Clause 99 of the Welfare Reform Bill which comes into effect in April 2013

[Sofie]

I'm sure there's currently a limit on how many crisis loans you can claim for?

[Monic1511]

The crisis loan limit is to be 2 per year as far as I can remember,   For ESA the current situation is that you need to show significant deterioaration or a new condition & they will only pay you if its more than 6 months since the last WCA medical,   if its an appeal you are meant to stay on the basic rate

Reconsiderations are tricky, say your money stops on 1/6/12, you are notified on 28/5/12 so you lodged a reconsideration that takes 21 days, the decision is still no so you now lodge an appeal which takes at least a week to be processed.  You don't get paid unless the appeal is accepted and logged on the system so thats 4 weeks without money at the very least.   if you have already had your allocated crisis loans you have no money, no way of getting money until the appeal is logged and accepted.  this is going to create hell especially when you consider housing benefit & council tax benefit will have all stopped on 1/6/12 as well >angry< >thumbsdown<
Monic

[Pentesalie]

Am I right in thinking that you can 're-apply' for Housing Benfit in those circumstances because you have no income? I seem to recall someone like Abu Hamza doing that when his benefit was stopped because they decided he wasn't disabled, he'd been claiming on the grounds that he was partially sighted and had hooks instead of hands.

[Monic1511]

Hi Pentesalie
Yes you can do a "change of circumstances" form but you have to prove to the housing benefit team that you have no income, which means going to the bank / post office and asking them to provide up to date statements showing nothing going into your account.  They don't accept mini statements.  You also need to show the correspondence from the DWP & really just prove you are not working.   its an additional stress you could do without.   Often the first a claimant knows is when they get the letter saying "you are in rent arrears of £160, please make payment immediatley or your tenancy is at risk"  a few days latter you get the bill from council tax for the rest of the years bill.

I have no idea what abu hamza did or didn't do - I have enough problems with the ones who come in every day and say - I've been for a medical & they have stopped my money, Ah'm no well enough to work so what do I do now.  the you ask them have you told housin your not working? No is normally the answer.   Some don't even bring their decision letters & shout at me cos I don't know the best ways to phrase their appeal letters.