IRO benefits means you're a worthless subhuman

[Louc74]

I wondered if any of you had trouble similar to mine with Housing Benefit? I qualified for HB as well as JSA, then started working on a staff bank, basically a nursing agency. I was positive (and still am) that this would have led onto full time work, but in the meantime, because I didn't get shifts each week, I should still have qualified for HB for the weeks I didn't have any wages. I went to HB, told them about this, and was told just to keep bringing in my wage slips, which I did.

Well, they messed up somewhere, and it's a complete mare trying to sort it out. They're saying that I didn't bring in wage slips (I must be suffering from hallucinations about going into their offices and taking the things in there!), and that they wrote to me several times, which is news to me!

Now, apparently, I have £2000 of an overpayment - which doesn't quite make sense as my rent is £215 per month, and I worked for a MAX of 4 months, so even the math doesn't add up!

Trying to get anyone to take ownership of this is impossible, and I feel with the whole system, I've been tarred with the same brush as people who have been on JSA their whole lives, and are layabouts. Such stigma is attached to you when you're claiming benefits, it's horrific!

I had to give up the job in order to avoid being made homeless, so the system which is supposed to support you to getting back to work, actually forced me back onto benefits.

Has anyone else had problems connected with HB, and found you're treated as completely subhuman?