Housing allowance granted..but less than my rent..what next?!!?

dmg24

I'm not really sure what you want people to say Katlamity - welcome to life as a single person?

SomeBozo

or any advice, I'd be grateful to hear

Only one from me...

You said :

(public sector ones are the worst as they demand your date of birth for "Equal Opportunities Monitoring".)

This part of the form only goes to the Occupational Health dept, not the person choosing who gets the job.

Bozo

suelees1

real1314 wrote: »

OP:

Contact the council and ask them why they have not allowed you the 13 weeks HB / LHA that you can have at full rent as you have been paying your rent in full yourself without claiming HB / LHA in the past 52 weeks.

It's often overlooked, and will at least help you for the first 3 months. It was in the LHA regs from April 08 and was in the old HB regs.

Point 18 here:- http://www.dwp.gov.uk/housingbenefit/claims-processing/lha/products/LHA-national-landlord-QA.pdf

You could even print the linked page out and give the council a copy.

As there are now lots of posts I'm quoting Real's post 25 as it might have got lost. S/he is right in that you have transitional protection for the first 13 weeks. This means your HB is based on your full rent and not the LHA rate. This at least gives you a bit of time to look for work or other suitable accommodation. A few weeks before the end of the 13 week I'd advise you to apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment as has been suggested. Another poster has suggested LA's interpret these regs in different ways and some might only award a DHP up to the same amount as the LHA. This isn't corrrect and if they do that then any decision should be appealed. Regs are regs.

Pssst

Speak to your landlord and explain the situation. In these difficult times,they may well have to accept a reduced rent to retain a good tenant.

KimYeovil

Katlamity wrote: »

Also, as he is doing a degree course, rather than a vocational course, I don't qualify for Child Benefit. Can anyone explain the reasoning behind that rule?

Because he is entitled to his student allowances and loans and grants and bursaries. His contribution to your home should more than cover any shortfalls.

bestpud

cw18 wrote: »

The "problem" with saving is that it then counts against you, and you don't qualify for means tested benefits until you've spent enough (at fairly restrictive rates) until you've eaten into a fair chunk of it......

Personally I think saving should be encouraged (and I'm one who's been guilty of not doing, but am now turning myself around and trying to help my DD do the same), but I can understand people who think "why bother". It must be depressing to see people enjoying a better lifestyle while the money is coming in, only to find you both have the same amount to spend each week when the chips are down -- with yours coming from your savings, and theirs coming from the state.

(Apologies for going OT -- not intending to start a debate on the rights and wrongs of the benefits system)

You can actually have up to £6k without it affecting benefits and that could be helping the OP quite a bit at the moment!

He could use that to pay the £11 ish a week and it would take a good while to chip into it significantly! Don't forget he would earn interest on it too!

It could mean the difference between him losing his home, or not, but it wouldn't lose him his benefits.

bestpud

Katlamity wrote: »

Also, as he is doing a degree course, rather than a vocational course, I don't qualify for Child Benefit. Can anyone explain the reasoning behind that rule?

Without the Child Benefit, I stumble on page one of the EntitledTo site - it certainly does seem to be a passport to most other benefits.

Oh, and I've a middle-aged pet to feed too. Should I get her put down - will qualify for a freebie, won't I?

:beer:

You wouldn't get child benefit once your son is at uni, no matter what type of course he is doing. HE students get the loans and grants etc. If he were doing a vocational college course, you may have got an extra years chb BUT he won't have got the financial support he is getting! I'd have thought the latter is worth far more?

Really, he's an adult now and as such, is expected to be keeping himself.

Is he entitled to DLA? It won't help you, but it may help him so he can help you.

As for your pet, I am not sure why it is relevent they are middle aged? What type of pet is it? We don't stick to particular brands with our dog and cat so they eat what is on offer and don't cost a lot really.

Katlamity

bestpud wrote: »

You wouldn't get child benefit once your son is at uni, no matter what type of course he is doing. HE students get the loans and grants etc. If he were doing a vocational college course, you may have got an extra years chb BUT he won't have got the financial support he is getting! I'd have thought the latter is worth far more?

Really, he's an adult now and as such, is expected to be keeping himself.

Is he entitled to DLA? It won't help you, but it may help him so he can help you.

As for your pet, I am not sure why it is relevent they are middle aged? What type of pet is it? We don't stick to particular brands with our dog and cat so they eat what is on offer and don't cost a lot really.

Thank you - I didn't know that HE students couldn't get loans and grants, that explains it. My son lives in Halls, at just under £4000 a year, which is typical for student accommodation. A combination of loans and the LA grant pays his rent and tuition, leaving him with about £45/£50 a week for food and transport. The LA notified us of his grant with a message to the parent that I would be expected to aid his maintenance although of course this isn't obligatory, just a nudge.

Child Benefit is obviously a small sum to dismiss in favour of student loans/grants and it never featured as a problem until now that I look at (hopefully) short term help from the DWP.

Despite the fact my son has a grant and loan, he cannot also help maintain myself and our home, which he comes back to at the end of each term. He barely makes ends meet himself, he's new to his disability and new to being a student. Even if he wasn't new to this adult scary life, how is he expected financially to fill the gap? So his mother's employer goes bust and he's expected to somehow contribute to keeping the home roof over our heads? Give him a break.

DLA doesn't apply as he can, with the aid of public assistance and a stick, maintain mobility and, at home, he can prepare food and dress & wash himself adequately.

I referred to our pet as middle-aged merely to demonstrate we didn't get one irresponsibily recently. When I see the JSA of £60 a week disappear into rent top up and heat, water & light, the question of who I feed first pops up.

Katlamity

SomeBozo wrote: »

Only one from me...

You said :



This part of the form only goes to the Occupational Health dept, not the person choosing who gets the job.

Bozo

That what it says on applications, I agree. Then you realise that you are returning both the monitoring form and the application to the same person in a small office. Besides, a lot of the public sector application forms also ask for your date of birth......it's not illegal for them to ask but if you leave it blank, do they dismiss your application? Who knows.

dmg24

Your son is expected to get a job outside of term time. Indeed, most students have jobs whilst at university too.

What would he be doing if he was not a student?