Understanding the system of work benefits

what everybody forgets to tell you is that though there are a lot of benefits to claim out there & yes you can claim them all if you so desire they sometimes conflict with each other so the first question you should ask the benefits team  is can i claim this benefit if they say yes then the second question you should certainly ask is what will i lose if i claim this particular benefit because sometimes you will lose more than you can claim , also if you were injured or hurt in work you can claim industrial injuries benefit , how much you get will depend on the severity of your injury ,

have fun out there it is a minefield

I can only speak for the disability route as the others has changed since I used them. The whole disability system is designed to put you off making a claim. The questions are lined up for you to make a mistake to reject you claim. The best option is to seek help through CAB, Age Concern etc. who have experienced advisors to fill in the forms. Having been through half a dozen doctor and ATOS interviews, they are just designed to catch you out and reject your claim. On all these procedures there is a right to appeal and over 70% of rejected claims are reversed as an independent body does the review so outside ATOS. These organisations like ATOS are there to reject claims and not acting in the best interest of the disabled person. ATOS get three times the amount for rejecting claims than to pass a claim. Seek help with your claim unless you know well the procedures.

The same goes with Attendance Allowance and top up benefits, seek experienced help through Age Concern etc. The government relies on people being put off or misled about benefits as a quarter of pensioners who are entitled to help are not getting it or even applying. 

@robjmckinney Thanks for your help Rob, I am sure  lot of member will find this information very useful.

Hello,

I know this thread is really old, but I'm wondering if anyone can share how they got the NHS or Council to pay for care? My partner has MS and is able to work less and less and I think soon he wont be able to work atall. I never dealt with anything like this before and I feel so overwhelmed that I just cry sometimes.

Where do I start? Who should I talk to? Please someone, help . I don't know what to do to get us the help we need.

Thanks everyone.

My experience with benefits has been fairly easy being ex military.    For my disability I receive a War Pension which covers every aspect of my illness and disability as it was attributable to military service. One thing I would like to add.   I was divisional Secretary of the Soldiers,Sailors,Airforce Association,   SSAFA.  Should any members have served in any of the forces they will be eligable for help and guidance from well trained SSAFA caseworker this of course applies to your respective partner. They have only had to have served a short term even national service.  The health problem,  disability does not have to have been attributable to service like mine.SSAFA cover every aspect of help for ex service personnel not just benefits.   Should you have any social problem,disability modifications to your home,wheelchair purchase,financial difficulties any hardship you will receive help, guidance from a friendly helpful caseworker who will guide you through the process. This of course covers all benefits as they are trained in all aspects of welfare.     Fortuanately for me when I was in the first stages of my disability I was already in a position in SSAFA to be able to get all the above help.   The contact details for Your local SSAFA divisional secretary can be found in your local directory or just go onto the net and search SSAFA

Hello all, my experience of claiming benefits and care dates back some time. Some benefits like DLA, attendance allowance,PIp can be claimed even if working and can get confused with claims for benefits when sick and off work. Rent and rates discounts can still be claimed if on low wages, free prescriptions can be claimed if on low wages as can help towards glasses& dental treatment.  £140 can be claimed towards fuel if your income is less than £16000 per year but sadly all these benefits have to be claimed by filling in numerous forms and producing evidence for entitlement.  Most evidence as to be relating to your most recent income. If you receive things like pension credit, disability payments, or the new benefits when not working the rules for each benefit vary making it more confusing. Care from NHS or local council in general as to be paid for unless on pension credit or severely disabled. I beleive the GP has to refer you these days for care assessment, the GP also has to say whether you need transport to hospital appointments. But latest news is a new system will be introduced for this services so watch this space as they say. I would suggest that people obtain help from their local CAB office as they know most of the rules no matter what the circumstances. However Age UK do deal with over 50s now too.

@Galion22 Thanks for your comment Galion. The information on SSAFA will be especially helpful for other military veterans in the community.

@Katieoxo22 Thanks Katie for commenting. It's true that navigating all the different programmes and administrations can be quite overwhelming, especially for someone who's never done it before. We'll have to keep an eye out for the new changes you mentioned. Hopefully, it will make things easier for everyone.

I would recommend talking to your local disability helpline as they will be able to guide you through the form process. 

I'm on the ESA support group.  Every three years, you have to fill in the ESA form, have a face to face assessment.  Not good at all,  I hate this system as by some kind of miracle my life time disabilities, now fit for work test.