Backdating Housing Benefit?

Mrs_Badger_2

Hello MSE Lovelies.
We have recently discovered we're eligible for about £20pw housing benefit, we've been struggling lately since my parters wages have gone up to just over the threshold we've lost 2 year nursery funding, a big chunk of TCs and a few other things that come with no longer being classed as a "low earner" we are much much worse off with a couple of £100 raise per year and have just been eating up our OD.
Anyway, the council have told us to come up with a good reason to back date our claim, the reason we haven't is because we knew nothing about it and we have ended up in debt. my question is would that be a good enough reason?

Thanks x

~Beanie~

I don't think so. This is from the Citizens Advice Bureau website:

Getting Housing Benefit backdated

You may be able to get some Housing Benefit for a period before you make your claim if you could have claimed earlier. Getting benefit for a period before you claim is called ‘backdating’. You can get backdated Housing Benefit for six months if you can show you have a good reason for not claiming earlier, for example, you were given wrong advice. You also have to show that you were entitled to Housing Benefit throughout the period of backdating – that you were paying rent, and your income was low enough. You will not usually get any backdated benefit just because you did not know that you could make a claim. You should explain on your claim form that you want to claim benefit from an earlier date, and give your reasons for failing to claim earlier.

pmlindyloo

Here are some possible good reasons for not claiming earlier

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/housing_benefit_and_local_housing_allowance/applying_for_housing_benefit/backdating_housing_benefit

How did you recently discover that you were entitled to some HB?

Have you sought advice from anyone before and been given incorrect information?

Housing_Benefit_Officer

Ignorance of the regulations isn't classed as good cause for backdating.

However if you were a pensioner you would automatically get your claim backdated for 13 weeks!