Housing Benefit Home Visit

Barcode · 30 September 2005 at 12:03PM

Hi,

I've been lurking for some time and this is my first post.

So, a few questions:

I've just received a letter - well, actually my housemate opened it for me as I'm currently abroad for a few weeks - that a housing benefit officer is going to visit me to check information. Fair enough.

Is the fact I have been abroad a problem? Presumably a normal vacation is acceptable, I just remember reading somewhere that I was supposed to tell them whenever I went abroad.

How many months bank statements are you supposed to show them? I've stopped paper statements being sent sometime ago and rely upon internet banking. I can get the paper statements, but Barclays will charge me five pounds and my internet bank statement only goes back about two months.

Since my benefit is paid weekly by cheque, is it acceptable for a housemate to cash it in my absence? I have not intended to deceive anybody, and I have checked the rules. Nothing is said about this.

Since I have not (a) sub-letted my room during the absence (b) been abroad for less than 13 weeks, I understand that things should be fine.

Believe it or not, I can't find the information on my local councils site. I suspect they bury these things somewhere and use it to catch people like me out who are sometimes ignorant of all the specifics.

My housemate had a home visit and told me it took a few minutes, she signed something and that was it? I hope so, dealing with the housing people really raises my blood pressure. It took a YEAR for them to sort out my claim (I'm a deaf student in receipt of IB, hence being able to claim HB), and now I'm worried that this visit will send everything furbar.

Advice appreciated.

black-saturn · 30 September 2005 at 1:24PM

I think you are supposed to inform them if you go out of the European Union for any reason (even if it's only for a day). You don't have to tell them if you go on holiday inside the EU unless you are going for a long time. I must say though I have never had a home visit from the Housing Benefit and I have been on it for about 4 and a half years as I am on a low income, so they must have some suspicions about you and about the amount of time you spend outside the country. Make sure you are there when they make the home visit (if you know when they are coming).

You need to provide them with 6 months worth of your bank statements and they need to be printed out. That was the main reason why I stopped the internet banking.

Your housemate can cash the cheque in your absense but you will need to authorise this by signing the back of it. Alternatively you can have it so that your HB goes straight to your landlord.

Whatever happens, don't panic. These people are highly trained to spot fraudsters and are given incentives such as free TV's etc if they catch one. So they will be looking for anything suspicious such as nerves and will think your one of them. I'm not suggesting you are - I used to work at the DSS so I know what they're up to.

helen21_2 · 30 September 2005 at 1:27PM

In our area all housing benefit claims are done by home visits and all renewal claims are done this way too!!

black-saturn · 30 September 2005 at 1:29PM

Well I've never known anyone have one in this area and neither has my bf who lives in London. I suppose it all depends on what area your in.

Barcode · 30 September 2005 at 1:36PM

Thanks for that. Six months?! I shredded a lot before I left due to security. I trust my housemate, but you never know who might be snooping around in my absence.

I haven't been out of Europe, but I am out of the E.U (Switzerland). My partner lives here, so I visit fairly frequently. 99% of the time it is for weekends, and my partner pays for my airfare as I certainly can't afford it.

The letter arrived ONE day before they intended to visit, so I got my housemate to call and apparently they are now sending another letter to confirm another date. I find it very intrusive to be honest. When I come back next week, it will be straight into lectures and exams which I can't just miss. I would think at least seven working days is appropriate. Just because I'm on HB does not mean I have absolutely nothing to do all day as they seem to think!

I'm curious about how they could be suspicious. My housemate also claims HB but works part-time. She said she had a routine visit as well. So I'm hoping it is that.

There is nowhere to actually sign the back of a cheque. It's printed by a computer by the looks of it, but thanks for the clarification. Maybe there are different sorts of cheques?

