LHA - need advice urgently.

Saturnalia

I lost my job unexpectedly on 22 December. I had earnt Jan's rent and had a little saved, but as the job loss came out of the blue I'd already spent quite a bit on Christmas (1st one in years I'd been financially okay and I wanted to spoil my family a bit, with the wage I was on I could afford the money I spent).

I applied for JSA & LHA right away. As January went on I realised I'd heard nothing about the LHA so got in touch (I know it's a rubbish defence but I went into depression after the sudden job loss and wasn't keeping on top of things) I found out that while the JC had told the housing dept I was unemployed & on JSA, they hadn't sent the forms necessary for my LHA to start again. They told me to fill in the form online & they'd be in touch.

I did the online application and waited a couple of weeks, I'd still heard nothing so at the start of Feb I called again. They then claimed they didn't get my online form and had written to me on 4 Jan - I never had that letter. So they asked me to apply online agsain, and I did so.

I called at the start of last week and got an appointment at the office for Thurs. I was asked to take my passport, proof of NI, proof of JSA, letter from my landlord telling them about my rent, utility bill etc.

I went and took the paperwork and the person who saw me didn't even look at it, said there was no need. I asked him to take photocopies and give me a receipt but he refused to. He said the system was down and he couldn't give me a decision that day but I'd hear either Monday (yesterday) or today at the latest.

I checked my account yesterday and today and no money has arrived. I called this morning in tears as my rent of £500 is due in two days and I don't have it! I had to borrow £100 from my parents last month to make up the shortfall and promised them it back the minute my LHA was paid. Now another month has gone by and I don't have my landlord's money or my parents' - it is 10 weeks this Friday since I claimed.

All they have been able to do is give me another appointment for 6 March. I have to take in the same paperwork they asked for last time and wouldn't even look at - of course there is no record on my file of me taking it last time! No record either of the form I filled in, and they are saying now my claim may only be processed from the start of Feb, when they got the second form, even though there is a note on my file that I signed on as unemployed on 23 Dec. So 5 weeks I was eligible for LHA and they now can't say if they will give it to me or not.

What on earth can I do? Who can help me with this? Is it worth contacting Shelter, my MP? Going to the housing office with all my docs and refusing to leave until I'm seen?

I have no earthly way of raising the rent money in 2 days and nowhere to go if I have to leave. Terrified.

jobbingmusician

Always worth contacting your MP. Do it.

Do you have the name of the person you saw last Thursday?

Saturnalia

No, the man I spoke to this morning asked if I got a name, I didn't, then he asked if I'd definitely gone to the appointment. So clearly there's no record I did and it wouldn't surprise me at all if the staff got their stories together and said I didn't attend.

pmlindyloo

First of all stop panicking. (smiley face)

You need to make an official complaint about the way that the council has handled your claim. Gather all your paperwork together, write out an account with dates of what has happened so far and go to the local council offices. Far better to do this face to face then on the telephone where you may get fobbed off.

Tell them that you want to make an official complaint and ask for a copy of their complaints procedure. Insist that you speak to a manager/supervisor. Be polite but firm. If you are not satisfied with their response you can take it to the Ombudsman but first you need to deal with the council. You can enlist the support of CAB to do this.

Your claim should be backdated to when you applied for JSA. I am assuming (?) you are on income related JSA. Therefore you should be automatically entitled to full HB and CTB.

As regards your rent. Contact your landlord and explain the situation. If he/she is not reasonable about waiting until your HB is sorted out then try to borrow some money from friends/family until it is. (Do not use a PAyday loan or similar) Your rent is a priority.

Even if you cannot pay your rent your LL cannot immediately ask you to leave (I'm assuming you are on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy?) There is a process your LL has to go through. If you're not on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy then tell us your housing circumstances and we can advise further.

Mara69

Write a formal letter of complaint, giving ALL the details in a coherent, logical timeline. Use any evidence such as phone records and the names of the people you spoke to. Copy your MP into the complaint. Your claim *should* be backdated to when you first completed the forms.

With respect of eviction, contact your landlord and keep him informed. I *think* you have to owe two months rent before you can be evicted so stop worrying about that at the moment.

Saturnalia

I lodge with a landlady so don't have a tenancy as such, it's verbal agreement. And she understands this is a mess I'm in but obviously she needs my rent to pay her mortgage so it's desperation stakes for us both.

I'll go to the offices this afternoon with a written account of all this and follow pmlindyloo's advice.

I'll ask my parents if they can help me out again, again they are aware of what has been happening with this and have told me to let them know if I need help, but we were all hopeful after Thursday that this would be ironed out by now.

fluffymovie

I'm sorry that you're finding this all so difficult. I have no reason to think you're not being honest but it seems that the jobcentre form didn't go, 2 on line applications aren't recorded, an appointment is unrecorded, a letter issued wasn't received. A lot of unfortunate errors, none of which appear to be yours.

As a benefit team leader with some years experience, for so many issues to come for 1 claimant is very unusual.

Making a complaint won't get your claim paid if they don't have it but it is good for learning.

With regards to ID, if you're on JSA you aren't required to prove identity and Nino but they will need evidence of rent.

It might be worth contacting JCP to find out why they didn't forward a form to the LA. it would help with any backdate.

When you go in 6 march, request a payment on account

Saturnalia

I know, it's just unbelievable how everything that can go wrong with my claim has done! Glad to hear this is unusual.

I went to the office earlier but it was shut. But I got a call this afternoon offering me a full week's work next week so I can't keep the appointment on 6 Mar. So I'll try again tomorrow. I know doing this paid work is going to throw another spanner in the works but I can't afford not to work when I can and I'd never dream of not declaring any paid work. So I'll see what I can get done tomorrow.

Saturnalia

Sorry Fluffymovie, I forgot to ask: what is a payment on account?

fluffymovie

It's in a case where the claimant Has provided everything they can, the authority is meant to make a payment within 14 days.

Saturnalia

I went today but am no further forward.

First of all my JSA book wasn't valid proof of recieving the benefit, I need to bring in a bank statement showing the payments. I don't get paper statements and the bank can't help so I need to give them a printout from my internet account and hope they accept that. As well, the letter from my landlady they asked for isn't valid either, I need to ask her to fill in a form (which I "should have" been sent, guess what, today was the first I had heard or seen of this form!)

The advisor I saw didn't believe the assessor refused to look at my docs at the appointment. She was telling me that I should have been told then that my paperwork wasn't adequate and they should not have accepted it - I got really upset when I was trying to tell this advisor repeatedly that the assesor would not even pick up the papers and look at them. It was obvious she thought I was lying.

So next week I work and my claim is going to be closed. I can't see me ever getting this 10 weeks of benefit. I just can't cope anymore. I have no idea of what to do. I literally cannot afford to live. If my parents weren't able to help me for a 2nd month, I'd be on the street tomorrow.