homelessness due to hb...

Conaire

Ok, I think this is the best place to put this, but it's a long one...

The weekend before xmas I lost my job. I wanted to put in my claim for housing benefit straight away but found out that the previous tennant was still claiming hb, even though he had not been in the property for the prior year (And was actually living with the estate agent). I Signed on to JSA, then feb 1st, the girlfriend moved out of our studio appartment.

In amongst all this, i am a part time student, but when putting in my claim online, it registers both tickboxes for full and part time students as a full time student. When I dropped in the application and evidence on 5th feb, i stated this, put it in writing with her forwarding address, along with pointing out that the system had put me down as a full time student, when i am a part time student (2 days every six weeks).

So, bipolar little me continues on for two weeks jobhunting and whatnot, and i get a call: "you are a full time student and so you cannot claim. You will need to reapply with (girlfriend) as the main claimant."

I had to go in and tell them again that this was all wrong and impossible, and that my estate agent is now threatening to evict me if i cannot start paying off arrears within three days

today is the third day and the hb people have now reassessed the claim and approved it to the tune of £36 a week... for my £150 per week flat... while i am unemployed...

The advisor on the phone agrees that this is an erronious value and that someone will look at it again on monday, but the stress of having yo deal with all this, compounding on my bipolar and the problems of literally every aspect of my life falling apart around me is getting seriously !!!!ed and i don't know if i can hold it together much longer, especially if the estate agent does start the eviction process...

The CAB in our area doesn't have a phone line and is only open two or three days a week, where it is packed for hours. Is there any advice you guys can give me as to the best course of action?

atolaas

Check out Shelter website. They have good advice on there that may be helpful.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

When you moved into the property could you afford the rent?

Have you claimed Housing Benefit in the previous 52 weeks?

Caz3121

Conaire wrote: »

then feb 1st, the girlfriend moved out of our studio appartment.
can you confirm that from you made your claim until Feb 1st you were both living there? Did they have all your girlfriends income details?

today is the third day and the hb people have now reassessed the claim and approved it to the tune of £36 a week... for my £150 per week flat... while i am unemployed...

Whilst your girlfriend was also living in the property (if I understood your post correctly) both incomes would be included so, if your girlfriend was working there is a chance that you would not have been entitled to any housing benefit

If private rental, the actual rent figure is not completely relevant as the LHA would be used as the maximum housing benefit
whilst there were 2 of you there, this would be the one-bedroom rate for the area. If you live alone this would be the one-bedroom rate if you are over 35 and the shared accommodation rate if you are under.