I know I haven't done anything wrong, and I'm annoyed by the attitude of the council who seem to make it a mission to disrupt my life. Applying for HB was (and I am not understating the matter) one of the more stressful experiences I have had. Sitting a three hour exam is a breeze in comparison! They treated me like a scrounger, implied my deafness was not bad - so I took out my hearing aid and just sat there like an idiot until they understood I could not hear them! And now they are turning up with 24 hours notice.

A little politeness would not go astray.

I've been checking various websites after my post and there appears to be a benefits verification scheme in place now? According to which, you have to supply two months of statements. Let's hope it is that.

Fran · 30 September 2005 at 1:49PM

Housing Benefit is not to do with your IB, it is an income related benefit which you would be entitled to because of (presumably) IB being your only income.

You quoted re being abroad for less than 13 weeks - how long are you abroad for? Maybe someone has reported you as never living in the house (you would be claiming HB for your primary residence)?

Have a look at the Shelter website. There are various ways of contacting them to check on the Housing Benefit situation for yourself.

You would be perhaps better off arranging for the payments to go directly to the landlord because you don't want to end up with rent arrears.

Barcode · 30 September 2005 at 1:57PM

Abroad - this time, two months. Which is why they are going to see my bank statements and just see withdrawals in Switzerland.

I think going to the landlord is a good idea, that way I don't have to deal with this sort of stress, and not worry about my housemate paying things in on time.

Hard to see how somebody could report me for not living in the house. The only people that know I go abroad to visit my partner are about two or three friends. So if somebody has reported me, I know who to point the finger at! Hard to believe somebody would be that vindictive. I could understand it if I intended to deceive people, but I checked the 13 week rule and I'm 99% positive it said nothing about the E.U - just about going abroad.

If it had, I would have come back.

I don't have any other income. My partner does not give me money, and believe it or not, I'm classed as a single person since HB forms don't recognise gay couples. I don't know what the situation is if a partner is a foreign. Hard to see how a partner living abroad could be expected to contribute to your income. I don't know.

I just feel it's going to be invasive, having to explain my partner is also a female, I do not want lots of questions about my private life. Income - yes, but explaining what I am doing and with whom is quite offensive. Only if I am receiving money from anything else other than my IB could I understand it.

Sorry for the rant, I don't mean to sound naive, it just seems the rules are quite complex at the best of times.

Thanks for the advice so far.

helen21_2 · 30 September 2005 at 2:00PM

I'm not sure but think things have change now on claiming benefits and living with a same sex partner and also whilst claiming HB i think there is something about being away from your abode for a certain amount of time.

Fran · 30 September 2005 at 2:05PM

Are you aware that the rules will be changing at the end of the year re lesbian and gay couples?

This dti website mentions it.

From what you are saying though, if you are only seeing your partner at weekends most of the time it shouldn't affect your HB as you are spending most of the time at your address and they are not living in your house. (Or does she visit you for long periods of time - that could have raised alarm bells perhaps?).

Barcode · 30 September 2005 at 2:05PM

That's what I'm trying to figure out - I keep reading about the 13 week rule, but the information does not seem terribly precise as is usually the way with the council.

As I understand it, things will change once same-sex partners can be registered on the civil partnership thing in December. Something that we can't do as my partner is foreign and it applies to British citizens.

Since my partner does not live with me and is foreign, I'd like to see how they can start taking away the income of a non-British citizen. For instance, my housemates boyfriend doesn't live with us and isn't expected to contribute anything. If they were married and living together, or co-habiting then yes.

I know I have a deduction as my housemate is expected to contribute towards the rent. When they sent me the list of things for various deductions I was a bit baffled to be honest. Gosh, I'm probably sounding a bit stupid now.

If there are problems when I see this visiting officer, I'm going to have to go to an independent agency like the CAB or get my student welfare officer involved. Amazing how quickly they sort things out when an authority gets involved.

Barcode · 30 September 2005 at 2:07PM

Oh, my partner rarely visits me. Her job is pretty much non-stop, so she pays for me to visit her. The only people in my house are my housemate and myself. I'd say I'm at home for at least ten months of the year.

Housing Benefit Home Visit

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