We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
How long can housing benefits service take / Can they reject if you meet criteria??!
Options
Beta89
Posts: 54 Forumite
I applied for housing benefits on the 2nd Febuary.
They wrote back asking for all bank statements for last 3months for each one, tenancy agreement, national insurance card (that they lost but denied losing), phone bill, birth certificate.
I sent this all to them and they wrote back on the 13th Feb confirming that they had recieved it.
I waited for about 5days but no letter back saying ''Ok we have seen that you are unemployed, have no money in your bank, and that you are paying rent, so payment will start from now...''
*So on 19th i phoned them and aksed what the status was,
they said system was down.
*I called them on monday after weekend, they said system still down.
*Called tuesday, they said they are gna process it.
*gave them wednesday n thursday, checked today friday 27th Febuary inmy post box but no letter there,
phoned them up to ask what status is and they say they are 'processing it still', and i shoukd check next week'.
I do understand that the system may be busy cos of all the people that are losing jobs now but this is just getting ridiculous now as its been nearly 1month since i applied,
and has been 2weeks since i gave them all the doucments that they asked for.
So if all the articles that ive seen on the net are still correct then legally they should have to pay me an 'interim payment' now,
unless they can give a clear reason why i wont be able to qualify for housing benefit.
I emailed them during the week asking for it but they just totally ignored my emails!
My rent was due on 23rd, ive had to delay it by telling my landlord there was a problem with my bank account, but he wants the rent by the 2nd march.
Can somone please tell me how much longer they can keep up this delaying for??
As abit of background to show how clear-cut it should be-
Im 19years old, i live alone in a small studio flat (not even 1bedroom),
im responsible for the full rent, im unemployed and have been for over 5months now,
i have 3bank accounts of which 1 has £5, one has 9pence, one has -£196.
I sent them all my bank statements and my NI card so they saw this and checked and saw that i am unemployed, i sent them the tenancy agreement to show them that i am the one renting the flat.
So i just dont get what could be causing such a complex issue for them that they take longer to process the claim then they are meant to at the very maximum...
Ive checked on the entitled-to website and on runnymede councils benefits calculator and i qualify for-
£155 per week housing benefit, £16 per week council tax benefit,
and am in the process of claiming jobseekers allowance (interview on friday).
Please correct me if i am wrong but in my mind this is what i am 'legally entitled to'.
Not what i could possibly get if the person who does my claim likes the look of my name and feels in a good mood when doing my form, so decides to approve me not reject me!
Its what i am legally entitled to as a UK citizen, as my parents tax paid for it and when i pay tax i pay into that fund.
But can they actually reject you if you do qualify like i do??
Thanks
They wrote back asking for all bank statements for last 3months for each one, tenancy agreement, national insurance card (that they lost but denied losing), phone bill, birth certificate.
I sent this all to them and they wrote back on the 13th Feb confirming that they had recieved it.
I waited for about 5days but no letter back saying ''Ok we have seen that you are unemployed, have no money in your bank, and that you are paying rent, so payment will start from now...''
*So on 19th i phoned them and aksed what the status was,
they said system was down.
*I called them on monday after weekend, they said system still down.
*Called tuesday, they said they are gna process it.
*gave them wednesday n thursday, checked today friday 27th Febuary inmy post box but no letter there,
phoned them up to ask what status is and they say they are 'processing it still', and i shoukd check next week'.
I do understand that the system may be busy cos of all the people that are losing jobs now but this is just getting ridiculous now as its been nearly 1month since i applied,
and has been 2weeks since i gave them all the doucments that they asked for.
So if all the articles that ive seen on the net are still correct then legally they should have to pay me an 'interim payment' now,
unless they can give a clear reason why i wont be able to qualify for housing benefit.
I emailed them during the week asking for it but they just totally ignored my emails!
My rent was due on 23rd, ive had to delay it by telling my landlord there was a problem with my bank account, but he wants the rent by the 2nd march.
Can somone please tell me how much longer they can keep up this delaying for??
