council tax benefit home visit

incensicle

My husband has just recieved a letter saying that a visiting officer is going to come to our home to review our claim.
as far as I am aware we have filled in all the forms to the best of our ability and provided any documentation they have requested so I wasn't too worried until I googled it, and found all the responses seemed to be about benefit fraud.

Our situation is unusual in that my husband is in the middle of an appeal process following an industrial accident. At the moment he is still employed but not being paid. at first he was recieving ESA but then they decided he was not entitled to it. he now gets some IIDB.
Obviously no JSA as he is not available for work.

We are claiming council tax benefit only. The amount they pay varies, and every so often they ask me to send in a payslip, as my wage can vary week to week. Last time because of how my hours fell I sent in two, as one showed higher than normal and the other lower.

He also has another interview for his IIDB this week, its not that long since the last one, do you think the two things could be connected.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and for any help.

MCLF

Hi,
we had a home visit soon after we'd started to receive Council Tax Benefit. Our situation wasn't complicated.

I had all the paperwork ready that they'd asked for in the letter. The officer arrived, had a quick look at some of the documents, chatted in a relaxed manner and then left. He said he wanted to make sure we were claiming everything we were entitled to.

That was it.

Privately, I thought it was odd so soon after we'd given them all the documents (for the initial claim) and wondered if it was a way of checking that we really did live at that address and that we'd been truthful with all the details (eg all the people who lived there). I have no proof of this, it's just what occurred to me.

Bloomin_Freezing2

You got a letter in advance, which was more than me! I had a lady from DWP call round unanounced She said the Department for Work and Pensions worked on behalf of local councils every year. They do a 'lucky dip' of people in receipt of housing benefit and council benefit and do spot checks. I was convinced someone had made a call about me, even though I know we were doing everything legit, it still made me a little uneasy. Anyway, she just wanted to check for proof we lived at the address and weren't subletting it. She asked for 2 forms of ID for everyone in the house (including id for my 1yr old and 5 yr old), utility bills, bank statements and my husbands wage slips.

She assured me it they randomly pick 30 or 40 people each year from different councils and I was one of them, it was pretty relaxed (just me being a little unnerved), she had a cup of tea and left.

Make sure you have some paperwork ready for the appointment, and try not to worry.

McKneff

Just curious, why is he not being paid if he is working

BodyElectric

Bloomin_Freezing2 wrote: »

You got a letter in advance, which was more than me! I had a lady from DWP call round unanounced She said the Department for Work and Pensions worked on behalf of local councils every year. They do a 'lucky dip' of people in receipt of housing benefit and council benefit and do spot checks. I was convinced someone had made a call about me, even though I know we were doing everything legit, it still made me a little uneasy. Anyway, she just wanted to check for proof we lived at the address and weren't subletting it. She asked for 2 forms of ID for everyone in the house (including id for my 1yr old and 5 yr old), utility bills, bank statements and my husbands wage slips.

She assured me it they randomly pick 30 or 40 people each year from different councils and I was one of them, it was pretty relaxed (just me being a little unnerved), she had a cup of tea and left.

Make sure you have some paperwork ready for the appointment, and try not to worry.

Did she show you some ID? Did you call the council and check her out? Because this all sounds very dodgy.

fluffymovie

We review claims anytime from 3 months to 3 years and can do in person, phone or post. Nothing to worry about.

The DWP do visits and it's calked the HB review. They did 6 claims from my authority in October. They don't do this on behalf of councils as much as to check we are doing things right!

incensicle

Thanks for the responses.
McNeff - He's unable to do his particular job due to an injury at work. He is no longer recieving sick pay as it has been going on so long. His employers haven't found him a position he can do and want to sack him for incapability. It would be better if he could just leave and get a job he is capable of doing, but his Union says it is in his benefit to follow the appeals procedure. He is in a limbo of still being employed but recieving no income. Every time they say its the final decision it gets delayed for another report!

Fluffymovie - it is the visiting team from Revenue and Benefits service that sent the letter, is this the same?

Thanks for all the responses, I feel a bit reassured although it been so confusing trying ot get the correct advice about our situation.
It makes me laugh that the letter says the visit is to ensure we are recieving the correct amount of benefit. Its a shame they couldn't have been so helpful earlier.

fluffymovie

Yep, visiting officers work for Revs and Bens or a welfare benefit team usually

McKneff

Sorry, but if he is at work he should be paid. full stop.

If he is incapable of doing his job because of an injury he should be off work and the employer should be paying him SSP.

If he is at work and not being paid Im sure he wont be insured and Im sure the company is breaking the law anyway

Best thing you can do is Ring ACAS for advice.
There is no way he should be not bringing any money to the table from somewhere.

incensicle

McKneff - He is off work following a serious injury he sustained while at work. He did get SSP but that ran out after 28 weeks.He is not elegible for esa as he is not unfit for any work, but the works doctor has said he is not safe doing his previous job. Work wants to sack him union is appealing.
Nobody seems to be able to give advice on the full picture. Union are just about him keeping his job, solicitor from union just involved with injury claim, benefit service don't seem to understand the situation. This is what makes me worried that we have done something wrong, but I don't know what. We are just lucky not to have a morgage otherwise we would have been homeless by now.

McKneff

so, if he is at work and doing any work, even if its not his own job, his employer should be paying him then, no question about it.