Just had a near death experience......Housing benefit

FBaby

Maybe you could increase your hours from 24 to 40 and then you will finally see the real financial benefits of working additional hours?

Cyberman60

Nada666 wrote: »

Why would you expect anything else?

If this is a surprise to you then it suggests you were sticking to working only 16 hours for quite a long time. At no point (when it wasn't obligatory) did you mange to find an extra shift or two or opportunity to work longer? Bit suspicious, that. If you live by the minimising work/maximising benefits sword don't be surprised when you fumble and it nicks you.

Indeed, it sounds as if the OP has been playing the system. If somebody can up their hours by 8 just like that after having been 'unfortunate' enough to only be able to have 16 for a long time, then why not go the whole hog to avoid having to sponge off of the honest taxpayer. No sympathy here and it proves that the Tories are doing something right at least !! :mad:

Indie_Kid

Some of you are mean. Increasing hours isn't as simple as that.

nannytone_2

it isnt indie ...
but the OP managed to find an extra 8 when the tax credit rules changed.
and then they failed to notice that their housing benefit hadnt reduced with the extra income and assumed that 'they' should have known anyway because they were still receiving tax credits.
( even though hb award notices clearly state that the claimant must notify if any changes)
the OP doesnt want to take any personal responsibility and thinks thay iy is all 'someone elses fault'

ThumbRemote

nannytone wrote: »

the OP doesnt want to take any personal responsibility and thinks thay iy is all 'someone elses fault'

At no point have they said this.

dippy3103

Once you have paid off the overpayment then your HB will increase as the deduction will end- and you will then be better off than you were before

Housing_Benefit_Officer

greybuffalo wrote: »

You remember last year,they upped the minimum hours a family had to work,from 16 to 24......
Well,I upped the hours and forgot to inform the Council,as I mistakenly thought through GCHQ & the super snooping/spying,they shared all the info with the child benefit & Tax credit people.
Anyway,the beginning of last month,they asked to see bank statements.
So our earned income increased from £430 to £630 due to the increased hours.
So a few weeks ago we where informed we had been overpaid on the Housing benefit,
It was that £200 extra we earned,we now owe that to the council (£2400),which they are now deducting £63 a month off our housing benefit.
Also before we where getting a subsidy of £55 on our council tax, we were only paying £33pm,now its gone up to the full £88 pm and they took out of our bank account the £55 x 12 months £700 + (lucky our overdraught could absorb that)
We are a couple with a child under 16,which leaves us up s**t creek.
Does that sound right :question:

Sadly we aren't telepathic so would have no idea that your household or financial circumstances have changed. This is your responsibility. You are lucky you aren't being prosecuted for fraud.

Perhaps you should learn from this painful lesson and actually bother to inform the Housing Benefit Department of any changes in household or financial circumstances as and when they occur and then send in documentary evidence once it is available.

Simples as another sites Meerkats might say.

dippy3103

Housing_Benefit_Officer wrote: »

Sadly we aren't telepathic so would have no idea that your household or financial circumstances have changed. This is your responsibility. You are lucky you aren't being prosecuted for fraud.

Perhaps you should learn from this painful lesson and actually bother to inform the Housing Benefit Department of any changes in household or financial circumstances as and when they occur and then send in documentary evidence once it is available.

Simples as another sites Meerkats might say.

An IUC may still be conducted. Some councils do IUC after the overpayment has been calculated.

topaztiger1983

I agree with what most people have said, if your hours & therefore wages go up, then why wouldn't your HB be taken away, you can't earn that much & still get HB & CTR, surely logic will tell you that, use some common sense my friend

Do not abuse the system, or it will bite you

But saying that they should not have taken it all back at once that is not right

Housing_Benefit_Officer

topaztiger1983 wrote: »

I agree with what most people have said, if your hours & therefore wages go up, then why wouldn't your HB be taken away, you can't earn that much & still get HB & CTR, surely logic will tell you that, use some common sense my friend

Do not abuse the system, or it will bite you

But saying that they should not have taken it all back at once that is not right

We send out review forms every 6 months to those that fail to declare changes in circumstances. If they complain about having to constantly complete forms we say that they have failed to declare increases in income in the past so we have to review to ensure that the circumstances are correct. Those that inform of changes can go 3 or 4 years or more without being reviewed.