Housing Benefit debt due to JSA not informing them

Ladywriter1968

Recently my husband started a job. We informed JSA and they signed us off. We also informed the council about this as well about a week later. Although normally I believe when you sign off JSA are supposed to inform the housing benefits people anyway.

Today we received a letter stating an over payment of housing benefits because JSA did not bother to inform the housing team of when we signed off. Even though we spent numerous time on the phone to JSA for letters and to say to inform housing etc and that we wanted the appropriate letters which we still dont have.

Now we have been landed with a housing benefit debt over payment thanks to the JSA not informing them when they should have done.

Is it right we should have to repay this since its not our fault. We did our part? The JSA are the ones who made this bad error not us?

We will still be liable to pay even though we informed housing of the date we signed off but JSA didnt, and housing continued to pay us housing benefits.

Serenity

I don't quite understand. You told both JSA and the council about this and yet when you got the payments you have obviously used the money somehow (or why else can you not pay it back straight away)? If anything the fact you told both of them compounds your guilt as you obviously knew you weren't meant to get it. Morally speaking that is, and I am trying to not be too judgemental, perhaps there is a reason why it was spent but as I said I don't understand. Someone will be along shortly to tell you where you stand legally I suppose.

Sharon87

The claimant for Housing Benefit needs to notify the council of any changes and you need to hand them payslips so they can work out the overpayment.

Morgan_Ree

Ladywriter1968 wrote: »

Recently my husband started a job. We informed JSA and they signed us off. We also informed the council about this as well about a week later. Although normally I believe when you sign off JSA are supposed to inform the housing benefits people anyway.

Today we received a letter stating an over payment of housing benefits because JSA did not bother to inform the housing team of when we signed off. Even though we spent numerous time on the phone to JSA for letters and to say to inform housing etc and that we wanted the appropriate letters which we still dont have.

Now we have been landed with a housing benefit debt over payment thanks to the JSA not informing them when they should have done.

Is it right we should have to repay this since its not our fault. We did our part? The JSA are the ones who made this bad error not us?

We will still be liable to pay even though we informed housing of the date we signed off but JSA didnt, and housing continued to pay us housing benefits.

Did the HB come direct to you (in which case you don't have a leg to stand on)
Or was it paid directly to the landlord?

If so surely you can just recover the extra rent paid to your LL seeing as they would have been getting paid twice?
From HB and then again from yourselves?

I'll be on the edge of my seat, waiting for your reply

SarEl

Ladywriter1968 wrote: »

The JSA are the ones who made this bad error not us?

It is not the JobCentre's responsibility or legal duty to inform the Council of the termination of your claim, and they have no powers to do so. The Council could not, in fact, act on such information - it is your claim and between you and the Council.

woody01

Ladywriter1968 wrote: »

Recently my husband started a job. We informed JSA and they signed us off. We also informed the council about this as well about a week later. Although normally I believe when you sign off JSA are supposed to inform the housing benefits people anyway.

Today we received a letter stating an over payment of housing benefits because JSA did not bother to inform the housing team of when we signed off. Even though we spent numerous time on the phone to JSA for letters and to say to inform housing etc and that we wanted the appropriate letters which we still dont have.

Now we have been landed with a housing benefit debt over payment thanks to the JSA not informing them when they should have done.

Is it right we should have to repay this since its not our fault. We did our part? The JSA are the ones who made this bad error not us?

We will still be liable to pay even though we informed housing of the date we signed off but JSA didnt, and housing continued to pay us housing benefits.

Of course its your fault....you could have contacted the council.

Also, if you have been overpaid, then surely you have the money available to give back to them don't you?
Or did you just spend it.

Oldernotwiser

Do you have any proof that you informed the council of your change of circumstances?

There would be no reason for JCP to contact the council about HB as some people are able to claim help even when working.

Ladywriter1968

Serenity wrote: »

I don't quite understand. You told both JSA and the council about this and yet when you got the payments you have obviously used the money somehow (or why else can you not pay it back straight away)? If anything the fact you told both of them compounds your guilt as you obviously knew you weren't meant to get it. Morally speaking that is, and I am trying to not be too judgemental, perhaps there is a reason why it was spent but as I said I don't understand. Someone will be along shortly to tell you where you stand legally I suppose.

Ok I dont have a clue what you mean here, the housing benefits do not pay the money directly to the person (us) they pay it through the system to the council, I am not sure quite how it all works but all I know is they pay the housing benefits that way, we didnt know they had paid it, we have been paying full rates, we just received a letter stating an over payment of housing benefits, and quite frankly I came here for advice not critisism, I assume that some people dont have a clue how housing bens work, people seem to assume that they give the money to the person, meaning us. They dont its all done on their system somehow.

Ladywriter1968

Sharon87 wrote: »

The claimant for Housing Benefit needs to notify the council of any changes and you need to hand them payslips so they can work out the overpayment.

We have done that already before and going back down council again on Monday.

Ladywriter1968

Morgan_Ree wrote: »

Did the HB come direct to you (in which case you don't have a leg to stand on)
Or was it paid directly to the landlord?

If so surely you can just recover the extra rent paid to your LL seeing as they would have been getting paid twice?
From HB and then again from yourselves?

I'll be on the edge of my seat, waiting for your reply

Answer to your question, is no! the housing bens pay it direct to the council not us, we didnt even know they had done this, cause we notified JSA and housing and council of Hubby start date of work, and yes we have been paying full rates and also the housing also paid 2wks so you are right, they got double the rent then,

But now we are the ones being billed to pay back the over payment so logically speaking we are then paying double rent then for those two weeks which is not fair, you made me think when you said so they are getting double then. JSA took over two week to inform Housing, even though we already told housing ourselves, but they said they had to wait for email from JSA.

Ladywriter1968

SarEl wrote: »

It is not the JobCentre's responsibility or legal duty to inform the Council of the termination of your claim, and they have no powers to do so. The Council could not, in fact, act on such information - it is your claim and between you and the Council.

What you just stated is not what we were told by JSA, we did tell housing ourselves and council of the date and JSA signed us off.

But the housing bens continued to be paid to the landord, being the council we didnt even know until we got the letter.