Housing/Council Tax Benefit overpayment

Yorkshirewhite

Which is about -£12.00 for last year! Should I take my spreadsheet into the housing benefit tomorrow. It was checked over earlier this year by them when this all first came about, or wait for the letters then book an appointment with them?

Yorkshirewhite

Also, if they were gonna take it further would they not have stopped my partners housing benefit rather than just reducing it?

Housing_Benefit_Officer

Yorkshirewhite wrote: »

Which is about -£12.00 for last year! Should I take my spreadsheet into the housing benefit tomorrow. It was checked over earlier this year by them when this all first came about, or wait for the letters then book an appointment with them?

That is your call.

You need to know how much the overpayment is and what they have based your income figures on to create the overpayment.

Yorkshirewhite

Ok. I will see if the letter arrives in the post tomorrow (hate getting post late in the day!!) then will take it from there. Hopefully I'm worrying over nothing, although I have a feeling I'm not.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

Yorkshirewhite wrote: »

Also, if they were gonna take it further would they not have stopped my partners housing benefit rather than just reducing it?

No if there in continuing entitlement to benefit it will continue with either a reduction for assumed income or a deduction for recovery of any overpayment. That is why you need to figure out what they are doing and why and how best to resolve it.

Yorkshirewhite

Ok thanks. I shall await and see what post arrives tomorrow. I'm petrified this could go much much further.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

Yorkshirewhite wrote: »

Ok thanks. I shall await and see what post arrives tomorrow. I'm petrified this could go much much further.

If you made no income then:-

Prosecution - unlikely
Sanction and fine (no criminal record) - likely
Offsetting self employed income (or lack of it) against overpayment thus reducing overpayment - dead cert.

Doing nothing isn't an option as there is a £3k Council Tax bill hanging over yur head and an unknown Housing Benefit overpayment.

Yorkshirewhite

Ok thanks for that. I will certainly be doing what I can to sort it out. It's obviously all about me proving I made no income then! Not sure a spreadsheet is gonna help there but we will see.

Dovah_diva

It might also help if you stop referring to your ex as your partner.

Yorkshirewhite

Force of habit, being the mother of my children and all. Although what that has to do with this I'm not sure.