Question regarding housing benefit payment

cmw1212

Firstly I have queried this with the council just got no idea how long it will take for them to answer and I'm curious to know if I am basically going mad.

I made a claim for JSA on 15/9 I then made a claim for housing benefit on 16/9. My JSA claim was agreed, (contribution based)/ rapid reclaim so paid from 15/9 I went in to the council on 26/9 and took my JSA letter and ID, they said I needed something proving when I finished work so I went to my agency and got a letter and took that in same day.

I then signed off JSA on 7/10, as got a new job, my final JSA payment went in on 10/10. At this point had heard nothing re housing benefit ( but did know there is a wait time) despite this as I am behind on my rent I went in to enquire and the said the claim had been agreed would be paid next week then gave me a letter which says We have worked out your housing benefit as below:
For the period 23 September to 7 October....
So I am totally lost where has the 16-22 September gone?

BurnleyBob

HB payments begin on the first Monday after the date of the claim.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

Your claim starts from the following Monday after you claim even if that date of claim was a Monday.

You claim should have stopped from the following Sunday after you started work so they owe you 1 weeks HB/CTS.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

Request a reconsideration of their decision to end the claim on the date you started work. Quote The HB/CTB Guidance Manual 2010

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236955/hbgm-a6-deciding-and-paying-benefit.pdf

Effective date of change

6.370 When a change of circumstances happens which affects entitlement to, or the amount of, HB/CTB, this should normally take effect from the start of the next benefit week, see Exceptions later in this chapter. This applies whatever day the change occurs – even a Monday.
HB Reg 79 & (SPC) 59


W6.406 The change of circumstances occurs on the first day after IS/JSA(IB)/ESA(IR) entitlement has ended not on the last day of entitlement. For example, if the last day of entitlement is a Sunday, the change of circumstances occurs on the Monday. Benefit entitlement will end with the last day
of the benefit week in which the change of circumstances occurs (in this case, the following Sunday), see Ending benefit award later in this chapter

cmw1212

Thanks for both the replies yeah the lady at the council said about the cycle starting on monday I think maybe the reason I am confused and stressing a little is because the 7th is when i started my job so I am reading this letter as "This is all you are getting..." (£130)I am sure I am due around £195 (3 weeks)
I have already told them I am signed off JSA so I assumed everything would be paid at once.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

cmw1212 wrote: »

Thanks for both the replies yeah the lady at the council said about the cycle starting on monday I think maybe the reason I am confused and stressing a little is because the 7th is when i started my job so I am reading this letter as "This is all you are getting..." (£130)I am sure I am due around £195 (3 weeks)
I have already told them I am signed off JSA so I assumed everything would be paid at once.

If you started work on the 7th then your benefit claim should end on the 13th.

How much is your rent and how much is the HB?

had you claimed HB in the previous 52 weeks and could you afford the rent when you moved in?

cmw1212

Housing_Benefit_Officer wrote: »

If you started work on the 7th then your benefit claim should end on the 13th.

Ah thanks I just assumed they both ended same day. It makes sense now.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

If you haven't claimed HB in the last 52 weeks and could afford your rent when you first moved in then you get 13 weeks protection where your full eligible rent is used not the LHA rate.

And make sure they end your claim on the right day - what you lose at the beginning you gain at the end.

cmw1212

Bumping my thread because I spoke to the council today and I am a bit annoyed. I called to ask them if I was going to get the week I thought I was owed and was informed that because I had claimed on the tuesday I am not entitled to anything until the following monday. I am pretty annoyed at that.

cmw1212

I got a letter today
It says
Thank you for your enquiry as to why your housing benefit was only paid from 23/9 when your jsa was paid from 15/9

As you were awarded JSA (contribution based) and not JSA (Income) we had to treat the date you first contacted us as the date you made a claim for housing benefit. You made your online claim on 17/9 so your claim was paid from the following Monday (23 Sept)

I have had 2 weeks HB i.e the payment from 23/9. What I don't get is why I am not entitled to anything for 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 September- my crude calculations make that around £55.
And I have called to ask before and all I got told was about this letter so it doesn't look like I will get any more.