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HB & Coun Tax Ben...please help!
talulah25
Posts: 311 Forumite
Regular MSErs will prob recognise this story as I have commented on my own situation in bits and pieces on different boards, time to tell the whole story in the hope that someone out there can help me!
here goes (apologies, its long!)....
On 30th October 2009 my partner was made redundant from a job he had only been in for 6 weeks, he went down to Job Centre on 2nd November and made the initial claim for JSA, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. At that point I was on maternity leave having had our son in May 2009.
A form was sent to the house for HB and Council Tax Ben, this was completed by both of us and taken down in person along with all requested documentation around 12/13th November 2009. We were told that due to a back log it would take around 5/6 weeks to sort out HB etc but that we were to advise our HA and all monies would be paid directly to them when the claim was processed.
We waited the required time, during which my partner worked as an Xmas temp for 6 weeks earning minimum wage and working 15 hours a week, the Job centre were advised of this and all was fine. We then got a letter from the council advising that they needed confirmation of my partners earnings for the time he had worked at christmas and dates of his employment. This required filling in a change of circumstances form and copy of his P45, which he did and again delivered in person to their office.
After around two weeks we got another letter advising that the end of employment dates on the form and the P45 didnt match, turns out my silly OH had put that days date on the form :T. He asked how this could be rectified and was told simply by putting something in writing saying he made a mistake and the date was actually XX. He did this the next day and again delivered in person to the office getting a receipt for the statement.
In the meantime we had recieved letters from the council telling us that we were entitled to HB etc from 2/11/09-31/12/09 and that once the statement had been processed we would have a decision on 1/1/10-present.
We waited and waited and....nothing. Called the council and they said they were still waiting on a statement on conflicting employment dates. Although we had a receipt to prove this had already been provided my OH went down to the office and wrote another one, again getting a receipt.
By this time it was March, 4 months since initial claim and not a penny paid! I contacted the council querying the progress of our claim and was informed they couldnt process any more until they had a proof of address :mad:. We already had provided this, we had a receipt for the proof, they had been writing to us at this address for 4 months and were also in contact with our HA regularly. However, not wishing to hold up the claim any longer this proof of adress was hand delivered to the office and ANOTHER receipt obtained!
Then....I went back to work on 2nd March, change of circumstances form filled out (as soon as I had a payslip) and (yes you guessed it) hand delivered, receipt obtained.
On Monday we received ANOTHER letter, number 15 to be exact, asking for payslips from both of us for the period 1/1/10-present. They know my partner hasnt worked in this period and they know that I was on SMP until 2/3/10, they also know what my income has been since 2/3/10. Oh yes and they would like ANOTHER explanantion as to WHY THE DATES WERE WRONG ON THE FORM HANDED IN IN JANUARY!!!!
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY PLAYING AT????????????
Thankyou so much to anyone who has read all of this!
We have had 2 eviction notices from our HA due to rent arrears and a Bailiffs letter re the unpaid council tax, I am at my wits end! We have an 11 month old child and I am 9 weeks pregnant with number 2. I'm now on anti-depressants because I cant cope with the stress anymore and no-one wants to help us
here goes (apologies, its long!)....
On 30th October 2009 my partner was made redundant from a job he had only been in for 6 weeks, he went down to Job Centre on 2nd November and made the initial claim for JSA, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. At that point I was on maternity leave having had our son in May 2009.
A form was sent to the house for HB and Council Tax Ben, this was completed by both of us and taken down in person along with all requested documentation around 12/13th November 2009. We were told that due to a back log it would take around 5/6 weeks to sort out HB etc but that we were to advise our HA and all monies would be paid directly to them when the claim was processed.
We waited the required time, during which my partner worked as an Xmas temp for 6 weeks earning minimum wage and working 15 hours a week, the Job centre were advised of this and all was fine. We then got a letter from the council advising that they needed confirmation of my partners earnings for the time he had worked at christmas and dates of his employment. This required filling in a change of circumstances form and copy of his P45, which he did and again delivered in person to their office.
After around two weeks we got another letter advising that the end of employment dates on the form and the P45 didnt match, turns out my silly OH had put that days date on the form :T. He asked how this could be rectified and was told simply by putting something in writing saying he made a mistake and the date was actually XX. He did this the next day and again delivered in person to the office getting a receipt for the statement.
In the meantime we had recieved letters from the council telling us that we were entitled to HB etc from 2/11/09-31/12/09 and that once the statement had been processed we would have a decision on 1/1/10-present.
We waited and waited and....nothing. Called the council and they said they were still waiting on a statement on conflicting employment dates. Although we had a receipt to prove this had already been provided my OH went down to the office and wrote another one, again getting a receipt.
By this time it was March, 4 months since initial claim and not a penny paid! I contacted the council querying the progress of our claim and was informed they couldnt process any more until they had a proof of address :mad:. We already had provided this, we had a receipt for the proof, they had been writing to us at this address for 4 months and were also in contact with our HA regularly. However, not wishing to hold up the claim any longer this proof of adress was hand delivered to the office and ANOTHER receipt obtained!
