(Fifty points to anyone who knows what I'm quoting in the title [grin])
Last night, I spent two and a half hours filling in the short fifteen-minute Incapacity Benefit application form on the Jobcentre Plus website. It was immensely infuriating and stressful - it kept hanging and going blank and being unresponsive, and more questions than not it would throw me back to the 'Your Applications' menu and I'd have to go back into my saved claim, often answering the previous question again, and...it just went on. and on. and on. and was horrible. I somehow managed not to give up, though it was a damn near thing when I got to the bit where they ask you why you're claiming and their drop-down menu had nothing about mental health. I got round it by mentioning my arthritis as well, though in the text entry box I stressed that mental health was the main reason for my claim.
I've just had a phone call from them to confirm some of the details and book my telephone interview. The only slot they have left for that is 8am-1pm tomorrow, so it's another stressful early morning for me, then. And on a Saturday, too! And I bet they won't call till half past one, but I'll have to be up and ready at eight in the morning anyway...
...I really really do not want to do this telephone interview. I will, of course, because I need the money, but it's going to be dreadful. They're going to ask all sorts of horrible questions and I'll be there trying to maintain dignity and poise while sounding pathetic and failing to explain anything, why it is that try as I might I just don't seem to be able to work. The questions they ask you are pretty much designed to prove that you're trying to scam them, and I just don't know how I'm going to cope with it.
Argh, help! Has anyone here done this before? What was it like? What sort of things should I stress to try and prove to them that I'm genuinely deserving of this? And frankly right now even just sympathy would be nice [grin]
I've had one of these and couldn't complete it because I got so aggravated and gave up about a third way through. I think that's a reflection on me rather than the call though, good luck!
I claimed Incapacity Benefit last November and have been on it ever since.
I was on JSA back in 2005-2006 for around 5 months - and as i had to sign on with JSA on a weekly basis, i was always spoken to like a piece of crap. It seems my local jobcentre think because i was on JSA i was a "lazy layabout".
I was concerned they'd treat me the same way when claiming Incapacity Benefit.
Gosh i was so wrong.
I filled out the forms and sent them in. Then i had to go a few weeks later for the "interview".
I was treated amazingly. As i'd stated i had mental health problems, i was offered tea/coffee/water, i was offered biscuits (gasp), i was told to relax (as i was having a panic attack) and they'd take it slow.
I felt really taken care of.
Honestly - they really do take into account how difficult your situation is, and they're very calm/patient/gentle with you.
The interview only lasted 15 - 30 minutes, it isn't intense at all. It's merely asking the odd question, but it's mainly just them explaining ABOUT Incapacity benefit. You just get given leaflets etc.
You have to send off a sick note from your GP, to begin with my GP gave me a weekly sick note, then a monthly one.
At 6 months you get a letter saying they want to do a medical for you by a doctor at a local health center in your area, basically it's so they can tick a box and say you're still entitled to it.
Due to my agoraphobia i got quite distressed as it was in Cambridge (about 40mins - 1 hour from me by car), and i can barely get to my GP's (about 5 minutes away) without getting in a flap. So after many stressful phonecalls and a doctors letter later, they said that i can still keep claiming and i wouldn't need a medical. Often they can send a doctor to you but that isn't always the case as one isn't free, etc.
So, for the past 5 months or so i've just been recieving it regular as clockwork every fortnight.
Sorry i've just given a massive life long story - lol. But i thought i'd explain my experiences with them.
Honestly, it's understandable to be worried but you DON'T have to say anything you don't want to, they don't pressure you at all. It's just basic information about how when you're ready you can work upto 15 hours a week and still claim Incapacity etc, etc.
*BIG HUGS*
You'll be ok hun, i promise :)
Best of luck.
xxx
I forgot to add that it took me until January to get ANY money - it was backdated (so i got about £4/5/600 i can't remember) so i had to wait until JANUARY to get anything which IS the only downfall to it. It's not processed quickly. So if you're wanting money straight away you may have a bit of a problem on your hands..i was lucky that my mother kept me going in necessitys (which caused many a' row) but i know not everyone has that fall back. Christmas was a nightmare as i had to explain to most people i couldn't afford to feed myself let alone buy gifts (bad times).
