Offering Help!

Zingara

Hi Looby,

Just been refreshing my memory on your sister's problems. If she now has a rent statement it should detail all payments made but if there are lots of overpayments and underpayments from HB on it then it will make confusing reading!

What she needs to do now is contact the Housing Benefit section and ask them to provide a breakdown of all payments made since she started claiming HB in May. Their systems will show what her weekly entitlement is for every week that she has been claiming - it may require a bit of work for them to get that information but it is doable. It's probably not as easy as printing off a rent statement.

She can ring them and ask them to provide this information in writing to her. Once she has it she will be able to query with them why her benefit is in such a mess if her only income has been benefits. She could also make an appointment to see someone in the Housing Benefit section to get it sorted face to face. This will probably be the better option for her as they can explain what exactly has happened.

If it is as straightforward as your sister finishing work, going onto JSA and claiming HB then I don't think there is any reason why she wouldn't be on full HB. Things are rarely this straightforward though!

If HB don't want to play ball then I would recommend that she either speaks to her MP and ask them to put pressure onto the benefits section or to contact CAB.

Whatever she does she must remain in touch with her landlord throughout this and make payments where possible to reduce the risk of any court action being taken. If she talks to them on the phone make sure she knows who she has spoken to, and try and follow up in writing to them what has been discussed (just to cover her back) as I would imagine that they would be considering legal action.

Let us know if you need any further help.

Karen
x

Zingara

Hi Niz,

Sorry I can't offer any help about your circumstances as I know nothing about JSA or CTax. Have you had a look at the website hxxp://www.entitledto.co.uk to see whether that has any suggestions as to what you can be claiming. Your council may also have a benefits advisor who you could make an appointment with, could be worth ringing them to check. Or go to CAB to see if they can help.

Otherwise, start a new post asking for help on the main board as more people will read it - not many people seem to pop into this thread!

Take care,

Karen

Zingara

Hi treasureirealnds,

The first overpayment when your daughter turned one could be classed as authority error, depending on how they interpret it! How far in advance did they know of her birthday. Depending on how often your benefit is paid then it may not have been enough warning. You will have to sit tight and wait for their response to the appeal. How long ago did you appeal? May be worth chasing it up and making sure they have it as you only have 28 days to appeal an overpayment.

The second overpayment is more tricky as I don't have any knowledge of childcare costs/tax credits. I would try an appeal against it and the basis of the appeal is the fact that your husband is unable to walk and therefore is unable to look after your daughter. If you can back this up with medical evidence so much the better. Did you have to proof to tax credits that your husband was unable to look after your daughter as they have obviously decided you are entitled to have child care costs. If this is the case then you could include that in your appeal.

Most overpayments are worth appealing - nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Good luck,

Karen

boobless

hi all

I live in my own home and have been receiving IS CTC CTB DLA(low care and mob) & cb, i have an 18yr old daughter who is till at school (A level) also my nephew came to live with me last year following the death of his mum (my sister) i received child benefit and ctc for him up until september last when he officially left school (17) - now he has secured a decent job and goes there full time at end of feb. I now think i have made a big mistake by not informing the council ( i have not had any letters or calls), for some strange reason i thought he had to be 18 to pay council tax (i know thicko moment), please can someone put me back on course as to my next move, i have been ringing council constantly but continually engaged.

many thanks

Zingara

Hi Boobless,

I'm not an expert on CTax, but have done a quick search on google. hxxp://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/life/tax/council_tax.htm states that anyone under 18 is not liable to pay Council Tax. From looking at that site when your son turns 18 then he will be liable for Council Tax.

If you are worried about it, call into the town hall if you are able to or send them a letter - as I say, I am no expert.

Karen

boobless

thanks zingara

thats what i thought about him reaching 18, but it was a neighbour who :rolleyes: advised me :rolleyes: that he should be paying his share of council tax now - she had apparently been looking over the electoral register and noticed that his name was not on it, i am sure when i filled in the return form a while back it said to enter names over 16 but they are not eligible until they are 18, I have never discussed my situation with her but i suppose she has a fair idea of entitlements, because she said it should cancel my CTB by now if he is working - i appreciate it may be my own ignorance but i dont want to be in trouble, if he has worked at this job for 5 weeks now (4 hours a day) but at the end of feb he will be on 39 hours full time staff,- will they tell me how much i have to pay back or just take it from my IS or DLA in a lump sum

CIS

No-one under 18 pays Council Tax, they are disregarded and the property is also exempt if all occupants are under 18.

densden1010

Icemoose wrote:

If I can help in anyway on the board feel free to contact me as I have lost of experience in HB and CTB as a trained Assessment Officer!

