DWP mortgage payments

looby38

Hi
Can anyone elp me?? I am a single parent with 4 children. I am a full time student and receive 10p allowance income support. This gives me entitlement to interest payments. When i heard about the cut in interest rates I wrote to my local MP who after 6 weeks finally replied axplaining some high stree lenders are waving the difference in interest and it is the building society's responsibility not the Governments to ensure these rates are reduced? After losing £65 per week toards my mortgage I phoned my lender not a high steeet lender I may add, my interest is higher than those. Who told me she 'had never heard anything so ridiculous' and it was complete'tosh'? Does anyone know of this to be true?? Also I wrote back to my MP and asked him if he could find me a property anywhere in the country which would only cost me £33 per week which would accomodate myself and 4 children with schools that are achieving in the locality then I am up for discussion. Haven't had a reply yet??

dmg24

Your lender is correct, whilst some may make concessions there is no obligation on them to lower your payments. I would be interested to know your MP's reply - could I ask what party he is?

bunny999

If you have a variable rate mortgage the building society / bank can charge you any interest rate they like. What is your interest rate ?

looby38

Hi My local MP is a conservative member I am not happy with the response I received from them. I would get more in LHA but if I sell my house I can't claim for 6 months because in their eyes I have technically declared myself homeless!!! So much for being at uni and making a better a life for my children and I!!

My interest rate is 6.1%

dmg24

Could you not get a job and go to uni part time?

You could claim LHA immediately if you sold your home, but any capital would lower (or stop) the amount you received.

DaisyFlower

I'm with DMG, you should look at finding work around uni rather than lobby for more benefits.

It will also give you work experience, a degree is fine but with millions of graduates its no guarantee of a job anyway. Employers given a choice of graduate, one with a new degree and zero work experience or a graduate who worked through uni, will obviously choose the second option in most cases.

Why should the building society waive the difference because you choose not to work?

looby38

Hi
I am not refusing to work, I am doing an MA in social work which is very full time, and involves full time placement so work is not an option. With four young children this would be very difficult. Please don't think I haven't considered this option because I have at length. I am not suggesting the lender does reduce my interest, just merely pointing out this was the response from Lord Freud at the house of commons!! I feel very judged right now by your comments and thought this was a non judgemental forum. I have no hidden agenda not to gain work, simply want to provide a better standard of living for my children. Selling my home would be a very good idea, if it would sell!! Claiming LHA isn't as straight forward as you would think when you sell your existing property I have to wait 6 months because technically I make my self homeless!!

Oldernotwiser

looby38 wrote: »

Claiming LHA isn't as straight forward as you would think when you sell your existing property I have to wait 6 months because technically I make my self homeless!!

Claiming LHA has nothing to do with making yourself homeless!

As social workers often have to advise clients about benefits, it might be a good idea if you found out more about them.

looby38

I did find out more, which is the information given to me by both welfare rights and my local housing benefit office. This is because I am already in a property which is being helped through the DWP. Please don't insult my intelligence, I came on here to ask if anyone was in a similar position or had dealt with such not to be shot down for wanting to better myself!! No wonder this country is is the state its in, clearly David Cameron should get on this forum when he produces his 'Big Society' speeches and see that we really are not in it altogether!!

Oldernotwiser

Welfare rights and the benefits office told you that claiming LHA was dependent on making yourself homeless? I don't think so!

Do you get all the student funding that you're eligible for? Have you looked at other ways of increasing your income or looked at the DFW/Oldstyle Boards for ways to cut back? Is the children's father contributing all that he should?