IVA help

longtermplanner

Have you put her figures through a benefits calculator? They will be over the limit for getting Pension Credit (£222 a week for a couple see https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit). I would be surprised if they get full housing and council tax benefits.

kellbells

longtermplanner wrote: »

Have you put her figures through a benefits calculator? They will be over the limit for getting Pension Credit (£222 a week for a couple see https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit). I would be surprised if they get full housing and council tax benefits.

It was done by my sister on council's website and it came back based on the pensions only that they would be entitled to full housing and council tax benefit. She even phoned the council up to confirm these figures and she was told yes that's correct.

I will also check the above calculator myself.

kellbells

kellbells wrote: »

It was done by my sister on council's website and it came back based on the pensions only that they would be entitled to full housing and council tax benefit. She even phoned the council up to confirm these figures and she was told yes that's correct.

I will also check the above calculator myself.

I've checked the calculator and the Pension credit and it does say based on their pensions, they aren't entitled to anything from them.

Council have told her that she is entitled to full housing and council tax benefit though.

longtermplanner

Put their details into a couple of other calculators: http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx
and
http://www.entitledto.co.uk/

See what they say. Councils have been know to make mistakes...

kellbells

I phoned the council myself yesterday asking the general question about Mum retiring.

I have been told that if their income is less than £16k then they will be entitled to benefits. Mum & Dad's pensions combined total £19.5k so this has answered the question for us.

Mum is still going to retire and has sent an email to Kingsgate informing them of her decision and has requested a variation meeting based on her new income.

Let's see what happens but thank you so far for any replies I've received.

Kelly

longtermplanner

kellbells wrote: »

I have been told that if their income is less than £16k then they will be entitled to benefits. Mum & Dad's pensions combined total £19.5k so this has answered the question for us.

Well this is ringing an alarm bell with me. AFAIK there is no simple figure for income that means they will get Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support because it is affected by (amongst other things) the amount of rent they pay and council tax.

16k however is a simple figure in the world of benefits, it is normally the maximum capital you can have and get benefits.

Phoning the council up and asking about benefits is not a good way to go. Your mum or dad should go their local Citizens Advice bureau and ask for them to do a benefits check.

kellbells

longtermplanner wrote: »

Well this is ringing an alarm bell with me. AFAIK there is no simple figure for income that means they will get Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support because it is affected by (amongst other things) the amount of rent they pay and council tax.

16k however is a simple figure in the world of benefits, it is normally the maximum capital you can have and get benefits.

Phoning the council up and asking about benefits is not a good way to go. Your mum or dad should go their local Citizens Advice bureau and ask for them to do a benefits check.

Mum has a further appt at the CAB next Wednesday so she will be speaking with them about this also.

Can I ask another question if you don't mind.

Mum told me that there was a time with Kingsgate that she was paying an amount every month to pay of her creditors, I think it was like a repayment plan but do not know the exact term. She was then approached by Kingsgate about going bankrupt. She paid them over £700 to do this but then decided that it wasn't the route she wanted to go down because of the 'stigma' that she spoke of previously. My question is, can she get this money back or is that lost in the pot of Kingsgate??