have no money to attend the interviews (I have 4 scheduled in the next 10 days)..I was told well you have to other wise you wont get your benefits…hello! Im not getting any now. Today it cost my £3.20 in parking to attend a useless CV exercise, before anyone says anything, I dont own the car I borrowed it, because I could use the petrol for free. I phoned Glasgow when I got back, spoke to an officious guy who told me that ‘system were systems’ and they would re-send the A64A form (which they never sent in the first place). I told him that I have NO money, not some, not a little bit, not a few coins in my purse….NO MONEY! his reaction was…..well you did move didnt you? and you have a second property we have to investigate! I did say in my upset…I didnt think people could starve on the streets of England, his reply :a little emotional dont you think’?
Sorry had to rant..has anyone else had this happend to them. I just dont know what to do next other than wait for the form. Thank you Sharon
I get treated like some criminal trying to steal money from the jobcentre. I had to leave work due to illness, I’m on ESA, the amount of times its been stopped due to Glasgow losing my sicknotes is unbelieveable! And the joke of it I’m on contributions ESA so basically I’m paying for my own benefits, they make me feel like I’m trying to steal the crown jewels when asking for ESA money!
I hate being on benefits, its been over a year now and it makes you feel worthless and belittling. I so desperately want to go back to work, just in a decent paid job thats all I ask.