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When Is Enough Really Enough?

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  The UK has descended into chaos since my last update. With the Conservative Leadership Race set against the backdrop of droughts, strikes and a cost-of-living crisis that has us nose diving towards another recession. But what is one person’s decade long quest for justice worth compared to the socio-economic upheaval we’re all currently facing? Last month I lost 11% of my pay to the DWP because of this ongoing Carers Allowance issue. Loosing such a significant portion of my pay prompted me to investigate ways of increasing my income. That’s when I fell victim to a Facebook phishing scam. A company set up only four months ago and registered in Ireland uses HMRC fonts and colour schemes to purposefully misrepresent themselves. They trick desperate and vulnerable people like me into providing personal information which they then pass on to a third party company which was set up during Covid.   This third-party company defines themselves as a tax consultancy but seem to be avoiding
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5000%

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Today, DWP have taken 11% of my pay without consultation or means testing. If I include my other deductions, Tax, National Insurance, Pension and Student Loan I’ve just lost 31% of my pay, 38.84% if including Council Tax. Then pretty much 20% on all purchases in the form of VAT, meanwhile the cost-of-living crisis continues to spiral out of control. To recap, DWP are taking £6,376 from me for an alleged overpayment of Carers Allowance between 2009-2014 despite there being a regulation known as offsetting which allows a deduction from any recoverable overpayment calculated equal to any amount of additional income related benefit, which would have been paid had the correct facts been known. An extremely complicated case with lots of mitigating circumstances boils down to a very simple point. My grandmother and I should have claimed Attendants Allowance (Severe Disability Premium) instead of Carers Allowance. At the time the difference between these two benefits was less than £0.
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Offsetting Justice

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In 2004 I had my first encounter with DWP. I was a vulnerable 16-year-old with undiagnosed autism who had just been placed in temporary accommodation. I literally survived off nothing more than packets of jam and sugar whilst waiting for my benefit claim to be processed. When my first payment, a back dated cheque for £226.03  never arrived I quired it only to be told it had apparently been cashed. Bearing in mind that it was a policy that any payment over £50 required ID to cash and could only be cashed at a nominated post office. Absolutely dismayed, I went the police station and to the post office demanding to see the CCTV footage, but they wouldn’t show me. I found out sometime later that it was in-fact the manager of my temporary accommodation that was stealing people’s money, but I was never reimbursed; I was just left to suffer. In 2009 my grandmother broke her hip, so instead of progressing from college to university along with my peers I became her full-time carer. My
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Conclusion

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Monday March 2nd 2015 Four days before the trial was due to start the CPS have dropped the case. I can't thank everybody who help enough. I was in a stage of prolonged crisis. Up until recently it was being made very clear to me that "If I maintained my plea of Not Guilty I would have to pay the prosecutions court costs along with victim of crime fees had I lost, and that I was very likely to loose". Legal Aid/Courts were reluctant to warrent expenses to obtain evidence from a professor about autism. As it would have costed £5k. Thankfully posting this blog got peoples attention. Last month I recieved my offical formal diagnosis. This alone was vital to having the case looked at more closely. The intial support I recieved from Mark Williams MP office saved me. They sat with me in court all day, when I would have been alone otherwise. Helped chase up the medical professional who had let me fall through the cracks of a broken system. From someone like myself that has
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Location: Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, UK
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Update

Since publishing this document. My Nan has passed away. Now not only am I essentially an orphan I am also redundant/unemployed for the 1 st time in over five years. I find the prospect of re-entering the job market and benefit system very distressing. I couldn't afford to be stuck in a zero hour contract when I have two young children to support. I have amassed a broad range of skills, however I have little to know references. My Nan was my employer and even if she was alive a reference from her wouldn't scream professionalism. I have the social stigma of my personal background and also with my autism. Two things which may effect me getting a new job. I am hard working dedicated and driven. My competition is going to me younger then me with more qualifications and references. I could go back into education, run up more debts I can't afford to pay. I have been given options from JobCentre, I can either get myself signed off medically and go on ESA or go straight on to JSA
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Emails

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Dear Mr Deardon, We write further to your telephone call of yesterday. We confirm as follows. 1. We represented you as Duty Solicitor at Court 2. You refused to take our advice regarding plea and no plea was entered. 3. It was your case that you required a specialist mental health solicitor as you are on the autistic spectrum 4. On your behalf as you did not enter a plea, we asked for your case to be adjourned in order for you to self refer to the mental health team 5. Th case has been adjourned to WEDNESDAY 7th JANUARY 2014 at ABERYSTWYTH in order for you to bring along a mental health advocate 6. Your papers show that you made admissions when you were interviewed uner caution by the benefits agency. We shall immediately by first class post send you the papers as you yestaerday requested them You have refused to give your telephone number so that we may discuss matters with you because you are autistic. Yours sincerely,  I don't want liable actio
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My own defence Solicitor cannot even get the date right? #EpicFail

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  This is a copy of letter sent from my duty Solicitor. Note that they even have the date of my next court appearence wrong. The date shown on Bail sheet is for 7th where as Soclicitor states 4th. Also I had apparently been promised a solicitor from Mind. I believe they ment ADVOCATE. Also no reference to when they plan on returning my copies of offical documents.    .
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