Housing Benefit under occupancy Help

ijwia

Hi i am on income support and have been unable to work for a number of years due to ill health and was wondering if any of you good guys on here could help ?

I recieved a letter from the council telling me that the housing benefit i recieve may be changing! as i have 2 bedrooms and live alone.

They are going to reduce my Housing Benefit by 14%

I have since been told, that as i have been in this house for seven years and my circumstances haven't changed in that time, that i should still be on the old version of Housing Benefit and that these changes are only liable to post 2008 Housing Benefit claimants.

Can you confirm that this is in fact true and i dont have to pay the 14% shortfall ? Or have i been misinformed ?

thanks

lighting_up_the_chalice

You have been misinformed.

ijwia

right im a little confused here so bare with me ?

found this

on the main section of the moneysavingexpert site here under family housing-benefit

its says

Existing Claimants: Pre April 2008

If you haven't made any changes to your claim then you should be on a different system and not receiving the local housing allowance (LHA) benefit, so you should be unaffected by the changes. However if your circumstances change or you wish to move you will be processed under the new rules immediately, so bear this in mind before making any changes.

my circumstances haven't changed apart from my health deteriorating further, i still stay at same address and have done since 2005 and haven't made a new claim for housing benefit


so does this mean i'm exempt from this housing benefit reduction ?

Caz3121

Different set of changes
The one you posted to above was related to LHA rates in private rents

The 14% reduction in housing benefit applies to social housing where the number of bedrooms exceed requirements

ijwia

Caz3121 wrote: »

Different set of changes
The one you posted to above was related to LHA rates in private rents

The 14% reduction in housing benefit applies to social housing where the number of bedrooms exceed requirements

any chance that section can be made clearer ?

as thats where my friend got his information from and tbh it's not blatantly obvious that this caveat is for private tennants only and not housing association tennants

Dunroamin

ijwia wrote: »

any chance that section can be made clearer ?

as thats where my friend got his information from and tbh it's not blatantly obvious that this caveat is for private tennants only and not housing association tennants

As it refers to LHA, which is only for private tenants, it's difficult to see how it could be clearer.

princessdon

Eventually hb is catching up and not before time

ijwia

Dunroamin wrote: »

As it refers to LHA, which is only for private tenants, it's difficult to see how it could be clearer.

yeah but a friend didnt know and i didnt know and lots of people don't know but because you know everybody knows ?

is that your flawed logic ?

it's one giant page under the heading housing benefit

all i am asking is a small edit to the bit where it gives out what i would say is missleading advice

were not all experts in government benefits or laws and rules

ijwia

princessdon wrote: »

Eventually hb is catching up and not before time

you trolling

lighting_up_the_chalice

ijwia wrote: »

yeah but a friend didnt know and i didnt know and lots of people don't know but because you know everybody knows ?

is that your flawed logic ?

it's one giant page under the heading housing benefit

all i am asking is a small edit to the bit where it gives out what i would say is missleading advice

were not all experts in government benefits or laws and rules

If someone else was paying MY housing costs, I'd know ALL about it!

Morlock

ijwia wrote: »

you trolling

Unfortunately, I am sure she is not. This is more of an anti-Benefits & Tax Credits forum.

I suggest finding help on a different website if you don't want to invoke comments from self-righteous, anti-benefit warriors.