This thread has now been locked because it has developed into an on-demand welfare rights discussion which is not the purpose of the forum. Furthermore, most of the questions asked could have been answered by looking at the resources available in the members section.
Members are reminded that B & W is not the provider of welfare rights advice, and in this respect attention is drawn to the following instruction which is an extract from the moderators' guide:-
We can only offer general information about how the system works. We cannot however offer advice to individuals about a specific benefits problem under any circumstances. To give accurate and reliable advice about a specific benefits problem, we'd need to know a great deal about your own personal circumstances which is not possible in an open forum. To attempt to give advice without all this information and without access to your case papers, together with further in depth discussion on a one-to-one basis, would seriously risk misinforming you. Please use the:-
You may already find an answer to your question by using the above links?
If you cannot find an answer to your enquiry and need specific benefits advice, you can download the 12 page guide entitled "Getting help with your benefits" from the other resources section.
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems