Help Advice

[Nedraed]

I have had DWP, Social Services and various other government institutions involved with my life from an early age. I came to live with my biological mother in London when I was 15, Being the only male child in a house hold with 3 younger female sibblings in a three bedroom flat, leagally my mother was entitled to a larger property as male and female children above a certin age cannot share the same room. As soon as my mother got her new 4 bedroom 3 story house, I was kicked out. as I wasn't needed anymore. Instead of being placed in the care system or rather back in the care system as I had been in care in the republic of ireland, social services said to my mother before giving her new house to send me back on a boat to ireland, even though I have dual nationality and am a british citizen by birth. I was forced to go through the homeless peoples unit in Peckham south east london at the age of 16. To begin with I was given one night stays in bed and breakfast style accomadation, in Earls Court at the other side of the city with no money for transport and having to check out early am and return to Peckham to get another one night accomadation. It was in this place I suffered some mild sexual abuse, I am not entirely sure you can classify any sexual abuse as mild, but I wasn't raped, thankfully a friend of a similar age saved me. Still this incident had a massive knock on effect for the rest of my life, it's effected all my social relationships and how I view the world. For all my bravado, I was a very nieve and fairly innocent regardless of what I thought at the time. I was lumped with Iranian asylum seekers, harded criminals whom had just been released from prision, alcholics and drug addicts. I was given what I was told was opium but in hindsight and with wisdom I am more inclinded to believe it was heroin. When I was eventually moved to a semi permant hostel I was expecting my 1st ever social security payment of Income Support a giro of £226.03 only from what I gathered from talking to people after the fact, the manager of the hostel was stealing giros, including mine. When I haddnt recieved my giro I went to my local job centre to query the status, they infomred me it had been cashed, I was shocked, I couldn't believe it, I went to the police station and the post office where it had been cashed as it was a policy that a giro could only be cashed at a nominated post office and if a giro was over £50 it required ID to cash, I demmanded to see the cctv, nothing was ever done about it, I was forced to live off individual packets of jam and sugar for an extended period of time. I had all this going on when I should have been sitting my GCSE's. Also social services "couldn't" find a school placement for me, not in a traditional school anyway, I was given a placement in and Education Support Centre where every "student" was a educational no hoper, kids with serious behavioural issues, violent aggressive. Being placed their was not a reflection on my intellect or ability, I was just cast aside with the rest of the social trash the world doesn't care about. Time and time again I have been let down bullied and abused by the system which was susposed to protect me, it's been 10 years now, and I have battled drug addiction, and many other personal demons, I have two beautiful children and a healthy relationship. I have been working for the past 5 years as a carer for my grandmother, which has presented me with another legal problem in relation to DWP I get paid £8 for 36hrs a week, via direct payments from my Nan, my nan is classed as my employer. Around march this year my nan recieved a letter which at 1st glance I assumed was a tax document as with the pending start of new tax year it seemed most likely. However I was gravely mistaken it was a benefit fraud investagation with myself named on the letter, as part of my job is assisting my nan with paperwork but this being a sensitive matter relating to myself it presented a conflict of interest andif I had filled it in, I would have been acting fraudently even if I supplied all relevent information. I brought this to the attention of my local job centre immeditatly I gave them without being requested years of p60s and payslips. The entire time I had been claiming carers allowence I shouldn't have been, as I was earning above the hreshold a carers can earn, however my nan should have been recieving a Severe Disability Premium which is almost the exact same ammount as carers allowence. I had been using the cares allowence to absorb costs which I shouldn't have been like incontence aids for my nan as I didn't know you could get them on perscription. I had also been paying transport costs which I could have claimed back as expences but I never did. I have also recently been diagnosed with having an austic spectrum disorder, which I have a geneitic pre dispostion to, the life that I have had to live for better or worse has had a serious impact on my mental health. In the last 5 years 2 of my best friends have commited sucuide. I was leaglly obligated to informed the DWP of my mental health condition, which they then took as I needed an "approiate" adult with me to attend a formal interview under caution. I am responsibile for my elderly grandmothers care and the care of 2 young children, if I am not an approiate adult I don't know what is. My phycologist stated that I shouldn't need anyone to assist in that capicity as I am fully capable as an individual. after fighting with them for a few weeks, they eventually changed their minds and proceeded to interview me without the need of an additional person. Its been months later and still I don't know whats going on with the investagation. And during all this waiting my 80 year old nan with a bilion and one health problems has been given a diagoniss of bladder cancer, I will be surprised if she will live to see another christmas. As soon as she dies I am out of a job and couldn't afford to keep a roof over our heads let alone funeral costs. Top it all off the DWP have sent me a bill for £7k-£8k. Which if I pay back effectivly the DWP will be making a profit, as almost the same ammount should have been paid to my nan. All the DWP staff say, Oh yeah, I see your point but their is nothing we can do, hands are tied, rules and regulations etc. I am at my wits end, all this stress is killing me, I die a little every minute of every day. What can I do about the DWP? Should or could I sue social service for not putin me into care. Failing a duty of care to a vunerable minor, the abuse I suffered, what about my stolen giro. I am sick of being the whipping boy for the government. My mother sued child social services on behalf of two of my sibblings and won, does that set presedence? In the case against social services they were found "guilty" of 15 out of 17 charges. I hope I have made sense and someone understands me and can offer some helpful advice. I am not sure how much longer I can cope

