Housing benefit causing problems.

pmf63

Sorry guys, yet another issue I need help with. :embarasse

From Sept last year untill Feb this year we were receiving far less housing benefit than we should have been. After several conversations with the benefits office they eventually said it was because we didn't tell them that my wife had stopped working. We argued that we did and suggested that they review the recordings from the telephone call on [date].

Reluctantly they did and confirmed that we did infact tell them and they would re-instate the benefit and back date it from Sept. The following day the gentleman dealing with the claim telephoned and told us that £805.79 would be sent to our rent office.

Last week we had a call from the rent office telling us that £457 had been sent. We contacted the rent office and confirmed the figure before contacting the benefits office today and was told by housing benefits that it was reduced because we did not tell them my wife started a part time job from June to Sept.

Dispite the fact that they confirmed we told them that she stopped working they now deny knowing that she was working.

Any suggestions please. We are going round in circles here.

Hannah_10

Get to the CAB this week and ask them to advocate for you. I say this week because cuts are coming in in April and IIRC this kind of case is affected so you want to be moving quickly.

Hannah_10

Another suggestion (which my housing officer was happy with) is to put in writing to your rent office what exactly has been going on with HB and that you are working to sort it out now. Assure them that if in the final analysis you were honestly not entitled to HB for the disputed period you will repay the arrears yourselves and in order to show willing you are sending a £2 a month token payment starting from now (include Postal order or cheque) towards this. In my case the HO was saying "we need something on these arrears, anything, or I've got no choice but to start eviction proceedings", so the £2 a month kept the wolf from the door. I think it cost me £8 in the end which when I leave the property will be refunded as an overpayment, it was worth it to keep the house.

pmf63

We know about the cuts because we have already had a letter telling us that we lose half of our benefit. Our rent is £113 pw I am not working cant get income support because my wife is getting 'too much' as a NHS uni student. 'huh go figure!'

We tried the CAB last time and they were about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. After several week waiting for an appointment they rang the benefits office for us and tfedback exactly the same info we gave them and said if you dissagree with it write them a letter disputing thier decision.

pmf63

Hannah_10 wrote: »

Another suggestion (which my housing officer was happy with) is to put in writing to your rent office what exactly has been going on with HB and that you are working to sort it out now. Assure them that if in the final analysis you were honestly not entitled to HB for the disputed period you will repay the arrears yourselves and in order to show willing you are sending a £2 a month token payment starting from now (include Postal order or cheque) towards this. In my case the HO was saying "we need something on these arrears, anything, or I've got no choice but to start eviction proceedings", so the £2 a month kept the wolf from the door. I think it cost me £8 in the end which when I leave the property will be refunded as an overpayment, it was worth it to keep the house.

We paid full rent, god knows how, during this time so we owe nothing. We are just not getting anything that we paid back.

RAS

pmf63 wrote: »

Reluctantly they did and confirmed that we did infact tell them and they would re-instate the benefit and back date it from Sept. The following day the gentleman dealing with the claim telephoned and told us that £805.79 would be sent to our rent office.

Last week we had a call from the rent office telling us that £457 had been sent. We contacted the rent office and confirmed the figure before contacting the benefits office today and was told by housing benefits that it was reduced because we did not tell them my wife started a part time job from June to Sept.

Are the amounts you quote monthly figures or lump sums?

pmf63

Hi Ras ... these are one off payments.

RAS

So if they overpaid you by £355 ish in June to September and underpaid you by £805ish from September to February, does the payment you received cover the outstanding sebt from the HB? Does this put your rent account in credit?

Are you now getting enough to cover future rent?

pmf63

They agreed that they underpaid us by £805 from sept to feb after many months of arguing with them about whether we told then or not that my wife had given up work. Eventually they listened to the recorded phone calls and confirmed it.

They said they would sent £805 to the rent office but only sent £457. When we asked why they only sent £457 instead of the £805 they promised they said we didnt tell them that my wife started work and so they overpaid us from june to sept.

The point I am making is that first they tried to not pay us because we didnt tell then that my wife stopped work then after we proved that we did tell them, they took half back saying we didn't tell them that she started work. Why on earth would we make a fuss about telling them that she stopped work if we didnt tell them that she started work?

We are not in arrears with rent at all and havent been because we had to pay full rent during the dispute time of £113 pw and now they have sent £457 which isnt even a months rent so we are out of pocket still by £hundreds.

We are now getting the correct benefit.

I need to know how we can stop then p***ing us about.

Byatt

I think the best way is now to put it in writing rather than calling them. I know they record calls, but there must be a way of appealing/complaining and asking them to listen to the tapes again. I'm assuming you told them by phone about your wife working for that period. Either look on line on their website for complaint/appeal procedures or ask them. It's not going to be a quick fix I'm afraid as I'm sure you know.

I'm sorry I don't have any other knowledge to help you.

edited to add: they won't be thinking with the same logic as you. If they cannot find a record of you telling them your wife was working in the same telephone call/communication, they will assume you didn't tell them.

pmf63

Thanks Byatt. It's so bloody frustrating that people like us lose so much money because they cant do their jobs correctly and it becomes our fault.

I have so many moans about the unfare government benefit system I could bore anyone for a life time telling them. They even took £1600 from our benefits because my wife got a student loan and we have to pay it back too ... paying it back twice I say but they don't think so!

Told you you'd get me going ... lol