Dear patient listener,

In a shortened version of events

I got finished from work due to my back, Ive had my pre-op for the removal of 2 discs from my spine which will be replaced by plastic ones.
My Dr sent me to halton hospital for a mri scan to find out what was actually wrong with my back and the back specialist Dr x sent me for everything he cud e.g first of all he told me it was just wear and tear, then he decided to send me for injections in my spine, in all it took him a full year before he did what my Dr had requested him to do, and send me for a mri scan.

Before he actually saw the results of the mri scan he received a dla form to fill in which he just put on it that their was nothing more or less wrong with my back.

So the dla awarded me the low rate mob, even though they had seen the full sheet of medication that I had had to take in the past year due to the pain I'm in.

When the mri scan came back the Dr was still adamant about nothing being wrong wigh my back until he opened the scan an then told me he couldnt help me any further and I was sent to his superior in Warrington.
Who told me I shouldnt of had the injections in my spine coz they wouldnt of helped me in the slightest, I needed the discs removing and replacing with new ones.

Ive had the pre-op in Oct 2006 an was told I'm on the ugent list but I'm still sat here in pain waaitin the op.

The welfare rights told me to wait till their is only 6mths left for my low rate mob award coz they send u a renewal form out which u have to fill in, coz she reckoned that even though i dont go out due to pain i'm in they only gave me low rate coz i was on anti-depressants (but only as a muscle relaxant not for depression) even though I am classed as depressed but refused to have more medication on top of wat i already take, as i am always sick through my stomach rejecting the tablets .

Received the dla reply back 1st feb tellin me from 18.04.2007 i will get the higher rate mob.
I feel this is wrong due to the the Dr from halton sayin there was nothing wrong with my back 2yrs in jan just gone.
But to make me wait till the low rate award runs out b4 giving me the hr mob,
Is this correct?

Sorry next question after that essay,
Does the money they give u towards help with ur mortgage interest !!! out the money u are suppose to live on.
E.G;
I get from april 2007
£59.15 for me
£25.25 coz sick or disabled
£49.85 towards interest on mortgage

---

£134.25 total amount

---

money not counted
child benefit £18.10
DLA (MOBILITY) £45.00

Then they say the law says u should live on £134.25 per wk
less the money they pay towards my mortgage interest whiich they take from me £49.85.
Which leaves me with £84.40 plus the dla from 18th april.
They dont pay all my interest, even though it says b4 oct 95 they will pay 100% of interest after so long.

I'm constanly getting charged admin charges of £25 for bin in arrears aswell as payin £30per month by standin order.

So is this correct is the money what they pay towards my interest taken out of wat im suppose to live on.

So hard tryin to manage on benefits, i mean if i was able to work, id work. Which with any luck when they have fixed my spine and im more mobile, i will get back to work fingers crossed.
I have worked from leavin school an im now 39yrs old, so its not as if im shy of work or havent worked as long as poss.

Pleasse help if u can spare a min and understand all this. thanks

trubster

Just a quick "cry for help" I was working for 3 months and my earnings would have meant I was eligible for full HBCTB but I forgot to notift the benefits section i was getting WTC and they deducted all the HBCTB as i was "Not Eligible"

I did post a copy of my TC Award but they "SAY" they didnt get it

They want £400 off me and I was wondering if there was any grounds for appeal as I am now unemployed again and unable to repay it at the £20 per week they are taking off me!

Thanks

renowen

Hi I wonder if anyone can help me

Im a single mother to 2 children under 2
I currently stay at home so I recieve Income support, CTC, and get all my council tax paid for and practically all of my rent

But Ive never been one to sit at home all day so I am considering going back to work 3 days a week, but as we are just getting by as it is I need to be sure we will be better off with me at work!

If I go back to work I look to take home 120-150 per week
My childcare fees look to be around 210 per week
Rent is about 75 a week and council tax is 90 a month
(these are just estimates by the way)

Ive been told I will get WTC and up to 80% childcare fees element, and that I will 'probably' also get housing and council tax benefit - but it seems no-one can tell me how much!

Can anyone please help me as to what I will be entitled to and how much? I tried that website but the figures didnt seem right!?

Oh and I currently py 10 pound a week out of my IS to repay a bedgetting loan i took out .... what happens about that if i came off IS?

Many Thanks