[Kati]

Re: Help Advice

I have gone through your post and separated it out into paragraphs to make it easier for everyone to read :


I have had DWP, Social Services and various other government institutions involved with my life from an early age.

I came to live with my biological mother in London when I was 15, Being the only male child in a house hold with 3 younger female sibblings in a three bedroom flat, leagally my mother was entitled to a larger property as male and female children above a certin age cannot share the same room. As soon as my mother got her new 4 bedroom 3 story house, I was kicked out. as I wasn't needed anymore. Instead of being placed in the care system or rather back in the care system as I had been in care in the republic of ireland, social services said to my mother before giving her new house to send me back on a boat to ireland, even though I have dual nationality and am a british citizen by birth.

I was forced to go through the homeless peoples unit in Peckham south east london at the age of 16. To begin with I was given one night stays in bed and breakfast style accomadation, in Earls Court at the other side of the city with no money for transport and having to check out early am and return to Peckham to get another one night accomadation. It was in this place I suffered some mild sexual abuse, I am not entirely sure you can classify any sexual abuse as mild, but I wasn't raped, thankfully a friend of a similar age saved me. Still this incident had a massive knock on effect for the rest of my life, it's effected all my social relationships and how I view the world. For all my bravado, I was a very nieve and fairly innocent regardless of what I thought at the time.

I was lumped with Iranian asylum seekers, harded criminals whom had just been released from prision, alcholics and drug addicts. I was given what I was told was opium but in hindsight and with wisdom I am more inclinded to believe it was heroin.

When I was eventually moved to a semi permant hostel I was expecting my 1st ever social security payment of Income Support a giro of £226.03 only from what I gathered from talking to people after the fact, the manager of the hostel was stealing giros, including mine. When I haddnt recieved my giro I went to my local job centre to query the status, they infomred me it had been cashed, I was shocked, I couldn't believe it, I went to the police station and the post office where it had been cashed as it was a policy that a giro could only be cashed at a nominated post office and if a giro was over £50 it required ID to cash, I demmanded to see the cctv, nothing was ever done about it, I was forced to live off individual packets of jam and sugar for an extended period of time.

I had all this going on when I should have been sitting my GCSE's. Also social services "couldn't" find a school placement for me, not in a traditional school anyway, I was given a placement in and Education Support Centre where every "student" was a educational no hoper, kids with serious behavioural issues, violent aggressive.
Being placed their was not a reflection on my intellect or ability, I was just cast aside with the rest of the social trash the world doesn't care about. Time and time again I have been let down bullied and abused by the system which was susposed to protect me, it's been 10 years now, and I have battled drug addiction, and many other personal demons, I have two beautiful children and a healthy relationship.

