Just came back from the cashpoint to find i have not been paid my ESA allowance for this past two weeks. I have no money. I mean zero pounds.
It could be that I've just not had it come in yet, but i suspect that its more likely that I've got nothing at all. That my payments have been suspended and I've not been informed.
ever get the feeling the worlds hanging you out to dry?
I dont mind not eating for a couple of days, but this has come at the worst possible time and while there was always the possibility of it happening, I've not been informed that it is going to, or has happened. Or even why or how.
It could be a later payment, which is always possible, It could be my payments have been suspended for the moment because I cant obtain a new medical certificate from my doctor (they wont allow me to have a new one so the dwp (department for work and pensions) have to arrange for an assessment themselves, one i cant get to because I've no money to get there. *pulls hair out*
If my money or claim has been stopped totally I'll need to claim for something else. But until i know why or what is going on i cant change my claim. Also I have to have the minimal money i was going to get today (£130.00 for 2 weeks) because I have more or less nothing to eat, nothing to feed my two cats on, no money to give my daughter for maintenance payments, and no way to pay installments on my rent and tax arrears , arrears i have because it took 3 months to get an original claim sorted for benefits of any kind after i was hurt and left work.
Hopefully whats happening is just a simple suspension of payments, which would at least allow me to obtain my medication still and give me council tax benefit and housing benefit until i know whats going on and have things sorted.
At the very least I now have to look at what I still own and bare in mind what I can sell to survive for the next few days.
I want to add I hate this world right now. lol.
update : so an update over all thats gone on.
I went to the job center office in town, was directed to the phones, made to wait twice for forty minuets, found out eventually that my payments from ESA have been suspended. Not too big of a deal on its own, not great, but ok.
But that it was suspended on the 11th and they chose not to inform me. Yes i was told this could potentially happen at some point. But to not inform me is way out of line. Instead of having a couple of days to prepare and sign up for a different benefit or work something out, I'm on the back foot and without cash for two weeks.
Ive got to make a claim for jobseekers (my best option for a resolution really), first thing tomorrow by calling up and hope that its backdated at least a week.
Worse still I cant even claim for a crisis loan. If i do it'll likely be turned down.
What sort of organisation punishes you for getting hurt and being unable to do a wider range of work by giving you less and then takes what little they do give away and also says "sure you have nothing and so dont qualify for something" !!!
If they were still giving me money they would give it to me any time i ask with little worry , but when i need it most they give nothing at all.
It boggles the mind.
How are you supposed to get yourself back on your feet when something goes wrong when the system shafts you so much.
The more crazy thing is I got my free prescriptions still. So I'm still under the ESA I'm just not allowed the money.
On the plus side, got my prescriptions for this month.
Just hope this is all sorted by my birthday on the 7th. or its been one big turn around year on year.