Housing Benefit and support for child

kermit22_2

Hi, I’m registered blind and have recently been made redundant and would like to claim Housing Benefit. I live alone in a one bed flat and have an occupational ill-health pension of £82 a week and DLA of £70 a week. As my eyesight is in flux at the moment and because of all the furore over claiming ESA, I was hoping to live on my £150 a week pension and DLA. This would be fine if I can claim Housing Benefit to help with my £400 a month rent.
I have been divorced for the past six years and during this time have paid my wife a regular £75 a month towards the upkeep of our son (always had a low paid job). This is an informal arrangement between the two of us.
My question is, as I have to produce my last 2 bank statements, this £75 a month is shown as an internal transaction between 2 Halifax accounts. Are the council likely to assume that I am hiding another account with a view to lowering my savings. After redundancy payment (£2000), my savings will be around the £6000 mark.
Thanks.

nannytone_2

i don't know if you live in social housing or a private let, but you would need to have less than 16k in savings in order to qualify for any housing benefit.... and it would be reduced by the amount of £1 for every £250 of excess savings over the 6k.
as for not wanting to claim ESA, obviously it can be frustrating, but intentionally reducing your income could possible affect any entitlement to other benefits and also lead to a reduction of support you can offer your child.

kermit22_2

Hi, nanny,
I think I understand the savings limits, but my real fear is that the money I have been giving to my ex for the past number of years may be misconstrued as squirelling away money in an undesclosed account, instead of unofficial child support in my ex-wife's account. I'm wondering whether I should be bring this £75 a month to their attention when making the claim and explain what it's for.

MrsBartolozzi

You can get your ex to write a letter to the Housing benefit people explaining that the £75 is transferred to her account for the maintenance of your son. There should not be a problem with this - worst case scenario your ex can turn up with a copy of her bank statement showing that the account number is hers. I wouldn't worry yourself about this, concentrate on keeping yourself well. Good Luck.

kermit22_2

Sounds like a plan, though things between my ex and myself have always been a little strained, so I'd hope it didn't come to asking her to provide a bank statement, even if it is for a good reason. Just as a matter of interest, do you think that providing a bank statement of my own from, say, two years ago, showing the amount being taken out even back then would be enough to show this wasn't just a scheme to squirell away money for the purpose of defrauding the benefits system?