income support.. nearly a month wait :(

[pinkish_angel]

I was made redundant on the 5th May and applied for income support via internet on the 11th May. On the 13th I had a call saying I had actually applied for job seekers so would need to ring up and apply again. I did so on the same day and was given an interview on friday 15th. She processed my claim and said I would be hearing shorty via letter but gave me a note with a few things I needed to provide. I needed to provide a bank statement or something that proved my mortgage payments were outgoing, also I needed to check that I was not covered with insurance for if I become unemployed (all this is so I can claim the interest on my mortgage). I sent these documents off on tuesday 19th and rang yesterday 27th and was told they had not recieved them yet. They said my claim has been accepted but no payment has been set up yet?!?! Now firstly, the info I needed to provide was about help with my mortgage, nothing to do with income support in itself so surely they should be paying me for that now as the help with mortgage is a sideline and is dealt with by a different department of DWP. Have they just forgot to sort payment and Im sittin ere waitin like an idiot? The man on the phone didnt even see from my details that I had been asked to send any info, he just noticed that it had been accepted but no payment set up as of yet. He told me to wait till next wednesday (which will be the 3rd of june) and if not heard anythin then I should ring again. I am waiting on this confirmation letter as I need to provide evidence to the council tax benefit people and cant do this without the letter. There is a deadline on that too which is the 30th May. I had to ring up and say I couldnt provide the info in time. Now I have had a letter today off the student loan company to ask me to provide evidence of how I am living i.e., income support/child tax credit letter etc and once again I cant ARGH. It will have been nearly a month by next wednesday. How long does it take them . Im going away to bognor regis on the 8th June to see my sister and was hoping it would all be sorted by then otherwise thats another week and another deadline missed for the council tax office. So frustrating.

 

[DizzyMoo]

Oh i wouldn't be putting up with that hun, I'd be ringing back saying you're struggling to live & telling them that you need to provide proof to the council of the benefit entitlement. When i signed up for income support it took 2wks & i think i was paid in the 3rd week by giro which i think is how they do the 1st payment if i remember rightly then the rest went into my bank after that. I'd be blagging em to death everyday hun & ask if its been confirmed when should you expect written confirmation & can they tell you the day your going to get paid as they should be able to tell you this.

hope you get it sorted soon hun x

 

[pinkish_angel]

thanks hun. I think Im gonna ring up again tomorrow and bug them. Im gettin a bit worried that they have lost my documents too as its been over a week and they are saying they havent been recieved. The woman I saw at my interview said I could ring up and make an appointment to see someone at my local office and they would photocopy my docs there and then and hand them back. When I rang up they said 'no no we dont do this, you will have to send them like everyone else'. I dont particularly want my full bank statement and my life insurance policy document going walkies :/

 

[DizzyMoo]

I was allowed to go in & get them photocopied & i told them i needed my documents for other things so couldn't post them. Certain bits on your statement hun block out with a marker i did

 

[pinkish_angel]

too late I sent them now. Its annoyin aint it. I be glad when its all sorted. lol

 

[FEDup1981]

Nightmare! Hope its sorted soon