Please help regarding housing benefit

Lucy82

Hello, I'm new to this site although I have read lots and decided to join to see if one of you could please help me and my family.

I'm married with a young baby, my husband is on non means tested benefits which isn't much but gets us by. I had a baby last year and wasn't aware of any help that was available to us. We now have put in for help with HB and CTB and child tax credits although we have missed out on many months I thought that better late then never.

We have been awarded HB and CTB just waiting to hear for CTC. I was told by a housing officer that we should 'try' and claim for a backdate of HB as we wasn't aware of our entitlement. The process has taken place but I've just recieved a letter wanting bank statements from 6 months ago, which I don't have as I have shred them for safety, also they want to know how we have managed on such a low income. I had some money which we have managed on along with help from my Dad, I am in a panic now and wish that we never started the backdate, can I just cancel I can't account for everything I have spent etc. I don't want them think we are on the fiddle as we 'had' 6 months ago less then £3000 in money. I have £200 now that is why we have claimed.

Can I just cancel the backdate but keep the ongoing? We aren't in any dept so it was just a bonus. I was told that they don't always pay backdate anyway but it's worth a try.

TBH I don't want the stress of working out all my income and savings I had, BUT will they think it odd if we withdraw?

Sorry if all sounds jumbled.

honeyD

You can get new statements from your bank on request.
Im not sure why you would want to cancel the backdate since its money you were entitled to and if they are willing to give it..?

Lucy82

I'm unable to provide statements of what money I have been spending as I have had help from my Dad which I think will count as income and money that I have had in cash in a safe of my own not in the bank so I can't prove anything to them.

tboo

If you really want to cancel the backdate then ring them and explain you can't supply enough information and cancel it, the on-going claim will be ok

sulkisu

As another poster has suggested, you can just obtain copies of past bank statements and submit these. You then simply need to explain that your parents gave you cash support, and some idea of how much and how often. Occasional subs from friends or family are unlikely to affect your claim, so it is defintiely worth continuing with the backdated claim - they can only say 'no'.

suelees1

I'd definitely continue with this as others have said.

Yes you can withdraw but your backdate application will automatically expire if you fail to provide the info anyway

Lucy82

I would of course like to continue as we really could do with the help and it would give me extra money for my baby as I've been spending what was left of my cash savings. I thought the limit was £3,000 I wasn't aware until the other week that it is now £6,000. Which would have meant I could have put in a claim a lot earlier.

When I provide a bank statement though for the past 6 months it will show cash payments going in every month to cover our rent and a couple of other bills, won't they wonder where this has appeared from? I thought they may think something odd is going on and question this money and ask why it wasn't in a bank account? Also will they believe that it's all gone which could make problem for my new claim.

dishmop

I applied for housing benefit and CT in July last year.2009.
CT was sorted out quite quick but no reply on HB.
We assumed we were not entilted to it.
I did the on-line checked and all the figures I entered came up that we should get HB.
I went into the office and asked and they looked and told me the claim hadnt even been processed. 2 week slater still no joy.. A week later they told me that we had been granted full HB backdated to the date of the claim and that repayment would be made the following week. They aslso wrote and confirmed this information.
2 weeks later the money was not in the bank,,,,, but this is the best bit and it took a lot of pushing and demanding an answer,,,,, the money was repaid by the HB department to the "Rent Account" This rent account one might assume was my bank account where the council had taken the money from for the rent via direct debit......nope,,, Rent Account is the council's account,,,,,,, and finally we discovered that we had to write to the council and ASK for them to give us our money, plus another 2 weeks rent they had taken after they had told us we were entitled to full rent benefit and a refund......Person said "well, a lot of people leave the money there and use it to pay for council tax and water rates" yeh,, I bet they leave it there because they dont know its there and/or they dont know they have to write and ask for it.

Edited. I forgot to state it took 5 months for the council to finally prcess my claim.

dishmop

won't they wonder where this has appeared from? I thought they may think something odd is going on and question this money and ask why it wasn't in a bank account? Also will they believe that it's all gone which could make problem for my new claim.

tell them you got it from your credit card.....

Ambersuccubus

Whatever you do, don't lie!

I used to work in HB, and backdated claims ARE tricky, but if you can give at least a rough idea of how you were surviving (money from relatives, non-bank savings) in writing, it can be considered properly. If you sign a statement to say your cash reserves are now gone, they will TEND to believe you, although you may be subject to a home visit from one of their compliance officers in the life of your claim, just to make sure...

Ambersuccubus

Oh, and dishmop...where else would they put your money but towards your rent?
That's what HB is for...now, because this meant you had excess in your rent account, you could withdraw it, and that's great, but the HB and Housing departments (and indeed the CTax departments) are ALL SEPERATE. The HB people would not have access to your payments account for your rent except when analysing your eligibility, so they would not take account of your arrears or if you were up to date, but automatically pay towards YOUR RENT.
It's then up to you to (as you have done) handle your money by moving it from/to that account as appropriate.
You're getting your housing paid for - why should they hold your hand as well?
Private tenants get paid directly, and are expected to handle their own rent payments, and we know from the ll forums what problems that can cause...