Journey to Work Part 3 - My First Day - I seem to still be on ESA..
Today is my 1st day of paid work in over 10 yrs. Exciting/terrifying. Fortunately tax credits top up not UC as UC means not enough to work
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Which is a crying bloody shame. A simplified support system would make work easier but not one that provides £4000 p/a LESS than tax credits
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Was going to phone benefits enquiry line to find out who to phone at DWP to end ESA claim. Benefits inquiry line been closed down
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Just a wee hint @DWPgovuk but it'd be handy if you had some easily available info on who to tell & how when you've been on ESA & find work
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Can I count copious vomiting before 9am as a work related achievement?
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Plan 1 - try to unclaim ESA via the ESA claim line. #Fail
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Plan 2 - try phoning local JobCentrePlus - options are 'get a new job', new benefits claims, appointments. #Fail 2
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Random selection of options in desperate hope of getting through to a human #Fail 3
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Now attempting to claim tax credits in the hope they'll also know how to stop the ESA claim..
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Two questions in and I can't answer the bloody automated tax credits questions. ARGH!!!!
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Honestly. It's like they want me to commit benefit fraud or something. @DWPgovuk please can you help & tell me who to tell I've got a job?!
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Trying to claim tax credits attempt 2. Attempt 1 failed because despite apparently being articulate I can't cope with automated questions
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Finally through to nice tax credits human Application form will be with me in 2 weeks. He seems bothered by no easy way to notify DWP of job
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
I give up. Opting for the 'claim new benefits' option as can't get through any other way. If it's automated I may scream
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Finally on hold to what is, hopefully, the ESA helpline. Overjoyed I've spent 1st day of new job trying to tell DWP I've got said job
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Hmm. Just checked timeline. I have a worrying feeling the ESA helpline is where I started some time ago...
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Now through to a very lovely lady in Bootle. "You want to stop your claim? Are you sure?"
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Asked lovely Bootle lady what happens if in six months time I'm too sick to work. She's never heard of linking rules & is reading guidance
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Somebody at @gdsteam please read @Bendygirl's tweets applying for tax credits. It takes a heart of stone to follow that UX without laughing.
— Gordon Rae (@socialtechno) March 10, 2014
LovelyCarer now dancing to the blasting sound of bloody Vivaldi coming from phone. She says abuse line is better cos it plays Greensleeves
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Accuracy note - LovelyCarer may or may not have made up that bit about fraud line & Greensleeves. It's impossible to tell..
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
As auspicious first days at work go...this is a good'un. Vomiting and endless calls to the DWP.
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Linking rule used to be 104 weeks. Scrapped in 2012. Now you get 13 weeks and after that they close your claim.
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Lovely Bootle lady is worried about me starting work due to 13 weeks cut off to return to ESA if too poorly for work.
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
She's now arranging for advisor to phone me to check whether I'd be better off on permitted work-if 104 week rule still existed it'd be work
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
So, all in all I'm declaring today a resounding success. Vomiting, endless helplines & I think I'm still on benefits. Employment FTW!
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Work is supposed to provide a sense of achievement right? Well I have worked hard this morning yet somehow not achieved anything..
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Enjoyed 1st day of still being on benefits but working because I can't work out who to tell. Too tired now. Guess I'm still a scrounger..
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Nice DWP permitted work man phoned. So confused. My brain may explode. And still on benefits. I think...
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
Listening to @afneil interview IDS whilst embedding 'my 1st day at work, seem to be still on benefits' tweets blog http://t.co/UjVm4kUBUu
— BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) March 10, 2014
6 comments:
Ring up and as for "permitted work" forms - they will assume that you are on the fiddle and stop your benefit.
How bloody awful! It's no wonder people stay away from benefits and starve!
Glad that you are working and hope you settle in fine. Also hope that tomorrow is a better day for you.
You watch, you'll get sanctioned for working :)3028 32493224
best wishes for the work and the sorting the benefits out.
yes, indeed, ask for permitted work forms, and your benefit will be stopped - not that they tell you this, you discover this when you go overdrawn and get bank charges. The reason is so that you don't end up having problems paying them back over-paid benefit. It can take 2 months, by which time you probably owe someone money [in my case my parents]and feel stressed and unwell. Especially as you get told it'll take x time, then oh no it takes x time plus z time... etc. Then you insist on speaking to the highest level of manager available and they shift it onto the agenda of the person who decides and phone you back to say sorted. meanwhile you haven't done any work because so stressed and unwell.
Very worrying to hear permitted work requests trigger benefits stops :(
I found your blog/tweets because I'm looking into coming off ESA and onto Working Tax Credits but I want to know what will happen if I relapse and can't seem to find anything out regarding the linking period.
If it is of any interest, as regards the permitted work, my experience is that it works fine, certainly they never stopped my ESA (Income related), the only (small) issue was that they never actually told me that I had been granted permitted work (higher level).
Hope everything is working out for you...
Asking for permitted work form does NOT stop your esa ! I know I've done it.I am in the support group but wanted to try to work,I've been doing permitted work for 9 months now. All played by the job centre. There are rules,the work must be for less than 16 hours on average and you must not earn more than 104 per week.benefits not affected.if your work falls within these boundaries you will be better off :-)
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