A Life in the Day

A Tale from the Sharp End of the Benefit System

Jim
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To cite this document:
Jim, (1999),"A Tale from the Sharp End of the Benefit System", A Life in the Day, Vol. 3 Iss 3 pp. 30 - 32
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 A Tale from the
Sharp End of the
Benefit System

Jim INTRODUCTION
a service user

Jim describes the chaotic administration of Housing and Council Tax Benefit in wealthy South-East

England today. He doesn’t detail his feelings and the impact on his aspiration to work again. The Welfare

Reform Bill contains absolutely no reform whatsoever on Housing Benefits. How can the Government
A Life in the Day 1999.3:30-32.

believe they are tackling disincentives to work where a change of benefit name (not even a month in

work) takes eight months to resolve?

Judy Scott

I am in my late forties and since June 1997 June 1998

have been receiving treatment for Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder, Clinical Depression
and Vertigo. During this period I have relied
on state benefits for my existence.
Prior to the problem arising
I was asked to complete an annual Housing
and Council Tax Benefit review. This was duly
completed and presented to the local council
with proof of income, rent and details of all
changes since June 1997. Incapacity Benefit
was now being paid at the full rate.

January 1998 Diary extracts showing how

Incapacity Benefit increased, Income Support
ceased. At this time I was attending the local day
hospital four days a week and taking anti-
depressants which had pronounced side effects.
Mistakenly, I believed that my two benefits had
simply been aggregated and paid as one sum.
the problem developed
January 1999
Call from landlord saying they’d received no
Housing Benefit since October 1998. Rang
council to find out what was happening. They

30 A LIFE IN THE DAY Volume 3 Issue 3 AUGUST 1999 © Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Limited
 THE BENEFITS PAGE
said Housing and Council Tax Benefits had been sus-
pended since October as no longer receiving Income
Support. Referred them to my visit in June when all
necessary information was provided.
February 1999
Landlords advised by council that a new claim for
benefit was required with a request for backdating. This
information was passed on and the forms completed.
Landlords advised by council that Housing Benefit
had been re-instated from June 1998 and were paid up
to date.
8 February
Received letters from council stating that as a new
claim for benefits had not been made in January 1998,
all benefits paid during the period until June 1998 were
overpayments which would be recovered by reducing
subsequent payments. The amount involved totalled
A Life in the Day 1999.3:30-32.
£1,860.
With the assistance of landlords, appeals were sent
to the council on the grounds that:
© Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Limited
● State of health at the time was such that I wasn’t
necessarily aware of the serious impact that a change
in the NAME of benefits could have. Details of all
medical appointments were provided to support this.
● As there was no dispute as to the level of income
being received, Housing Benefit and Council Tax
Benefits should have been payable anyway.
March 1999
Despite numerous telephone conversations with the
council nothing seemed to be happening.
18 March
Rang council and landlords and advised them that
if a reply to the appeals wasn’t received within a week,
the help of the Local MP and Local Councillor would
be sought.
22 March
Landlords rang to say that the council had advised
them that the matter had been resolved and all the
amounts had been written off.
A LIFE IN THE DAY Volume 3 Issue 3 AUGUST 1999 31
 THE BENEFITS PAGE

April 1999 Conclusions

1 April
Visited council offices to advise them of a rent increase.
Was also provided with a handwritten counter sheet
confirming the write-offs.
22 April
Received FINAL DEMAND for the OVERPAID COUNCIL
TAX BENEFIT!! Visited council office and advised that
final notice would be removed and received a handwritten
counter sheet confirming that none of the write-offs
had yet been entered on the computer system but that
this would be expedited.
May 1999
9 May
Annual Housing Benefit Review completed and
returned at which time a handwritten counter sheet
A Life in the Day 1999.3:30-32.
● I am lucky that my landlords are a charitable housing
organisation. It is unlikely that a private landlord
would have been as patient and as helpful.
● It is ridiculous that when a benefit changes its name
it can result in such a complex situation involving so
much time and effort.
● The benefits system is supposed to help the sick and
disadvantaged, and yet the way it operates seems to
make life as difficult as possible for both the
claimants and the clerical administrators.
● Could the system be less confrontational? Ill people
are not always able to cope with the demands this
makes.
● Legally, Housing Benefit entitlement is dependent on
income levels, not the title of income. Therefore this
entire matter would seem to be an example of
bureaucratic pedantry rather than law.

was issued confirming all write-offs completed.
Notes
During this period I’d been attending weekly sessions
with the psychologist who noted the increase in stress
and associated depression until the situation was resolved.
Although I’ve been eligible to receive Income Support
since June 1998 obtaining a claim form has not been
easy. I’m actively pursuing this matter.
Good news

The Benefits Agency and Housing Benefits

Departments are linking up. Although this
originates from DSS plans to tackle fraud there
may be an unexpected beneficial side effect.
J. S.

A Pavilion Mental Health Conference in association with Community Health Sheffield

A National Priority – Local Solutions

Developing 24 hour-
accessible Mental Health
Services Focusing on partnership working between
A&E departments, GPs, acute medical services
and psychiatric crisis teams, this important
19 October 1999 conference will look at creative and cost
Shaftesbury Centre, Sheffield effective ways of providing access ‘out of hours’

32 A LIFE IN THE DAY Volume 3 Issue 3 AUGUST 1999 © Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Limited