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Bit of background, My brother is ex Military and a Falklands vet who was on the Galahad and survived during that war.
For years on his return and after he left the service he worked in hospitals in London, after a couple of messy relationships he returned to the Highlands of Scotland to escape and to look after out aging parents. AS you can imagine gaining employment in the NHS in his trade was not easy and for many years now he has been unemployed and on benefits.
He remained in he highlands has tried many times to get back into gainful employment in both his old trade and recently in the security industry, where he has passed the certification requirements and only needs to have the clearance checks done for him to be offered gainful employment.
He turned 55 a year ago and as such his Army pension increased the problem was he assumed (naively) that one government department informed the other of financial and tax matters and he need take no action.
At the end of last month he received letter from the benefits investigations branch requesting pension information from 2009 and 2014. He responded by saying that it would take time to obtain such info and they responded by saying they wanted it by the 3 Oct 14 or they would stop his benefits.
He went today to sign on only to find out that they'd stopped his benefits already and left him virtually penniless. He has asked if there is a right to appeal and has been told there is no right and they can take the action they deem necessary. I've sent him some money so he can pay electric, gas, feed dog and himself till the end of the month, but that's a one off.
To me this seems very heavy handed, the investigation has not even started and they already take enforcement action. He is at risk of being made homeless if the council can't be dissuaded from taking this action.
They are quoting sect.23 SOC.SEC. Act 1998, I've looked and can find nothing that says you can't appeal. It would appear to me they are bullying my brother treating him like some dodger when in point of fact he has been diligent in his search for gainful employment.
Any advice how we get his benefits restarted and the benefits Nazis to behave reasonably until the investigation is complete would be greatly appreciated.
For years on his return and after he left the service he worked in hospitals in London, after a couple of messy relationships he returned to the Highlands of Scotland to escape and to look after out aging parents. AS you can imagine gaining employment in the NHS in his trade was not easy and for many years now he has been unemployed and on benefits.
He remained in he highlands has tried many times to get back into gainful employment in both his old trade and recently in the security industry, where he has passed the certification requirements and only needs to have the clearance checks done for him to be offered gainful employment.
He turned 55 a year ago and as such his Army pension increased the problem was he assumed (naively) that one government department informed the other of financial and tax matters and he need take no action.
At the end of last month he received letter from the benefits investigations branch requesting pension information from 2009 and 2014. He responded by saying that it would take time to obtain such info and they responded by saying they wanted it by the 3 Oct 14 or they would stop his benefits.
He went today to sign on only to find out that they'd stopped his benefits already and left him virtually penniless. He has asked if there is a right to appeal and has been told there is no right and they can take the action they deem necessary. I've sent him some money so he can pay electric, gas, feed dog and himself till the end of the month, but that's a one off.
To me this seems very heavy handed, the investigation has not even started and they already take enforcement action. He is at risk of being made homeless if the council can't be dissuaded from taking this action.
They are quoting sect.23 SOC.SEC. Act 1998, I've looked and can find nothing that says you can't appeal. It would appear to me they are bullying my brother treating him like some dodger when in point of fact he has been diligent in his search for gainful employment.
Any advice how we get his benefits restarted and the benefits Nazis to behave reasonably until the investigation is complete would be greatly appreciated.
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