Red Tape II

I was a bit nervous about filling in the BF85A form and getting it wrong so I rang the DWP to ask about it. (twice!). They reminded me of another layer of red-tape. In 2005 I was out of the country for 4 months and did not pay National Insurance. As a result I do not, and apparently cannot ever qualify for Incapacity Benefit or Disability Living Allowance because my claim dates from a period when I did not have two years of consecutive NI contributions. (Note that I can and have topped up my NI contributions for the purposes of State Pension, but it cannot alter my situation vis-a-vis IB or DLA.)

So all I get is Income Support on the basis of incapacity. Trouble is I'm sure I recall getting a letter saying that I was now in receipt of the lower level of DLA at some point. I haven't found it yet. Should I be trawling through my files to make sure, or just accept that they are giving me accurate information over the phone (when we know that the point of the form is to check their records because they do not trust them)?

My instinct in dealing with Government departments is never to volunteer information; always wait to be asked directly for it, and then supply it with alacrity. This is because volunteering information usually causes problems. (Though keep in mind "Changes that you must tell us about"!). In which case the BF85A becomes a relatively straight-forward exercise - I don't get any of the benefits they ask about and have no "changes you must tell us about" to tell them about.

Red Tape!

The Department of Work and Pensions, the government department which pays me Incapacity Benefit and Disability Living Allowance has just asked me to fill in a BF85A form. The front of the form is filled out with my details, BY HAND. The first question requires me to tell them what benefits they pay to me and how often they pay it to me. One of the questions is "who is getting or waiting to hear about this benefit?" Could they make it any less personal I wonder?

This is so mega-fucking-stupid! It's so inefficient! If they don't know what they pay me, how often, and for what reason, then they are fucking incompetent. How hard would have been for them to tell me what they are paying me and ask if it's right? Tick yes, over and done with.

This is why I have to keep good records - because the only way I know what they pay me and why is to check the letter that they themselves send me, usually once per year. Sure, I get an amount in my bank account regularly, but it has no details about why I'm getting it. I have three weeks to fill in the form and return it - with Christmas post that's more like one week.

They also sent me an IB40 which is a 24 page brochure about the Incapacity Benefit. This in fact clears up the mystery of the "CHANGES YOU MUST TELL US ABOUT" in the letter (from the DWP) telling me I qualified for Incapacity Benefit as pages 14-17 explain "Changes you must tell us about". Actually in rummaging through my files I also found an INF4(IS) which is infact this same information on a separate sheet.