Anyway. Yeh. Heh. I hope you got it quicker than i did.
xx
Well i *think* it was around the middle of November that i applied for Incapacity Benefit. So it took around 2 months to recieve it as i remember recieving it mid January.
So if you're going through the process now hopefully if you're lucky you'll get it before christmas. But Christmas sucks as it always messes up applications etc because of the holidays.
Anyway. I REALLY hope it takes less for you but apparently to verify/process everything it does take a certain length of time unfortunatly.
I was really stressed before i got the money as i'd just lost my new job (due to my depression/mood swings) so i was really in need of money!
*big hugs* Keep us updated anyway hun. I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine with the meeting :)
xx
Goodness, what an interminably lengthy and insufferable process this is! I've taken the phone call and it was, essentially, a long list of boring and dull questions about my finances, the answers to which were mostly "no". I got so bored of saying "No. No, nothing like that. No, I don't have one of those. No. No, I never have. No..." over and over for half an hour...
And apparently she wants "official documentation of my hospitalisation". Which, frankly, what the ****. They kept me in for a few days when I was fifteen, and I've *never* had any sort of documentation! Bah.
And so now they're going to send me a form with all the information taken during the call on it so that I can fill in any gaps and send it back to them. And then she said something about "six to eight weeks", and...yeah, I have no idea what's going on. But it seems to be going well, albeit...slowly.
hi,
ive just received my incapacity benefit after only 3 weeks.
i can tell you the process if it helps to give you an idea of how long it will take.
the phone call today will be the start date of your claim.
onece they have received the forms back that they are sending you it should take no longer than 1 month (25/11/08) for you to receive payment.
i tracked my claim from the beggining.
it takes 10 days for them to receive your claim at the right department after being sorted and someone making a decision on your entitlement.
after that it takes a further 10 days for them to process it (put on the system) once that has happened you will receive a letter with your entitlement on it and how its worked out. you will then receive another letter 3 days later telling you the amount that is due to be paid into your account and that you will receive this in 5 working days.
if you find you are struggling tell them and they can ask the new claims to speed up the proccess for you.
in the meantime you can claim a crisis loan if you have no other means of getting money.
my advice is keep track of the claim. so they cant fob you off and say its backlogged, so you have to wait a further 3 weeks, as its not the case. its just they give themselves so long to sort the claim they dont see it as it needs to be done now!!
hope this helped a bit.
xx
i still find each day too short for all the thoughts i want to think, all the walks i want to take, all the book i want to readand all the friends i want to see. john burroughs
leedschick is my drinking buddy and my best friend <3
I strongly suggest picking out a nice little space on a wall and getting ready to start banging your head against it, because half the people you'll deal with are blissfully ignorant to the fact that they're actually dealing with people's lives and welfare.
Remain polite and patient, however, and chase them every five minutes and you eventually get through to someone who gives a **** and who then goes on to prove that the whole process can actually be completed in days rather than weeks.
Can you tell that I have a bit of experience in dealing with these muppets...?
I can feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about it..
If the person you dealt with was sufficiently on the ball, they should have started a claim for Income Support to be processed in conjunction with your one for Incapacity. That way, in the event of your IB claim being declined, you don't have to wait yet more weeks putting in a claim for IS.
Additionally, once in receipt of either benefit, you are also then entitled to Housing and Council Tax benefit.
Some words of advice;
1. Whenever you speak to them, get the name of the person you speak to and make a note of it. Also make a note of the time of the call, whether it's you calling them or the other way around, and take minutes of what was said.
2. Scan or photocopy anything you send them - they lose paperwork with monotonous regularity!!
3. If you have to post anything to them ALWAYS send it by First Class Recorded or Special Delivery - If they are to be believed, the Royal Mail loses 80% of all mail not sent this way.
4. When they request photo ID, NEVER send them your passport or similar document if you want to guarantee its return - take it into your local Job Centre and get them to photocopy it there. They will send the copies to Cosham in their internal mail but you can also politely insist that they fax it to the new claims department there and then (the number is 02392 308004, just in case they claim not to have it). Also make sure that you get a dated receipt for anything handed in by this method.
