Benefits System

Posted By: Liz Thirsk
Date Posted: 19/09/2007

Paul Rowan has recently commented on the difficulty some people have with the benefit system.

I can tell you that the situation is getting increasingly more difficult.

Gone are the days when someone who has fallen on hard times and needs to claim benefit being able to go into an office and sit down and discuss their situation.

Nowadays all benefit claims are dealt with by phone. A claimant will call and register an interest in claiming benefit, they will then be asked for a return phone  number and will be told to expect a call within 2-3 hours.

If the claimant is one of the millions who need support to make their claim there is no alternative.

I have argued on behalf of a client with a learning disability and was told that the benefits system treats all claiments the same. I was assured that there was no discrimmination.

Of course there is discrimmination, someone who is unable to conduct their own affairs needs access to a more user friendly method of claiming.

I recently helped a couple who were at therir wits end trying to get housing benefit.

I sorted out the HB claim and then looked to see if they were maximising their income and in receipt of all the benefits they were entiltled to.

The husband has recently lost his job through ill health. He was able to tell the benefits office this and he was awarded £61.00 per week Incapaciity benefit.

What the benefits clerk failed to pick up was that this gentleman will be 60 years old next week and so since he is within 4 months of becoming 60 he is elegible to claim a pension tax credit. This credit is worth an extra £121.00 per week and will come into payment on his 60th birthday.

I showed him how to make this claim and he contacted me recently to say that this extra money has taken such a lot of pressure of both him and his wife. He just cannot understand why he had to contact his councillor to find out that he was entitled to it.

I intend to run a maximise your income surgery regulary from next month.

If you feel you need help, watch the press and this diary page for a date.