Housing benefit mess looming

karenx

tincat wrote: »

Thanks Karen,

Have to go pick up kids now but will check when I get back.

Be careful on these roads with the little ones x

tincat

Hi, unfortunately the site only gives you an idea of how many rooms you can get, and has no info for students.

Had to walk at a snail's pace as the snow is really coming down thick - i.e. breathing it in. Biggest danger was dodging snowballs on the way back

Macro_3

I assume that the supplementary grant is a special support grant as you appear to still be receiving the full student loan alongside it.

If this is the case, by my (rusty) reckoning your benefit will be (vaguely, figures off top of head) as follows:

Income
* Tuition fee loan: Disregarded
* Special support grant: disregarded
* Student loan: £4988 (less annual disregard of £632 for travel and books) = £4356. Over a 43 week year this equates to 101.30/week, less £10 per week disregard so income used in assessment would be £91.30/week
* Child benefit: disregarded
* Child tax credit (unknown, so I'll assume it's circa £95/week)
* Total income for the purpose of the assessment = 95+91.30 = 186.30

Applicable amount
* Adult, two children and family premium = 64.30 + 56.11 + 56.11 + 17.30 = 193.82

As your income is less than your applicable amount, that would mean that you would get full HB (depending on your LHA rate)

karenx

tincat wrote: »

Hi, unfortunately the site only gives you an idea of how many rooms you can get, and has no info for students.

Had to walk at a snail's pace as the snow is really coming down thick - i.e. breathing it in. Biggest danger was dodging snowballs on the way back

Im assuming the LHA would be the same for students as it is for everybody else. What is the rate for your area with the amount of bedrooms you are entitled to? As Macro has said you will get full HB that means whatever the LHA rate is thats all you will get so you will have to make up any shortfall

tincat

Macro, thank you. I will be ecstatic if that is the case.

I've just been told by a friend to contact my university as they may be able to advise with benefits, so I emailed the student support office. Hopefully they will also have an idea and it will concur with yours.

I feel much more hopeful now.:)

tincat

karenx wrote: »

Im assuming the LHA would be the same for students as it is for everybody else. What is the rate for your area with the amount of bedrooms you are entitled to? As Macro has said you will get full HB that means whatever the LHA rate is thats all you will get so you will have to make up any shortfall

We're entitled to 2 bedrooms (myself + 2 kids) and my LHA more than covers that. I'm entitled to £1100, but my rent is £1000pm. So if I qualify for the full amount, I will be very happy. I've been receiving the normal amount for the past 3 months, but have just been worried that I'm not entitled to it, and I would have to pay it back. Now that it seems I am entitled to it, I feel a lot better.

The income support office know that I will get that letter to them the minute I get it and that I can't hurry them along. So hopefully all will be well.

Thank you everyone.

I will update the thread eventually when I get my final notice and hopefully it will be good news. Good luck to all other students battling along.

karenx

That works out at £253 a week, are you sure your LHA is that amount?? Seems very high for being a 2 bedroom rate

tincat

http://www.richmond.gov.uk/lha_rates_january_10.pdf

These are the rates and I'm in outer sw london.

Oldernotwiser

tincat wrote: »

Macro, thank you. I will be ecstatic if that is the case.

I've just been told by a friend to contact my university as they may be able to advise with benefits, so I emailed the student support office. Hopefully they will also have an idea and it will concur with yours.

I feel much more hopeful now.:)

Have you really asked on here without going through it all with Student Support first?

tincat

Sorry, did anyone recommend it before? must have missed it.

I've been told to speak to my lone parents advisor who said she wouldn't do the calculation anyway, she would just forward it to the assessors.