Pension Credit

averageguy11

Hello

I am posting on behalf of a friend..she made a claim for pension credit in early Jan..this won't mean much on a weekly basis (although every little helps) but it will aid towards a relatively small mortgage. She is separated from her husband (no chance of a reconciliation) but they do currently share the same house due to the financial poisition of each and a ill son.

After siz weeks of waiting the DWP has finally made contact and requested a personal visit..apart from the inordinate amount of time waiting for a reply..is the home visit normal for a person in her position?

She is aware the they will only take into account half the o/s mortgage

TIA

[Deleted User]

they probably want to make sure that they arent living together as a couple

averageguy11

Well thats what I thought....but wondered how they prove it?..Do they ask to see the bedrooms? Sounds an awful invasion of privacy.

anmarj

averageguy11 wrote: »

Well thats what I thought....but wondered how they prove it?..Do they ask to see the bedrooms? Sounds an awful invasion of privacy.

it's a very difficult visit and it is based on a number of factors which is why a visiting officer has go out, it then has to go back to a specialist decision maker. They do ask a lot of questions and its not a straight forward answer to the visit, but if she wants to claim means tested benefit but live in the same household as her seperated partner then it has to be done.

think of it this way, anybody could claim they are seperated and live in the same household.

averageguy11

Fair enough...very slow though ..her application for council tax and rent (she pays mortage as well) have already been dealt with and yet that application was put in after and without the need for a home visit....anyway she has nothing to hide ..it just sounds odd in view of the small amount that is due and considering that peeps seem to b able to claim other benefits of higher amounts quite easily.

karenx

How can she claim housing benefit when she has a mortgage????

anmarj

averageguy11 wrote: »

her application for council tax and rent (she pays mortage as well) have already been dealt with and yet that application was put in after and without the need for a home visit....anyway she has nothing to hide ..it just sounds odd in view of the small amount that is due and considering that peeps seem to b able to claim other benefits of higher amounts quite easily.

they deal with things differently, and the visit is mandtory for a claim where they state they are seperated in the same household, does not matter how small the amount due to the cusotmer

averageguy11

karenx wrote: »

How can she claim housing benefit when she has a mortgage????

Because she rent as well (shared ownership) and of course council tax!

averageguy11

anmarj wrote: »

they deal with things differently, and the visit is mandtory for a claim where they state they are seperated in the same household, does not matter how small the amount due to the cusotmer

That helps to know..I know she has nothing to hide, but when u hear someone wants to visit it can sound if u r being picked on ..but obviously not.