DLA, IB and housing benefit

skint_kezza

Hi everyone.

I'm in a pretty dire financial situation thanks to wonderful bank charges and low income. ( i will soon be trying to get the charges back).

Anyway, just need a few bits of advice.

I am long term sick and have been on DLA and IB for about 8 years now.
I'm currently awaiting a renewal decision on my DLA so right at this minute i only have IB to live on.

few questions i need answering:

I get housing benefit but not enough to cover all my rent. Is this normal for people on IB and DLA?

Is DLA included as part of my income amount with housing and council tax benefit? as it doesn't elsewhere.

It seems my entitlement has been worked out on an amount i had in my bank account years and years ago. Why do they not work out from the amount i have now? Can i have them look at this again?

Also is it illegal for banks to take charges from people who live solely on benefits?

Any advice is very gratefully received. xx

dmg24

Do you live alone? What rate of DLA do/ did you receive?

Wee_Willy_Harris

Housing benefit may not cover the full rent for a number of reasons, ie the property is too big. Some benefits are taken into account as earnings, but not DLA.

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

You don't receive the your full LHA rate if your on IB, you only get it if your on IS.

You can find out what you full LHA rate is here : https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/Secure/LHARateSearch.aspx?SearchType=PostCode

welshmoneylover

skint_kezza wrote: »

Also is it illegal for banks to take charges from people who live solely on benefits?

The answer to this question is NO, its not illegal and why should it be?

If you don't have enough money to pay you bills you have two choices:

either cut back on your expenditure
or learn to live within your means.

Wee_Willy_Harris

Breast_Cancer_Survivor wrote: »

You don't receive the your full LHA rate if your on IB, you only get it if your on IS.

You can find out what you full LHA rate is here : https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/Secure/LHARateSearch.aspx?SearchType=PostCode

As the OP first claimed 8 years ago, I'm assuming she is still on HB, not LHA. I might be wrong, of course.

Killmark

skint_kezza wrote: »

Also is it illegal for banks to take charges from people who live solely on benefits?

Try googling "First Right of Appropriation"

Some information on this link: http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/showthread.php?t=17324

skint_kezza

Breast_Cancer_Survivor wrote: »

You don't receive the your full LHA rate if your on IB, you only get it if your on IS.

You can find out what you full LHA rate is here :

Not known about this, so clicked on the link and it says my allowance is £136.93. My rent is £387.34 a month. My housing benefit it £313.68 a month.

welshmoneylover wrote: »

The answer to this question is NO, its not illegal and why should it be?

If you don't have enough money to pay you bills you have two choices:

either cut back on your expenditure
or learn to live within your means.

Because the charges are whats making me go over each month as i don't have enough money to cover everything when they take £75 from me. I know it is my fault to start with but once you get into the cycle its hard to get out of.

Wee_Willy_Harris wrote: »

As the OP first claimed 8 years ago, I'm assuming she is still on HB, not LHA. I might be wrong, of course.

I am on HB. Ive not heard of LHA.

Thank you for such quick replies.

I only live in a small i bedroom, 2 up 2 down house. I live alone.

skint_kezza

sorry i forgot to say, i'm on HIGH for both mobility and care, but as i said, right now i'm inbetween claims so that could change.

skint_kezza

Killmark wrote: »

Try googling "First Right of Appropriation"

Some information on this link:

I have my housing benefit paid straight to the housing association. Is IB classed as an income based benefit?

sorry all this confuses me.

dmg24

Do you have savings, and does someone claim Carers Allowance for you? Do you not claim IS?