How do they calculate housing benefits when you work irregular hours/irregular pay?

downshifter

As above really! I have the following jobs:

a) 2 hrs per week college term times only, no pay for 2 months in summer, or a month at Christmas or a week at each half term.

b) average 18hrs a month in a shop, sometimes less but often, specially in summer, extra cover for sickness, holidays. Also do occasional special promotions at shows etc. Receive Xmas bonus - generally £100

c) 12 hrs a month - paid monthly by cheque in the normal way

d) 3.5 hrs a month - paid twice a year

All mostly around £6-7 an hour.

e) odd bits of freelance - registered self-employed. Probably av £300 a yr at the moment.
e) nhs pension - approx £325 a month but seems to vary by £10 either way
f) quite a bit of voluntary work for which I get petrol reimbursed. No idea why vol work is anything to do with this but I remember being asked before.

I've been eligible for housing/council tax benefits for a while so thought I might try again to get a contract from my landlord and reapply. The above makes it more complicated than previously. Can anyone explain how they would manage all the above changes? For me doing something like a monthly return would work, but obviously that would give the council a lot of work. If I can do some organising and calculating before going to see them that would make all our lives easier!!

Thanks for any advice.

DS

karenx

You would need to submit everything every month for them to calculate your monthly benefit

downshifter

Thanks Karenx

That would be the best way for me, I just thought it would mean too much work for them to have to reassess every month. That's great to know, thanks

DS

Dontknowanymore

It wont be too much work for them, I used to have to take my wage slips in every week to be assessed at one point as they varied so much.

Sharon87

It is a pain for whoever's claiming having to go in every month - believe me I know! I used to have an irregular income - well still do really lol. But I just used to go in every month and hand my payslip in - I didn't do it for about 3 months and as I had more hours, so I had an overpayment, which I paid up as I knew I'd earned more lol.

It's just I was always put off by the queuing at the one stop shop. My advice is when you go in every month - make an appointment, so no queuing!

downshifter

Many thanks all, I didn't think for a moment they'd re-assess every month, I thought they'd find some way of averaging it out with an adjustment once a year or something. I'd much rather do it monthly, that's great.

There doesn't seem to be any queueing at our council offices, it's only a small council but thanks for the tip anyway.

FRESTER

I take my wage slips in every month.They amend the amount they pay and send me a letter within about a week.Easy:j