In May a family of three had to vacate their property were made homeless. The parents were on a joint esa claim as both are unwell. The claim was in the mans name with his wife as the additional applicant. They have an adult son with learning and physical disabilities who has own esa and pip claims.
Soon afterwards the man had breakdown and is now in rehab with no contact allowed with outside world until November. The Rehab people stopped the joint claim and turned it into a single claim so they could buy the mans toiletries etc for him.
Esa refused to split the claim until the man had gone to rehab even though he was in specialist night shelter before going to rehab. The woman was left with no claim and, as there is no emergency accommodation in local area, has been put into a bed and breakfast miles from her area. Their Son was staying with friends and then went to bnb but became unwell, due to not looking after his physical care needs, so is now in hospital having surgery.
The woman has been told she now has to start with a brand new claim and needs weekly sick notes from her gp, who she is now nowhere near, without the sick notes her claim will close and housing benefit will stop.
We were able to send her £200 to help her until her claim is sorted out, plus advice and the taxi fair to get to her GPs for sicknotes.