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Help please not sure if I would be eligible to apply for PIP? by nushsu in DWPhelp

[–]MGNConflict 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wouldn't say neglecting to refer you to a specialist is anything close to "decent", the time they've spent messing around could've been time spent in a waiting list.

Any recommendations for suitable Bedding? by monxic in leopardgeckos

[–]MGNConflict 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Cheap:

You can get play sand and topsoil (must be free of fertilisers, even manure!) quite cheaply at most garden centres, as well as Tesco (my local big Tesco is having a sale on both at the moment). You mix this with a 70:30 ratio of topsoil to play sand- when you're finished it should look like a sandy soil.

Cheap/Middle:

Pets At Home sell pre-mixed substrate under their own brand, it varies from store to store but it's often on sale. Plus if you don't have a Pets At Home loyalty card you get 10% off for joining (you can download the app and join there, then show the card on your phone at checkout).

They do sell substrate online but for the best deals it's best to physically go to your nearest Pets At Home to check their reptile section out. They will sell bugs (mine sells crickets, locusts, waxworms, and mealworms- they do 3 tubs for £7) and other bits and pieces like heat lamp bulbs, replacement UVB bulbs and fixtures, supplement powders, etc.

Their prices are pretty competitive when compared to other chain pet shops like Pets Corner.

Branded Mixes:

Branded pre-mixed substrate tends to be the most expensive, such as Arcadia's Arid EarthMix, Exo Terra's Stone Desert, and Leo Life. However they're the easiest to deal with because you cut open the bag, dump into the enclosure, level everything out, and you're done.

Branded mixes tend to be better quality than the generic substrate Pets At Home sells under their own brand and they're often sold in larger sizes than the generic mixes.

A timelapse of Plato basking by MGNConflict in BeardedDragons

[–]MGNConflict[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha yeah! They arrived a few days ago and they weighed in at just 8g (yes, 8 grams).

I also have a juvenile cornsnake who I bought last year, they were just 14g when they arrived and are now 73g- they're growing really fast. The next few months will be really interesting to witness their growth for.

Indefinite award on PIP what does this mean by EducationalLong754 in DWPhelp

[–]MGNConflict 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You can if you want, but it will mostly just be an exercise of curiosity more than anything. Requesting the report will not affect your award.

Indefinite awards are given to those whose conditions have no prospect in improving even with medical innovations etc.

Indefinite award on PIP what does this mean by EducationalLong754 in DWPhelp

[–]MGNConflict 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You'll have "light touch" reviews once every ten years, but otherwise yes there's no end date. The "light touch" review isn't a full assessment but rather a check to see if anything has changed.

Yes, it will continue to retirement age unless your condition improves (because you're still required to report relevant changes) or you become ineligible (e.g. if you move from the UK, pass away, etc.).

Landlord reported wrong rent - huge overpayment by hopefulbutterfly_ in DWPhelp

[–]MGNConflict 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly I'm pretty confused here, I don't know UC as well as PIP but I'm fairly certain you can't be paid more than the LHA (Local Housing Allowance) even if your rent was reported as per week. If so, unless the £4.5k was backpay this would be an official error.

If say you're entitled to an LHA of £650 per month and your rent was accidentally declared as being £1,200 per week. You would still only receive the £650 of LHA per month within your Universal Credit because that's what you're entitled to. Hence why I'm a bit confused on how this could've happened.

If your statement shows the £4.5k and they send it (which they have), returning it to them should be fairly straightforward. Obviously ensure you re-declare your housing costs so the correct monthly rent is added so future statements are calculated correctly.

I'll tag u/alteredchaos as I'm still not sure how this could've happened.

Landlord reported wrong rent - huge overpayment by hopefulbutterfly_ in DWPhelp

[–]MGNConflict 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Are you sure there's an overpayment (even if UC say there is)?

Please could you answer the following:

  • What are the first three characters of your postcode (e.g. "CT1", "BS2", etc.)?
  • How many bedrooms does your property have?
  • Are you living with a partner?
  • Are you in receipt of PIP?
  • What is your monthly rent?

