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Housing Benefit claim rejection nightmare - PLEASE HELP!
AlexDav81
Posts: 7 Forumite
Hello there everyone,
I’m new to this forum but I have been reading the threads on here with great interest over the last few days. I wondered if anyone has had a similar experience dealing with Housing Benefit schemes as the (nightmare-ish) one I’m currently having…
I became unemployed at the end of July when there was no longer any funding available for the job I was in. I live with my partner, who is aged under 25 (I’m 30) and still in work full-time, albeit on the national minimum wage.
Our rent is £575 a month (we live in Birmingham) and my partner’s wage varies each month, but is usually between £800-900 a month. I am currently receiving what equates to £232 a month in JSA.
My claim for Housing Benefit was lodged in August but it’s since transpired that it has been rejected – i.e., we aren’t entitled to a single penny. We weren’t actually told of the decision, it only became apparent when we were no longer able to pay this month’s rent.
The reasons for the rejection aren’t exactly clear yet, it’s being investigated, but we think it’s along the lines of them believing we have enough money coming into the house.
The maths is as follows: £830 (my partner’s wage for September) plus £232 (the entire amount of my JSA) = £1,062 coming into the house each month. Our outgoings in rent (£575) and council tax (£70) alone amount to £645. Meaning, that without any housing benefit support, my partner and I will have £417 a month to live on between us (to say little of all our other bills and commitments, there is no possible way we can live on this).
The result is that we’re now both at risk of being unable to continue living at the property (which is privately rented) and have no means to find another (we don’t have the money for the rent and bond in advance); in short, we’re facing homelessness because of the decision that’s been made by the Housing Benefit office.
We’re currently in limbo as we’ve lodged another claim - although at the time we did our second one we thought we had been turned down the first time because of an “error”. We’ve since learned that there might not be any error and the assessments, in their eyes, are correct.
Has anybody been in a similar situation to this? If so, what was the outcome? What did you do in the end? I know the LHA factor is fairly critical in these decisions but we’re just stunned how the Housing Benefit office could think an entire household could survive on a bit of JSA and an earner on National Minimum Wage.
Just so you have a bit of extra personal information – I’ve been in full-time work for the last six years (before that I was a student). My partner didn’t go to uni and has never been out of work. I don’t expect to be owed a living because I lost my job, but I didn’t expect that I would be one step away from being out on the street because of a decision that seems so deeply unfair.
Yours with great concern,
Alex
I’m new to this forum but I have been reading the threads on here with great interest over the last few days. I wondered if anyone has had a similar experience dealing with Housing Benefit schemes as the (nightmare-ish) one I’m currently having…
I became unemployed at the end of July when there was no longer any funding available for the job I was in. I live with my partner, who is aged under 25 (I’m 30) and still in work full-time, albeit on the national minimum wage.
Our rent is £575 a month (we live in Birmingham) and my partner’s wage varies each month, but is usually between £800-900 a month. I am currently receiving what equates to £232 a month in JSA.
My claim for Housing Benefit was lodged in August but it’s since transpired that it has been rejected – i.e., we aren’t entitled to a single penny. We weren’t actually told of the decision, it only became apparent when we were no longer able to pay this month’s rent.
The reasons for the rejection aren’t exactly clear yet, it’s being investigated, but we think it’s along the lines of them believing we have enough money coming into the house.
The maths is as follows: £830 (my partner’s wage for September) plus £232 (the entire amount of my JSA) = £1,062 coming into the house each month. Our outgoings in rent (£575) and council tax (£70) alone amount to £645. Meaning, that without any housing benefit support, my partner and I will have £417 a month to live on between us (to say little of all our other bills and commitments, there is no possible way we can live on this).
The result is that we’re now both at risk of being unable to continue living at the property (which is privately rented) and have no means to find another (we don’t have the money for the rent and bond in advance); in short, we’re facing homelessness because of the decision that’s been made by the Housing Benefit office.
We’re currently in limbo as we’ve lodged another claim - although at the time we did our second one we thought we had been turned down the first time because of an “error”. We’ve since learned that there might not be any error and the assessments, in their eyes, are correct.
Has anybody been in a similar situation to this? If so, what was the outcome? What did you do in the end? I know the LHA factor is fairly critical in these decisions but we’re just stunned how the Housing Benefit office could think an entire household could survive on a bit of JSA and an earner on National Minimum Wage.
