Advice on housing and council tax benefit please

MargaretB_2

I am 65 and drawing a state pension. I have recently been forced to sell my house at a greatly reduced price to avoid repossession, so I only have a little left out of the equity. I managed to find a nice, private rental that would accept my dogs by moving out of the area, but I am confused now as to what I should be claiming for. I was claiming full council tax benefit, but when I tried to do a change of address it seems I have to claim housing benefit as well. I will be doing this in the near future, but one of the questions is "was I working and able to pay the rent when I took the lease". Well, yes and no. I wasn't working, I paid six months up front out of the proceeds of sale. Now I have little left.

Should I answer yes or no? Should I leave claiming either until my six months is up? I am very confused.

Horseunderwater

Are you working or just getting the state pension? Is it just the basic state pension or do you get the 2nd state pension as a top up? If not you may be able to claim pension credit to top up your income which would help you get full council tax support and housing benefit and you should apply straight away. The longer you leave it the more you will lose out.

MargaretB_2

Horseunderwater wrote: »

Are you working or just getting the state pension? Is it just the basic state pension or do you get the 2nd state pension as a top up? If not you may be able to claim pension credit to top up your income which would help you get full council tax support and housing benefit and you should apply straight away. The longer you leave it the more you will lose out.

I only get the basic state pension, which includes part of my late husband's portion. The pension credit I was getting before was being paid straight to the mortgage company, so I don't know about that now. Someone told me that I wouldn't get housing benefit because I had sold my house, but I did not have a choice.

webtalk

If your capital is over £16, 000.00 you will only get Council Tax benefit if you are in receipt of Guaranteed Pension Credit.

You also need to let the Pension Service know about your change of circumstances, including no longer having a mortgage, and various other things. Check their website or, better still, ring and speak to them.

All this may or may not impact on your level of Pension Credit or if you will even continue to get it.

MargaretB_2

webtalk wrote: »

If your capital is over £16, 000.00 you will only get Council Tax benefit if you are in receipt of Guaranteed Pension Credit.

You also need to let the Pension Service know about your change of circumstances, including no longer having a mortgage, and various other things. Check their website or, better still, ring and speak to them.

All this may or may not impact on your level of Pension Credit or if you will even continue to get it.

I have written to the pension service and I don't have capital over £16,000, far from it.

webtalk

Get an application in for help with your council tax and tell them everything to do ewith your financ3s (income and ALL capital), and tell them you have written to the pension service.

Then tell them again when you have heard from the p.service.

RAS

Why are you NOT claiming Local Housing Allowance now?

Horseunderwater

This is what you need to do.
Call DWP pension credit department and tell them you do not have a mortgage and when it ended.
Call and ask for both council tax and housing benefit applications - although most council benefit departments now have an on line completion service so you may be able to use that to start things off.
If you have no savings or they are below £10k then you should be able to get Housing benefit/council tax support - it is nonsense for somebody to tell you that because you sold your home that you cannot claim HB. Make sure that you claim your warm home discount with your new energy provider at your new home. Worth £135 this year off electric bills. If you get pension credit then you should be able to get it. You should still get the winter fuel allowance as that is paid via state pension records.

webtalk

You are right. I did not register that you were renting.

Defo claim local housing allowance too!!!

Thanks Ras

MargaretB_2

RAS wrote: »

Why are you NOT claiming Local Housing Allowance now?

Because I only moved two weeks ago. I am still trying to work out what I should be claiming for.

RAS

GO to www.turn2us.org.uk.

You will need to know the maximum local housing allowance for a 1 bedroom flat/house as they will not pay more.

Claim LHA and CTB and give your savings as if you had paid one month's rent and the deposit.