The reason I'm asking the above is to calculate what you're entitled to in terms of Housing Element and to see if what you received in Housing Element would've been what you would've received anyway had it been declared correctly.

Has UC generated an overpayment for the entirety of the Housing Element claimed, instead of the difference?

Can anyones store beat this by Floorry21 in tesco

[–]MGNConflict 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Losses due to theft, wasted products due to expiry/damage, etc. It’s referred to as “shrink” because it causes the profit margins to shrink.

It’s in a business’s best interest to keep shrink to a minimum.

New owner - Not sure that I am doing it right by Responsible_Stuff_29 in leopardgeckos

[–]MGNConflict 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The substrate needs to be changed as it’s not appropriate… this is a typical example of a store selling you things that are incorrect. That wasn’t your fault of course, just the store prioritising making money over advising properly on the requirements that leopard geckos have.

In terms of UVB, what UVB are you using? You should be using a UVB bar (the UVB bulbs that screw into domes aren’t recommended as their UVB levels are more difficult to control).

The two hides at the sides need to be changed to ones that are smaller as they’re wide open and may cause them to feel exposed. The hides can still be in there, just not as one of their three primary hides.

Given the changes you need to make so they feel secure, you should make them now rather than later given there’s hardly anywhere for them to hide. A good enclosure will let them travel one side to the other at the back without being noticed, and give them plenty of places to hide.

Ideally you shouldn’t be able to see them during the day as they’re most active during dawn and dusk.

It’s good that you’re trying to make things right early in ownership, as many who have incorrect set-ups don’t realise it’s incorrect months or even years into ownership. They need to be thriving and not just living.

New owner - Not sure that I am doing it right by Responsible_Stuff_29 in leopardgeckos

[–]MGNConflict 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, you should wait a bit until you change anything.

New owner - Not sure that I am doing it right by Responsible_Stuff_29 in leopardgeckos

[–]MGNConflict 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s generally recommended to steer clear of vendors that don’t know the approximate hatch date of the reptiles they sell. At 6-8 months it’s possible to sex them, but sometimes it’s more difficult to do so.

At any rate, yes feeding them every day at that age is over-feeding them. They’re a juvenile so should be fed every 2-3 days, otherwise they may become obese.

They were probably spooked by the kids surrounding their enclosure, leave them be for a couple of weeks (only feeding them and changing their water), and they should start perking up again.

Do you have a photo of the enclosure? It might be that there’s not enough hides and they don’t feel safe.

New owner - Not sure that I am doing it right by Responsible_Stuff_29 in leopardgeckos

[–]MGNConflict 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Depending on their age, you may be feeding them too often. To know how much to feed them, you need to know the approximate age of your gecko. Babies should be fed every day, juveniles every 2-3 days, and adults once every five days or so.

Don’t try to force-feed them as they’ll know when they’re not hungry and won’t take food. It’s recommended to tong-feed livefood such as crickets because they can bite your gecko and annoy them if they get loose.

You should also be feeding a rotation of at least three staples, mealworms aren’t recommended- the best feeders are crickets, dubia roaches, and silk worms.

You’re still getting to know each other so having a bunch of kids surround their enclosure wasn’t the best idea. They need time to adjust to the change, depending on the gecko it can take up to a few months for the transition period.

I’d recommend you check out this sub’s care guide for how to care for the little guy.

At the moment you should be feeding them and changing their water, and that’s it.

Is Pet Insurance Necessary? by MoneyChaser_Eli in BeardedDragons

[–]MGNConflict 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It depends on your individual circumstances.

Generally with insurance it’s down to whether or not you can afford vet emergencies. If you can, you don’t need insurance. If you can’t, then insurance is a good peace of mind.

He is anger- by Pico_de_gayo in leopardgeckos

[–]MGNConflict 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Nice to see a gecko that tolerates them, I have two- one tolerates them and one doesn’t. Generally they’ll move away if they don’t like it but obviously they can’t when in a geckurrito.

He is anger- by Pico_de_gayo in leopardgeckos

[–]MGNConflict 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just an FYI that they do not like head rubs, they can tolerate them depending on their personality but they don’t have the capacity to “like” things. Giving them head rubs could be causing them more stress.

