Benefits,What's available?

bujin

My daughter is sharing a house with three students, up until 3 months ago she was working full time, she is off sick at present having had to give up work and is now under the Mental Health Team and is receiving the assessment rate of ESA. As she shares with students she is liable for the Council Tax due on the property, she will get a 25% reduction for effectively having single occupancy and has received a discount on CT with regard to her income which is £57.35 a week, that is her sole income, there's nothing else.

So after the various reductions to her CT she will be left with a monthly CT Bill of £130 a month, so that leaves approx £100 a month to pay for;
rent (above the LHA) food,elec,water,gas,elec,travel,phone etc. I've worked out that without any luxuries whatsoever, her outgoings will be approx £238 monthly, so after the £100 income will have a shortfall of £138.

Obviously this is not sustainable, some may say well she doesn't need a phone as it's a luxury but with her mental health condition it's literally a lifeline for her. I have looked at the Turn2Us site and it only results in those benefits she has already applied for, ie Housing Benefit,Council Tax and ESA. Having never been in this situation myself, is this all there is? She's under 25 so get's the lesser amount for ESA, haven't quite worked out the reasoning behind, someone with the same needs getting less because they are under 25, perhaps someone could explain that?

Does anyone have any idea how long the assessment phase can last I know it's supposed to be 13 weeks. Is there anything else she can do or apply for? Needless to say it's a very worrying time for her so this added problem does't help at all. Thanks.

rogerblack

In principle, she may be able to claim PIP.
However, this is likely to be several months before a claim comes into payment.
The assessment period on ESA may exceed 13 weeks.
It is important that she (or someone dealing with it for her) raises (if relevant) any suicide risk, and emphasises the stress of waiting makes unfortunate events more likely, and that an early appointment should be arranged. (at the 13 week mark, if not before)

bujin

rogerblack wrote: »

In principle, she may be able to claim PIP.
However, this is likely to be several months before a claim comes into payment.
The assessment period on ESA may exceed 13 weeks.
It is important that she (or someone dealing with it for her) raises (if relevant) any suicide risk, and emphasises the stress of waiting makes unfortunate events more likely, and that an early appointment should be arranged. (at the 13 week mark, if not before)

Thanks. Yes, I wondered if contacting DWP re Esa might be the most sensible next step. So, do you think it would be better to contact the DWP or as the ESA Form was sent to ATOS would it be better to ask them what the status of the claim is? I will be seeing her tomorrow so we could do that then.
Also the PIP usggestionis something we've been talking about too but as you say it's about timing and what she's able to access monetarily in the meantime.Thanks again.

Caz3121

re her Housing Benefit (LHA) If she had been able to pay her rent in full for the previous 52 weeks with no housing benefit, I believe that she will get her full rent (not capped at LHA) for a period of 13 weeks, she could also look at discretionary housing payment (this is short term usually to give people time to get out their lease and move somewhere cheaper)

nannytone_2

the council tax support seems wrong to me.
if tghe only income is ESA then she should be paying the minimum amount. at most, even in the higher charging areas, should be no more than 25% of the total bill.
for example... a total council tax bill of £1,200 a year would be reduced to £800 by the single occuoier discount.
income related discounts should take it to around £200 a year at most.... far from the £130 a month you say she is being asked to pay.
did you read the award notice to check they have all the facts and figures correct?

the assessment period is supposed to last 13 weeks, so after this time i would start phoning and badgering ATOS for an assessment date. if this fails, contact her local MP.

the age restriction seems to be a money saving exercise, but, people under the age of 25 are quite normally still living with parents and the benefit rate reflects this

Indie_Kid

Has she applied for council atx benefit? I can't see anything in your post that says she has? All you've said is what she's left with after the 25% discount.

bujin

nannytone wrote: »

the council tax support seems wrong to me.
if tghe only income is ESA then she should be paying the minimum amount. at most, even in the higher charging areas, should be no more than 25% of the total bill.
for example... a total council tax bill of £1,200 a year would be reduced to £800 by the single occuoier discount.
income related discounts should take it to around £200 a year at most.... far from the £130 a month you say she is being asked to pay.
did you read the award notice to check they have all the facts and figures correct?


