council tax benefit

jules6810

Hi can someone please help me.
I am a single Mom, to one child. I work 16 hours a week and receive, council tax and housing benefit, and child and working tax credits.
Today I received my new council tax bill and have no benefit included with the the bill. After a brief conversation with the lady on phone, it seems I am no longer entitled to council tax benefit.
Can someone please shed some light on this, as they offered me no explanation, just kept repeating the same thing and told me its changes starting from the 1st April.
I have googled this and cant find nothing to explain this to me. Last year I received £355 approx, in council tax benefit, this year I receive none. My circumstances have not changed, no extra wages etc.
Thanks in advance

mrs_motivated

Council tax benefit doesn't exist after 1st April . It has been replaced with a local scheme, determined by the local authority. Basically they were give 10 per cent less than was previously paid out and the only restriction on the remaining 90 percent was that pensioners must be protected. So other claimants had to take the hit.

Each Council then had to make a decision on a new scheme, inevitably there had to be a reduction in payments. If you look on you Councils website, they have to publish the new scheme.

BigAunty

I believe the single person's discount has been retained? Double check if that's the case and then you might be able to get 25% off.

jules6810

Sorry I do still qualify for the single occupancy discount.
I have just looked on the councils website and all it says is that from April 2013, there will be changes that are to be announced shortly.
Thank you

sweet_tooth

i got my bill yesterday, recently separated from my husband, i've got 3 kids who are all school now on job seekers allowance (i am actually looking for work, i was homemaker before as husbands income was sufficent) kirklees council have decided i can now afford to pay 29% of my bill, dont know how im going to afford it

bloolagoon

sweet_tooth wrote: »

i got my bill yesterday, recently separated from my husband, i've got 3 kids who are all school now on job seekers allowance (i am actually looking for work, i was homemaker before as husbands income was sufficent) kirklees council have decided i can now afford to pay 29% of my bill, dont know how im going to afford it

29% seems extra ordinary high. Is this to all households or are they using child benefits as a form of income.

sweet_tooth

i think child benefit is included as income

sweet_tooth

seems really unfair as i haven't claimed benefits before and are only on them until i find work, at the same time i understand why they are changing the rules as too many people sit on their on backsides all day and have more than those working all hours

BigAunty

sweet_tooth wrote: »

i got my bill yesterday, recently separated from my husband, i've got 3 kids who are all school now on job seekers allowance (i am actually looking for work, i was homemaker before as husbands income was sufficent) kirklees council have decided i can now afford to pay 29% of my bill, dont know how im going to afford it

Do you have debts? Is your rent much higher than your LHA or do you have mortgage costs to find? Are you receiving any child maintenance? Have you checked your entitlements on the Turn2us online benefit calculator?

To help with budgeting to find the council tax payment, download the MSE budget planner and work through the site to identify where you can slash living costs.

Generally, a lone parent with 3 school age kids gets around £1226 in benefits a month (JSA £71, child tax credits £165, child benefit £47 per week), free school meals, housing benefit (if a tenant).

In addition, the CSA formula has an expectation that the non-resident parent pays 25% of their net income in child maintenance (less if they share overnight care of the children or are on benefits). This is paid on top of benefits so if your ex is only earning the National Minimum Wage, you'd get an extra £50 a week, approximately.

However, it's generally lone parents in rental accommodation where the LHA meets the cost of their rent that are better off than those who have to service a mortgage because the support for mortgage interest scheme may not cover their expenses.

sweet_tooth

sorry i've got 2 kids, didn't read back earlier to see i had a typing error, i'm private rent housing the lha covers our rent,

Own_My_Own

Our council sent everyone a bill for the full amount, with a letter saying if you are entitle to council benefit on the 31st March you will be placed on the new system and a new bill will be issued to you.
This could be the same at your council.