Reclaiming charges from council

mountme

Am a new poster on the forums although have often used as a research tool, so apologies if this info is anywhere else in the forums but i couldnt see it.

I get housing/council tax benefit paid fortnightly and our circumstances changed as we had our third baby. Eastbourne borough council automatically reduced the amount we receive as soon as they were notified about the increase in our tax credits as a result (apparently this is purely automatic and computerised and takes into account no circumstances behind the change). I'm fine with that, it's understandable. That took place 3 weeks after our daughter was born on 5th September. We gave them proof of earnings on 20th Sept and then proof of child benefit/birth cert on 4th Oct as we had to wait ages for an app to register her!!
Now, since then this is unresolved despite many phone calls, just before xmas they were apparently working on mid september's claims. apprently they have a 5-6 week backlog ... it's now been 15 weeks since they received info and 18 weeks since they reduced the rate and i will keep badgering them to hell until they get sick of me now and deal with it.
The problem is they reduced it when it should have gone up, it's our third child so it goes up on to the next band up for room entitlement. It was reduced by just over £35 p/w when it should have gone up by just over £25 p/w - a just over £60p/w loss on what we should have been getting. This totals up currently to about £1165 (incl the -25pw for first 3 weeks before reduction).

This figure, before anyone asks, has been checked on both the council's own calculator and entitledto and we get exactly the same figure, plus rare helpful man at council said it's pretty accurate.

since over the last 4 and a half months i havent been getting this money in but had more to pay for with a new baby, i've been living in the reserve amount on my account for which i'm happily charged £22 every 5 working day stretch i stay in it, plus a couple of credit card charges/returned payments etc. total up until 9th dec was about £260 and i'll get more at start of feb for the month from dec til now, about another 100-140 range.

My question after this massively long-winded explanation so that you could understand the situation is this:

Can i claim from the council the charges i have acquired due to not having this money in my account since they reduced the award?

***not from the bank as not their fault, but from the council direct***

Hope some kind person has a little advice to give me on this.

George.