Help, in dire straits with housing benefit

Dean_1

Hi all, need some help please.

I have been on Job Seekers allowance for about 2 and a half years, about 3 weeks ago I decided to have a go at being self employed as I clearly was not going to be able to find a job. I signed off on the 6th Oct and was told that I would get a 4 week run-on of housing benefit, I then got a letter from the council saying that my housing benefit would stop on the 10th October due to Job Centre informing them that I am now employed and that if I needed to continue on the benefit that I needed to fill in the required forms, I have done all of that but I am now in trouble with my rent as they have not paid my housing benefit this week and now I have had to take all of my savings (that I was going to use to start my business from home) and put it into my bank account to try and cover the rent, I'm going to be in serious trouble next week as I won't be able to pay for gas and electric etc. let alone food.

Will they re-instate my housing benefit? How long does it normally take? I've taken all my savings and had to put it towards the rent, now I can't start my business as I have no money to buy anything. This is going to set me back about 3 or 4 months. This was the worst thing I could have done, I should have just stayed on benefits instead of trying to do the right thing and get off of benefits.:(

pandaspot

This is what should have happened. The dwp would have notified your la that you have started work. The would have checked the access they have to the dwp computer and on there the close reason for your jsa should have been started work. Hopefully you told them that your work is expected to last over 5 weeks.

When the la/hb dept saw this they would have cancelled your hb and ctb and then automatically awarded an extended payment. This gives you 4 weeks hb and ctb at the same rate you were previously getting

Then they should write to you explaining that the epp (extended payment) has been awarded and that they require further info now re your self employed income and ask you to complete a form which asks for details of your self employment (maybe). This our procedure where I work

You say that the epp hasn't been awarded yet. I would ring the hb dept and ask why the epp hasn't been awarded yet. There is no need for a new form to be completed. It is not benefit legislation anymore and we certaintly haven't required ppl to do it for at least 4 years