housing benefit confusion

Helen42

HI can anyone tell me please how this is worked out cause I am very confused

married couple

her esa = £107 pw
him esa = £107 pw

total £214 pw

housing benefit awarded £68 pw
Council tax to pay £59 per month

other married couple

Her under pension age but not working
Him claiming pension credits for a couple = £226.50 pw

Housing benefit awarded £101 pw
Coucil tax to pay NIL

Two couples on almost the same income with totally different housing benefit and council tax awards both living in the same style house with the same rent and same council tax neither couple has savings or property

thanks

nannytone_2

the fact that both are awarded ESA at £107 would mean that it is contributions based, whereas pension credit is means tested.
if you receive a means tested benefit, you automatically receive the highest amount of housing benefit for your circumstances.
also the same with council tax PLUS those receiving pensionscan receive upto 100% council tax support.
those of working age have to pay at least some in most areas regardless of income

Helen42

Thank you for that but like most of this system nowadays that is very wrong, a couple on contribution means they have paid into the system in this couples case for most of their working lives except the last two years one of the couple was straight away put into the support group due to the disabilities have to find a lot of extra money to pay their way.

Yet the couple on pension credits who have just transferred from income support to pension credits one whom has never worked all her life the the other whom only worked about 10 years get all the help.

no justice there me thinks

looks like it does pay people never to work

thanks again I will pass this on to the people concerned.

nannytone_2

youre also forgetting that once old enough to receive pension credit ...
the amount the 'law' says you need to live increases considerably.

no one claims that the system is fair, but its the only system we have and so have to make the best of it
the couple on ESA.... if they are in the support group, they would get an enhanced disability premium.
if they BOTH receive DLA/PIP there might be an entitlement to the severe disability premiums.
these would be claimed via an income based top up ( you say the ESA is their only income and no savings)
if they received this top up, they would get full housing benefit for their circumstances and pay only a little council tax ( amout varies depending on where they live)

Helen42

thank you again would you mine if I copied what you have written there and emailed it to my friend maybe they can sort their problems out from there I think one is in the work group and I know one is in support and I know one is on DLA but as for extra premiums I have no idea

it just all seems so unfair to me that working people get ill and no one cares anymore.

nannytone_2

they shoukd get the enhanced disability premium for the one in the support group.
this will be in the form of an income based top up, and they will need to apply for it.
this will entitle them to full housing benefit for their circumstances.

ALSO...
after 365 days, the one in the WRAG will cease to be entitled to conts based ESA.
at this time, the one in the support group should add them to their claim. they will then receive a higher amount of income related ESA for their partner.
it is a lower amount than 2 x conts based ESA, but they will have entitlement to full housing benefit/prescriptions/dental/glasses
to be able to receive the severe disability premium, they would have to either
live alone
or both be receiving at least middle rate care or standard PIP.

again, this only appliers if they have no other source of income or savings under 6 k.

i do understand what you are saying. i worked for over 30 years before i lost my sight and could no longer work. at the time, i lived with a partner and claimed no benefit. ( apart from low rate DLA)
after we parted i had to claim ESA, and as i hadnt worked for 3 years, i claimed income related ESA.
so it isnt always the case that those on income related benefits havent worked and contributed

MallyMon

As a pensioner myself (who has been refused pension credit) I have to advise that if one person in a couple is under pension age, then their partner CANNOT claim Pension Credit on their behalf. Everyone who claims Pension Credit has to be 62 years plus. Please don't be bitter about who is getting what. If you disagree with the benefits you have been awarded then you have every right to challenge the decision. This is one reason I believe it's much better not to disclose the amount of money you have coming in every week. Causes so much trouble.

Helen42

Mally I stress I am not talking for myself I am asking on behalf of someone who is not very good at asking for theirselves and wondered if I would help them.

Nanny you have been so helpful thank you so much I will pass on all you have said

nannytone_2

MallyMon wrote: »

As a pensioner myself (who has been refused pension credit) I have to advise that if one person in a couple is under pension age, then their partner CANNOT claim Pension Credit on their behalf. Everyone who claims Pension Credit has to be 62 years plus. Please don't be bitter about who is getting what. If you disagree with the benefits you have been awarded then you have every right to challenge the decision. This is one reason I believe it's much better not to disclose the amount of money you have coming in every week. Causes so much trouble.

the changes to pension credot will only start when universal credit is rolled out ( in the case of a younger partner, out of work benefits will need to be claimed instead) and will only affect new claims.
existing claims will be unaffected unless there is a break in the claim
http://www.ageuk.org.uk/money-matters/claiming-benefits/the-welfare-reform-act/

tomtom256

Helen42 wrote: »

Thank you for that but like most of this system nowadays that is very wrong, a couple on contribution means they have paid into the system in this couples case for most of their working lives except the last two years one of the couple was straight away put into the support group due to the disabilities have to find a lot of extra money to pay their way.

Yet the couple on pension credits who have just transferred from income support to pension credits one whom has never worked all her life the the other whom only worked about 10 years get all the help.

no justice there me thinks

looks like it does pay people never to work

thanks again I will pass this on to the people concerned.

My boss earns more than me but doe's less work, where's the justice in that.

It's called life and life is unfair.

When the couple on ESA reachs Pension Credit if they qualify they will ge the same amounts then.

It's no different to the JSA amounts across the ages. Youngsters get less.