Housing benifit miscalculated?

marrow85

lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/Secure/faq.aspx#SingleOver25

Here its seems to say that you can still claim a single rate if in shared as long as you have lone access to 2 rooms?

A: if you are 25 or over, single and do not live with any dependants, your benefit will be based on the one bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate if you live in:
a self-contained property
shared accommodation but have two or more rooms (bedrooms or living rooms) that no-one else can use

marrow85

Thanks for the correction! Lol yep a mine field of loop holes. I think they did included it.

The simple issue is that they read the rules of over 25 as being 26+.

I would like to know how long it might take to fix. Also makes me wonder how many others have been caught out by vague wording.

The local authority is carmarthenshire, I was going into the carmarthen office and its processed in llanelli.

pandaspot

the carmarthan office is probably a housing office isnt it? llanelli is quite a long way away isnt it?

marrow85

The carmarthen office is the counties main council contact centre but the housing benifit department is based in llanelli. So I guess the clerks aren't specialist, the person who took me aside and tried to help was probably just a superviser herself.

Unfortunaly I now have to try and get some kind of cash back off them soon, maybe the local cab center will have a phone I can use.

pandaspot

yeah they will probably ring them for you and sort it

merlin68

From April the shared room rate applies to 35 and under.

HappyMJ

merlin68 wrote: »

From April the shared room rate applies to 35 and under.

April 2012 and not for existing customers. It only applies to new claimants after that date.

marrow85

Yep I was shocked and disgusted when I found out....

I am now in a shared place as I'm taking the opertunity of being bankrupt to go to university this september.

But on the 35 year old note.... As a father it means that I would not be able to claim contact rights at my place (since this is still in the court phase it doesn't effect me yet but was the reason I took the last place) so this rule is going to have huge social impacts for fathers. Its also a serious issue in places such as rural south wales where shared accomodation is rare. And people already complain about towns being converted to shared student flats, what about when jobless streets of housing being shared by young people begin to spring up?


Grrr that one hits a nerve, being a seperated father is hard enough without these extra problems....


It will apply to current claims after 9 months or upon review or a change of circumstances. I was told april 2011

HappyMJ

marrow85 wrote: »

Yep I was shocked and disgusted when I found out....

I am now in a shared place as I'm taking the opertunity of being bankrupt to go to university this september.

But on the 35 year old note.... As a father it means that I would not be able to claim contact rights at my place (since this is still in the court phase it doesn't effect me yet but was the reason I took the last place) so this rule is going to have huge social impacts for fathers. Its also a serious issue in places such as rural south wales where shared accomodation is rare. And people already complain about towns being converted to shared student flats, what about when jobless streets of housing being shared by young people begin to spring up?


Grrr that one hits a nerve, being a seperated father is hard enough without these extra problems....

It wont affect you if you don't start a new claim or have a review or change of circumstances. However, you do know if you go to uni full time in September you won't get any Housing Benefit... Have you considered going part time whilst having a part time job as well? You will still be able to claim HB based on your income from your job and you'll also be able to support your child in some way.

marrow85

Yep I know I can't claim from september, but have calculated student finance and I should still have more than at present. I am hoping to work over the summer and part time in september.

As it is working benifits me or my daughter very little, if I work full time it works out as about £2 per hour, once tax, rent and csa is calculated, less if I need to travel or buy extra food or clothes. As her mother doesn't work most of what I contribute is deducted from her benifits meaning I cant even take solice in knowing its going to her. I have never seen work as being about money, its more a life style choice. Until last year I have always worked, but illness ment I was no longer able to work as a tree surgeon. Part of the reason I want to retrain. Got 2 interviews lined up this week and hoping to hear back from some others over the next few days...


Quote from recent better off in work assesment:
Current income on benifits: 137=benifts+rent, so about 65 per week for living off plus all my time free to volunteer or feed the ducks.

Working 40hrs at £6
Net=202
-74 rent
-38 csa - only 15 Passed on-less if,mother works part time.
Plus extra costs, council tax ect...
So about 90 per week but working everyday.


When I worked previously I rented a far more expensive place and was better off when I lost my job!

Anyway wish me luck with the job interviews! One involves a 1.30h bus trip each way for part time, but really something I would like to do!