Housing Benefit 4 weekly payments

BECKJ1

Hi all

I need a little help please. New to this area and can't keep up with all my finances :-(
Ok so housing benefit paid into my account 4 weekly - salary monthly - tax credits 4 weekly, child benefit monthly - soon to get DLA

Ok so my question - 4 weekly payments have caught up on themselves - I have rent for the next month before the last month has even left my account. Leaves on 5th of each month.
Got HB on 4th of this month - so 2 whole months in my account.
Next month will be the same as 4 weekly I should get 2nd/sept. But that payment with be for Octobers.
Has there been an over payment that I need to report? Will I get less one month at the end of the year to even it out? I'm confused :-/
Has this happened to anyone else?
Thanks you

pretzelnut

Yes it does get confusing, hence why mine goes direct to the LL and they send me a statement every month. I didn't want the HB mixing with my personal finances, as i know i would have got confused and spent some of it one month. This way my roof is safe.

I get the full rate, so i don't need to top it up.

I cant help as I'm confused myself at times, but put it to one side and just pay your rent when its due.

benefitbaby

Hi, because HB is paid four weekly this means that once or twice a year (depending on the date you are paid) you get 2 lots of HB into your account in one month.

It can get very confusing so a lot of my clients have 2 bank accounts, one for everday money in/out and one for HB in and rent out only so they can keep track.

Murphybear

I put all my LHA into an instant access savings account along with a bit of my other money. When the rent is due I transfer the correct amount into my bank account to pay the rent. I am not tempted to spend the rent and I earn a little bit of interest. Why the councils can't pay this money monthly is beyond me. I asked one council why this was and got some fatuous comment along the lines that their computer couldn't divide by twelve.

I understand that when Universal Credit comes in payments will be made monthly.

Nada666

There are 13 four-weekly payments in a year - the payments roll forward a couple of days every calendar month so you receive them earlier and earlier.

I take it you pay your rent every calendar month? What is your calendar month rent compared to your 4 weekly payment? If you are managing to top-up the 4-weekly payment to a calendar month instalment every month then the thirteenth payment is yours - and you should still receive the next payment before the monthly rent is due.

One of the stupidest things councils have done is to stop paying rent by the calendar month.

BECKJ1

Thank you for all your replies

Yes my HB is 4 weekly. My rent is 5th of every month. And I top up myself.

I understand what you are saying nada666 , I just can't understand where the 13th payment has come from and why it isn't considered and over payment and taken from me ?

I asked for mine monthly and got told no. Either 2 or 4 weekly. But I'm so anxious as my back dated amount was incorrectly calculated before, and to right this, one month they took out what they had over pad me and left me with the rest! Am concerned same thing will happen. I get no sense when I call! My local benefits office closed and all got moved to our 'civic centre' which is so busy, there is no way I can go in there with a 3 year old with behavioural problems !

BECKJ1

Yes my HB is 4 weekly. My rent is 5th of every month. And I top up myself.

I understand what you are saying nada666 , I just can't understand where the 13th payment has come from and why it isn't considered and over payment and taken from me ?

cutestkids

BECKJ1 wrote: »

Thank you for all your replies

Yes my HB is 4 weekly. My rent is 5th of every month. And I top up myself.

I understand what you are saying nada666 , I just can't understand where the 13th payment has come from and why it isn't considered and over payment and taken from me ?

I asked for mine monthly and got told no. Either 2 or 4 weekly. But I'm so anxious as my back dated amount was incorrectly calculated before, and to right this, one month they took out what they had over pad me and left me with the rest! Am concerned same thing will happen. I get no sense when I call! My local benefits office closed and all got moved to our 'civic centre' which is so busy, there is no way I can go in there with a 3 year old with behavioural problems !

What you have to do is look at the total amount your rent is in a year, although you pay it calendar monthly the housing benefit will pay it 4 weekly there are 12 calendar months but 13 4 week cycles in one year the housing benefit will be calculated over the entire years rent and then divided by 13, you are not getting an extra payment it is just the way it seems.

BECKJ1

Thank you I totally understand now.

[Deleted User]

I have had my housing benefit paid monthly now for about 2 years. Have you asked if you can be pad monthly? It makes it so much easier to budget cause your not constantly receiving payments mid month and also as I only get 12 payments now at 4.3333 weeks money it means i get slightly more each time, rather than the random extra payment. Mine is paid on the first monday following the last day of the month which is usually ok as I have to pay my rent on the 4th of the month.

It's definately worth a phone call to ask if this is possible?

fluffymovie

I would say that monthly payments are rare in the HB circle. I have worked at a number of authorities including Brighton, Haringey and others and none of them have offered monthly payments.

It does make it very confusing when the number of days in the month vary as to how much people should get? It is something we can look to do but as far as I know, Wiltshire was one place that did it and they changed back after 6 payments!