Housing Benefit claim rejection nightmare - PLEASE HELP!

Cornish_piskie

Hi OP, sudden redundancy is a shock to the system. It would appear that you aren't likely to be entitled to housing benefit due to your joint income. Whilst I agree that's not a lot, if you are left with over £400 after rent and CT then you aren't on the breadline. You need to reduce your outgoings any which way you can - it will be tough in the short term but do-able. Take a look at what food you already have and set yourself the challenge to eat up what's in the freezer and cupboards instead of doing another 'shop'. I did this not so long ago and (apart from bread, milk, apples and potatoes) we managed to live perfectly nicely for over 2 weeks.:D

I note that you've been off work since July so what are your job prospects looking like? While it might take a bit of time to get back to your chosen profession (and understandably this will be what you will want to do after all that study) you may need to take any sort of job to see you through this bad patch - have you tried local bars, restaurants etc? With Xmas coming up, many stores like Tesco, Argos etc take on extra staff too.

Best of luck

lynzpower

Have you considered a Debt management plan to take the pressure off until you find work? You cant be expected to pay your loan at the moment if you are not working...

Oldernotwiser

AlexDav81 wrote: »

FullTimeBadMan; y'see this is the problem when people just make stupid assumptions based on zero evidence. My phone contract is £20 a month and I/we don't have Sky, gym membership or anything like that presently or will we likely do in the future. Why do you think I would have these things?

Is that in addition to a land line? Does your partner have one too? Do either or both of you run a car? These are the sort of questions you have to ask and the decisions you have to make when you're unemployed. Things like mobiles might have been taken for granted when you were working but become luxuries when you're unemployed.

Your graduate loan is the problem here because, as other people have said, the money you have coming in even now is reasonably adequate. Unfortunately the benefit system takes no account of people's outgoings/debts so renegotiating it or finding another source of income is going to be essential.

You'll find shops etc recruiting soon for the Christmas season so I would make sure you don't miss out on those opportunities, even whilst applying for jobs in your professional field.

afc80

re Local Housing Allowance. If you have not been on it in the previous 52 week period and could afford the rent when you moved in the rent you are charged is protected for the 1st 13 weeks of your claim.

(ie) the rent that you pay is used in the calculation of your benefit rather than the LHA rate (if the LHA rate it lower). After 13 weeks the calculation of LHA would then be based on the applicable LHA rate.

This rule is in place to enable people to either find cheaper accommodation or get back into work.

God knows how Universal Credit will work re housing costs. It will be a shambles.

Macro_3

afc80 wrote: »

re Local Housing Allowance. If you have not been on it in the previous 52 week period and could afford the rent when you moved in the rent you are charged is protected for the 1st 13 weeks of your claim.

(ie) the rent that you pay is used in the calculation of your benefit rather than the LHA rate (if the LHA rate it lower). After 13 weeks the calculation of LHA would then be based on the applicable LHA rate.

This rule is in place to enable people to either find cheaper accommodation or get back into work.

God knows how Universal Credit will work re housing costs. It will be a shambles.

I agree, on both counts. The 13 week protection would mean you'd get about £41 or so for the first 13 weeks, then £7-odd after that. Prod the LA to include this.

As for universal credit, pffft, it will be very interesting. I'll be sad to lose my profession, but not quite sad enough to want to go and work within the DWP administering housing for universal credit, as it's probably going to be rough!

bobajob_1966

Macro wrote: »

I agree, on both counts. The 13 week protection would mean you'd get about £41 or so for the first 13 weeks, then £7-odd after that. Prod the LA to include this.

As for universal credit, pffft, it will be very interesting. I'll be sad to lose my profession, but not quite sad enough to want to go and work within the DWP administering housing for universal credit, as it's probably going to be rough!

I wonder if the £880 income the OP refers to is actually net? They do seem to refer to it as disposable income.

debrag

AlexDav81 wrote: »

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.

you mentioned paying this twice now. The loan will have no baring on the LHA claim.

spikeripley

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/269424