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COVENTRY CAB TOP 10 TIPS FOR CHRISTMAS - 28/11/11

1 Budget!

Work out how much you have to spend and then divide that amount in to food/drink/presents. Then don’t go over budget.

2 Start early!

Perhaps late advice now, but keep your eye out for things you wouldn’t normally buy until the week before because redcurrant jelly is always cheaper in November.

3 Shop around!

Know what you’re buying and then look around for the best price/deal. Remember, not all deals are value for money.

4 Go all Blue Peter!

Don’t be afraid to hand make things – cards, decorations, presents. It shows that you’ve really made an effort and is usually loads cheaper. So go on ……. Buy some prit-stick and glitter.

5 Disappoint your extended family!

If you can’t afford to buy presents for Mildred, the 2^nd cousin twice removed, then don’t! Or see number 4!

6 Faux fir!

Real Christmas trees are pretty pricey these days. Why not invest in a fake one that will last you? After all it doesn’t really matter if its not real. Hang a couple of pine air fresheners around the place and you’ll never know.

7 Be pudding aware!

It may be tradition but if no one eats Christmas cake or Christmas pudding, don’t buy them. The same goes for mince pies. No point letting them go to waste.

8 Don’t borrow what you can’t repay!

Please don’t get yourself in to debt this Christmas by borrowing money you can’t afford to pay back. If you have to, go to responsible lenders who won’t come after you with a crow bar if you fall behind with repayments.

9 STOP!

Take a breather and step back. If the festive spending is getting away from you STOP! Re-assess your budget before carrying on. But don’t forget to congratulate yourself if you’re doing well and sticking to it. Budgeting successfully is a big achievement.

10 BEWARE OF TINSEL …………. (or alternatively, have a very merry Christmas!)

Remember firstly that tinsel is very suspicious but most importantly that Christmas is meant to be a happy time of year and if there is anything that Coventry CAB can do to help you with making it so, please pop in and see us. We can advise on debt, housing, benefits and a range of other issues. Let’s get any problems sorted before Christmas day!

14/11/11 - Appealing decisions of the DWP regarding Disability Living Allowance

Recent events have highlighted the problems with the benfits and appeals system, particularly with Disability Libing Allowance. There are dark days ahead for the benefits system combined with funding and procedural issues, but that shouldn't stop you from applying for what you need. In light of this, we have complied a guide to the Department for Works and Pension (DWP) appeals process for Disability Living Allowance (DLA). The same or similar process applies for other DWP benefits decisions including Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

It is crucial that appeals are made within strict time limits: an appeal must be made to the First-tier Tribunal within one month of the date of the decision.

There are two levels of appeal when appealing a decision of the DWP.

1. Appeal to the First Tier Tribunal

2. Appeal to the Higher Tribunal

The DWP may reconsider their decision when an appeal is received

For all appeal, evidence is required:

A supporting letter from a doctor

A care plan

A medical report from a doctor

Diary of day to day effects of disability

Statements by friends, arers, employers etc to confirm/support the claimants need for DLA

1. First Tier Appeal

The DWp will inform you of it's decision about your application and should include in the letter how to appeal their decision. Reply to that letter and they will send you an appeal form. Once this has been sent off, you will receive further information and the submission from the DWP. This is the start of the appeal.

The point of appeal is to disprove the reason why the DWP has said no to your application. In most cases this will be the medical evidence supporting their case. A supporting letter from your doctor is the most appropriate way to contest their evdience as well as witness statements by friends, carers and/or employers.

You will be asked is you wish for an oral or written appea. It is best to ask for an Oral appeal as it is generally easier to convey the effect that a lack of DLA has on your life. You must remember that the tribunal will consider your circumstances at the time that the DWP decision was made, regardless of your circumstances at the time of the appeal. Also, when deciding whether to appeal or not, it is worth noting that the tribunal can rule up or down and you could end up worse off that when you started.

On the day of the appeal, the tribunal will have read your evidence and submissions. These must be sent off in good time so that the tribunal has had a chance to read them. The tribunal will the call you into a room to ask you some questions about your disability and circumstances. They are not doing this to offend you but to properley understand the situation you are in. If the DWP are there they will ask you questions as well and may also question your witness statements. The tribinal should ask you if you have any questions so feel free to ask them. This will end the tribunal.

The tribunal decision could be given on the day of the appeal or may be sent by letter. Do not automatically assume that because they say they will inform you by post that your appeal has failed. It meand that they need more time to consider your appeal.

2. The Higher Tier Tribunal

If the first tier tribunal has refused your appeal it is possible to apply to the higher tier tribunal to re-appeal the decision. However, the higher tier tribunal are concerned with errors of law. In order to appeal the decision of the first tribunal, there must have been an incorrect application of the law.

What is an error of law?

The tribunal got the law wrong, i.e. it misinterpeted a previous decision or a statute.

If there wasno evidence to support the decision that the tribunal came to.

If the tribunal got the facts wrong in the case.

A breach of the procedure/breach of natural justice, for example: not allowing an adjournment' not allowing you to call a witness, no interpreter or bad interpretation, you did not get notice of the hearing, you did not receive the DWP submission, you asked for an oral hearing but one did not take place.

The tribunal did not give adequate reasons for it's decision.

If this was the case, you must ask the fist tribunal for a statement of reasons explaining why they did not allow your appeal. Once you have received this, you must appeal to the judge of your tribunal saying that there was an error of the law and include details of your previous appeal. If that judge says no then you may apply to the higher tribunal.

