Mooloo's little tapestry of life, 2016

Savvy_sewing

I just went on to my bank and was able to cancel my DD's via the app.
While cancelling the council tax one, (not my rent one), I cancelled a few others, some defunct ones that are not in use, like the dvla, old utility companies etc and cancelled my one to Red Cross and my Sewing Magazine subscription while I was at it. My giving to charity will have to wait.
Oddly my account shows an extra payment of £250 from tax credits? I was already paid on Wednesday. So I'm really confused now. But at least that means there will be enough to pay the rent on 15th of the month!!
But why I have it is yet to be revealed I suppose. It could mean my payments on Wednesday may be different, or not at all? Who knows?
Anyway the council cannot access my account now on 1st August. I will send them a cheque for the current months payment, until everything is sorted out with them.
When I asked yesterday how things would change when they see evidence of the childcare costs they would not tell me. I cannot see how it will be calculated so I will just have to wait and see.
Now time for a bath. Etc. And I may also have to use make up today, as my eyes are all puffy and red.
I'm shattered. But the show must go on. I have loads of work to do and it's not going to sew itself. No Elves in my workshop.

trix-a-belle

((((hugs))))
today is the shop & sewing & DGD, that is all you need to think about today xx

Feral_Moon

Mooloo I would also cancel the rent DD too until such time your appeal is heard and you find out exactly what you owe (or don't!). You can still pay your rent manually via the https://www.allpayments.net website (input your council/SH details) and they even accept credit card payments on there.

This way you remain in control of how much you pay and when. You can continue paying the rent as usual and pay bits off the arrears as and when you can afford.

This must have come as one hell of a shock but don't let them get you down. I had a similar experience last year and it turned out they were wrong in their calculations and I didn't owe anywhere as near as much as they first wanted.

They can't evict you whilst an appeal is ongoing so just continue to pay the rent/CT you always pay for now whilst re-organising your finances. Best of luck, and stay strong xx :A

Eager_Elephant

When I asked yesterday how things would change when they see evidence of the childcare costs they would not tell me. I cannot see how it will be calculated so I will just have to wait and see.

Unfortunately the people who answer the phone very rarely have any benefit knowledge and if they do it is just the basics.


The difference that childcare costs will make to your claim is 100% - in that after working out your income they deduct childcare costs in full so I think it is the childcare costs which will make the most difference to your OP as I bet these costs are large.


I am miffed that they did not suspend your claim and ask for the info rather than just take the childcare costs out, give you an OP of both HB and CTB and then ask you to provide it.


I can see a complaint coming up.


Feral Moon said

They can't evict you whilst an appeal is ongoing

- this is not true, people can be evicted while an appeal is ongoing. HB and CTB appeals have nothing to do with people's rent and housing law. If people are facing eviction and have an appeal in then they need to get specialist advice.


Anyway we are not at this stage so lets not worry.


And just to be clear HB and CTB appeals take months to get to Tribunal which we don't want. I will be looking for Mooloo to resolve this by way of reconsideration and not appeal. (similar words but completely different meanings in the world of benefits)

Eager_Elephant

Last night I did a terrible thing and started to take a hand full of Paracetamol! I just broke down in hysterics. Poor DGD was witness to melt down. (Not the paracetamol), but I realised that was silly and stopped. Hence the meltdown

There is nothing in this world worth ending your life for - this is a tiny blip in the journey and we can deal with this.


I know it's hard to think rationally when all you can see is 2 huge bills (Overpayment of HB and council tax) and that your budget will take a hit but we can get it sorted.


Please do not panic and certainly do not take any Paracetamol.
(((MOOLOO)))

Savvy_sewing

Eager_Elephant wrote: »

There is nothing in this world worth ending your life for - this is a tiny blip in the journey and we can deal with this.


I know it's hard to think rationally when all you can see is 2 huge bills (Overpayment of HB and council tax) and that your budget will take a hit but we can get it sorted.


Please do not panic and certainly do not take any Paracetamol.
(((MOOLOO)))

I won't.
Yes we will sort it.
Thanks EE

dktreesea

Mooloo, so sorry to hear what you are going through, but you need to wade through their papers, find out exactly how much profit/income they are attributing to you for the back years. It will be on the housing benefit papers. So whatever they say is your weekly income from the business * 52.


Capital less than £6,000 doesn't come into it. They ignore the first £6,000 when calculating housing benefit. It can however, affect your council tax benefit. But one thing at a time, because if they over count your income for housing benefit they will have over counted it for council tax benefit.


Take a good close look at the applicable amount. It should include DGD as a dependent child. I don't think they have got your overall calculation right for one moment. This gives the applicable amounts for the 2015/16 year. This is the amount the government says you need to live on each week.
http://www.eden.gov.uk/benefits-and-tax/benefits/applicable-amount-table/
This isn't just the £73.10 and the £66.90 for DGD. There's also the family element of £17.45, but maybe £22.20 for your case.


For the disregarded income, make sure it is £25 a week, not £5 a week. You should count as a sole parent for this bit. Also you work over 30 hours a week and are a sole parent, or the equivalent to. That's another £17.10 in income that is disregarded.


And there are NO deductions for capital less than £6k. The most important thing of challenging this is to get on top of what they actually owe you. In our case, this is going back nearly ten years now, but the applicable amount was wrong, the income disregard was too low, and they had added things back to our income that their own legislation specifically states is deductible.


Oh yes, and they tried to say that our stock in trade was part of our set up costs. Definitely not the case and again, specifically stated that stock in trade was allowable as a deduction in their act.

Brighton_belle

Mooloo, I am so sorry. I am glad you were able to stop yourself with the paraceptamol, but you must have been feeling dreadful.


I have nothing useful to add, but couldn't read and run. Thank you so much Eager Elephant for your practical help.

Savvy_sewing

EE I have sent you an email.
I will work out my facts and figures.
I will need to make a change to my Tax Credit claim again, as my childcare costs have gone down due to DGD going to her Mum more. I hadn't thought about that either. So I will also have another Tac credit change. ( the fact I gave Mum the money when she had her is not something I can claim, I'm well aware of that.
In 2014 it was £38 a week ( adverage over 52)
In 2015 it was £48 a week
This year it is £35.76 a week.
I think I had told them £50 was the adverage. As its £10 a day afterschool and £25.50 a day in holiday times.

Savvy_sewing

I don't have a clue how I am going to pay back the council anything!
My budget review with no car costs. Etc and with the new payments for this year alone, doesn't give me much wriggle room.
On first view I will have £23.70 a month not accounted for, and as they want £23.65 a week repayments for the housing we have a problem.
Then what ever the total of the tax finally finishes at will have to be paid.
They cannot take it out on dd as I cancelled it.
The profit they calculate says I pay myself £75.00 odd a week.
But as you know I have only just started to pay myself back the money I'd put on credit cards and used to pay my rent when the business didn't have it.
I will not be able to afford a car. This is ok at the moment just, but means I can't help or visit my Mum when she returns from France.
I can't visit or see my grandchildren or twin2 either.
I couldn't afford much by the looks of things.