the assessment period is supposed to last 13 weeks, so after this time i would start phoning and badgering ATOS for an assessment date. if this fails, contact her local MP.

the age restriction seems to be a money saving exercise, but, people under the age of 25 are quite normally still living with parents and the benefit rate reflects this

Hi to you and Indie Kid. This could be where the problem lies. She has applied for HB and I think this automatically applies for Council Tax Benefit doesn't it. Her HB claim was delayed because of some issues over evidence but that's been sorted now, but means she hasn't actually had an award for HB as such. She did however get a letter from the Council stating that she had a reduction of £206 from a Council Tax charge of £1425. We presumed this was as a result of her HB Claim?

As for the 25% reduction she ahs to hand in the Council Tax exemption forms of the students she shares the house with. Eitherway,I thought this meant 25% off the amount, not reduced to 25% of the bill, which would obviously be a much bigger reduction? Can anyone evrify which it is?

Indie_Kid

HB doesn't automatically entitle someone to council tax benefit. She has to apply for both benefits.

pmlindyloo

The single person's discount is quite separate to council tax support (reduction).

You and your daughter need to do the following:

1. Check that she is receiving the correct ESA. She may be receiving contribution based ESA (based on her NI contributions). She needs to be also assessed for income based ESA which will then entitle her to HB and CT reduction.

2. Get onto the council and check that she is getting her full rent paid. if she could afford the rent when she began the tenancy and she hasn't claimed HB in the last 52 weeks then she should be entitled to a 13 week protection period when her full rent will be paid. Many councils do not advertise this so ask for it.

3. if she is not eligible for the 13 week protection for HB then complete a form for a Discretionary Housing Payment (from the council). This is money to help in situations like this and can be used to 'top up' the HB for her rent.

4. Apply for Council Tax Reduction (Support).

Usually if a claimant is on income based ESA then the HB and CT is sorted out for them hence my number 1 about checking which ESA she is on.

bujin

Indie_Kid wrote: »

HB doesn't automatically entitle someone to council tax benefit. She has to apply for both benefits.

Okay, so I thought the form says Housing Benefit and Council Tax Application? Also she wouldn't have received a reduction if it wasn't linked surely.

bujin

pmlindyloo wrote: »

The single person's discount is quite separate to council tax support (reduction).

You and your daughter need to do the following:

1. Check that she is receiving the correct ESA. She may be receiving contribution based ESA (based on her NI contributions). She needs to be also assessed for income based ESA which will then entitle her to HB and CT reduction.

2. Get onto the council and check that she is getting her full rent paid. if she could afford the rent when she began the tenancy and she hasn't claimed HB in the last 52 weeks then she should be entitled to a 13 week protection period when her full rent will be paid. Many councils do not advertise this so ask for it.

3. if she is not eligible for the 13 week protection for HB then complete a form for a Discretionary Housing Payment (from the council). This is money to help in situations like this and can be used to 'top up' the HB for her rent.

4. Apply for Council Tax Reduction (Support).

Usually if a claimant is on income based ESA then the HB and CT is sorted out for them hence my number 1 about checking which ESA she is on.

Thanks. She is receiving the assessment rate and is on icome related ESA and has said as much on her application for HB and CT.

So obviously she's still waiting to hear about her claim for HB and CT, do you think that the figure of £206.60 is a temporary one until they have actually awared her the correct one. From what you've said then we don't have to apply for anything but perhaps contact the Council and discuss that she's waiting for her award and as such can only pay a small amount towards CT untl it's been awarded?

Unfortunately she narrowly misses out on the 52 week paying for her own rent so that wouldn't be applicable.

I have just talked to the Council and have received the very welcome news that once the other students get their exemption forms in her bill will equate to zero and may go up slightly depending on her eventual esa rate. Thanks to everyone here, but it looks as though it's sorted.:j