Housing Benefit issues

Dunroamin

dd101 wrote: »

What this is actually allowed?? Is this not fraud? The only way you can not spend your HB on rent was if you was not actually paying rent, otherwise at some point you would be evicted :-?. How can you actually take HB and not pay rent with it and be allowed to do that????

Of course you'd be evicted - people frequently are.

lighting_up_the_chalice

dd101 wrote: »

Hi,

Going off the topic a little bit but I read your comment and found it very interesting and dont understand it haha! This is just a question out of interest but what do you mean by there is no legal compulsion to spend money of rent? I thought if someone claimed HB they must spend it on what they are claiming it for???

Thanks :-)

Nope. They can spend it on whatever they like and, legally, they will have done nothing wrong. Once they are 8 weeks/2 months in arrears, the landlord can APPLY to have the LHA paid direct to him, but the council can decline. Even if payments are awarded direct to the LL, the tenant can have that decision reversed if they so choose and carry on spending their LHA on anything other than the rent, if that is what they want to do.

Unwise? certainly, but illegal/fraud? Nope. And the money would not be recoverable by the council.

lighting_up_the_chalice

Dunroamin wrote: »

Many people claim LHA/HB and then spend it on something else rather than the rent it's intended for. That's also true for child related benefits and some disability based ones as well. It's a major flaw in the benefits system.

Many people, even those NOT in receipt of benefits, make unwise financial decisions. It's a major flaw in the human condition, not just the benefits system.

dd101

But surely you cant live somewhere rent free and claim housiing benefit?? That cant be right because your telling the council you need X amount for X property because you HAVE to pay rent.

Even if it just applies to those that are supposed to pay rent but choose not to, still don't agree with it. Why should you be allowed to claim for rent and choose to pay for other things, eventually get evicted and never have to pay it back??? Seems like a strange rule!

dd101

Heycock wrote: »

dd101....

So far you've told us that you pay cash for your rent. The investigator may be waiting for you to prove that. At the moment to be fair, you're expecting her to take your word for it...and that could be why she's digging her heels in.
This may seem a daft question but have you given her any proof you're paying rent? Like receipts from your landlord or a letter of confirmation. Do your LHA have any details of your landlord?

Hi,

Yes I had that for all 3 addresses. The second address, the room I rented and paid all cash was just a letter saying I would be renting a room at X price.

What really made me laugh is when she pulled up the tenancy from address 3 and said "look at this" pointing to parts of the template that hadn't been removed such as DATE and the examples on it. I said, erm ok whats your point "well, this tenancy has clearly been taken from the internet" I must admit, I wanted to walk out at that point. So because my landlord took a tenancy of the internet and didnt edit it properly it must be fraudulent!! Long story short, had to move out of last property ASAP as landlord turned out to be subletter, landlord found out and wasn't happy, we all realised we couldn't stay as our tenancies meant nothing legally. Anyway, she said well you should have made sure he was the landlord by doing a land registry check! I couldn't believe my ears!

Apparently, subletting is a big problem in my area where people rent large houses and then rent the rooms out individually, particularly to houses where the real landlord lives abroad or far away. I was supposed to know this and do checks on every landlord/ landlady I met at all the viewings I attended!

lighting_up_the_chalice

dd101 wrote: »

But surely you cant live somewhere rent free and claim housiing benefit?? That cant be right because your telling the council you need X amount for X property because you HAVE to pay rent.

Even if it just applies to those that are supposed to pay rent but choose not to, still don't agree with it. Why should you be allowed to claim for rent and choose to pay for other things, eventually get evicted and never have to pay it back??? Seems like a strange rule!

Those not claiming LHA can do it, so why not?

dd101

Im just in shock haha. I just think that with all these cut backs, for example, in a year, if I did ever need housing benefit again I may not be able to get it because im under 25. If people only claimed when they really needed it, there wouldn't be so much strain on the system. Dont get me wrong, ive made my mistakes, well I assume so hence the reason I am being currently investigated for my past claims but to intentionally defraud the system and take it for all its got just isnt right. I think this country needs a stronger work ethic! I dont think I would have been dwelling in my depression, allowing myself to become so anxious I didnt want to leave the house if I wasn't paid housing benefit. I would have got off my butt and done something about my problems, took me a few years but ive realised it now. I might not like the government but I dont want to commit crimes against them, its us tax payers that suffer and those that really need the help.