Incapacity Benefit - Housing?

Oldernotwiser

Dustangle wrote: »

That is also not always correct. From the Adviser's Guide I quoted earlier -



Again, my advice to get expert advice from a qualified professional, such as a social worker at your local council, applies here.

But none of these things relates to the information that the OP gave.

zzzLazyDaisy

Dustangle wrote: »

But of course lots of homes are provided by social landlords. But it proves my point about not getting advice off the internet in the small hours of the night, but going to a professional service!

Yes, lots of homes ARE provided by social landlords, BUT waiting lists are long and a 21 yr old, living with parents is unlikely to be viewed as being in priority need. This means that is real terms, the most likely source of accommodation for OP is going to be privately rented. At the very least, you should make it clear that the advice you are giving the OP relates only to social housing.

zappster1966

Dustangle wrote: »

There are many well-meaning but less-than-fullly-informed people here either with an axe to grind, like Zappster, who seems to be an American (no offence) or who lack a full knowledge of the range of benefits and services available in this country

I'm a Scot, living in England, who has worked in Single Payments, Supplementary Benefit, Income Support, Social Fund & Jobseeker's Allowance over the last 20+ years. So an innocent I'm not.

After a long battle with DLA I've just got my mate high rate care backdated for 3 years. That'll get him 3 years SDP. My neighbour I've just got Guardian's Allowance. Another neighbour I helped get her Jobgrant, Mortgage & Council Tax run ons and Return To Work Credit. In addition to all that I post here and a few months back we had our first child, Finn, who is taking up much of my time too.

Oh yeah. All that plus holding a relatively low paid job, working for the Department for Work & Pensions, which pays less than many folk receive in benefits. I try hard not to be judgemental but am as subject to human frailties like everyone else, the fact I haven't ripped so many dippy OP's to shreds says much about my own self restraint & that of the other regulars on here, folks who give up their own free time to help others.

But your point is well taken. I'm gunna have to drop something come the New Year & it mights as well be the benefit board, like working for DWP it's a thankless bloody task & one I can't be arsed with anymore.

The Old Firm game's just started on Setanta. Am off to watch that instead of this pish.

dmg24

Dustangle,

It is coming across that you are only posting on this thread in order to create an argument. There are many of us that post on here to give the best help and information that we can. If you don't want to be helpful, then why not leave it to people that want to help?

I don't know what problem you have with zappster1966, but I have found them to be nothing but helpful, and rarely (if ever) wrong with their information. I would also note the same about healy, but he knows I love him anyway!

zappster1966,

Please don't stop posting because some fool has a go, we might not always agree on topical issues but I would hate to see you leave us x

loddellbosh,

If you can give us the information that others have mentioned we'll do what we can to help. We might not know it all (unlike someone who things he does ) but we'll certainly try!

Oldernotwiser

Dustangle wrote: »

There are many well-meaning but less-than-fullly-informed people here either with an axe to grind, like Zappster, who seems to be an American (no offence) or who lack a full knowledge of the range of benefits and services available in this country.

I would emphatically repeat my advice to discuss your wishes with a social worker who has done this before.

If I were Zappster I'd be VERY offended. Also, if you think that social workers are particularly well informed about benefits then I'd think again; it's really not part of their remit to advise people on this, even if it's their own clients. The idea of ringing up out of the blue to ask a social worker for benefits advice is quite ridiculous!

zzzLazyDaisy

Dustangle wrote: »

There are many well-meaning but less-than-fullly-informed people here <.....> who lack a full knowledge of the range of benefits and services available in this country. .

And that just about sums up your contribution to this thread, Dustangle.

OP you will get a lot of good advice on this board from the stalwarts - if you are not sure who is a regular and well informed poster, have a browse round the benefits board, you will find the same names cropping up time and again, with a wealth of knowledge and good advice. Unfortunately Dustangle isn't one of them.

Dustangle

dmg24 wrote: »

There are many of us that post on here to give the best help and information that we can. If you don't want to be helpful, then why not leave it to people that want to help?

In other words you all mean well. But you've shown that you don't have the full information. So the help you want to give could be harmful. You don't mean it to be but the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

My only advice is that the original poster should speak to professionals at his or her local council about this, who can carry out a proper fact finding interview, and give comprehensive advice suited to her or his indiividual situation, about benefits, local housing options, and practical support.

People should take heed over what happened on this very forum about Icelandic investments. Despite the fact that Martin Lewis has always made it clear that he only offers information, and journalism, and emphatically does not offer financial advice, hundreds of people took what they read here on ther forums as advice, failed to get proper professional advice, lost out big-time, and promptly whined and complained because they took seriously what they read in the forums.

To the original poster - as you'll have seen we can't agree on the solution to your problem. We're all probably wrong on one point or another (though of course I'm less wrong than anyone else).

Go and see the professionals who do this stuff for a living!

healy

Dustangle wrote: »

That is incorrect.

SDP is part of HB and CTB as well as IS. First of all, the original poster may become eligible for IS because he or she is getting DLA care mid/high and lives alone and so qualifies for SDP. Secondly, even if that isn't the case, he or she may become entitled to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit by becoming entitled to SDP in Housing Benefit as part of his or her applicable amount once a tenancy begins, as the Adviser's Guide to which I have linked indicates.

All of which confirms my earlier point that this is too complicated a matter to get advice about on the internet.

There are many well-meaning but less-than-fullly-informed people here either with an axe to grind, like Zappster, who seems to be an American (no offence) or who lack a full knowledge of the range of benefits and services available in this country.

I would emphatically repeat my advice to discuss your wishes with a social worker who has done this before.

My previous post is not incorrect.

The OP would be entitled to HB (now LHA for private lets) if they rented and their only income was IB. If they received IS then all of their rent would be covered. Therefore they would already be entitled to some HB/LHA and the DLA rate would not be the trigger so your post was incorrect.

If you had read more of Zappsters posts you would see that he is not an American and does have a good knowledge of benefits.

Dustangle

zappster1966 wrote: »

I'm a Scot, living in England, who has worked in Single Payments, Supplementary Benefit, Income Support, Social Fund & Jobseeker's Allowance over the last 20+ years. So an innocent I'm not.

I think you realise I was criticising your judgmental attitude. You came across as one who had an axe to grind about "welfare" in the US sense.

Even greater dependance on the State & taxpayer is a strange way to define independence. Wouldn't it be better to wait until your health is such that you can return to work first and then rent or buy your own home ?

I took a hint from the fact that the OP is on "long-term" IB and only 21 to think there might be a bigger story, one which he or she is under no obligation to share.

More generally, if you're used to administering benefits you'll be used to having social workers and the like challenging lots of decisions!

Dustangle

healy wrote: »

My previous post is not incorrect.

I read your post as suggesting there is no SDP in HB.