Then....I went back to work on 2nd March, change of circumstances form filled out (as soon as I had a payslip) and (yes you guessed it) hand delivered, receipt obtained.
On Monday we received ANOTHER letter, number 15 to be exact, asking for payslips from both of us for the period 1/1/10-present. They know my partner hasnt worked in this period and they know that I was on SMP until 2/3/10, they also know what my income has been since 2/3/10. Oh yes and they would like ANOTHER explanantion as to WHY THE DATES WERE WRONG ON THE FORM HANDED IN IN JANUARY!!!!
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY PLAYING AT????????????
Thankyou so much to anyone who has read all of this!
We have had 2 eviction notices from our HA due to rent arrears and a Bailiffs letter re the unpaid council tax, I am at my wits end! We have an 11 month old child and I am 9 weeks pregnant with number 2. I'm now on anti-depressants because I cant cope with the stress anymore and no-one wants to help us
0
Comments
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I would be logging a complaint with the LA, and contacting your MP (although strictly speaking you do not have one at the mo - if your old one is not standing it may be worth waiting a week).
If they are anything like my LA, you have my sympathy!Gone ... or have I?0 -
What it sounds like (this is pure speculation on my part) is that something has been entered on your claim wrong and/or is causing conflict.
I would firstly get all your evidence together (and I mean everything; wage slips, bank statements - 2 months before up to present day, benefit entitlement letters and anything/everything else you can think of), go into their benefit office and get an advisor to go through the whole claim with you until it's sorted.
They're excellent face to face and if there are errors they'll spot them plus they update/finalise your claim there and then.
If they can't ask to see a manager and escalate it.
If that fails have you tried the CAB & Welfare Rights?
Also look at SHELTER who offer advice on this http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/paying_for_a_home/housing_benefit_and_local_housing_allowance/arrears_due_to_housing_benefit3
Happened to me :mad: Please provide this - you have 28 days, please provide that, please provide this again ad nauseam for 3 months. CAB couldn't understand it as my claim was straight forward and advised me to appeal. Went in next day, sat down with an advisor and got it sorted out.0 -
An interim housing benefit payment can be made, if after 14 days, the local council have received all of the information required to process a claim but haven't done so. This has to be requested, isn't automatic.
in your case,it seems the local council are hellbent on insisting they don't have sufficient info, but do investigate this option or remember it in future.0 -
I would be logging a complaint with the LA, and contacting your MP (although strictly speaking you do not have one at the mo - if your old one is not standing it may be worth waiting a week).
If they are anything like my LA, you have my sympathy!
I've done both of the above, LA have 2 more days to contact regarding my complaint under their own complaints procedure. I am also awaiting contact from my MSP as I contacted MP and obv because parliament disolved he is not taking on new cases but MSP can help :T
Thanks for the link to shelter Speedfreek, some very interesting information there, I shall be chasing that up poste haste
Thanks to everyone for reading and fingers crossed I get somewhere!!!0 -
Good grief! I thought I was having problems with my claim but you must be tearing your hair out!!
Sorry, I have nothing constructive to add to the great advice given but I am starting to think a regular telephone call to the HB office may be useful.
For some reason, my local office don't see fit to inform people of hold-ups unless they call to ask what is happening! Why I don't know but it seems the same has happened to you!
They had my paperwork for a month before I called to ask what was happening and they informed me there was a problem with one of the forms so my claim was at a standstill! Now they have sent the offending form back and threatened to cancel my claim if I don't respond within 7 days, even though it clearly states in the same letter that they've held the form for a month!! How cheeky is that!!
My LL said to call them every week and check the status but I thought she was being over cautious - it seems not!0 -
Good grief! I thought I was having problems with my claim but you must be tearing your hair out!!
Sorry, I have nothing constructive to add to the great advice given but I am starting to think a regular telephone call to the HB office may be useful.
For some reason, my local office don't see fit to inform people of hold-ups unless they call to ask what is happening! Why I don't know but it seems the same has happened to you!
They had my paperwork for a month before I called to ask what was happening and they informed me there was a problem with one of the forms so my claim was at a standstill! Now they have sent the offending form back and threatened to cancel my claim if I don't respond within 7 days, even though it clearly states in the same letter that they've held the form for a month!! How cheeky is that!!
My LL said to call them every week and check the status but I thought she was being over cautious - it seems not!
You trying to steal my worst LA crown lady?
I'm still working on the appeal I submitted in June ... 2008! :TGone ... or have I?0 -
it seems to be that changes have made a simple claim get out of hand, I would get down to the office and sit down with someone and go through every change from the start of the claim and and not leave until you are 100% they have everything they need. I would go with your partner too incase they need him to sign anything.
Oh, and take all your evidence again and all you letters and reciepts - just incase!! good luck.light bulb moment: 30.08.08!!0
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