The Student Room Group

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Reply 40
viviki
and milk tokens from the department of health if the kids are under 5, might not sound much but it does add up to quite a lot of money.


My lil brother got them, on a prescription, because he was a 'special child' (my parents do, and have always, supported us)

Actually mental illness is quite easy to fake, because it is very hard to disprove. I've met a few who have become experts at conning the system in this manner.
Reply 41
Just thought i would drag up an old thread and give my 2p.

When i left sixth form i started working part time 25hrs per week. It was a well paid job, more than £10ph,and i was doing it as aprt of my gap year before i planned to go to university. I was also at college 4 days a week studying 2 A levels (AS/A2 in one year for bio and chem). I started to find it too much being at college and going to work 25 hrs a week. On top of that, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer and i had to care for her. So i gave up my job to concentrate of my studying and care for my grandmother. My university place is dependant on me getting a decent grades in the a levels i am doing, so giving them up was not an option.

As a consequence of giving up my job, i signed on to receive JSA. I had been working for more than 6 months so i am entitled to £44.05 pw. I had to sign a contract stating that if they found me a job i would have to give up my college course, despite the fact that doing that would mean i lost my place at uni and ended up being on JSA for a lot longer. I'm only going to be on JSA for 3 months or even less, does this make me a scrounger?

NO. Its a short term answer to help me through the next few weeks. Once my exams are over i'll go out and get a job until i start at uni.

Not all people seeking social security are scroungers although i appreciate that some people are.
Sarky - have you looked into claiming carers allowance too?

There is a maximum income and you can't claim if you're studying full time but if you look after someone for more than 35 hrs a week you're eligible.

It's not a lot of money but it might be useful.

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/nw/index/life/benefits/benefits_for_sickness_and_disability.htm#Benefitforcarers
Reply 43
I haven't looked into it PQ, but i don't think i would be eligable as her condition is not seen as life threatening. Luckily i'm pretty good at saving and the money i got from my job i put in an ISA for uni. The JSA doesn't go far, but it means i don't have to break into my savings for the moment. I'm gonna need every penny i can get for uni so thats the main benefit.

Thank you very much though, i really appreciate the thought. :smile:
Sarky
I haven't looked into it PQ, but i don't think i would be eligable as her condition is not seen as life threatening. Luckily i'm pretty good at saving and the money i got from my job i put in an ISA for uni. The JSA doesn't go far, but it means i don't have to break into my savings for the moment. I'm gonna need every penny i can get for uni so thats the main benefit.

Thank you very much though, i really appreciate the thought. :smile:

It's dependant on her being eligible for DSA (if she's under 65) or attendance allowance. If she's eligible for either of these (they're not income assessed - they're there to cover the extra costs from being disabled) then it might be worth getting the forms filled in for her even if it's not all sorted in time for you to get carers benefit.

Attendance allowance

Attendance allowance can be paid to a person with a disability who:-

* is aged 65 or over; and
* is not permanently in hospital or living in accommodation provided by or funded by a local authority; and
* has lived in the UK for 6 out of the last 12 months, actually lives in the UK when s/he claims and normally lives in the UK, unless s/he is terminally ill; and
* has care needs - see below.

Care needs

A person will have care needs if s/he:-

* needs help with ‘bodily functions’, for example, washing, dressing and going to the toilet. It can also include help which enables someone to take part in social activities; and/or
* needs supervision to stop her/himself being a danger to her/himself or others; and/or
* is terminally ill.

It does not matter if no one is providing the person with care, but s/he must show that s/he needs the care.

If you are not sure whether your care needs meet the entitlement conditions, you should consult an experienced adviser, for example, a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB .

How much will the claimant get

Attendance allowance is paid at two rates:-

* the lower rate is paid to somebody who needs frequent care throughout the day or night. From 12 April 2004, the lower rate is £39.35.
* the higher rate is paid to someone who needs frequent care throughout the day and the night, or who is terminally ill. From 12 April 2004, the higher rate is £58.80.

Attendance allowance will be paid as long as the person has care needs and may be awarded for a fixed or indefinite period. It cannot be paid until the person has had care needs for six months. This time limit does not apply if the person is terminally ill. Attendance allowance will stop after four weeks in hospital.

How to claim attendance allowance

A person can claim attendance allowance by:-

* telephoning the Benefits Enquiry Line (BEL) (Tel: 0800 882200)
* obtaining a claim pack by completing leaflet DS704, available from post offices and social security offices. Some organisations are also authorised to hold packs, for example, Citizens’ Advice Bureaux.
* obtaining a claim pack from the website www.dwp.gov.uk. Two versions of the form may be available on the website, one which can be printed off and completed by hand and the other can be filled in online, although the claimant will need to print the form in order to sign it.

The claim form for attendance allowance is lengthy and you can get help with filling it in. You can use the forms completion service provided via the Benefits Enquiry Line (see under heading Telephone helpline for sick and disabled people and carers). Alternatively you could consult an experienced adviser, for example, a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.


They're quite depressing forms to fill in (basically they focus on all the dis and none of the ability) but once they're done the money is well worthwhile.
:smile:
Reply 45
I think she does get the allowence shown above, i remember filling in the forms with her. The only thing they didn't ask for was her inside leg measurement! :rolleyes:

I'm not sure it would add up to 35 hrs per week as i don't live with her and the amount we are together varies from week to week. My nan is also a very stubborn lady and i doubt she would agree that she needs caring for! Whenever she need my help she says "what are you up to at the moment" rather than saying "could you help me with this? Or "oh what time are you coming round tomorrow? rather than "could you come round and help me with this". I don't mind though she has her pride and i love her to bits so i don't see it as a chore. I'll mention it to her, but you may hear her shouting all the way from London :eek:
mik1a
Think about it. All the time good productive workers are paying high taxes and seeing small changes in public transport and similar things. The government cannot be blamed - money doesn't come from nowhere, and when it is borrowed it must be paid back at in higher amounts because of interest. So where does all the money go? Not nearly all of it, but still a fraction goes in the form of unemployment benefits.

The economic advantage of this, apart from setting more government funds aside to pay off national debt, reduce taxation or spend more (depending on political policies), will be to dramatically increase the supply of labour. More supply of labour, using supply and demand analysis, will increase the amount of employment and therefore the production, increasing real GDP and the standard of living.

The moral argument is that these people are living their lives without doing any work while hard working citizens are paying taxes towards these free riders. If we could cut the benefits for these people it would encourage them to work for their money, as is the incentive for the rest of the workforce.

Debate!


I dont think it would be possible to abolish the welfare system though i think it should be better regulated i.e. how the money is used by those reliant upon the system - nothing pisses me off more than seeing an unemployed ned swagger about with the latest £50 football shirt on when they could buy several sets of new clothes for the same amount.
Reply 47
People who claim Job Seeker's Allowance are expected to look for jobs in their spare time. When you go in to sign on and stuff, they always ask what steps you've taken to get a job and they push you hard if you have poor excuses. They can even take away benefits if you don't comply.
Reply 48
an Siarach
nothing pisses me off more than seeing an unemployed ned swagger about with the latest £50 football shirt on when they could buy several sets of new clothes for the same amount.


But who cares what they spend their money on?
Reply 49
Howard
Well, I honestly can't understand why anybody with a PHd in Engineering would seriously look for a job at a Job Center.


There are quite of few very well educated people who simply can't find work. I know of a guy with a degree and many years of experience in industry who went for a job packing crisps at Walkers Crisps cos he counldn't find work - even Walkers were suprised.