Council Tax Support 500% increase in Council Tax - not so supportive

mysterywoman10

It also doesn't say that you get to keep any money over and above between April and October just that you would be exempt. So bearing in mind the costs lodgers bring it may not really work out much different for the next 6 months with added hot water use, cooking, wear & tear etc. unless you agree to share bills. Again check with LA/HA whether they will allow a lodger because it may vary.

Dunroamin

mysterywoman10 wrote: »

It also doesn't say that you get to keep any money over and above between April and October just that you would be exempt. So bearing in mind the costs lodgers bring it may not really work out much different for the next 6 months with added hot water use, cooking, wear & tear etc. unless you agree to share bills. Again check with LA/HA whether they will allow a lodger because it may vary.

Seeing that Mark has said that he owns his own house, LA/HA's opinion on his having a lodger is irrelevant.

mysterywoman10

Yes it would be I missed that thank you for the information.

Still the information will be useful for everyone in terms of lodgers until October and Mark because he will loose benefits until then?

mark61120

Witch_Hazel wrote: »

Why can't people just educate themselves!
http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/tenancies/lodger-rules-to-ease-impact-of-bedroom-tax/6522846.article

I think you missed the word 'proposed'.

Oh and Welshmoneylover; I am trying to get a job. Unfortunately, the situation in my field has just been made even worse by Astra Zeneca shedding between 500 and 1200 jobs in my area. I have been going to college for the last 18 months to retrain in a different field o I have another string to my bow.
I find it very insulting for someone to say 'find employment'. Try being unemployed at the moment. It isn't fun, especially when you are 57.

mysterywoman10

You seem to be doing a great deal to try and get a job Mark, I wish you all the best and as you say it isn't easy for people especially when they are in their late 50's and have worked all their lives.

Shame some can't see that

Lolli101

'm registered disabled on income support and had to give up my full time job to become my disabled mothers carer in Sept 2010 with a son at full time college, I only got single adult occupancy discount on my council tax and I have never received financial help to pay the interest on my mortgage or the £1,000+ charges to the landlord for the service charges or ground rent and I still don't get these benefits to help my low income.
My son is now 18 and claimed JSA and was paid for 2 and a 1/2 weeks only, he was told he had to apply for 21 jobs every day and to locations taking 1 and a 1/2 hours travel time by public transport and if he did not log into their website daily starting the next day then his claim would be cancelled??
I found these demands totally UNREALISTIC. We do not have a computer, the local library has only 1 and you had to book a time and obviously couldn't be on it for long periods of time AND he told JobSeekers that the next day he was needed by me and his disabled nan as she was moving out of her house and neither of us could lift the boxes etc.
Job Centre staff said NO allowances would be accepted if he didn't log on the next day and would not accept the fact that from all the jobs he'd already applied for ONLY 2 companies had the decency to reply to him and they were rejections stating 'you do not have any experience'!
How is he meant to get experience if he can not get a job I ask? 2 companys had notices in their shop window 'staff required-apply inside' - diligently he went in and gave his CV and spoke with the manager and several days later chased up his application by telephone and by email and chased a further 3 times yet he still did not get ANY response??
Why don't companies have the common decency to respond these days? It takes just a few minutes to send an email saying you've been unsuccessful!
How can young people remain positive and motivated when they are ignored? My son started to feel quite low and dispondant verging on depressed, with no job, no money from JSA and no support just harsh expectations from the Job Centre, I thought I'd have to take him to the GP.
Anyway he had to help his nan move and was not able to log on and apply for 21 jobs so his claim was cancelled and he didn't have the energy to go through it all again and has now found a waiter/chef job for only 20 hours a week on minimum wage when hes got qualifications that are not helping him, its tragic.
I then find out my friend is also on JSA since Dec 2012 and the Job Centre only demands that she applies for ONLY 9 jobs every week, why doesn't she have to apply for 21 jobs a week like they demanded from my son?
Shes been paid JSA since Dec yet my son has only been paid it for 2+ weeks?
Does JSA have different rules for young people?

I have paid into the system from age 14 from my Saturday job upto age 41 and I do not claim ALL the benefits that I am eligible to apply for mostly as I was not told by the benefit agency what help I could get and I find it disgusting that my son is penalised when hes tried so very hard to get a job and also has not had the benefits that he was entitled to from June 2012?
I also just discovered that before January 2013 I was eligible to get upto £6,000 from a Warm Front Energy Government Grant to install central heating, a boiler and insulation in my flat which does not have any heating and because I'm disabled, a carer and on a low income. I could of applied for this grant from July 2010 and also for a Warm Home Discount of £130 each winter BUT NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT THESE GRANTS - WHY??
Applications to get the Warm Front Grant of upto £6,000 were stopped in Jan and the government is NO longer running the scheme and I'm simply too late AGAIN because of the Benefits Agency NOT providing help or necessary information!!!
I do not consider myself and my son 'typical benefit claimants', we are not lazy and unwilling to work, we are victims of unfortunate family circumstances and poor job opportunities. I am frustrated by benefit staff and company rmployees being bad at their jobs and not giving a damn about people like us.

Dunroamin

Lolli101 wrote: »

My son is now 18 and claimed JSA and was paid for 2 and a 1/2 weeks only, he was told he had to apply for 21 jobs every day and to locations taking 1 and a 1/2 hours travel time by public transport and if he did not log into their website daily starting the next day then his claim would be cancelled??

You don't help your case by exaggerating.

It is an individual's responsibility to inform themselves about available benefits.

Hang_Tight_Harry

Lolli101 wrote: »

'his claim was cancelled and he didn't have the energy to go through it all again and has now found a waiter/chef job for only 20 hours a week

So your son managed to find a job - albeit part time? Good for him. Shame it had to take a sanction from the Job Centre, but at least he's working now. Must a weight off knowing that he can contribute to he household. Now he can concentrate on finding a full time job.

