Housing Benefit Help please please please

daftlass_2

My step daughter has recently split up with her (idiot) boyfriend and given birth to her baby, so she has been quite busy. Today she has been told that the local council wont pay her rent as she earns too much (£446.00 take home per MONTH ) So she is really upset and talking about moving back to her mum's. She doesn't claim benefits other than family allowance, and her only income is her maternity pay of £446.00 per month. Her rent is £100.00 per week. It seems wrong to me that she isn't entitled to ANY help? Any ideas please???? the poor kids so upset.

lindsaygalaxy

That doesnt sound right to me. Check out https://www.entitledto.co.uk

Also, not she has baby she is entitiled to tax credits, they will only backdate 3 months so she needs to claim it asap. Above will also tell you what she is entitled to. When putting in rent, please not tha is based on what the council class as fair rent for the area, and this is uaually belowe what you can get if you rent privately, also she would onle be eligible to rent a 2 bed, any more they will exclude these from the amount.

daftlass_2

Can somebody who works or is on maternity leave claim housing benefit, they said she cant have it as she works, I thought anybody could claim if they are on a low wage???

tweetyshells

Yes you can claim hb if you are working and on a low income.
Perhaps they are not allowing her hb because she is intitled to a fair amount of tc. Has she applied for this?

suelees1

It isn't right. She does have entitlement based on her current income. But it might be that she hasn't told the council she gets child benefit. If she hasn't then the LA will have calculated any claim to HB as her being single with no deps. Without child benefit it's as though the child is invisible when calculating what she might be entitled to.

Make sure they have the full details and ask them to reconsider the decision

daftlass_2

Apparently the woman she spoke to at the benefits place was in a mood (the nasty piece of work) She has spoken to the CAB today and they said she is entitled to housing benefit and told her to request a home visit as she has a new born baby. Its just so annoying that that woman upset her so much, because she was having a bad day. The poor girl has had more than enough to deal with in the last two weeks and yesterday just about finished her off. I wish I knew her name. Still she is feeling better today and there is light at the end of her particular tunnel, so Thanks for your advice and best wishes to all Thanks.x

tweetyshells

Thats good to hear that she will be getting help.