Need help any suggestions?

lil'H

Hi everyone,

Ok am in a bit of dispute regarding my housing benefit claim, and hoping some brainbox might be able to help me. Will post this on benefits boards, just thought as a DFW I should pop it on here too for you all! (complex bear with me)

OK basically I was a student for the last 3 years (had my graduation ceremony today and looked like Harry Potter). As a single young mum I got a childcare grant to help. HOWEVER as i am under 25 they based this on my parents income, and dispite not desputing my childcare costs (my son only went 3 days a week) I only recieved 50% of my childcare grant and they said my parents should pick up the rest. My parents are retired adn could not do so so I had to pay the rest out of my student loan.

I informed housing benefit of this but they did not take my child care costs into account. During that period (i'll give figures for the first year as an example) I was basically on this SOA

Child care cost £6000 per year
Rent contribution after Housing benefit £2000 a year

Childcare grant £3000
Student Loan £5000

So my student loan paid my chidl care and rent only, not other living costs which came out of my child benefit and child tax credit (approx £60 a week).

OK Housing rules apparently state they can't take into account all of your student loan (some has to cover books travel etc) however they just ignore your child care costs whether or not you get that covered.

So only after speaking to a housing officer (who was new and could not tell me much more) aparently my last three years of housing benefit really should have taken this into account and I may have been underpaid. My own housing benefit officer said it wouldn't be rebated, but i could get that in writing ifd I sent in proof of all of the figures (Which I have), and on reciept of a letter stating this I could appeal.

She also said the appeal wouldn't work because of the regulations, she was very sympathetic and said I should try my MP as the regulations discriminate against students who are trying to find a way away form benefits. Basically I was £3000 a year worse off after childcare and rent than if I had been on income support.

So what do you all reakon, where do I go from here? Worth pursueing, what way, how, help!!!! Any one knowledgeable in this area?

Lil'H

amosworks

Speak to someone else who's been at the job a lot longer. There's no such thing as can't, just won't.

Find someone personable and hopefully someone who also has children and has been in your situation and try again.

Please update us, I'm interested in hearing about the outcome.

Amos

lil'H

Thanks amos, found out that they have definately underpaid me due to there error over the past year, and they will have to refund that, however the indisputable part is only around £1-2 a week. Still chasing up the rest so we'll have to wait and see!

lil'H

Floss

But £1-2 pw over 3 years is between £150-£300! Better in your pocket than theirs!

lil'H

Floss wrote:

But £1-2 pw over 3 years is between £150-£300! Better in your pocket than theirs!

Well exactly, straight off the Credit card it would go, if the parts that we are struggling to argue about end up going my way though it'll pay the whole card off in one hit!