is it possible to appeal to the council over a change of circumstances decision ?

jasonwatkins

uganda wrote: »

Sorry to keep on at you, but it will be a lot easier for me to help fully if you answer all my questions!

Sorry, I do apologise

I currently live in a council property.

uganda

jasonwatkins wrote: »

Sorry, I do apologise

I currently live in a council property.

No problem, it does sound like the £10.40pw is for ineligible services - check with your estate office that the figures are correct. If they are not, then obviously ask the benefit office to reconsider. But if they are correct then I'm afraid you have no recourse to appeal, you'll just have to hope your IB appeal comes off and meanwhile use the budgeting forums to get ideas on living on next to nothing. Good luck, I know what it's like and I don't envy you.

jasonwatkins

Thanks. I'm off to the local office today to find out what's going on so i'll just keep my fingers crossed.

The daft thing is, about 5 years ago I would have thought nothing of defaulting on any one of my outgoings if faced with a situation like this.

I do have a JD Williams catalogue account that I could certainly ditch - it would free up enough money per fortnight to bring my daily allowance up to £3 quid a day at least.

Ahh I don't know. Maybe i've grown a conscience finally

*edit*

I've just actually realised something which could make me feel very, very stupid and also quite happy at the same time

I was told before this point that my water rates and insurance would amount to £10.32 per week, and, reading the form from the council on Saturday, and, based on what you've said uganda about 'non eligible' deductions, I'm actually wondering if that £10.40 per week I have to pay is the water rates and insurance ??

That would mean the rent is fully covered and I would just be paying £10.40 per week to cover water rates and insurance, instead of paying £10.32 per week for the rates & insurance and £10.40 per week for rent.

uganda

jasonwatkins wrote: »

I was told before this point that my water rates and insurance would amount to £10.32 per week, and, reading the form from the council on Saturday, and, based on what you've said uganda about 'non eligible' deductions, I'm actually wondering if that £10.40 per week I have to pay is the water rates and insurance ??

That would mean the rent is fully covered and I would just be paying £10.40 per week to cover water rates and insurance, instead of paying £10.32 per week for the rates & insurance and £10.40 per week for rent.

That is certainly how it appears to me, and that is what I have been saying. But do check - if it turns out these are separate amounts then we need to know why they are expecting you to pay £10.40pw towards your eligible rent.

dodger1

drc wrote: »

Get rid of Sky for a start and get Freeview. Not as many channels as Sky but it is free (tv permitting).

And apart from live sport pretty much everything else on Sky will sooner or later appear on terrestrial TV anyway.

jasonwatkins

Well spoke to someone at the council today who did indeed confirm my suspicions that the £10.40 per week is just for water rates and insurance and there is no additional top-up required for rent.

So that's a big relief. It pushes my daily allowance back to £3 quid a day which still isn't a huge amount I guess, but it's better than it was.

I guess i can look to drop the price of my commitments rather than cancelling them completely, although i'll decide for sure about that after christmas.

thanks for all the advice.

Careful_with_that_Axe

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

The OP said that £2.40 a day was what he has left AFTER all other essential bills were covered.

If he's on ESA, even if awaiting appeal, presumably he isn't expected to look for a job? (I might be wrong there, don't know how ESA works).

My apologies, I was wrong; I misread.