As abit of background to show how clear-cut it should be-
Im 19years old, i live alone in a small studio flat (not even 1bedroom),
im responsible for the full rent, im unemployed and have been for over 5months now,
i have 3bank accounts of which 1 has £5, one has 9pence, one has -£196.
I sent them all my bank statements and my NI card so they saw this and checked and saw that i am unemployed, i sent them the tenancy agreement to show them that i am the one renting the flat.
So i just dont get what could be causing such a complex issue for them that they take longer to process the claim then they are meant to at the very maximum...
Ive checked on the entitled-to website and on runnymede councils benefits calculator and i qualify for-
£155 per week housing benefit, £16 per week council tax benefit,
and am in the process of claiming jobseekers allowance (interview on friday).
Please correct me if i am wrong but in my mind this is what i am 'legally entitled to'.
Not what i could possibly get if the person who does my claim likes the look of my name and feels in a good mood when doing my form, so decides to approve me not reject me!
Its what i am legally entitled to as a UK citizen, as my parents tax paid for it and when i pay tax i pay into that fund.
But can they actually reject you if you do qualify like i do??
Thanks
0
Comments
-
can take upto 6 weeks to process- I had a change of circumstances in Oct & they still haven't sorted it out!!! HB is a waiting game...Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the world together."
FEB challenge £128/£270 balance £142
£2 saving club £1400 -
1 month? Six weeks? You'll be lucky! Try two or three months. At least. And stop wasting their time phoning them up.0
-
Unfortunately, there are a lot of people being made redundant and having to claim benefits. My local borough has reported that the number of housing benefit claims is growing by the fastest rate in London.
Figures obtained by the Conservatives show that 44 per cent more residents claim housing benefit than five years ago, compared with a London average rise of 15 per cent.
This is bound to lead to a delay in processing claims and you will just have to patient. Can you not advise your landlord that you have claimed LHA (I am assuming it is LHA and not HB)?
There is a lesson to be learned here, unfortunately too late for you, that it is ever more important to have 3 months wages in savings, just in case.0 -
I think that it is the current climate. I work in housing benefits in a small LA, i think our caseload is around 8000 and we have a big and steadily growing backlog. We are fully staffed and doing overtime every weekend but as we clear the work more and more is coming in. We aim to process new claims in around 4 weeks and changes in ten days but we are currently working on backlog documents from the end of January you can see that we are behind staright away. The fact that the DWP itself has a backlog in our area isn't helping matters. That is adding further delays and adding to the work load as we are having to process claims on nil income requests where normally they would just be passported, just to get some of these delayed claims into payment.
Unfortunately I dont think that its going to change anytime soon.:j0 -
There is a lesson to be learned here, unfortunately too late for you, that it is ever more important to have 3 months wages in savings, just in case.
...and also one more point. When you make your claim - send in all the information they request. If the claim is complete it will be processed there and then. Saves you a lot of waiting and the assessors writing out to you for stuff that could have been provided when you made your claim. However, just to add never delay putting in your application form because you are waiting for evidence.
The stuff we need to see is easily obtained and makes life so much easier for all involved.!
:j0 -
The Council have told me it can take up to 3 months. Its a nightmare.
Rictina0 -
Ive checked on the entitled-to website and on runnymede councils benefits calculator and i qualify for-
£155 per week housing benefit, £16 per week council tax benefit,
and am in the process of claiming jobseekers allowance (interview on friday).
Please correct me if i am wrong but in my mind this is what i am 'legally entitled to'.
I think you are in for a big shock - unless you are severely disabled, the most LHA you can expect to receive is £92.31 per week (or £88.50 depending on which BRMA you come under).Gone ... or have I?0 -
dmg you are back :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j
0 -
alwaysonthego wrote: »dmg you are back :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j
Just briefly ... I'll be gone again before you know it ...
x Gone ... or have I?0 -
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 350.9K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.5K Spending & Discounts
- 243.9K Work, Benefits & Business
- 598.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 176.9K Life & Family
- 257.2K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards