Housing benefit worked out wrong?

StaceyLouiseMoore

Hi.
I started a job of 16 hours a week the beginning of september at £6.31 an hour.

I was previously entitled to full housing benefit, but obviously because I'm earning more money I have to pay some towards it, only I feel the amount I've been asked to pay is wrong.

I get paid on a fortnightly basis and my gross pay for two weeks is £151.44, and net pay £121.24, and on my next payslip for the following two weeks is gross pay £214.54, and net pay £210.34.

It has on their website to work out your benefit: working less than 16 hours per week
or, working 16+ hours and gross income under under £128.00 a week which I am because I'm getting paid on a fortnightly basis meaning I've only got £60 for one weeks worth on one of my payslips, and £105 on my other meaning I did earn under £128 in a week by a lot! but they've worked out that I'm in the gross income £128-£187.99 a week so why are they classing me as earning between £128-£187.99 in a week, when I never have and am never likely to be?

Because of this they want £32.45 a week off me for rent because they've put me in the higher category for earnings when I should be only paying £14.15 which is earning less than £128 a week.

What do you think is right? please let me know your advice as im very confused and annoyed by this!

Thankyou.

tomtontom

The figures you quote are non dependent deductions. Do you live with someone else who is primarily responsible for the rent?

StaceyLouiseMoore

tomtontom wrote: »

The figures you quote are non dependent deductions. Do you live with someone else who is primarily responsible for the rent?

Yes, I am the non-dependant, and my mom is the one entitled to housing benefit as she is on income support.

pmlindyloo

StaceyLouiseMoore wrote: »

Hi.
I started a job of 16 hours a week the beginning of september at £6.31 an hour.

I was previously entitled to full housing benefit, but obviously because I'm earning more money I have to pay some towards it, only I feel the amount I've been asked to pay is wrong.

I get paid on a fortnightly basis and my gross pay for two weeks is £151.44, and net pay £121.24, and on my next payslip for the following two weeks is gross pay £214.54, and net pay £210.34.

It has on their website to work out your benefit: working less than 16 hours per week
or, working 16+ hours and gross income under under £128.00 a week which I am because I'm getting paid on a fortnightly basis meaning I've only got £60 for one weeks worth on one of my payslips, and £105 on my other meaning I did earn under £128 in a week by a lot! but they've worked out that I'm in the gross income £128-£187.99 a week so why are they classing me as earning between £128-£187.99 in a week, when I never have and am never likely to be?

Because of this they want £32.45 a week off me for rent because they've put me in the higher category for earnings when I should be only paying £14.15 which is earning less than £128 a week.

What do you think is right? please let me know your advice as im very confused and annoyed by this!

Thankyou.

Looks like a simple mistake.

Have you taken in (or rather has your mum taken in) your payslips? Did she get a receipt to evidence that they photocopied them?)

Get mum to take the last 3 months (or as many as you have) of your payslips and get her to point out that this is a two weekly payment). You could highlight the payment period.

They will then readjust the non dependent deduction.

nannytone_2

also, what are the stoppages from your earnings?
youre not earning enough to be paying tax and NI

StaceyLouiseMoore

pmlindyloo wrote: »

Looks like a simple mistake.

Have you taken in (or rather has your mum taken in) your payslips? Did she get a receipt to evidence that they photocopied them?)

Get mum to take the last 3 months (or as many as you have) of your payslips and get her to point out that this is a two weekly payment). You could highlight the payment period.

They will then readjust the non dependent deduction.

Yes, she's taken in both of my payslips that I've got since I've started my employment, and she has the receipt that she's taken them in, so they've got it on the system for that. They also have it on the system that it's fortnightly, that's why I'm unsure why they've worked it out the way they have because they should have worked it out right

I'm also concerned with my next payslip as my manager forgot to add 3 hours worth of pay onto my first payslip, meaning my pay is going to show higher this time, it would come to £127.50, meaning ill be under by 50p but would they still see that as closer to the £128+ income bracket? and that would only be my net pay, my gross would be over £128, but as ive said that's only hours I've been owed from a previous week, and i don't want this to affect anything as it will only be a once off.

StaceyLouiseMoore

nannytone wrote: »

also, what are the stoppages from your earnings?
youre not earning enough to be paying tax and NI

I was recently claiming JSA before I started this job so they haven't sorted out my tax code so im currently on emergency tax until i send my p45 off.

Caz3121

you will also get a refund of the tax paid when they sort it out. You should concentrate on what your normal gross will be as the tax being deducted is incorrect and will be refunded

StaceyLouiseMoore

Caz3121 wrote: »

you will also get a refund of the tax paid when they sort it out. You should concentrate on what your normal gross will be as the tax being deducted is incorrect and will be refunded

Yes, i will.
I'm sending off my p45 tomorrow so that can get sorted. im more concerned about the amount im being charged each week for the rent as I'm not earning enough to be charged such a high amount surely?

Caz3121

StaceyLouiseMoore wrote: »

Yes, i will.
I'm sending off my p45 tomorrow so that can get sorted. im more concerned about the amount im being charged each week for the rent as I'm not earning enough to be charged such a high amount surely?

This is not the amount that is being charged for rent, this is the amount that your mother's benefit is being reduced by (whether you give her the money or not)
£6.31 x 16 hours = £100.96 per week (there will be no tax or NI to come off) so agree your mother's deduction should be £14.15 per week.
I suspect it is something simple as an error over whether the payslips were weekly rather than fortnightly (34 hours in a week does not jump out as being odd, the average of the 2 would fit with your mother's deduction)
Your mother needs to confirm to the housing benefit that these are fortnightly and not weekly so they can correct the deduction from her benefit

pmlindyloo

Also you could print off the non dependent deductions from the council website, and ask how they have calculated the deduction from your mum's HB.

As regards the week which takes you up to the next threshold they may do an average of so many weeks so take your payslips in on a regular basis until they tell you to stop.