Benefit Question

[MrFrost]

My ex partner was recently offered a place at college to take up nursing. Her place of work wouldn't work round her college hours so she had to hand in her notice.

She was told by the tax credits people she could continue to claim while she was studying.

Turns out now because she packed in her job, she will lose ALL of her benefits including housing benefit which means basically her and the two kids are out on the street.

Is there anything she can do now? Or anyone know where she stands? Citizens advice have fobbed her off saying theres nothing they can do.

Cheers

[jucyberry]

Did she note the time of the call and name of the person she spoke to? They make such a big thing of how the calls are recorded for 'training ' blah blah blah... If she has the persons name , that is a place to start.

She clearly has been misadvised, not that it will make a heap of difference, they don't give a flying fandango about trivia like kids being homeless, just following the letter of the law without a reasonable interpretation. she has to fight this, because I don't know how long it will be before they reinstate her benefits.. first thing she needs to do is contact her landlord to see if she can get a little leeway, the next thing personally I would be doing would be trotting off and getting the free half hour of advice from a solicitor to see where she stands.

Usually these government departments stick together like shit to a velcro strip. they never get it wrong, never say sorry..

[MrFrost]

Oh they know the person she has spoken to originally, and have even admitted they have mis advised her, but they have said rules are rules and that is that.

So she is in a position of having £33.70 a week to live on. She wouldn't have packed in her job and started college had she known this would happen.

[jucyberry]

I think personally there are some in this country who wont rest until the scum of the earth..i.e single parents give up the will to live and top themselves. they totally digust me.. rules are rules, ffs that is beyond disgusting.

I remember  what my Ad went through when he spit with the thing, it is truly horriffic, in the short term, not that it is much help, get her to claim as many crisis loans as she needs to live, tht is the only money she will be able to get, although she will have to pay a percentage back each week when her claims are reinstated. ad was paying around £10 a week for his.

Next , get your MP onto it... it doesn't hurt and that is what they are there for. I spent months on the phone for Ad , I know you aren't a person you are a number, but bugger these people are cold, Ad and ty went through the last winter before they came home to me with no heating and precious little food because he was honest, the moment she said she didn't want to be married anymore he notified the dhs as he was her carer and put in a claim for single parent benefit.

Then they tell you that you as a man can't claim single parent benefit with out his name as primary recipiant of child allowance, which takes at least 12 weeks to transfer.. you get the picture..As I say I think their mantra is lets exterminate the single parent. I can honestly say hand on heart that they got Adam to the point where I thought he was going to end it all.