bedroom tax

tiggernik

Thank you for all your replies. I finally received a call from Canterbury Council this afternoon to tell me I was right.....we are entitled to 52 weeks protection from the date of my Mother-in-Law's death.....this, I think, was found under the Housing Benefit Act regulation 12BA. I now have to wait for the letter then I can claim back the 8 weeks of rent I have paid the council.....I wonder how many other families are affected by this?
Thank you again to everyone who has replied

Housing_Benefit_Officer

tiggernik wrote: »

Thank you for all your replies. I finally received a call from Canterbury Council this afternoon to tell me I was right.....we are entitled to 52 weeks protection from the date of my Mother-in-Law's death.....this, I think, was found under the Housing Benefit Act regulation 12BA. I now have to wait for the letter then I can claim back the 8 weeks of rent I have paid the council.....I wonder how many other families are affected by this?
Thank you again to everyone who has replied

Some good news

tiggernik

Hi, sorry it's me again!! Just trying to clarify something the benefit people have told me now concerning my above query!
After Canterbury council agreeing that I was entitled to bereavement protection for 52 week after the passing of my Mother-in-Law, I phoned the benefit department to ask about claiming the 8 weeks of 'Bedroom Tax' I had already paid......this was 8 weeks at £13.60 which I made was £108.80.
They now tell me my account is only £68 pounds in credit......and not £108.80.
Apparently because the protection started last year, Aug 2012, the protection runs from then, (which I knew and had no problem with) so my weekly benefit award was £93.99 per week, which is exactly what my rent was.
In April 2013 when the 'Bedroom Tax' came into affect my weekly rent went up to £97.12.....but my benefit remains at £93.99 not taking into account the rent increase.....therefore leaving a shortfall of £3.13 a week which I have to pay out of my income support.
Is this correct?
I know it is only a small amount but I was just checking that this was right as AGAIN they have sent me no paperwork to explain this to me.
That is why I am not as much in credit as I thought, they had been taking it to pay the £3.13 a week without even explaining it to me!!
I hope this makes sense...I know I am a little confused.....Many thanks

Housing_Benefit_Officer

tiggernik wrote: »

Hi, sorry it's me again!! Just trying to clarify something the benefit people have told me now concerning my above query!
After Canterbury council agreeing that I was entitled to bereavement protection for 52 week after the passing of my Mother-in-Law, I phoned the benefit department to ask about claiming the 8 weeks of 'Bedroom Tax' I had already paid......this was 8 weeks at £13.60 which I made was £108.80.
They now tell me my account is only £68 pounds in credit......and not £108.80.
Apparently because the protection started last year, Aug 2012, the protection runs from then, (which I knew and had no problem with) so my weekly benefit award was £93.99 per week, which is exactly what my rent was.
In April 2013 when the 'Bedroom Tax' came into affect my weekly rent went up to £97.12.....but my benefit remains at £93.99 not taking into account the rent increase.....therefore leaving a shortfall of £3.13 a week which I have to pay out of my income support.
Is this correct?
I know it is only a small amount but I was just checking that this was right as AGAIN they have sent me no paperwork to explain this to me.
That is why I am not as much in credit as I thought, they had been taking it to pay the £3.13 a week without even explaining it to me!!
I hope this makes sense...I know I am a little confused.....Many thanks

Yes it is - the protection remains at the level when it would have been first awarded (i.e. August 2012) and doesn't take into account any rent increases A flaw in the regulations but nobody is rushing forward to amend it.

tiggernik

Hi, thanks for getting back so quick.
That's fine, if that's the rules then I've no problem paying but just thought I'd like to clarify things as Canterbury NEVER let me know When?, How? or Why? about any housing benefit....even after I write to them for an explanation or phone them......They just do things with no explanation and expect you to just get on with it!!!
Thanks again