Discretionary HB Top Up

KxMx

Have you been allocated enough points/in the correct band for bidding? Are the Council aware of your full circumstances, maybe they have not banded you correctly? Could you get medical support ie GP letter to give to them to enable you to move up a band?

outofmoney

We do get DLA, and are entitled to 4 bedrooms (They don't do 5 any more) We do bid when they come up on the housing list but 4 beds only come up once or twice a year. We would happily bid on large 3 beds as well but the way the system is designed we don't get that option.

Again with private renting all the 4 bed properties at or below LHA are flats. Did a search up to 10 miles and only 2 flats showed. At 15 miles a few houses showed but these were per room aimed at students. Nothing extra came up at 20 miles and 30 miles. But even then the cost of petrol back and forth to schools would be far more than the extra on the rent now.

I'm not saying there isn't cheaper, but they are not available. Many of the cheaper places are in areas mainly dominated by refugees. We have a large number here. So we are competing with them when it comes to renting privately and through the council.

The council have said they no longer take disabilities into consideration for points/banding. We have asked several times just in case we got the wrong information but always been told the same. We are currently in Band C which we went into when we moved here in 2006. For a very brief period we were in B due to the fact we had to leave the property we were renting and could not find anything else.

outofmoney

Wanted to add I raised the search to 40 miles and a 5 bed house came up. Shame it is 40 miles as the crow flies and it involves crossing the sea. Would take about 3-4 hours each morning getting the kids to school! :rotfl:

BigAunty

outofmoney wrote: »

....

The council have said they no longer take disabilities into consideration for points/banding. We have asked several times just in case we got the wrong information but always been told the same. We are currently in Band C which we went into when we moved here in 2006. For a very brief period we were in B due to the fact we had to leave the property we were renting and could not find anything else.

Double check this with Shelter. I do believe that there is some discretion in how social housing landlords determine their criteria but there are some things they can't ignore.

How much is the shortfall each week between your LHA and your rent?

Also, I note from a historic post that you are saddled with repayments for a large credit card debt. Go to the Debt Free wanabee board and the people there will be able to tell you how to make this more management, come up with a debt strategy for you.

outofmoney

Thanks BigAunty.

Will check with Shelter.

Not sure which post you read but I have no debt. My OH owes a fair bit due to bad money management but with my help we got it all sorted and he is paying them all back at lower amounts.

mickey54

outofmoney wrote: »

Has anyone ever been successful with this?

With the changes in HB we now have to use some of our Income Support to pay the rent.
Income Support is not not exactly much and as the G'ment put it 'The minimum you need to live on'. So now we have below the amount needed.

We rent a 3 bed house. It is one of the lowest rents about, so even moving would make no difference.

We have been on the housing list for 12 years and seriously doubt we will ever get anything, though we do bid when we can.

What part of the Country are you in?

Also - see below

rent arrears (but not if you were receiving enough housing benefit to pay all of your rent at the time the arrears built up)
a shortfall between housing benefit and rent
reductions in local housing allowance resulting from changes from April 2011.
A discretionary housing payment cannot be paid if the reason for shortfall is that your housing benefit has been reduced to recover an overpayment or because your other benefits have been reduced, for example, because you left your last job voluntarily.

mickey54

https://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dhpguide.pdf

Also have a look at this for info.

DHP is normally paid ( if it is being paid) for max 6 months in one go - but, in certain circumstances can be extended.

As a previous poster said - contact Shelter, or one of the other advice agencies. It would appear that with your situation/circumstances, there may be other help available to you. Good Luck

outofmoney

Hi Mickey, we are in Kent.

We have no rent arrears, and not likely to as paying the rent comes top on our list, even if it means taking money from Income Support. Next comes bills and food followed by debts and anything else.

But our concern is we already have the 'minimum amount to live on'. From that we are now taking money from rent. The cost of gas and electric is going up too. A time will come when there won't be enough left to cover just the basics.

I know we are not alone and many others, working or not, are in the same situation. I just wondered if anyone had had experiences with DHP.

Will have a read through of that link tomorrow.

fluffymovie

Hi I administer DHP for my authority.

As posted previously, normally only short term to help you find a way to improve your financial situation but if unsuccessful, you can't appeal as such but usually, can ask for the decision to be looked at again.

outofmoney

OK Thanks. Not sure how we could improve our financial situation, lol, that will only happen if HB goes back up or if we get paid more IS.