I've been 3 months without receiving a penny and its come to a point now 
ehere i can't live like this anymore.

Was on Incapacity benefit for about 4 months due to leaving my job through 
depression.

Due to missing a medical, that I never received a letter for, (and I did 
explain to them that I didn't get notification and didn't know it was even 
booked for me), they decided to stop my claim for incap.

All I could do was fill in a form or a rapid-reclaim for IB/IS and then they 
said that they will arrange a medical for me to see if they will put me on 
the IB.

It's been over 3 months since I applied for the rapid-reclaim IB and 2 
months after they said they have received my application and they have sent 
my file to the medical centre so they can arrange my medical. I phoned the 
medical centre asking why haven't they arranged my medical yet and they said 
they have hundreds of people to process and can't even tell me if they have 
received my files.I said its been 4 weeks since the incap centre sent the 
files to you! They said they could not tell me if they have received the 
files or not, and if they had, that my files might be waiting to be 
processed but they would be unable to know whether or not they have received 
my files or not.

What can I do?

coming on towards 4 months of not receiving a penny now, this is not right!

any advice/help/pointers etc?

Thanks in advance!

Tony

Tony Tee wrote:
> I've been 3 months without receiving a penny and its come to a point now 
> ehere i can't live like this anymore.
> 
> Was on Incapacity benefit for about 4 months due to leaving my job through 
> depression.
> 
> Due to missing a medical, that I never received a letter for, (and I did 
> explain to them that I didn't get notification and didn't know it was even 
> booked for me), they decided to stop my claim for incap.
> 
> All I could do was fill in a form or a rapid-reclaim for IB/IS and then they 
> said that they will arrange a medical for me to see if they will put me on 
> the IB.
> 
> It's been over 3 months since I applied for the rapid-reclaim IB and 2 
> months after they said they have received my application and they have sent 
> my file to the medical centre so they can arrange my medical. I phoned the 
> medical centre asking why haven't they arranged my medical yet and they said 
> they have hundreds of people to process and can't even tell me if they have 
> received my files.I said its been 4 weeks since the incap centre sent the 
> files to you! They said they could not tell me if they have received the 
> files or not, and if they had, that my files might be waiting to be 
> processed but they would be unable to know whether or not they have received 
> my files or not.
> 
> What can I do?
> 
> coming on towards 4 months of not receiving a penny now, this is not right!
> 
> any advice/help/pointers etc?
> 
> Thanks in advance!
> 
> Tony 
> 
> 


I would advise you to go to a welfare rights / Citizens Advice Bureau 
urgently. As you don't seem to be getting anywhere then you need someone 
to make phone calls or write a letter on your behalf.

-- 
Robbie

"Tony Tee"  wrote in
news:fe1cmo$tn1$1@registered.motzarella.org: 

> I've been 3 months without receiving a penny and its come to a point
> now ehere i can't live like this anymore.
> 
> Was on Incapacity benefit for about 4 months due to leaving my job
> through depression.
 
[snip]

> What can I do?
> 
> coming on towards 4 months of not receiving a penny now, this is not
> right! 

Try claiming Income Support -maybe at a reduced rate- while they sort out 
the IB.

Any differences will be sorted out later.

bealoid wrote:
> "Tony Tee"  wrote in
> news:fe1cmo$tn1$1@registered.motzarella.org: 
> 
>> I've been 3 months without receiving a penny and its come to a point
>> now ehere i can't live like this anymore.
>>
>> Was on Incapacity benefit for about 4 months due to leaving my job
>> through depression.
>  
> [snip]
> 
>> What can I do?
>>
>> coming on towards 4 months of not receiving a penny now, this is not
>> right! 
> 
> Try claiming Income Support -maybe at a reduced rate- while they sort out 
> the IB.
> 
> Any differences will be sorted out later.
> 

But I'm sure IS will not be paid while IB is being sorted out if the 
question at hand is a matter of entitlement to benefit while incapacity 
for work is under question. The only way IS can be paid is if IB has 
been disallowed following a medical, and only while the person is 
persuing an appeal, in which case IS is paid but at 80% of the normal rate.

I may be wrong with the above, if so, hopefully someone will correct me.

There is the route of a Crisis Loan, but this too can be refused if 
entitlement to IS is in question and is not likely to be paid - a catch 
22 situation.

