Housing Benefit Advice

gazfocus

Apologies in advance if I make this sound more complicated than it should be. If this should be in the 'benefits' forum, please let me know.

My fiance currently lives with her parents and is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance and has just begun a claim for Employment & Support Allowance, while I currently live in private rented accommodation, work part time and receive Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit due to low income.

We are signing a new tenancy agreement for a new property tomorrow (in both our names) and my fiance will be moving into the house tomorrow. I, however, will be moving in on 17th April.

Due to my fiance being on DLA and ESA, the council for the new house have suggested that the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit claim are made in my fiances name with me as her partner but we're confused as to when we can actually make the claim.

I tried to fill in the online claim form today but it just confused me even more.

As the claim has got to be in both of our names (because the tenancy is in both of our names), I'm wondering if the fact that I am currently claiming Housing Benefit at my current house will prevent my fiance from being able to claim the Housing Benefit for the new house while she's living there alone.

Can anyone give any advice?

Karen_30

I would say perhaps phone your local HB and CTB department and advise them of the future changes.

Complete the form online today - for your partner based solely on her and ensure that you write a supporting letter confirming that you are due to move into the address on X date and will update them as soon as you do and obviously reasons for the delay.

Main thing and priority is to get the new form in for your partner and do it today or tomorrow - the rest can be sorted from there.

As long as you explain your cirucmstances to the local authority i'm sure all will be fine and dandy.

Karen_30

Sorry, also ensure that your partner notifies the DWP re her changes i.e living with you also.

gazfocus

Karen_30 wrote: »

I would say perhaps phone your local HB and CTB department and advise them of the future changes.

Complete the form online today - for your partner based solely on her and ensure that you write a supporting letter confirming that you are due to move into the address on X date and will update them as soon as you do and obviously reasons for the delay.

Main thing and priority is to get the new form in for your partner and do it today or tomorrow - the rest can be sorted from there.

As long as you explain your cirucmstances to the local authority i'm sure all will be fine and dandy.

Thanks Karen, I did phone my HB/CT department to tell them that I am moving (because the online form for the new claim asks if you have informed your council that you are moving) but they said I need to phone back nearer the time or I won't receive any future housing benefit.

The main reason for the delay is the 1 months notice but also my driving test is booked for 16th April and it's too far to travel from the new house to where my test is booked at.

gazfocus

Karen_30 wrote: »

Sorry, also ensure that your partner notifies the DWP re her changes i.e living with you also.

Will do, but unfortunately that is going to take up a bit more time. Her mother is currently her Power of Attorney and is soooooo slow at doing what we ask her to do, but the DWP won't talk to me about it and my fiance can't talk to them about it due to her disability.

Karen_30

gazfocus wrote: »

Thanks Karen, I did phone my HB/CT department to tell them that I am moving (because the online form for the new claim asks if you have informed your council that you are moving) but they said I need to phone back nearer the time or I won't receive any future housing benefit.

The main reason for the delay is the 1 months notice but also my driving test is booked for 16th April and it's too far to travel from the new house to where my test is booked at.

I'd say perhaps phone back the week leading up to your move date and ensure that they suspend any pending benefit so that you don't end up being overpaid - are you moving within the same local authority or will you be claiming from a new local authority?

Understand that you don't want to move prior to your driving test - good luck!

As I said before the main thing is to ensure the claim form is submitted in your partners name and then as long as the form is in a date of claim is established and then you can get everything else done from there on.

I hope the move goes well and fingers crossed your partners Mum pulls her finger out and gets on with the DWP side of things!

Take care.

gazfocus

Karen_30 wrote: »

I'd say perhaps phone back the week leading up to your move date and ensure that they suspend any pending benefit so that you don't end up being overpaid - are you moving within the same local authority or will you be claiming from a new local authority?

Understand that you don't want to move prior to your driving test - good luck!

As I said before the main thing is to ensure the claim form is submitted in your partners name and then as long as the form is in a date of claim is established and then you can get everything else done from there on.

I hope the move goes well and fingers crossed your partners Mum pulls her finger out and gets on with the DWP side of things!

Take care.

Thanks again Karen. We are desperately trying to get things done right so that we're not overpaid (would hate to have to pay it back lol).

The new house is in a different local authority and I have arranged for my fiance and I to go and see them tomorrow. When I said I was trying to fill their form in online, they said 'I desperately suggest I send you a paper form' so going to pick one up and fill it in while we're there so we can ask questions

I've also suggested to my fiance that we get all of her finances back in her name and not her mums so we can be in control.

Thanks again

Fire_Fox

gazfocus wrote: »

Will do, but unfortunately that is going to take up a bit more time. Her mother is currently her Power of Attorney and is soooooo slow at doing what we ask her to do, but the DWP won't talk to me about it and my fiance can't talk to them about it due to her disability.

That is what Royal Mail is there for - can't you type up a letter and get your fiancee to sign it? Far better you have a paper trail of informing the DWP in such a complex situation anyway.