anyone here work for the benefits office... I have a relative who has learning difficulties ... need help .. PM me  thanks

I dont work for the benefits people but taking a wild guess if the person concerned is not comfortable or able to deal themselves as long as the benefits people are given permisson by said relative anyone else who is appointed camn discuss details with them. Its is very informal evne just a quick yes or know with the relative on the phone will do for that discussion. Each discussion will howeve need permission for you to discuss

thanks furriefriends..no problem them speaking to me just thier incompetence coming to the fore... and how to actually get some one who can give the right information.I am so angry I could scream...

I understand that my daughter and partner have had a terrible time with benefit agaencies incomoetance and inconsistencies god knows how u get through it all I agree a nightmaare good luck I hope someone can give adviise

There are voluntary organisations that provide specialist advocacy support for people with learning difficulties--the advantage is that they are wholly familiar with what's going on both sides of the counter. If you ring your local Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) or the Citizens Advice Bureau they will point you in the right direction.

Check also if there is a Welfare Rights Office in your area, they may be able to help and represent the person at a tribunal if needed.
Citizens advice are very busy at present due to all the changes, you may have to set aside at least half a day to see someone, but worth the wait.

I recently finished working at a rehab, and used to deal with all benefits for clients, housing and sickness benefits. Unfortunately the system is deeply flawed, for example people who can't cope with work due to anxiety/depression are having their benefits cut left right and centre, mainly because they can hear, speak and have fully functional limbs, the new assessments and medicals don't take into account properly the other ways people may suffer. And as others have mentioned they are very disorganised, often don't call back when they say they will etc etc.

You should be able to manage all calls if you get them to put it on the system and you know the security questions. Have you tried going into the jobcentre and getting an advisor appointment? Sometimes that can help get you in the right direction even though your relative may not be looking for work. I was lucky enough to have a good contact at the local job centre which enabled me to argue most peoples cases through, as often I knew the specifics of the system better than the people doing the job did!

Also, just keep working at it, be persistent and unfortunately you have to be patient!

Ask to speak to a Welfare Benefits Officer - you will need to have the claimants permission to speak to them though.

i found CAB really helpful when i had to sort out my daughters benefits etc and then when i was armed with the advice they told me i was able to go to the benefits section and told them that i was my daughters carerer and i was the one dealing with all her paperwork and benefits as she could not understand what was being asked,but i took my daughter with me and the benefit agency where helpful when they realised that i knew a little about what they where talking about also i told them what she was entitled to i could not ask for anything more from CAB.

another day spent being given the run around... Finally I have sorted it out ... for now... thank you to everyone who PM me and on the main board ...extremely grateful I cant thank you enough.

Roni x

I am glad you got some where today anyway. One of stupid things they did with my daughter and partner was request his doctors ceetificate and her payslips ( she works one day a week) then returned them all to her saying she had no claim registered. NO the claim is in his name which if they loooked is one the doc cert this left them with no money for a further 2 weeks while the benifits office said oh dear please return the paperwork and we will do it again ... iidiots