That leaves one alternative - claiming JSA and if the person isn't 
capable of work then that too will be refused. As I said in my reply, 
the original poster needs to get to a welfare rights organisation asap, 
it sounds like he is being messed around.

-- 
Robbie

On Oct 4, 4:15 pm, Robbie  wrote:
> bealoid wrote:
> > "Tony Tee"  wrote in
> >news:fe1cmo$tn1$1@registered.motzarella.org:
>
> >> I've been 3 months without receiving a penny and its come to a point
> >> now ehere i can't live like this anymore.
>
> >> Was on Incapacity benefit for about 4 months due to leaving my job
> >> through depression.
>
> > [snip]
>
> >> What can I do?
>
> >> coming on towards 4 months of not receiving a penny now, this is not
> >> right!
>
> > Try claiming Income Support -maybe at a reduced rate- while they sort out
> > the IB.
>
> > Any differences will be sorted out later.
>
> But I'm sure IS will not be paid while IB is being sorted out if the
> question at hand is a matter of entitlement to benefit while incapacity
> for work is under question. The only way IS can be paid is if IB has
> been disallowed following a medical, and only while the person is
> persuing an appeal, in which case IS is paid but at 80% of the normal rate.

I beleive you're right however the OP may well be out of time to
appeal.

> I may be wrong with the above, if so, hopefully someone will correct me.
>
> There is the route of a Crisis Loan, but this too can be refused if
> entitlement to IS is in question and is not likely to be paid - a catch
> 22 situation.

If they do allow a crisis loan then that will in turn put pressure on
the IB team to move the claim on, I used to do crisis loans and in
similar situations I used to give the benefits section greif to get
the customer off my appointment list.  All that said the delay is
probably not due to the IB team.  I've heard there are considerable
delays getting the medicals done.

> That leaves one alternative - claiming JSA and if the person isn't
> capable of work then that too will be refused. As I said in my reply,
> the original poster needs to get to a welfare rights organisation asap,
> it sounds like he is being messed around.
>
> --
> Robbie- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -


It's a damn good job the OP didn't claim IB via the ordinary route
isn't it!

Mike

Thanks everyone.

I've phoned the medical centre who told me they have had my file since 6th 
sept but it hasn't been processed by another team so I was given a number to 
call to speak to that team at another place to hurry them up and asks whats 
taking so long etc.

I called this place, they offered me an appointment there and then over the 
phone, even though I was told by the medical centre that they wouldn't be 
able to sort a medical there and then over the phone just like that. I did 
explain i been without money for 4 months now, so maybe they bent a rule to 
help me.

Maybe it is cos the postal strike means there is a few appointments slots 
available soon due to the fact they cant fill/confirm any upcoming 
appointments over the next week.

If they say I am not deperessed/messed up in the head enough to abstain from 
work when I attend this medical, (even though my own doctor says I am), can 
I get income support then?

Or must I have to appeal against the decision and go on the lower rate.

I know someone who gets income support at the normal rate after attending 
the medical.

Thanks.

Tony/

Tony Tee wrote:
> Thanks everyone.
> 
> I've phoned the medical centre who told me they have had my file since 6th 
> sept but it hasn't been processed by another team so I was given a number to 
> call to speak to that team at another place to hurry them up and asks whats 
> taking so long etc.
> 
> I called this place, they offered me an appointment there and then over the 
> phone, even though I was told by the medical centre that they wouldn't be 
> able to sort a medical there and then over the phone just like that. I did 
> explain i been without money for 4 months now, so maybe they bent a rule to 
> help me.
> 
> Maybe it is cos the postal strike means there is a few appointments slots 
> available soon due to the fact they cant fill/confirm any upcoming 
> appointments over the next week.
> 
> If they say I am not deperessed/messed up in the head enough to abstain from 
> work when I attend this medical, (even though my own doctor says I am), can 
> I get income support then?
> 
> Or must I have to appeal against the decision and go on the lower rate.
> 
> I know someone who gets income support at the normal rate after attending 
> the medical.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Tony/
> 
> 

You shouldn't have had to go though this mess. I hope it works out for 
you but in the meantime I would still get a welfare rights worker to 
help as there may be backdated money to consider plus I think you need 
support.

-- 
Robbie