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Universal Credit. (The nightmare).

H

Horiontal Jogger

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Not sure if mentioning this in a thread is against the rules or not, but if it is, I apologise and please delete it.

If you're applying, having to apply or being changed from another benefit, be prepared to feel totally and utterly emotionally humiliated, intimidated, dismissed, reamed, shamed, ignored, fighting a losing battle, p*ssing into the wind, disgraced, disgusted, degraded and made to feel guilty, not believed (even of you have proof otherwise), made to jump through hoops, condecended to and basically treated like something not worthy of taking breath or requires scraping of your shoe after a dog has parked it's breakfast, then you are not alone.

I've been trying to get my application sorted since September 23rd and even after supplying all the printed evidence of all that has been asked of me, I then get asked for even more. I'm now 4 interviews into the process and I've now been asked to supply more evidence. The website is a nightmare to negotiate, every time I try to give details, it directs me back to where I was and I feel I'm getting no where, banging my head off the wall and I'm at the point of giving up, crawling into a hole.

Yes, I'd rather not have it and be able to live like the majority, but life doesn't go in a straight line and some bumps in the road are like crawling up Everest.

99% of the time, I'm the bouyant, happy and joke making nutcase some of you have met and gotten to know well, but right now, I'm in the gutter and feel like I cannot cope with this situation. PLus with having AuDHD, I cannot "regulate" myself and deal with the constant changes and additional (post "I've given you all you asked for, we also now want this, that and the other". It's like the goalposts are being moved all the time and ech time I give them my eyeballs, they then ask for the sockets). Is the system being made so difficult, unnegotiable, unfathomable and impossible to understand, that it makes people fear trying to apply for the sake of their sanity? I was even asked this question yesterday, "are you hiding anything from us or hiding money in your home"? I felt this was direct and personal and beyond the "official questions" relating to my situation.

No wonder there are so many suicides because of the issues people are having with this.

 
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Hang in there @Horiontal Jogger, you've paid into the system, it's time to get some of that back.
Yes, the system is setup to make you feel worthless and wrong for needing help.i
Keep your head high.
Its a very stressful time.

It's wrong that you should have to jump through hoops while "others" get it handed to them but that's the country we're living in sadly 😔
 
Don't worry, don't dispare. It's nothing personal, everyone who makes a claim for a benefit has to go through it.

At some point in our lives, unless your extremely fortunate, you come up against one of these systems. The process is not there to dissuade you from applying, not there to personally humiliate, they are just poorly designed. No government is going to spend money making something user friendly which takes revenue away from their coffers.

I've had the miss fortune to have to apply for myself and family members for Pip, Attendance allowance, Universal credit, student finance, NHS follow on care and they have all been nightmares, for me anyway, to negotiate.

If you've got a legitimate claim, then keep your head up, keep going, do exactly as they request, jump through those hoops. There is nothing to feel down about, you are claiming something that is legitimately there to help you out of a tough spot.

It's not your fault the system is awful.

There's a lot of us that have gone through it and felt exactly the same as you at the time. The hardest bit is to shrug those feelings off, grit your teeth and carry on and claim the benifits that you need and are entitled to. That's what they are there for.

I wish you the best of luck.
 
Warthack said:
Don't worry, don't dispare. It's nothing personal, everyone who makes a claim for a benefit has to go through it.
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Sorry to hear about this, but I have just restarted my claim, because the work I was doing has stopped, and I have to say that at no point has it been anything other than routine bureaucracy. Annoying, yes, but not even remotely humiliating or anything else the OP mentioned. If anything, the staff at my local "Jobcentre" have been unfailingly polite and helpful, right down to the security guard in reception. I am waiting for a phone call today, because I don't have the necessary paperwork to prove my identity, but other than that, the process has been simple enough.
 
I've never been in this situation but I know people who have , find a local day centre where people with issues spend their time , they will have volunteers who know exactly how to fill all the forms in to achieve the correct end result , some will even attend interviews with you , good luck !
 
Feel for you there mate. I've had some nightmares with tax credits when we had our kids and income dropped, was glad to get rid when our combined earnings rose enough to stop it - then we divorced and I had to claim UC again by myself (always working, just low income).

Take heart that its not as personal as it feels - just jobsworths working under bureaucrats in a poorly designed system to prevent those not entitled from abusing it to claim anyway.

As @Fatbob 59 says, look for some help in navigating the hoops to jump. My first thought was citizens advice, but a bit of googling should help you find a more relevant service or organisation to help you with it.

All the best
 
The whole system is creaking, a friend was made redundant earlier this year get's very little help at all.
They are supposed to see them every week but it's only monthly, (West Midlands) and in about 6 weeks will have to transition on to UC and is terrified.

It's very clear that the service and attitude towards those seeking work and JSA/UC varies dramatically across the country. :(
 
I do feel for you having to go through this, however I always try and take an empathetic view from their side.....think how many scammers they have to deal with? So whilst it may seem very beauacratic it is designed (or at least the intention of design) to try and stop the scammers and toe-rags from getting into the system.

Obviously this doesn't help cases, like yours, where people are in a situation where they are legitimately asking for help.

I hope you get it sorted soon.
 
It's a shite system and they know it, but unfortunately you have to jump through the hoops in order to claim. Where able, I've helped a few people over the last few years with claims and found the CAB to be very supportive too - telling the JCP that you are talking with them is a good idea as they don't seem to like the idea of someone supporting you in the background who has full comprehension of the system and process that claimants must go through.
 
My stepson is awaiting a tribunal date for his pip claim. Despite heavy evidence, including full medical history and covering letter from his doctor, they refused at every stage.
They missed deadlines for replying to tribunal until the second reminder :unsure:
If stepson had missed any of the reply deadlines his claim would have automatically been thrown out
They hope that people will get so fed up that they walk away from it.
Keep going
 
Tell them you no speekee de ingli
And you got here yesterday from war torn France . Then you will get a room you can sublet as well.
 
As an Ex DWP employee it has to be said that Jobcentre staff do not make the rules for claiming any benefits they just apply them, as they are legally required to do so. I can assure you that the vast majority of JCP staff think the system is crap just as much as you do.
I fully agree with the statements made above, get help from CAB and if you are still not getting anywhere contact your MP. There is nothing shakes the system up more than a ministerial enquiry.
 
The system for claiming is complex especially for people who are not used to form filling but there is help available
If you have no internet access or would struggle to do an online claim you can make a claim over the phone by calling the helpline
As per my previous post Citizens Advice are set up to assist people to make a claim
 
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