Housing Benefit

LauraLou1982 · 9 April 2013 at 10:29PM

Hello all,

Sorry if this is in the wrong place...I am a single mum who is also a fulltime student (but seconded from the NHS so I still get a wage) and I have recently started renting privately. I rented privately as it seemed the easier option, I was told I wouldn't get a council property. However I as thinking about applying for housing benefit but don't know if I would qualify? I have looked at the forms online - blooming heck they are long winded! Does anyone know roughly the threshold for getting HB? I dont know if they would class me as earning too much money, I am on a wage of £16,000 but get extra help from student finance for being a single mum at uni, do they take this money into account? its a lot of form filling and too-ing and fro-ing if I wont be eligible anyway!

Thanks for any advice given!

Locana · 9 April 2013 at 10:36PM

Hi

There's a website https://www.turn2us.org.uk which has a benefits calculator which should be able to let you know what you could be entitled to...
Give it a try?

Lo

pmlindyloo · 9 April 2013 at 10:52PM

Locana wrote: »

Hi

There's a website www.turn2us.org.uk which has a benefits calculator which should be able to let you know what you could be entitled to...
Give it a try?

Lo

Unfortunately this will not help as you are a student.

As you are a full time student and a lone parent you are eligible to claim HB.

Some of your student finance will be taken into account but there are disregards.

As you are still receiving your salary does that mean that you are also receiving both working and child tax credits? Tax credits are taken as income for HB purposes.

If you don't want the hassle of completing the form you could perhaps ring your local council and ask them which student income is taken into account and whether it is worth applying.

LauraLou1982 · 9 April 2013 at 10:55PM

yes being a seconded student makes it very difficult!
I recieve some kind of tax credits - not sure if this is WTC or CTC - I am newly single and i haven't been claiming this long so haven't had a chance to go through the paperwork they have sent me. I did ring the council and ask and he was really unhelpful and said I needed to complete the forms and send them in with all the evidence they asked for. Helpful lol!