I have been working for the past 5 years as a carer for my grandmother, which has presented me with another legal problem in relation to DWP I get paid £8 for 36hrs a week, via direct payments from my Nan, my nan is classed as my employer.
Around march this year my nan recieved a letter which at 1st glance I assumed was a tax document as with the pending start of new tax year it seemed most likely. However I was gravely mistaken it was a benefit fraud investagation with myself named on the letter, as part of my job is assisting my nan with paperwork but this being a sensitive matter relating to myself it presented a conflict of interest and if I had filled it in, I would have been acting fraudently even if I supplied all relevent information.
I brought this to the attention of my local job centre immeditatly I gave them without being requested years of p60s and payslips.
The entire time I had been claiming carers allowence I shouldn't have been, as I was earning above the threshold a carers can earn, however my nan should have been recieving a Severe Disability Premium which is almost the exact same ammount as carers allowence. I had been using the cares allowence to absorb costs which I shouldn't have been like incontence aids for my nan as I didn't know you could get them on perscription. I had also been paying transport costs which I could have claimed back as expences but I never did. I have also recently been diagnosed with having an austic spectrum disorder, which I have a geneitic pre dispostion to, the life that I have had to live for better or worse has had a serious impact on my mental health. In the last 5 years 2 of my best friends have commited sucuide.

I was leaglly obligated to informed the DWP of my mental health condition, which they then took as I needed an "approiate" adult with me to attend a formal interview under caution. I am responsibile for my elderly grandmothers care and the care of 2 young children, if I am not an approiate adult I don't know what is. My phycologist stated that I shouldn't need anyone to assist in that capicity as I am fully capable as an individual. after fighting with them for a few weeks, they eventually changed their minds and proceeded to interview me without the need of an additional person.
Its been months later and still I don't know whats going on with the investagation. And during all this waiting my 80 year old nan with a bilion and one health problems has been given a diagoniss of bladder cancer, I will be surprised if she will live to see another christmas. As soon as she dies I am out of a job and couldn't afford to keep a roof over our heads let alone funeral costs.

Top it all off the DWP have sent me a bill for £7k-£8k. Which if I pay back effectivly the DWP will be making a profit, as almost the same ammount should have been paid to my nan. All the DWP staff say, Oh yeah, I see your point but their is nothing we can do, hands are tied, rules and regulations etc.

I am at my wits end, all this stress is killing me, I die a little every minute of every day. What can I do about the DWP? Should or could I sue social service for not putin me into care. Failing a duty of care to a vunerable minor, the abuse I suffered, what about my stolen giro. I am sick of being the whipping boy for the government. My mother sued child social services on behalf of two of my sibblings and won, does that set presedence? In the case against social services they were found "guilty" of 15 out of 17 charges.

I hope I have made sense and someone understands me and can offer some helpful advice. I am not sure how much longer I can cope

[Kati]

Re: Help Advice

Firstly, I want to say HELLO and welcome to the forum!!

From the sound of it, you have been through a lot in your life up to now, and come out the other side. For that you should be congratulated :tinysmile_grin_t:

While I cannot offer you any advice on your problem, I am sure there are Beagles on here that will know how to help you - and they will be along at some point to do just that. In the meantime, just remember ... You have already done so much with your life. You have proved beyond doubt that you are worth more than you were led to believe. Keep it up!! Be proud of what you have already achieved!

Good luck x

[Nedraed]

Re: Help Advice

Thank you for sorting out my lack of paragraphs, the enter key on my laptop is broken which is a nightmare as it's my only means of written communication. I find it diffcult to acknowledge any positive aspects of myself, I am quite self deprecating with little or no self esteam, largely in part due to the circumstances which I have endured and done my best to over come. It's only by sheer blind luck that I didn't end up dead or in jail. I managed to establish my own family and roots and break the same cycle of abuse for a 3rd or 4th generation. I have begun formally requesting my records for social services and also contact DWP in relation to the giro that was stollen by the hostel manager and police to to find out results of investagation, were their prosecutions I doubt it was just the one giro he stole, surely something must have been done about this. They are quick to hold me to accountability for for claiming carers allowence instead of my nan recieving the correct benefit, yet where is their accountability for all the grief and trauma they have caused me through out my life. I have done some light research and apparently you can sue individual people seperate from a corporate body i.e you could sue an "offical" decision maker or a spefic social worker. I am also in contact with Farleys solicitors who specialize in suets against social services on a no win no fee basis, but I am skeptactal of any and all instutions and orgazinations because of all my past expierences. Thanks for the good luck, I could use some at the moment.:tinysmile_grin_t:

[Kati]

Re: Help Advice

Hi again Nedraed ... so glad you didn't mind me sorting out the paragraphs!!

