housing benefit ,what is the waiting time??

mommypig

hi i applied for hb and help with c tax back in may and took all remaining info last week ,does anyone know if you can track progress on line or how long it will be before i hear anything,thaks abi

amberowl28

If you've heard nothing in more than a month i'd go in and ask. Waiting times vary between councils but are extremely long at the moment. Month to six weeks near me - currently waiting myself.

GettingStraight_3

I've been waiting for 9 weeks so far. As far as I can tell calling them or going into the council offices in person does little to speed the process. So far I've been unable to get any kind of progress update on when my claim will be processed either.

I have had two letters asking for more information so far. Both of them came after I had been told they had all the info they needed.... As soon as I opened them in the post I went straight down to the council to give them the info they wanted. I can only assume when they send a letter asking for more info that you get put back to the end of the queue :mad:

Good luck with getting an answer quickly... I hope you don't have to wait as long as I have!!

Perr

When you first apply for HB they will give you a small form which they will have put a tick next to which item of info you have given to them, with your application form. This will also have the date on when you applied,if you gave all the info the first day you applied,take the small form with you to your local office and you will not go to the back of any Queue.

GettingStraight_3

Every time I've been to the offices so far I have had all the prior paperwork with me, including the ones which ask for additional info which are signed and dated as complete. In my case they have asked twice for more information despite me being told they had everything they needed... Frustrating doesn't cover it!

Sharon87

Hmm, my council was extremely quick at processing my application. I received my first lot of HB 2 weeks after I applied.

I was told when I submitted my application I should phone in 2 weeks to check the progress of my application.

KimYeovil

Three to four months is normal.

PrincessDonna2009

I would just give it another month and then if not sorted by then, get in contact with them.....

Don't it get backdated anyway, so it shouldn't matter too much should it...

Tigsteroonie

As people have posted, it really does depend on the council in question. Mine (Manchester) turned round my initial claim in 5 weeks, and a recent request for change in just 2 days.

GettingStraight_3

PrincessDonna2009 wrote: »

Don't it get backdated anyway, so it shouldn't matter too much should it...

Well, in theory, no. But in my case I don't have the money to pay my rent, so will have to pay interest for every day it's late as I'm with a private landlord & it's in my tenancy agreement.

I'm mostly worried that they will refuse to renew my tenancy if I'm too late to pay, which is up in 2 months time...

asandwhen

I cant believe the wait some of you are having.

I helped my Father-in-law fill in his forms last week - took them in for the customer services girl to check them on Wednesday and I called up on Friday to see if they had recieved the application and they told me it had been completed and told me his award.

I think 2 days has got to be a record!