Changes to housing benefit due to student loan

miss_moneysaver_2

Hi, I've not posted on here before, but got a query regarding housing benefit. I lived alone and as I only work 12 hours a week on low income, was entitled to some housing and council tax benefit. I decided to move in with my partner who is a full time student, but we went to the housing benefit office to check how this would affect my benefit before we signed any tenancy. We took all his student finance info in and the advisor calculated my new entitlement to be £80 per week. This was slightly more than I previously got, so we went ahead and rented a new flat together. I've just had my benefit decision arrive today, and it says I'm only entitled to 50p a week!

Im fuming! We can't manage off that and we wouldn't have moved in together had we known that. We acted on the information given by the advisor went we went in there prior to signing tenancy. Does anyone know what my rights are? Even if they uphold benefit decision of 50p a week, we were mislead by advisor who told us £80 a week, and we acted on this information.

nannytone_2

have you got it in writing?

miss_moneysaver_2

I've got the benefit decision of 50p a week in writing, but not the £80 we were quoted in there. The advisor got all my details up on the system, calculated it and even spoke to a superior about it, so we took him seriously and acted on good faith

nannytone_2

if you have nothing in writing, it's a case of your word against theirs, and you wont win

miss_moneysaver_2

I wouldn't have moved if I'd known my benefit would be cut that much. If you factor in my part time income and partners student finance, we have £50 a week each to live off, and all the bills have to come out of that. I'm actively seeking full time work, but with no success so far

nannytone_2

i don't know what to suggest.
hindsight is a wonderful thing but ALWAYS get things in writing.
if they refuse, then its a good indicator that they really dont know what theyre talking about!

miss_moneysaver_2

I rang the benefits office this morning, and they looked into it and admitted they'd made a mistake. As my partner's student loan and grant are from the Welsh Learning Assembly, this should not be classed as income. They have amended it now and I'm entitled to £80 a week benefit as originally stated, but I thought I would add this post incase anyone else finds themself in a similar situation. It is worth challenging any decision that sounds dodgy as these people can make mistakes.

Dunroamin

miss_moneysaver wrote: »

I rang the benefits office this morning, and they looked into it and admitted they'd made a mistake. As my partner's student loan and grant are from the Welsh Learning Assembly, this should not be classed as income. They have amended it now and I'm entitled to £80 a week benefit as originally stated, but I thought I would add this post incase anyone else finds themself in a similar situation. It is worth challenging any decision that sounds dodgy as these people can make mistakes.

Also worth getting any information in writing.