5. Keep detailed chronologically-ordered records of EVERYTHING! It's a serious chore but if they try to change their story or dispute anything that has been requested/sent/discussed/etc... you'll really appreciate doing so.
6. Once any claim is successful, monitor your payments constantly! I've had no fewer than 7 instances where benefit has been stopped and my claim cancelled without any reason, warning or notification. They once even said that my entire claim history had been MANUALLY deleted from their database!!!
Making and maintaining a claim can be a full time preoccupation in itself. They can make you bend over backwards, jump through hoops and downright beg for every penny but they are a necessary evil. All you can do is maintain the mindset that THEY are the incompetent fools and are therefore beneath you.
'Patience' and 'diligence' are most definitely the key attributes to have!
Sorry if that all sounds a little negative. I just thought that if you're aware of their short-comings well in advance you can counter them at the earliest opportunity and minimise any negative impact they might have on you.
Good luck with everything. I hope it all goes as smoothly as possible for you. Keep in mind that if it all gets a bit too much and you aren't in a fit state to deal with the claim process yourself, you can always nominate someone to do it on your behalf.
Dom
I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano, A stage, where every one must play his part; And mine a sad one.
i hope you get all the documents together, I'm trying to apply for housing benefit and they need proof of everything! I've been trying to gather all the documents for a few weeks, it's so hard. How anyone manages to get the benefits they deserve is beyond me, let alone comit benefit fraud!
Additionally, once in receipt of either benefit, you are also then entitled to Housing and Council Tax benefit.
Not strictly true if you live with someone who is defined as your partner and not a second adult and works full time at more than minimum wage you may not qualify for either Housing or Council Tax. (Or Income Support.)
But all is not gloom - even if they turn you down for incap it is possible to win an appeal via an independent tribunal. Even if it takes 7 months (and counting) for them to actually pay you what you're owed...
Sigh. Just be patient. Have a cup of coffee to hand. And if you get confused nip down to the friendly advisors at your local Citizens Advice and they will hold your hand and get you through it alive. :)
I know you've filled in the form but as a rule of thumb to anyone filling in one of these forms ALWAYS and i mean ALWAYS describe your symptoms on your worst day!!!
I used to work for the housing benefit service many moons ago and we worked closely in conjunction with other agencies and advisory groups. We always adviced people with disabilities to write down the symptoms n your worst day. I.e. You have trouble dealing with your own afairs and leaving the house. You get panic attacks in open spaces and often have to be accompanied by a parent or trusted person so that you can funtion. etc.
Ive just had to re-fill in a claim form after two years. Im still awaiting a reply. I hope to god im still entitled else im completely screwed and there wont be a christmas for tiny tim this year >.<
Incapacity Benefit is unfortunately, one of the ones the Government has pledged to clamp down on... so they are trying to make everyone rigorous :p
I agree with other comments, keep track and record of everything (including your form, if you can - I always filled in paper versions, not sure about online ones...) and describe yourself on your worst days.
As for length it takes and Dr's appointments... in most cases, you can ask for the IB to be backdated, to your original claim date (the telephone conversation), or, depending on your age - to when you became old enough to claim (I think that is date of 18th birthday, but I forget).
As for proof.. if it is in your medical records, which it should be, then it is not up to you to do anything beyond tell your GP/Doctor that the information is required. The IB will require a letter from your GP outlining your medical standing - in much the same way as one sent to Occupational Health for a job... so they can also send any admission info at the same time.
Failing that, it should be in Archive files at the Hospitals in question. Most medical information is kept for two years in house, and then moved to Archive. You will need to put in a request for it, which, sadly, can take a while... as most Archive systems are chaotic at best... but it is doable.
Do keep us posted and best of luck.
If the Human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we wouldn't.
Most of the questions you can answer with either a 'yes' or 'no' answer. Just stick too that, and keep going until they stop talking. However, the length of time it takes is pretty anal unfortunatly.
~*~ Proud Cat Owner ~*~
"The smallest feline is a masterpiece." - Leonardo Da Vinci
Gosh, I hope it doesn't take till January to get it! That would suck.
