Housing Allowance Advice needed

AnnieD7

We are a retired couple living on Guaranteed Pension Credit and qualify for Housing Allowance and Council Tax Benefit - However, the council have seen fit to lower our housing allowance from £80 to £70 meaning we have to pay £40.00 a week towards our rent ourselves. Our rent is £110 per week which means we have to pay £40.00 per week ourselves - are there any other benefits you think we might be able to claim for as £160 per month out of our pension of £669 per month is a lot of money (we have no savings to speak of, only one ISA with £5000 in for our future). We have the normal household bills, i.e. gas, electricity, food, car and motoring sundries or does it mean we will have to get rid of the car (we live in the country with no bus route) or even move, when we have spent so much on this house, i.e. new kitchen, double glalzing etc, and other alterations purchased whilst we were both working - I've had a word with the landlord who won't pay anything towards these alterations as they were for our own benefit - but of course if we have to move he will put up the rent for any new tenant because of the lovely condition of the property. Please - we don't want to move - we've lived here for seven years and love it, we have lots of lovely friends and neighbours here.

AnnieD xx

HappyMJ

Why would you improve a landlords property? It is of no benefit to you. You could get a lodger in to help pay towards the difference or as you say consider moving to somewhere on a bus route and get rid of the car as bus travel is free. Or you could use some of the £5,000 saved to pay the difference or get a small job. You would only get discretionary housing benefit if you had absolutely zero savings at all and moving would affect your health. You've had over a years notice that the rates would be going down. Mine hasn't kicked in yet but I know it will at some point.

krisskross

you will have to try to save the extra £40 a month on other things if you want to stay there.

Old style and the debt free wannabe boards could perhaps help you to find another £40 a month.

incorrect_2

Sorry I cant help you with the hb but I would just like to say I hope you do get the advice/help you are looking for. I too live in private rented and have over the last 7yrs since we moved in done an awful lot of improvements to the property because we are happy here and its our home not just a house.

BigAunty

You can double check your benefits on the Turn2us online benefit calculator or perhaps Age UK or your local citizens advice bureau can help you with this.

You could apply for DHP, discretionary housing payment (extra housing benefit) from the local council but this will not necessarily be granted and if it is, will only be temporarily granted.

Like the other posters, I am stunned that you have paid thousands of pounds to improve the property when you have next to no security of tenure as a private tenant and which actually incentivises the landlord to let the property at a higher rate to working tenants.

Why is the rent so much higher than the LHA you are granted? Are you under occupying?

Here are a couple of handy links from MSE about coping with a rent shortfall and checking benefits

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/housing-benefit

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/benefits-check


EDIT - I note from a historic post last year, that you and your husband were then under state pension age, leaving employment due to ill-health, and that your income came from small private pensions. Have you applied for any sickness or disability related benefits like ESA or DLA? Has your husband now qualified for a state pension, if not when are you and your husband due state pensions?

AnnieD7

incorrect wrote: »

Sorry I cant help you with the hb but I would just like to say I hope you do get the advice/help you are looking for. I too live in private rented and have over the last 7yrs since we moved in done an awful lot of improvements to the property because we are happy here and its our home not just a house.

Thanks for that, incorrect - it's good know we are not alone - yes, when we moved in and spent the money on the house we were both working and have since both had to pack in work due to ill-health - so neither of us could get a part time job as suggested by a previous "adviser" whose attitude I think stinks - that's not the sort of advice we were looking for - as for moving, why should we, we are happy here and hoped to spend our twilight years here, which is why we moved here in the first place, and its not really feasible as we would have to buy carpets, curtains etc and then there's the cost of the move itself. The car is a necessity as I have back problems and walk with a stick.

We have saved up a long time for our £5000 and I'm damned if I'm going to spend it on rent when the landlord sits there in his big house on a private country estate!!!!! (this is not directed to you incorrect by the way)

AnnieD

AnnieD7

BigAunty wrote: »

You can double check your benefits on the Turn2us online benefit calculator or perhaps Age UK or your local citizens advice bureau can help you with this.

You could apply for DHP, discretionary housing payment (extra housing benefit) from the local council but this will not necessarily be granted and if it is, will only be temporarily granted.

Like the other posters, I am stunned that you have paid thousands of pounds to improve the property when you have next to no security of tenure as a private tenant and which actually incentivises the landlord to let the property at a higher rate to working tenants.

Why is the rent so much higher than the LHA you are granted? Are you under occupying?

Here are a couple of handy links from MSE about coping with a rent shortfall and checking benefits

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/housing-benefit

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/benefits-check


EDIT - I note from a historic post last year, that you and your husband were then under state pension age, leaving employment due to ill-health, and that your income came from small private pensions. Have you applied for any sickness or disability related benefits like ESA or DLA? Has your husband now qualified for a state pension, if not when are you and your husband due state pensions?

Thanks BigAunty - your response came in as I was typing my last post. Hubby reaches 65 in July. I have applied for DLA three times and been turned down three times, even though I had letters from my GP and consultant regarding my back problems, for which I am going for ANOTHER MRI scan on 23rd of this month, whilst a lady up the road from me who also has back problems but she doesn't use a stick (as I do) and she is able to work two evenings in a pub and looks after 2 grandchildren through the week qualifies for DLA! How's that then? It makes me so mad!!!

Broke_n_Broken

You could try for discretionary housing payments, it's unlikely, but they may make allowances for your savings as you're retired.
As HappyMJ said, you could use some of your savings, what are savings for anyway, if not to live your life as you want?

Other than that, you're in the right place if you want advice on how to reduce your bills, or make a bit of money.

Broke_n_Broken

Oh, you should also look into the law re the improvements you've made, if you had to give up your home you may be able to get some money back off the landlord...

There's also a lot of advice here about claiming DLA.

McKneff

Are mens state pensions still paid at 65 or have the moved the goalposts like they have with women.

AnnieD7

As far as I know McNeff - no doubt someone will put me right if I've got it wrong.

Well, I wish I hadn't posed this question - I think I'll go and sit in the corner and quietly top meself!!! Then my son can use the 5K for my funeral and I won't feel so guilty.

Thanks for everyone's help (I think).