Emily - I can not agree with you more.
Britains 'systems' are shookingly bad and so tied up in bloody red tape it is enough to make a sane person want to kill somebody!

It takes so much effort to sort out the simplest of matters. So many people you have to talk to, the forms you have to fill in? Good grief - You lot in England count yourself lucky! When you get your forms, the big, long, book length ones (and I am talking simple stuff here, child benefit!!) thank the stars your only getting the English version, we also get the lot in Welsh and the thud when they drop on your mat? Dear God....

We have local elections here, I had my voting card through. I would not waste the ink in a pen! There is not one single person worthy of a 'x' on that form. Not one.
I am tempted to post it back with 'your having a laugh, right?' written in thick black marker...

The CAB will be the most effective people to go to, although there will be a wait when your there, for advise on any benefits, as for anything else, well, they will sure know where to send you for help if they can't help themselves.
The actual Dept of Work and Pensions will not tell you accurately all you can be claiming, it's almost as if their job is to not pay you everything they should rather than pay you. It's totally baffling. I think they bank on people getting frustrated and fed up and wanting to give up which is why they make it all so difficult.
The fact you can get a crisis loan and quickly is not readily known and it should be, it really should be these days especially... People loosing their homes when they could get this payment to help for that month? It's shocking.
I had better wrap this up now else I will be bashing every Government department known to man!
Don't even get me going on the tax office!
I am off for more coffee!
Tina - let us know how you get on.

I agree with all of the above.

I hope you are ok since we are now into the easter bank holidays.
I would advise Citizen's Advice. google it or it is in the phone book for your area.
Or the crisis loan route, although like alot of people have said, there is a lot of paperwork, form filling, id proving and so forth and sometimes you get treated like dirt, just for being in need. Hold your head high and refuse to leave until they give you the help you are entitled to in an emergency.

If you are really stuck with nothing at all then find your local Social Work Out Of Hours service in your local phonebook and call them to explain your situation (no money at all, no food etc) and they should help. Ask a local shop or neighbour if you can look at their phonebook if you don't have a copy.

As soon as you can get internet connection, go on Adultwork, Vivasreet etc and make free profiles and put 'AVAILABLE TODAY' on your profiles. You should get a few calls doing that, but don't put yourself in a dangerous situation.

Meanwhile, try to find a new agency if this is the way you prefer to work.

I really hope all goes well for you.

xx