Benefit review form

jennywren1976

Hi,
I posted a while ago about the benefit fraud team coming to visit me because they thought that my boyfriend was living with me. They came round did an interview and when I asked them what would happen now they said that that was it, they just had to go back to the office and write their report.
This morning ( weeks later ) I have received a form to fill in from the housing benefit dept entitled HOUSING BENEFIT AND COUNCIL TAX REVIEW FORM.
Could this have anything to do with the people coming to see me weeks ago as I have heard nothing for all this time. It asks for details of people living here, my income and any details of bank accounts etc. Even though my boyfriend does not live with me I can't help but be concerned as I have never had one of these forms to fill in before.
I also have a problem in the fact that I have my daughters savings sitting in my savings account and they want details of it. My daughter is only 9 but I lost the passbook to her original savings book and so when she got some compensation from a car accident she was in I just paid the money into my account whilst I saw about getting her a new account set up. It is not my money and I have never touched it but I am concerned that if I give them my savings account details it will appear that I have more savings than I actually have.

Can anybody offer me any advice? It would be very gratefully received.

msmicawber

Hi Jennywren,

My Council reviews my entitlement to HB & CTB every 6 months, so unless your situation was reviewed less than 6 months ago, I wouldn't imagine the review is related to the visit.

As far as your daughter's savings are concerned, they'll view them as yours.

Scarlett1

jennywren1976 wrote:

Hi,
I posted a while ago about the benefit fraud team coming to visit me because they thought that my boyfriend was living with me. They came round did an interview and when I asked them what would happen now they said that that was it, they just had to go back to the office and write their report.
This morning ( weeks later ) I have received a form to fill in from the housing benefit dept entitled HOUSING BENEFIT AND COUNCIL TAX REVIEW FORM.
Could this have anything to do with the people coming to see me weeks ago as I have heard nothing for all this time. It asks for details of people living here, my income and any details of bank accounts etc. Even though my boyfriend does not live with me I can't help but be concerned as I have never had one of these forms to fill in before.
I also have a problem in the fact that I have my daughters savings sitting in my savings account and they want details of it. My daughter is only 9 but I lost the passbook to her original savings book and so when she got some compensation from a car accident she was in I just paid the money into my account whilst I saw about getting her a new account set up. It is not my money and I have never touched it but I am concerned that if I give them my savings account details it will appear that I have more savings than I actually have.

Can anybody offer me any advice? It would be very gratefully received.

dont worry about the forms, just fill them in truthfully and send them off.

you must tell them about ALL bank accounts, unfortunately even though your daughter has savings, it will be considered in working out whether you are entitled to benefits or not. Dont try and hide the savings account from the DSS as they have the means to find out what accounts you hold, and if they are suspicious of you anyway dont give them any reason to clamp down on you, good luck

jennywren1976

Thanks to both of you for replying...I guess that even though I know I have done nothing wrong I am still jumpy at the thought that something could happen over all this. Don't know why.

Jenn

hjb123

As the other posters say just fill the forms in with the truth and you will be fine!

Also as your daughters money is in your account it is counted as your money. It will also depend on whether it puts your savings above any limits or not as to whether it affects and decisions etc.

Could you maybe get your daughters account sorted out so the money goes back to her and you are able to fill the forms out with your true monetray values?

Ross01

Under benefit rules the capital of a child will be disregarded in full. Therefore any money in a book in your daughters own name will be completely disregarded for benefit purposes.

Unfortunately you have paid her money into your bank account. This means that unless you can legally proove otherwise as the account is in your name you are viewed as holding that capital not your daughter.

The only way round it is to prove that the money belongs to your daughter. You will at least need to explain the facts to the local authority, provide the award compensation letter (or other legal document) showing the money belongs to your daughter, and provide official evidence prooving that this compensation was definately paid into your account. (Eg a letter cleary showing the account where the compensation money was to be paid), and that it hasnt been subsequently withdrawn.

I am afraid without serious evidence to the contracy - it will be held to be your money.

Good luck as unfortunately you will probably need it.

Anthillmob

re the form - names are computer generated and forms sent out without any checking done to see f any have been sent within the past 6 months. nowt to do with your interview.. or at least at the la i work for.


re your daughters savings. at the la i work for we wouldnt ask for any proof of her savings unless it was over £2,500. then we would ask, only really to check who has access to the savings. if you do then it goes from there and i cant comment how as im not sure.

carol9uk

hi, i have been told told that you are allowed up £16, 000 before hb and ct are effected.
i have just had to fill a form in, that you got.


edit, i have used looked through my paper work i got today, (saturday) from the HB about my reveiw form and i am allowed up to £6,000 but then they take every 2,500 and add £1 to how much i am getting!!! i am working part time.

have you looked on your local council webiste,as mine said i was allowed up
£16, 0000, i am fuming, i am so soory.

are you able to open a new account for your child?

real1314

a few bits of mis-advice coming out here....

you are allowed £6000.00 before HB, CTB or IS are affected.

Anything above this is treated as £1 a week income per £250 over £6000.

Over £16,000.00 means no IS (not sure if this limit applies to HB/CTB too or not).

Your daughters savings CAN affect HB/CTB. You need to get the letters to show that it's her money, regardless of it being in your account. It's still her money and if you can show that it is (with the letters) then it MUST be treated as hers.
Her money has the same £6000.00 disregard (I think??) after that it can affect how much you are allowed for her on HB/CTB (and IS I think).

what sort of figure are we talking about?

lil_me

In my area JSA claimants are usually reassessed every 6 months, IS and other benefits every 12 months according to my local office.

With regards to daughters money if you can provide evidence of when the compensation was paid, that you haven't used it and that she is making the effort to transfer it into her own account (pass book shouldn't take longer than a few days to arrive) I can't see them having a problem with this.

jennywren1976

Hi,
Thanks to everyone for replying!

I have £1000 in my account which should be in my daughters account. Then I have about £2000 that is mine so I should be okay shouldn't I?

Jenn