Just so you have a bit of extra personal information – I’ve been in full-time work for the last six years (before that I was a student). My partner didn’t go to uni and has never been out of work. I don’t expect to be owed a living because I lost my job, but I didn’t expect that I would be one step away from being out on the street because of a decision that seems so deeply unfair.
Yours with great concern,
Alex
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Comments
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put your details into turn to us it will give you a rough guide if you are entitled to anything0
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Have you applied for Council Tax benefit?:beer: Well aint funny how its the little things in life that mean the most? Not where you live, the car you drive or the price tag on your clothes.
Theres no dollar sign on piece of mind
This Ive come to know...
So if you agree have a drink with me, raise your glasses for a toast :beer:0 -
it apears that it may be your outgoings that are the problem, what you have coming in is plenty for a couple to live on and you have enough to pay your rent so how would you be homeless?
try the debt free wanabe board and the others for cutting down and saving the pennies.
It's hardly a nightmare that they have deemed you have enough to live on, as you do...0 -
Hi Julie, thanks for your reply - i did the online check earlier, it was coming out at £22.65 a week for housing benefit. It's still not clear why the benefit was rejected entirely.
Hello as well to Lynz - we have applied for council tax benefit too and that was also rejected along with the housing benefit.
We might know more in the next week or so but it's looking fairly desperate at the moment...0 -
Re: Lady Gaga, it won't be enough to live on once other bills are taken into consideration - water, food, full council tax, electricity, gas etc. I have a postgrad loan with the bank that's £150 a month, which HSBC won't renogotiate because I'm out of work. The only way they'd "help" me is after I defaulted (which I'd of course be charged for) and even then I would still have to continue pay something.
I really am not trying to stir anything. The situation isn't sustainable as it stands.0 -
Re: Lady Gaga, it won't be enough to live on once other bills are taken into consideration - water, food, full council tax, electricity, gas etc. I have a postgrad loan with the bank that's £150 a month, which HSBC won't renogotiate because I'm out of work. The only way they'd "help" me is after I defaulted (which I'd of course be charged for) and even then I would still have to continue pay something.
I really am not trying to stir anything. The situation isn't sustainable as it stands.
the state is not responsible for paying your debts! you have £417 a month to live on AFTER rent and council tax, plenty...0 -
I've just modelled rough figures for you on Turn 2 Us.
Based on £12k per year with no pension contributions (= £850 take home per month) and full JSA for you (£67.50 per week, not sure why you'd be getting less), you'd be entitled to £7.16 per week in LHA (housing benefit).
So you can see it's on the cusp of whether you'd get it or not.
Note that in Birmingham, the 1 bedroom rate for LHA is £96 per week or £415 per calendar month. Even if you were both out of work, you wouldn't get your full rent paid. You may need to consider a cheaper place?
When is your partner 25 and therefore eligible for tax credits?0 -
I agree that the state is not responsible for paying my debts (!) I don't recall saying that. It's a pity that I lost my job, although I guess you'd probably think that it was my fault in some way.
As a household we're not entitled to council tax benefit based on the assessment we've received. Plus it's not one person living on £417 a month, it's two (and she's on minimum wage). So be it for your trolling though. Nice try.0 -
I agree that the state is not responsible for paying my debts (!) I don't recall saying that. It's a pity that I lost my job, although I guess you'd probably think that it was my fault in some way.
As a household we're not entitled to council tax benefit based on the assessment we've received. Plus it's not one person living on £417 a month, it's two (and she's on minimum wage). So be it for your trolling though. Nice try.
£417 after rent and council tax shouldn't be too difficult to live on. Presuming you only have a one bed flat as that's all you need, utilities won't be that high, food..what.. £25 a week.Moving onto a better place...Ciao :wave:0 -
I agree that the state is not responsible for paying my debts (!) I don't recall saying that. It's a pity that I lost my job, although I guess you'd probably think that it was my fault in some way.
As a household we're not entitled to council tax benefit based on the assessment we've received. Plus it's not one person living on £417 a month, it's two (and she's on minimum wage). So be it for your trolling though. Nice try.
Then why even mention your loan etc, they have no bearing on a claim for any benefits.
A couple on JSA have to live on £105 per week. Your no worse off.
As for the trolling comment, that's just sad and pathetic and usually what happens when people don't like what they hear. You've been turned down for LHA because your not entitled.
speak to your debtors about reduced payments until your working again0
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