When will the 2012 housing benefit single person to shared cut affect me?

moneymaker2010

I knew that the single persons allowance cut to shared accommodation (414pm to around 259pm) was coming in for around April 2012 so had been planning to get my budget together by then as im currently self employed and not yet earning a steady wage.

i got the letter and alarmingly it initially said that it would be coming in for January which made me panic.

In my panicked state I rang them up and then they told me because my next review is July 2012 it wont affect me till nine months after that; come around apr 2013. Now I'm not sure why it is counted as nine month after 2012 rather than nine months after 2011 which I'll explain my reasons for below.

I was relieved to hear that but rereading this sentence (which applies to me since I've been claiming from before April 2011):

If you were claiming benefit, at your current home, before April 2011, the change will usually apply nine months following the first anniversary review of your claim after April 2011 onwards. For example, if you claimed benefit in October 2010, your anniversary review was in October 2011 and the shared accommodation rate will apply nine months later from July 2012

This sentence still concerns me because on that reckoning why the change not coming in for me in April 2012- as that would be nine months after my most recent review date which is July, as the example stated above they count it from 2011?

As you can imagine it's very important I am totally clear when the date is because it would be a huge issue for me to find out they actually got the date wrong. I am already tight for money and it was going to be a struggle to make April. It will be a relief if it is 2013 however I would not want to plan for that and have it come and bite me in apr 2012 due to someone giving me the wrong info.

So I'd be grateful if someone could clarify that for me to the best of their understanding.

Thanks.

drc

I would assume it would be from April 2012 and prepare accordingly. That way if what they told you on the phone is wrong you will be prepared and if what they told you is right, you will have saved up some cash as a buffer.

bigbill

This change happens from January 2012 for new claims.

Not 100% sure but I read somewhere that they did not want two changes in the same year so changed it for existing claimants that it comes in on the anniversary of your existing claim, ie no 9 month protection?