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A day on the phone
New client been given leave to remain with 4yo child. NASS support runs out 18/9
Phoned IS claims. Explained no NINO at outset. Make application on phone. DWP worker says he will give me number to arrange for NINO 0345 600 0643. Comes back and tells me that can’t take IS claim without NINO until 3 days before date of claim and to phone back then.
Phone 0345 600 0643 for NINO. Told that DWP will arrange when I make claim for benefit
Phone HMRC to claim CTC
Advised to phone 0345 600 0643 as claim cannot be made without NINO
Do so, told can only take details to register NINO if client is about to start work. Given number to phone DWP 0345 604 3719. Talk to machine ‘why are you phoning’ ’ to apply NINO’ ‘phone 0345 6000643’.!
Phoned tax credits again. Told 0345 600 0643 . Did so. Advised HMRC had given me wrong advice.
Phoned tax credits again. Explained saga. Helpful chap phoned 0345 6000643 whisl keeping me on hold. Clarified needed to phone them back.
Phoned 0345 600 0643. was again told I needed to phone tax credits as ‘we only arrange for appointments at job centre if people are looking for work’ Enquired who I would need to speak to to resolve. Given 0345 604 3719 (again). Asked if there was another number - given 0800882200 - phoned - machine @this service no longer available’ Lost will to live.
Upshot. no claims made. impasse. Any suggestions
New client been given leave to remain with 4yo child. NASS support runs out 18/9
Phoned IS claims. Explained no NINO at outset. Make application on phone. DWP worker says he will give me number to arrange for NINO 0345 600 0643. Comes back and tells me that can’t take IS claim without NINO until 3 days before date of claim and to phone back then.
Phone 0345 600 0643 for NINO. Told that DWP will arrange when I make claim for benefit
Phone HMRC to claim CTC
Advised to phone 0345 600 0643 as claim cannot be made without NINO
Do so, told can only take details to register NINO if client is about to start work. Given number to phone DWP 0345 604 3719. Talk to machine ‘why are you phoning’ ’ to apply NINO’ ‘phone 0345 6000643’.!
Phoned tax credits again. Told 0345 600 0643 . Did so. Advised HMRC had given me wrong advice.
Phoned tax credits again. Explained saga. Helpful chap phoned 0345 6000643 whisl keeping me on hold. Clarified needed to phone them back.
Phoned 0345 600 0643. was again told I needed to phone tax credits as ‘we only arrange for appointments at job centre if people are looking for work’ Enquired who I would need to speak to to resolve. Given 0345 604 3719 (again). Asked if there was another number - given 0800882200 - phoned - machine @this service no longer available’ Lost will to live.
Upshot. no claims made. impasse. Any suggestions
I would complete a paper claim form:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-support-claim-form
No constructive suggestions Bram (I think tbidmead has the rights of it) but just wanted to say that I feel your pain….
Thanks for IS form Tbidmead.
Anyone know how i can resolve getting tax credit form?
I sympathise. Unfortunately, it gets no better even when you succeed in making a claim.
New claim for ESA made 1/7/2016. I send in covering letter explaining that there is an argument for client to go straight into Support Group - he was placed in SG following FtT in July last year and that decision has never been superseded or revised. Whilst that appeal was pending we got wife to claim CA and IS as client was in receipt of EDL-PIP - this easier than either of them having to sign on. Unfortunately, following success at FtT they didn’t follow through on advice to terminate IS claim and get ESA reinstated. End of client’s PIP (which we are also appealing) at the beginning of April had knock on effect of CA and IS ending. And this is what prompted the new ESA claim.
But to cover all bases - and to ensure claim put into payment quickly - I send in Med3 with claim. We can argue about support component later if need be.
19/7/2016, claim still not in payment - call enquiry line and told no record of it. Funny that, as all important documents we send in PO Special Delivery - the tracking number shows me it was received at Wolverhampton 4/7/2016. Am promised a call back - explain this is important as I am aware orginal Med3 covered client only up to 20/7/2016 and I am sitting on another I want to send in once we know which Benefit Centre is handling the claim.
Called back by Stratford BC 20/7/2016 - claim is now on system and they are handling claim. I send in the Med3.
Called by client 1/8/2016 - still no payment.
Yesterday lose patience waiting for ESA number to be answered after 30 minutes and call Stratford ESA escalation point number - they stopped doing all ESA claims 25/7/2016 and that work has now gone out to various BCs around the country….
- could no-one have informed me this was about to happen when I called 20/7/2016? Don’t know.
- which BC is claim with now? Don’t know.
- call another Stratford BC number - ask same questions - it should be with Hanley
- call Hanley - no, it is still with Stratford - only claims registered after 25/7/2016 have been farmed out - anything prior remains with Stratford.
- call Stratford again - no definitely with Hanley
- call Hanley - speak to someone sensible - they do have some of Stratford’s work, but due to the surname divvy up, my client’s claim will be with Stockton
- call Stockton - they’ll look and call back - currently snowed under with Stratford work and have had to farm out some of their allocation to Glasgow and Greenock.
- get call back - papers found and decision will be made tomorrow
And this was the positive experience. I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone and so chase progress on a supersession request for another client we’d made in March and for which neither we nor client have heard a dicky bird. Got nowhere at all with that one - at one point was asked (by an officer on the escalation line, bear in mind) - “What is a supersession?”