Change of Circumstances

It is possible to inform the DWP that there have been a change of circumstances and they can use their power of discretion to change their decision. This doesn't always happen bit is is always worth a try.

Further information

If you still require further information about the appeals process the following sources might be helpful. Coventry Citizens Advice Bureau is always happy to help so feel free to pop in and see us. If you would like an appointment to see one of our specialist advisers, we are located on Little Park Street.

The higher tribunal has the power to set aside the decision of the first tribunal and grant you a fresh appeal. Ours doors open at 9.15.

The Department of Works and Pensions

Advice Guide.

Advice Services Coventry

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13/10/2011 - Christmas thoughts from our student volunteer Harriet

Christmas. There you are. I’ve said it. Hated by some and loved by others, it is a word that has this inevitable marmite on people. But either way it’s going to occur, whether we like it or not, without fail on the 25th December. In my house at the moment, it’s up there on a list of other swear words that can’t be mentioned.

Personally, I am a self confessed, poor student. My funds are severely limited, like many young people’s are this year with unemployment levels hitting a 17 year high, and Christmas is not getting any cheaper. I can only imagine the cost for those who have to organise Christmas for an entire family. This conundrum got me thinking. There must be a way of minimising the cost or spreading it more effectively so we don’t end up saddled with a huge overdraft debt come the New Year? I have decided that there is!

1. Start your Christmas shopping early

Now I know it’s hard to stand, Christmas shopping in October but one of the best ways to save money is to buy early. Give yourself time to shop around and maybe buy just one or two presents a month in the lead up to C-day. My sister takes this to the extreme and starts buying in January for the following year. She smugly informed me yesterday that all her present shopping was complete and had been since the end of the summer. I choose to ignore her and maturely moved her name to the bottom of my ‘to buy’ list.

2. Don’t buy individually for your extended family

I’m quite lucky in that I have quite a small family and gift buying for the extended lot ended a long time ago. But I know people who still buy individually for the reams of their relatively which severely increases the cost of their Christmas. If you can’t afford to do, don’t! Why not buy the scores of relatives a ‘family present’? Things like games, jigsaws or an enormous box of chocolates? It does sound quite clichéd but it can be used as a way of bringing a family together at Christmas without breaking your bank.

3. Going all Blue Peter

Another method I am favouring this year is to be creative. I am getting out the prit stick, the glitter and other various crafty items for my family presents. My mother, for example, may be given a beautifully hand crafted lollipop stick picture frame, whilst my Dad could get a delightful novelty glasses holder made from an old washing up bottle! The possibilities are endless! Perhaps I am exaggerating slightly. I may well not go to such Blue Peter lengths to create the perfect present but I am going to use a more toned down method. Thanks to university I do have quite a large friend base to whom I would normal send presents. This year I was thinking of sending them all Christmas cards with a nice picture of them and me in. If I’m feeling particularly adventurous, I may make the cards as well.

4. Food Glorious Food!

Oh gluttony knows no bounds at Christmas! I start to salivate at the very thought of Christmas cake, chocolate and turkey! Though not together. Ew. If, unlike me, you have to feed the family this Christmas why not apply the start shopping now advice to the food as well? A lot of stuff can be gotten frozen these days and can lurk at the bottom of your freezer until Christmas approaches. Look out for the special offers and think “Hmm, I’m sure redcurrant jelly is more expensive at Christmas time?” Drink is another thing start early with. There are loads of really good offers on in the supermarkets at the moment and though it often doesn’t, alcohol can last for months! I know it isn’t always practical to think this far ahead for things like food and that it is easier just to do it all in one go a bit nearer to C-day but keep it in mind and you may find that you save yourself a few pounds. Though undoubtedly the pounds you save will magically work their way to your waistline. Curse them.

5. Serious things

Right. As a CAB volunteer I am honour bound to highlight and triple underline this bit to drive the information home.

Please do not put yourself in a situation this Christmas where you end up in severe and sometimes dangerous debt. Set yourself a budget and stick to it. Don’t rely on your overdraft to get you though. For all I joke as a student about the wonder that it an overdraft, it still isn’t your money and you still have to pay it back. Research where you’re buying things from; are they reputable, do they have a good success rating and what are their reviews like? Don’t sign up credit agreements that you know you will struggle with. Look for another alternative. Most importantly, if you notice things are starting to get away from you, stop. Stop spending and take a step back to look at the situation. You mustn’t forget that you might have other bills to pay. You need a roof over your head more than someone needs a present.

If you really feel the need to borrow money to finance Christmas, please shop around for the best deal. Don’t borrow some cash from the man at the pub! Try https://www.coventrycu.org/home/home for help finding better deals and responsible lenders, especially if getting credit from high street banks is unlikely to succeed. Remember, loan sharks bad, responsible lenders good!

If you need help in the run up to Christmas or in the new year regarding debt and advice about how to get out of it, come and see us at the Coventry Citizens Advice Bureau. We have specialist debt advisors who are here to help.

So I hope these little nuggets of pure gold advice are useful! They might seem fairly straightforward to some but not to others. I was very excited when I sat down and realised I wouldn’t have to spend a fortune this year! I think my Bank manager will be wiping his brow in relief too! Good luck with all your Christmas shopping, however you end up doing it and I hope your Christmas will wonderful without being too financially crippling.