While I cannot offer you any more advice, I do wonder if you have been in touch with the 'Family Rights Group'?? ( http://www.frg.org.uk/ParentsForum/ )
They might be able to give you better help with your particular problem??

Let me know how you go on ... I'll see what I can find out in the meantime x

[Nedraed]

Re: Help Advice

Dear Sirs,

Many thanks for your recent enquiry.

Unfortunately this would not be a case in which we would be able to assist.

We advise that you visit the Law Society website in order to find a Solicitor who may be able to advise you further.

Kind regards

Sophie Hancock

to Sophie

Can you provide clarification as to why this would be a "case in which we would be able to assist"You speicalize in abuse claims and two of my sibblings have succuessfully sued child social services, I don't understand how you can just say, that it wouldn't be a case you can even look into in futher detail. All you did was glance at a questionare. Is your law firm just a bunch of ambulance chasers and second rate hacks who only take on open and shut cases. I am utterly disgusted with your responce, it's quite different from how your website presents yourselves and your services. I have formally requested access to my records from social services and will just do everything myself, once again I have been proved right that no one, no orgiznation or instituation cares about the abuse I suffered and the effect it's had on me. Thanks again for all your help. (I hope SARCASM isn't lost in translation)

[wales01man]

Re: Help Advice

Sorry to say I suspect they thought there was no money in it for them.

Reading your posts you may have a good case but you will be up against it all the way.
Good luck you seem like a fighter

[Nedraed]

Re: Help Advice

Thanks, I felt quite suspicious about farleys anyway. Just returned from second citizens advice meeting regarding benefit advice, I can appeal the decision relating to carers allowence but they won't factor in the severe disibility payment my nan should have recieved. It can go to tribunal, I can write to Mp's in short their seems to be sweet F.A. that I can do. It's apparently hard or immpossible to do anything about the giro that was stollen from me because to much time has past. It has been 10years fair enough, but it's still fresh in my mind, and I can't forget about it. It's a contribbuting factor to which affected my long term mental health and emotional development. I am lucky I have a awesome other half that keeps me from giving in to my rage. In 26 years I have never once lost contorl competely and let everything out. Their is part of me that just wants to snap and lash out. Like no one is going to listen or pay attention until someone gets hurt. I am lucky I don't live in USA where I would have access to fire arms, a shooting spree would dam sure gets peoples attention. I would just like to point out that I have no intetntion of actually harming anyone or myself, or destorying any government property, I am just frustrated. It would be a completely differnt kettle of fish if I was abused by a celebritie such as Jimmy Saville, I would have legal teams lining up to take my case. I may write an open letter to Mark Harper Minister of State For Disabled People DWP force them to respond rather then just ignoring me. It would just be diffcult everyone knowing what happened to me, it wasn't my fault, I was placed in circumstances beyond my control or understanding, buts it's still hard to feel shame about my past.

[Nedraed]

Re: Help Advice

I have just recieved requisition court date in realtion to dwp overpayment. This has been on going since march and they pick 2 weeks before christmas to do this. In the midts of all this my nan has had a cnacer diagonis and I am responsilbe for her full time palutive care and support, this may very well be her last christmas as well as my youngest daughters 1st. and their is a chance I may be imprissoed for it. I can't afford a silicitor, and don't think I would qualify for legal aid as I am not claiming any qualifying benefits, both I and my partner work full time and are still struggling on the bread line. How much strain can one person take? I really need some urgent help. If i get sent away my nan could not cope, my young family will be at risk of becoming homeless. How can the CPS do something like this. Their was no malicious intent, I didn't claim monies to live beyond my means, I didn't inform them of change in circumtances largely in part to my communication diffcuilties and mental health issues. I have been persrribed anti depressants and lost over 10% of my body weight in less then a moth from stress. this is killing me. I work 7 days a week, from time I finish at night to time I start in morning, I get 12 hrs off, including travel to and from work, and sleep. I am litterally a my wits end