widows benefits

nowtleft

my sister lost her husband about 3 years ago and was getting widow parents allowance. after 6 months had passed she took in a lodger. she lost this benefit after they said she was cohabiting, she wasn't, but was in no frame of mind to appeal. now that the lodger has gone, (he got married), can she reclaim any of the widow benefits again.

rogerblack

nowtleft wrote: »

my sister lost her husband about 3 years ago and was getting widow parents allowance. after 6 months had passed she took in a lodger. she lost this benefit after they said she was cohabiting, she wasn't, but was in no frame of mind to appeal. now that the lodger has gone, (he got married), can she reclaim any of the widow benefits again.

In general, with most benefits, you have a month in which you can start your appeal.
You can then do a 'late appeal' up to a year and a month later.
After 3 years, you have to do a 'any time appeal' - which is very much less likely to be granted. Typically only decisions made that amount to official error would be likely to review.
This would mean that they had all the information, and misinterpreted it.
If they did not have the information, and made a reasonable decision at the time, the chances of an appeal succeeding is very, very small.

Oldernotwiser

rogerblack wrote: »

In general, with most benefits, you have a month in which you can start your appeal.
You can then do a 'late appeal' up to a year and a month later.
After 3 years, you have to do a 'any time appeal' - which is very much less likely to be granted. Typically only decisions made that amount to official error would be likely to review.
This would mean that they had all the information, and misinterpreted it.
If they did not have the information, and made a reasonable decision at the time, the chances of an appeal succeeding is very, very small.

I could be wrong but I don't think that the OP was talking about appealing the original decision.

NASA_2

I'm pretty sure that once Bereavement benefits end, they're ended until someone is unlucky enough to fulfil the criteria a second time, which means to me you cant claim again.

Surely there are other benefits you can claim though?

NASA_2

On e question though. Do you still get child benefit for a child?

nowtleft

thanks everyone for the replies. the answer to your questions are her daughter is in sixth form at the minute, so she still gets child benefit, ctc, wtc , she works 31 hours. other than that i don't think she can claim anything else, she manages to pay her mortgage and other utility bills out of her wage, but worries that she will not be able to support her daughter once she leaves school and starts up on her own while she gets a job near her university.

Oldernotwiser

nowtleft wrote: »

thanks everyone for the replies. the answer to your questions are her daughter is in sixth form at the minute, so she still gets child benefit, ctc, wtc , she works 31 hours. other than that i don't think she can claim anything else, she manages to pay her mortgage and other utility bills out of her wage, but worries that she will not be able to support her daughter once she leaves school and starts up on her own while she gets a job near her university.

Does she claim WTC?

She can claim Child Benefit for her daughter up to the end of August after she leaves school.

rogerblack

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I could be wrong but I don't think that the OP was talking about appealing the original decision.

That'd be the only way of getting any money back, bereavement allowance only lasts for a year.

The only way to get any money back would be to dispute the original decision that she wasn't entitled to benefits, but this is (except for a few reasons) impossible now.

Oldernotwiser

rogerblack wrote: »

That'd be the only way of getting any money back, bereavement allowance only lasts for a year.

The only way to get any money back would be to dispute the original decision that she wasn't entitled to benefits, but this is (except for a few reasons) impossible now.

But she wasn't talking about claiming Bereavement Allowance but Widowed Parent's Allowance. You can claim this as long as you have a child under the age of 20 and you're not married or living with someone.

nowtleft

oh and i forgot to add that she gets she gets single person council tax reduction. we thought that WPA only lasted for 12 month then went to widows benefit.

Oldernotwiser

Widowed Parent's Allowance

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Bereaved/DG_10018848