Universal credit & appointee

Hi all, long story but am in process of claiming UC for S. I’m educated, have decent computing skills and am literate; but I’m still finding the process arduous, convoluted, totally inappropriate for S ( severe autism and related LD,) and worst of all the “advisor” at his appointment today although pleasant and friendly, really doesn’t know all her stuff. They keep communicating with me via the journal, but the system is so inflexible, I can’t do all they ask e.g. There is no facility for entering a fit note for someone when it states,“indefinite.” Because THEY didn’t know the answers, so didn’t check everything we took with us, we are now expected to go again, so they can. I’m struggling to juggle this working and caring, so what about all the poor s*ds who are trying to do the same …

Melly1

For what it’s worth , Melly , you are not alone !

Internet search … UNIVERSAL CREDIT PROBLEMS … search results almost go into meltdown with the number of hits !

Warned about UC being the biggest danger in a generation or two to all readers currently claiming benefits back in August 2017 when I started the main UC thread.

Even SCOPE … and their own online advisors , some legally qualified … have been shunting posters to their local CAB as of late … in turn , the backlog and wait to see anyone within the CAB grows … always try online but … one needs access to the Internet first.

Here in Worksop , average waiting time to gain access to the computers in the local library just around the corner from me is 90 minutes … over 2 hours close to the next UC pay out day … and only 20 minutes per slot !

Also , very safe to say that hardly any Job Centre staff would chose UC as their specialist subject on Mastermind !

Less than 1 in 5 have migrated onto UC … which means that the steamroller has yet to visit , and then devastate , their manor.

One can almost trace the path of that steamroller by the growth of foodbanks in devastated manors.

CUK Advice Team … are you taking notes ???

Eloquently put Melly
(((Hugs))) but wishing I could do something to help :frowning:

Whatever happened to “making reasonable adjustments…?”

Oh Melly, always some problem or other isn’t there. Surely , as with Banks / credit card companies they should have a specialist team to advise, direct the disabled?? Or is that just an idealist thing to say!
Another school holiday fraught with anxiety.
((( Hugs)))

Thanks Mrs A & Pet for your empathy and support.

Chris, keep on with the research, we can all learn from each other.

BB, the sole reasonable adjustment was that the advisor met us at the door and we didn’t have to wait ( probably because I secured us the 1st appt of the day.)

Melly1

Once that steamroller starts up again , most of us regulars will be sick to the sight of UC postings coming in.

Can only offer so much at forum level … I hope that the Advice Team can handle the influx … on top of the DWP purge so we led to believe.

We have had 19 emails from UC since 22/12/19 asking us to check his journal. They all went into our junk folder (no comment :laughing: )

As you say Chris, a lot of folk don’t have computers, won’t be able to afford internet etc so will be constantly trooping to the library (if there still is one locally.) In fact I don’t know how this is supposed to support people into work, they probably wouldn’t have time after jumping through all the hoops. The system is targeted at making the lives of the minority who don’t want to work impossible, rather than supporting the claimants who want to work and can’t find any / are disabled.


If the DWP could provide trained, 1 to 1 support (like they do for blind folk) S would be able to work part time. However, that’s not going to happen, so he is forced to join a system that for all I can see will create more poverty, more MH issues and the only benefit being it will provide more DWP jobs as the system requires so much input from staff and claimants. Perhaps all the unemployed folk could start working for the DWP?!


Sorry to rant.


Melly1

'ere in downtown Worksop . I have helped 4 neighbours with UC … being an Internet recluse and online for 80+ hours per week helps … and through them , around 10 / 12 others.

In all honesty , I could turn my abode into an advice centre … the demand locally is phenomenal since the local CAB had to cut back to just 2 hours , 3 days a week … now a 9 week waiting list.

Dealing with actual people … as opposed to posting on this forum … a little easier even if you get to share their desperation. Not easy for some to accept that they are NOT failures.

Common theme ?

Steady and secure work that pays the basic bills WITHOUT handouts from the Government !!!

None of the supporting charities in operation 'round ’ ere … nearest being Sheffield / Doncaster / Mansfield … only an overwhelmed foodbank in premises too small for the supplies needed.

Not been helped by the manufacturing industry 'round 'ere … 2017 and zero hour contracts from late summer to early January for the Christmas market … 2018 and late summer to end of November … many now sweating on something else turning up locally before they run out of monies.

Unofficially , of the 11 flats occupied in my complex , only 3 tenants paid the rent on time in December … 5 still owing as January 1st. arrived … all had been working on zero hour contracts.

As posted earlier , only 1 in 5 have been affected by the UC rollout … only a matter of time before someone switches the engine back on.
Apologies if I have diverted a little from the opening posting but … where UC is concerned ?

[quote=Melly1 post_id=396928 time=1546599540 user_id=125…
… Perhaps all the unemployed folk could start working for the DWP?!


Sorry to rant.


Melly1
[/quote]

My nephew was on benefits while bringing up 3 under 5s after ex buggered off. Once youngest was at school DWP said he had to start working and gave him a temp job with them. He loved it, did well, so they offered him permanent job, working12-8 Mon, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. He still had 3 kids (now 5, 7 and 8 )… ever tried getting childcare for weekends or up to 8 pm?
Is this supporting him into work? The stress of wondering how to turn it down without seeming to be a work refuser and having income put at risk was immense

Mrs A; My nephew was on benefits while bringing up 3 under 5s after ex buggered off. Once youngest was at school DWP said he had to start working and gave him a temp job with them. He loved it, did well, so they offered him permanent job, working12-8 Mon, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. He still had 3 kids (now 5, 7 and 8 )… ever tried getting childcare for weekends or up to 8 pm?
Is this supporting him into work? The stress of wondering how to turn it down without seeming to be a work refuser and having income put at risk was immense

What did he do? He’d never see his children working those hours.

Melly1

Quite common for thousands travelling into the Smoke every day.

Just during my time … leave by 6.30 am , back by 9 pm … reintroduce myself to the kids on Saturday morning … make excuse not to participate in anything on the day … paper work to catch up on … leaving just the Sunday.

Many I worked with faced 3 hours and more train / tube journeys , both in and out , daily.

That was 28 years ago now … no child care facilities then.

What must it be like in 2019 … given house prices within the magic roundabout ( M25 ) … for those earning less than , say , £ 40k per annum … and anything from a fifth to a quarter straight off the top just to get to and from work ?

More importantly he couldn’t take it as there was no one for the kids, let alone not seeing them if he did

Luckily, and only by luck, nothing to do with DWP, the self confidence boost of the temporary work meant he got another job elsewhere with normal hours

So who looked after the kids? The unpaid housewife mum?

Yes … for many , what was the alternative ?

No work locally would have provided the roof over one’s head.

Once the children were old enough , many housewives sort part time work locally … that’s how things were then.

Nowadays , with child care , a slightly different ball game.

Mrs A, I realised there was no one else to care for the children as he was a single Dad. Glad he gained confidence and got a job which meant he could juggle parenting and caring.

Melly1

Take photocopies of the essential paperwork you need and pass it all to your MP. Let them handle it all on your behalf. They have contacts within DWP to sort stuff like this out. If you still have letters/emails to send in, send copy to MPs office too. Inform DWP that anything they send will be sent to MP too.
You should not have this to deal with.

x

Thanks Rosemary.
If next Monday’s meeting doesn’t finish sorting it out, I’ll definitely involve our MP.

Melly1