Horseunderwater

Lolli101 wrote: »

'm registered disabled on income support and had to give up my full time job to become my disabled mothers carer in Sept 2010 with a son at full time college, I only got single adult occupancy discount on my council tax and I have never received financial help to pay the interest on my mortgage or the £1,000+ charges to the landlord for the service charges or ground rent and I still don't get these benefits to help my low income.
My son is now 18 and claimed JSA and was paid for 2 and a 1/2 weeks only, he was told he had to apply for 21 jobs every day and to locations taking 1 and a 1/2 hours travel time by public transport and if he did not log into their website daily starting the next day then his claim would be cancelled??
I found these demands totally UNREALISTIC. We do not have a computer, the local library has only 1 and you had to book a time and obviously couldn't be on it for long periods of time AND he told JobSeekers that the next day he was needed by me and his disabled nan as she was moving out of her house and neither of us could lift the boxes etc.
Job Centre staff said NO allowances would be accepted if he didn't log on the next day and would not accept the fact that from all the jobs he'd already applied for ONLY 2 companies had the decency to reply to him and they were rejections stating 'you do not have any experience'!
How is he meant to get experience if he can not get a job I ask? 2 companys had notices in their shop window 'staff required-apply inside' - diligently he went in and gave his CV and spoke with the manager and several days later chased up his application by telephone and by email and chased a further 3 times yet he still did not get ANY response??
Why don't companies have the common decency to respond these days? It takes just a few minutes to send an email saying you've been unsuccessful!
How can young people remain positive and motivated when they are ignored? My son started to feel quite low and dispondant verging on depressed, with no job, no money from JSA and no support just harsh expectations from the Job Centre, I thought I'd have to take him to the GP.
Anyway he had to help his nan move and was not able to log on and apply for 21 jobs so his claim was cancelled and he didn't have the energy to go through it all again and has now found a waiter/chef job for only 20 hours a week on minimum wage when hes got qualifications that are not helping him, its tragic.
I then find out my friend is also on JSA since Dec 2012 and the Job Centre only demands that she applies for ONLY 9 jobs every week, why doesn't she have to apply for 21 jobs a week like they demanded from my son?
Shes been paid JSA since Dec yet my son has only been paid it for 2+ weeks?
Does JSA have different rules for young people?

I have paid into the system from age 14 from my Saturday job upto age 41 and I do not claim ALL the benefits that I am eligible to apply for mostly as I was not told by the benefit agency what help I could get and I find it disgusting that my son is penalised when hes tried so very hard to get a job and also has not had the benefits that he was entitled to from June 2012?
I also just discovered that before January 2013 I was eligible to get upto £6,000 from a Warm Front Energy Government Grant to install central heating, a boiler and insulation in my flat which does not have any heating and because I'm disabled, a carer and on a low income. I could of applied for this grant from July 2010 and also for a Warm Home Discount of £130 each winter BUT NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT THESE GRANTS - WHY??
Applications to get the Warm Front Grant of upto £6,000 were stopped in Jan and the government is NO longer running the scheme and I'm simply too late AGAIN because of the Benefits Agency NOT providing help or necessary information!!!
I do not consider myself and my son 'typical benefit claimants', we are not lazy and unwilling to work, we are victims of unfortunate family circumstances and poor job opportunities. I am frustrated by benefit staff and company rmployees being bad at their jobs and not giving a damn about people like us.

You can moan about the system all you like - but you did know that there are other benefits out there to claim. So claim them now. You can get SMI mortgage help and this would have started from week 13 of when your Income Support started and if you ask for it now they may backdae it to that point. Worth asking.

Council tax, you should have been getting 100% council tax benefit to end of year just gone, so you missed that one, but you can still get around 75% possibly more based on you being on IS and carers allowance depends on your authority - so apply.
Warm home discount - not sure when registration starts, but it applies to electric only. Look up your electric suppliers details and see when it starts. Should think it will be around July onwards but each supplier is different.
Apply for the Heating grant now. Yes you missed it this year, but you can still apply now. New year. You may also qualify for repairs to your home if any are needed to make your home safe and secure. Rotting front door for example.
Free prescriptions too. This includes free eye tests and vouchers towards cost of glasses worth £64.20. Totally free NHS dental treatment and any medicines. This can be done with proof of income support letter the first time and then you should just be able to sign back of form - think it is bottom option - NI number and date of birth needed.
Oh and 21 jobs a week is the normal amount - it applied back in 1996 when I first had to claim JSA for over 18 months and I went through thousands of job applications back then - internet was not really an option back then, we had dial up only - so I had to actually write each one out by hand and even then they did not reply in most cases - it has not changed. It is nothing to do with your Son's age at all. Now he is working he will get experience and be more employable for other jobs - life is never easy getting on the job ladder and never was. I went from office work to driving a bus for a living and the most enjoyable was the buses. Would still be doing it, except I now have a rare illness that is preventing me from it.
So go and do it.

Lolli101

Thanks Harry and Horseunderwater for your words of wisdom and encouragement.
I apologise to everyone for my above rant, I think I was so frustrated with everything, stressed dealing with my mums financial problems and feeling sorry for my son, I just let it all out, sorry readers.

My sons loving his job although has a new found tiredness!

I've got my mum moved before she was repossessed and paid off all her debts.

Now time for reclaiming ppi, bank charges etc for her and me.

Hoping she'll be fitter by new year and I can go back to work and pay all my bills independantly, its so much easier doing it all yourself.

Didn't mean to moan about the system too much but I wasn't claiming what I could have because I wanted to manage by myself like I always have.

Thanks and council tax help here I come and looking forward to a brighter rest of the year....