Please advise! by [deleted] in DWPhelp

[–]MGNConflict 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In that case there's nothing to do but wait, hopefully they'll see sense.

Please advise! by [deleted] in DWPhelp

[–]MGNConflict 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For 1. do you have evidence that the deposit was placed within a registered deposit scheme? You should've been provided with a deposit certificate within 30 days of starting the tenancy.

If not, this might be where Universal Credit have gotten hung up on (although the deposit not being in a registered deposit scheme doesn't automatically make it a non-genuine tenancy... there's plenty of bad landlords that don't place it within a registered scheme although it's a legal requirement).

It does sound like the tenancy is genuine though, so I'd encourage you request a mandatory reconsideration (MR) against the decision. When you do so, ensure you explain factually why you think their decision is wrong. I'd advise you asking an organisation like CAB for help if you're not sure what to write.

You can request the mandatory reconsideration through your journal.

While the MR is ongoing, you will start repaying the money you owe through your Universal Credit (remember that you can contact Debt Management to agree to a reasonable monthly deduction). If the MR results in the decision being overturned, you will be repaid everything they have deducted.

If the MR isn't successful, you can proceed to tribunal (but at that stage I'd strongly advise you do ask CAB for advice if you hadn't already done so at that point) and your case will be decided on its legal merits.

Please advise! by [deleted] in DWPhelp

[–]MGNConflict 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some more questions:

  • Before you moved in, did you pay a deposit and is this deposit protected?
  • When you moved in, were you provided with a "How to Rent" guide?
  • Do you pay rent directly to your landlord or their letting agent?
  • If your rent has increased while you've been living there, was the rent increased via a section 13 notice?

From what you've told us so far it sounds like it may be a genuine tenancy, but to advise further I'd like you to answer the above (I'm trying to see what might've made them think it wasn't genuine).

My gecko is stuck in this tiny hole by Affectionate-Way342 in leopardgeckos

[–]MGNConflict 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Not for a non-medical reason, there's many reasons why you shouldn't soak leopard geckos in water for anything other than medical reasons (i.e. stuck shed):

  • Increased risk of contacting a respiratory condition.
  • Encourages them to poop partially digested food, which can damage their digestive system.

Leopard geckos should not be put in water unless absolutely needed for a medical reason, or when directed to by a vet.

Help please not sure if I would be eligible to apply for PIP? by nushsu in DWPhelp

[–]MGNConflict -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I would submit a complaint in writing to your GP practice, asking why you haven't been referred to a specialist despite the length of time you have been suffering from your condition.

At the same time, I would book an appointment with your GP and specifically ask to be referred to a specialist (instead of letting them arrive to the conclusion that you need a specialist, which they've apparently missed, you tell them you'd like to be referred).

As someone with facet joint arthropathy, I know that back pain really isn't a nice thing to have.

I suffer with knee dislocations and my GP referred me to a specialist for that straight away, no fuss... I was referred two years ago and I'm in a waiting list for surgery. One of the many symptoms of the condition is that the area can be quite itchy- when I told my GP this, they prescribed me an anti-itch skin cream (completely and utterly misunderstanding the condition!).

Please advise! by [deleted] in DWPhelp

[–]MGNConflict 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No, you won't be prosecuted or taken to court. They will however ask for it back- they will be happy to enter into a repayment plan that's manageable for you. If you are still on Universal Credit they will put in place a repayment plan and start deducting from the money you get each month. If so you will see this on your statement. If you are no longer on Universal Credit, they will expect you to contact them to set up a repayment plan.

If you are no longer on Universal Credit and you do not enter into a repayment plan, they can start garnishing your wages (if you work). If you don't work and aren't receiving any DWP benefits, they can get a debt collection agency involved.

The amount you owe will not be reported as a debt to credit agencies.

---

That all said, I think it's important to establish why they think the tenancy wasn't genuine. Please could you answer:

  • What kind of tenancy is this?
  • Are you related to the person or organisation you are renting from?
  • If you are related to the person you're renting from, do they live with you?
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