Can you help?On Incapacity Ben. so can't get Housing Ben.-so all Incap goes on rent!!

CazGreg

I'm really scared as there seems to be a horrible loophole or something, leaving me with no money whatsoever to live on.

I'm on Incapacity Benefit of roughly £400 a month. It is obviously my only 'income'. My rent is £400 a month (which is extremely reasonable for where I live and assessed as 'fair').

I applied for Housing Benefit and they said that because the law says you 'only' need £93.45 to live on per week, I therefore have 'excess income' and they can only pay me a tiny amount of Housing Benefit.

So now, obviously, almost all my Incapacity Benefit will be going on rent alone, leaving me almost nothing to cover: all bills - electricity, gas, water, phone, car, food, prescriptions and so on.

HELP! :eek: I don't get it! And yes - I've explored all the options I can think of, and due to Incapacity Benefit I don't even qualify for free prescriptions and so on! Even my CAB office isn't helping. PLEASE can someone advise!

paddedjohn

It was only 5 weeks ago that you were on JSA wanting help with your mortgage and now you claim to be renting and on IB.

CazGreg

Paddedjohn, I allowed a friend to post on here under my username, as she came to me for help/advice in a terrible state late at night, and I thought she might get some friendly advice here, free from unpleasantness and unnecessary suspicion.

More fool me. CG

Morglin

CazGreg wrote: »

I'm really scared as there seems to be a horrible loophole or something, leaving me with no money whatsoever to live on.

I'm on Incapacity Benefit of roughly £400 a month. It is obviously my only 'income'. My rent is £400 a month (which is extremely reasonable for where I live and assessed as 'fair').

I applied for Housing Benefit and they said that because the law says you 'only' need £93.45 to live on per week, I therefore have 'excess income' and they can only pay me a tiny amount of Housing Benefit.

So now, obviously, almost all my Incapacity Benefit will be going on rent alone, leaving me almost nothing to cover: all bills - electricity, gas, water, phone, car, food, prescriptions and so on.

HELP! :eek: I don't get it! And yes - I've explored all the options I can think of, and due to Incapacity Benefit I don't even qualify for free prescriptions and so on! Even my CAB office isn't helping. PLEASE can someone advise!

This doesn't sound right - do this online calculation to find out exactly what you should be entitled to:

http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

If you have entitlement to more than you are getting, then contact the DWP.

And, you can also ring the Benefit Enquiry Line for those sick or with disabilities:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/DG_10011165



Lin

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

I got housing benefit & council tax benefit on IB admittedly I didn't get the whole amount as they do take some off because as you say you get more money on IB.

I'd apply again or appeal.

popxcore

CazGreg wrote: »

I applied for Housing Benefit and they said that because the law says you 'only' need £93.45 to live on per week, I therefore have 'excess income' and they can only pay me a tiny amount of Housing Benefit.

wrong way round

they'll pay the majority but take away a small amount (65% of your excess)

Oldernotwiser

popxcore wrote: »

wrong way round

they'll pay the majority but take away a small amount (65% of your excess)

I agree, I think the OP has misunderstood.

Invalidation

Go to the Turn2us website then maybe phone them and they will do a calculation on the phone as to how much you are entitled to.
I did and they sorted it all out for me and told me who to call along with the phone numbers.
Without them I would have lost £30+ per week.

Indie_Kid

is £100 a week the amount of rent you pay or the LHA rate?

Jowo_2

CazGreg wrote: »

I'm on Incapacity Benefit of roughly £400 a month. It is obviously my only 'income'. My rent is £400 a month (which is extremely reasonable for where I live and assessed as 'fair').

The advice you were given does not sound correct or you have misinterpreted it - while housing benefit is means tested, it's not a case of merely giving you what's left over to pay your rent after x minimum income to live on.

Also, it is completely irrelevant if you consider the rent reasonable for the local area - who the hell deemed it 'fair'? This isn't a term used in housing benefit calculations. Local Housing Allowance calculations are based on many factors and subjective judgements like 'reasonable' or 'fair' don't come into it!

How old are you? Are you single, do you have children? Do you have savings? Do you live in social or private housing? Are you severely disabled?

If private housing, what is the maximum Local Housing Allowance rate for the size/type of property you are eligible for - check the criteria and LHA on the LHA direct website? For example, this would be a room in a shared property if you are single, no dependents, not severely disabled, and under the age of 25.

Then put all your information into the Turn2us online benefit calculator and this will identify how your income could reduce the maximum LHA payable for the type of property you are eligible to live in.

CazGreg

Actually Jowo, the Housing Benefit form specifically asks if your rent has been 'assessed as fair' by the relevant body - and it has. I think my wording made it fairly clear this wasn't just a personal subjective judgement of the rent on mine or my friend's part!

I checked through all the figures on her letter and no, there is no misunderstanding or miscalculation. I will direct her to the resources suggested, thannk you.