ESA, Housing Benefit & Council Tax Benefit

SUGARSPICE

Hello.

Im a bit confused & if Ive posted in the wrong place please direct me to the right one.Thank you.

Do you have to be on a benefit to be able to claim HB & CT Benefit?

Or

Can you claim HB & CT Benefit if JUST on a low wage?

Im waiting on an answer to know if Im able to claim ESA.I only earn £40 a week Self Employed & Ive been signed off due to health problems.

Can I & Would I be able to claim HB & CT with this?

If I can, the problem I think I might come across is that my certificate will end before being able to claim HB & CT.

Would I then be able to claim HB & CT from JUST being on a low wage?

Hope the above makes sense

nannytone_2

housing benefit and council tax support are based so;e;y on household income, although receipt of certain benefits gives an automatic entitlement to both

Housing_Benefit_Officer

If your income is only £40 and that is your only income and your savings are below £16,000 you will get maximum eligible housing benefit and maximum eligible Local Council Tax Support.

SUGARSPICE

Thank you nannytone & Housing Benefit Officer.

Yes, £40 is my only income, no savings what so ever.Im in a right mess with everything.

My situation is that Ive split up with my, now ex boyfriend of 11 years, we lived together & he was supporting me, paying for everything.

He is still paying for everything but obviously this needs to change.

We are still live in the same home but he has temporarily moved out.

Two of the things he has been paying for & still is paying for is the rent (we are joint tenants) & the Council Tax because Im not earning enough.

Now Im classed as single would I be able to claim my half to pay for my side of the Rent & Council Tax? Do you think I would get the full amount?

Also, if Im not on benefits could I possibly claim HB & CT to pay for elsewhere if I moved out if still earning £40 at the time?

The split has caused depression & anxiety & its not helping that Im still living where we used to live when we were together.

Would I need to be actually living somewhere else before I could claim?

Thank you for any advice.

SUGARSPICE

Hello Again.

1.Does anyone know how Council Tax Benefit is done if eg: Two names are on the bill but my ex actually pays it? Would any of us be able to claim CT Benefit?

2.If my rent is £500 a month & Im on ESA or Low Income would I be able to claim the full £500 for where I am living now but then also allowed to claim £894 going by the LHA Rate in my area if I was to move elsewhere?

Are you allowed to get the lower then the higher?

Also is it right that they take 65p off HB for every pound earned?

So if I was to stay living where I am & my ex moved out & tenancy was put in my name where it would then be £1,000 rent, would I then be able to claim the £894 a month for the rent & earn the other £106?

If it is that 65p comes off every pound earned then £26 would come off the £894, is this correct?

So to be able to pay for other eg: food, electric, etc etc I would have £68 to do this, is this correct?

Is there a limit of how much can be earned?

I do hope the above is not too confusing & any help / advice would be great :beer:

paulineb_2

I have no idea about your last post to be honest. You would be wise to get some advice from the cab or from a first stop shop or housing office. Yes you can claim HB and council tax benefit on a low wage, including self employed, but I have no idea just how much of your rent they would pay or what would happen if you moved.

I think to be honest you might be better living somewhere where your rent would be covered by housing benefit and you werent having to find additional income and that you would end up with £68 a month to pay for food and bills, I think you would massively struggle and perhaps you might be better looking for other housing options, a flatshare or lodging with someone until you were better off financially.

Also, if he has temporarily moved out, if he moves back in and hes earning, it might affect your entitlement to benefits, but Im sure someone who knows the system better than me would be able to tell you how you would stand on that score.

SUGARSPICE

Sorry made a mistake above.

If I earned £106 & it is that 65p comes off every pound earned then £68.90 would come off the £894 so I would have £37.10 to pay for other eg: food, electric etc etc, is this correct?

Thankyou.

SUGARSPICE

paulineb.

Thankyou for your quick reply, much appreciated.

I sillyly put a silly amount of money as earned, it was just an example so its not what actually earn, sorry.

Also the reason Im thinking of staying here is because estate agents ask for deposits, recent work references, other fees and this I have not got ( ex was paying for everything & still is).

The above has already been paid for by my ex so where I am now it would be easier in a way for me to stay where I am till Im sorted out.

Hope that makes sense

Caz3121

How old are you? How large is the property you currently live in?

If you are under 35 your LHA will be based in the shared accommodation rate irrespective of what the actual size of the property/rent is

If your ex moves back in and the tenancy is written in such a way you each have your own responsibility for rent then you will also only receive the shared accommodation rate (if you can convince them you are a single claimant - obviously this will be difficult if there is only one bedroom)

belowtheline2013

Highly unlikely you will be able to make a single claim while you are either still living together or still joint tenants. They are very strict on this and Housing Benefit will want to establish where his permanent address is.

As above, if you are under 35 your LHA is the shared accom rate. This will be the maximum Housing Benefit you can receive no matter what type of property or tenancy you are in.

SUGARSPICE

Hello & Thankyou Caz3121 & belowtheline2013.

Sorry I didnt give much information.

We rent a 2 Bedroom house, Im 37 years old.

We are both joint tenants & contract ends in Nov.

We split up a week before Christmas after 11 years together but Im unable to move out because Im only earning the £40 at the moment.Im waiting on a decision for ESA but if I get a no for the ESA I will do on the Low Income.

The split caused Severe Depression & Anxiety.He was supporting me when we were together & is still paying for everything now.

Hes only temp moved out because things got quite bad with us still living together & its is not helping my depression & Anxiety.

If he could get out of the contract & move out & I took over, having the tenancy in my name then I would then be able to claim the LHA rate of £894 & earn the rest to make it up to the £1,000.Is this correct?

Where I am 37 years old, would this still mean that Im only able to claim the shared rate? So if my half is £500 what would I be able to claim of it?

What evidence can I have that we have split up? My Doctor knows, the hospital know (Phychaitrists, Therapists) Ive got written evidence.We are sleeping in seperate bedrooms, hes temp moved out, neighbours & family know we have split, half his belongings are gone.Would any of this help?

Thankyou.