Benefit Claim - Help!

doiger

Hello. I'm a new member. I have just claimed benefits for the first time in my life at the age of 56. A business my wife and I ran went under and we lost everything. I've worked all my adult life and paid hundreds of thousands of £s in taxes and NI. I claimed incapacity benefit (I am awaiting hospital operation for a knee problem), income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit. We are renting a house privately and have very little capital left. I phoned to check on the claim and was told the following:

Firstly, my incapacity benefit claim has been granted, but I won't receive any money as I have insufficient NI contributions in the last 2 years. Secondly, my claim for income support has been turned down because I have more than £6000 in capital (I don't as it happens). Thirdly, they can't process my housing benefit claim because of all of this.

I receive an occupational pension of £370 per month so even if I was given income support,they would reduce this by the amount of my pension. Bottom line, UK born and bred, up to 3 years ago paying over £30k per year in taxes, they have told me I will get nothing.

This cannot be right, surely?

Help!

Doiger

suelees1

Welcome to the British social security system - born and bred by our great government.

Means tested benefits are based on income and capital. £6000 is the lower capital limit and does not bar you from IS or Housing/Council Tax Benefit. Anything over £16K means those under 60 are statute barred.

HB and CTB is not dependent on IS but on liability to pay and your income and capital.

doiger

Thanks for the repy, suelees1! I have been asked to write to the benefits department proving that I have capital of less than £6k, which I will do. The person on the other end of the phone indicated that whilst the income support claim was declined (as it is right now) the HB and CTB claims couldn't progress. I am going to the Citizens Advice Bureau tomorrow morning. I have also been told that my shortfall in NI contributions can't be resolved, i.e. I asked if I could pay back the missing contributions and then get incapacity benefit - they said no!

Thanks again.

dmg24

Hi doiger,

No help to you, but believe it or not in receiving your occupational pension, you actually receive more than many. If I was to have to claim (which I am trying my hardest to avoid at the moment), I would be entitled to Incapacity Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, and that would be it.

Sorry I can't be more positive, but just to say, know how you feel x

suelees1

I think you've done the right thing going to the CAB. Good luck with it all

Bogof_Babe

Paying "over £30k per year in taxes". Is that a typo? You'd have to be in the millionaire bracket to pay that much, surely.
Do you have "hidden" assets, e.g. properties abroad, that might be influencing this situation?

TheWaltons_3

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Paying "over £30k per year in taxes". Is that a typo? You'd have to be in the millionaire bracket to pay that much, surely.
Do you have "hidden" assets, e.g. properties abroad, that might be influencing this situation?

not necessarily... if I'm right... which I'm probably not... he would pay 22k on 100 grand a year... which isn't millionairres money by a long shot!

Bogof_Babe

Okay, but if he was on £100k a year what on earth has he done with it?
Edit: So on £30k a year tax he would probably be on more like £150k salary?

doiger

Just to clarify. Yes, I did earn around £90k per year for 2 or 3 years. I invested in property and business. The business crashed disastrously and the bottom line is I lost everything as a result. S*** happens you know. I was simply illustrating that I've paid into the system big time in the past and when I finally look for help, it isn't there. Before my big earning days I didn't earn that much, so back to where I began I guess!! Thanks for the helpful posts, but stick to the point those remarking on my past tax bill!

Garnet_Gem

If you haven't paid enough NI contributions for the past 2 years, you won't get incapacity benefit. If the DWP THINK you have property or undeclared savings, they won't pay out until you can prove otherwise. If you sold the property (ies) that you had, they will assume you made a profit so they won't pay you Income Support. You'll need to prove what you did with money. That's the rules. Whether they're fair or not is another debate.

dooby

hello.

If you're under aged 65 then you may be entitled to DLA mobility. If your knee if that bad that you need an op then you could be entitled.

It's a benefit for people who are unable or virtually unable to walk. Any distance achieved that causes severe discomfort is disregarded.

edit - its not means tested either.