Anyone understand how HB is calculated!!

BERFFRO

Finally received my letter for HB today been waiting since February! Anyway my new entitlement is £49.45 a week, Considering we were receiving getting £54.24 whilst i was working! It doesn't make sense to me, Also no hint of a backdate.

The only difference is that i've lost my job so this is our income:-

Me: JSA-Contributions based
Partner: £6000 student loan a year
Rent is £115 a week, I guess i'm supposed to use my JSA to make up the shortfall of the rent. I've never been unemployed before and hopefully i will be back in employment soon as! This benefit system is mind boggling!

fluffymovie

Hi

The calculation will be shown on your notification letters but I have detailed the calculation on a previous thread so that might help.

Students are quite complex for HB but basically, the loan is income so we use that, take off an amount of money for books and travel, divide over 42/43 weeks and then deduct £10 per week

JSA C is used in full as income

This is your income and then they look at your rent, LHA, capital etc.

If you do'nt think it is right, best people to talk to would be the HB department themselves.

You have mentioned a backdate. A claim is paid from the Monday following the date that it was received by the council. If you want it to start earlier, you have to show Good Cause for not claiming at the right time and formally request a backdate. Have you done this? If the council refuse your application, they have to notify you so that you can appeal if necesssary.

In some places, they will consider getting benefit into payment first and then consider the backdate afterwards.

Oldernotwiser

Your partner's student loan will be taken into account when assessing LHA/HB. I'm surprised that you were getting any help when you were working full time; did you declare your partner's income

BERFFRO

fluffymovie wrote: »

Hi

The calculation will be shown on your notification letters but I have detailed the calculation on a previous thread so that might help.

Students are quite complex for HB but basically, the loan is income so we use that, take off an amount of money for books and travel, divide over 42/43 weeks and then deduct £10 per week

JSA C is used in full as income

This is your income and then they look at your rent, LHA, capital etc.

If you do'nt think it is right, best people to talk to would be the HB department themselves.




You have mentioned a backdate. A claim is paid from the Monday following the date that it was received by the council. If you want it to start earlier, you have to show Good Cause for not claiming at the right time and formally request a backdate. Have you done this? If the council refuse your application, they have to notify you so that you can appeal if necesssary.

In some places, they will consider getting benefit into payment first and then consider the backdate afterwards.

I will give them another call on Monday feels like all i do is call them these days! I've asked to backdate my claim as i have been claiming JSA since Feb! But my paperwork always get misplaced by them, I still have receipts as evidence that they have received them. I'm hoping i'll get it as it will really help towards some of the rent.

It really infuriates me that me and my partner have always worked since leaving school paid tax(20 years between us) never claimed for anything but all we see each day is people who have never worked and doubt they ever will so much better off than us. I went shopping yesterday(well if you call £10 shopping) and embarrassingly i had to hand things back:( but the people on the opposite till whom i knew of have never worked but have 7 kids and had a shopping bill of £150! mostly beer as well. And we only get well now £0(As my JSA will have to go towards the rent) between 3 of us, My daughter lives with me for half a week but my ex gets the benefits.

Only good thing is that next week my partner will get a healthy eating grant as she is pregnant, At least we can use this and keep the roof on our head for another week!

BERFFRO

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Your partner's student loan will be taken into account when assessing LHA/HB. I'm surprised that you were getting any help when you were working full time; did you declare your partner's income

Yes i did declare her income, My full time wage was only £168 a week!

fluffymovie

TBH, the system isn't perfect but then, I have worked since finishing uni and I have never claimed a penny myself.

I have put off having children until I can afford it (34 and still not there yet!) and so I wouldn't be too quick to judge others as you are in a situation where you can't afford your rent and have a child on the way yourself.

I work in benefits and see unfairness every day but you can either let im bug you, or do the best for your family. I hope that it works out for you.

BERFFRO

fluffymovie wrote: »

TBH, the system isn't perfect but then, I have worked since finishing uni and I have never claimed a penny myself.

I have put off having children until I can afford it (34 and still not there yet!) and so I wouldn't be too quick to judge others as you are in a situation where you can't afford your rent and have a child on the way yourself.

I work in benefits and see unfairness every day but you can either let im bug you, or do the best for your family. I hope that it works out for you.

The baby was planned we had saved for a few years until we where pretty sure we could afford to have a baby, Not to just have a baby to get more money. It was just a turn of unfortunate events that led to my unemployment.

I glad that you work in benefits and see unfairness every day things have got to change! Another fella down the road from me he has got a limp in leg classes as disabled felt sorry for him in the beginning but he goes to the gym everyday, has 5 kids, just been given a 20k car!! And had the cheek to tell me that his leg is getting worse that he cant lift his leg over his front door step, so i asked why did they give you a people carrier then as surely you cant lift your leg into that!! He replied that his leg has gotten a lot better since he had the car yeah right!:mad:

fluffymovie

Things only change when inequalities come to light

If you know someone is saying they are disabled and claiming benefits on the basis of this, if you don't believe this to be true, you would need to refer him for investigation or else, what will change?