Housing Benefit Review for self-employed backdating evidence request to 2014

bluechocobo

I've been on Housing Benefit a while now due to low earnings as a self-employed person. As the team who dealt with my claim struggled to get it right (due to my being self-employed) it finally took my case being handled by a senior manager before I even got housing benefit.

As nothing had changed since my claim was granted, they have previously just sent a letter saying my benefit was being renewed unless I report any change in circumstances. However, today, despite nothing changing my end, I received a letter stating that a review is being carried out and they need to see evidence of my earnings from 2014 to now?

My question, can they backdate a request like this? I'm fine to send them the info, it'll just take a while to gather everything together and it seems strange to me that they are demanding info all the way back to April 2014 when we're in June 2016? I'm sure I was informed previously that they can't backdate information requests for more than six months prior?

Mersey_2

Yes, it's increasingly common for both HMRC & local authorities to check the self-employed claimants of Tax Credits & HB/LHA respectively.


Although in your case, it's not very good practice to wait 'til now, as they could have requested it every 13 weeks. Annual checks are more the norm. They may have just been given a target number of checks to make.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

bluechocobo wrote: »

I've been on Housing Benefit a while now due to low earnings as a self-employed person. As the team who dealt with my claim struggled to get it right (due to my being self-employed) it finally took my case being handled by a senior manager before I even got housing benefit.

As nothing had changed since my claim was granted, they have previously just sent a letter saying my benefit was being renewed unless I report any change in circumstances. However, today, despite nothing changing my end, I received a letter stating that a review is being carried out and they need to see evidence of my earnings from 2014 to now?

My question, can they backdate a request like this? I'm fine to send them the info, it'll just take a while to gather everything together and it seems strange to me that they are demanding info all the way back to April 2014 when we're in June 2016? I'm sure I was informed previously that they can't backdate information requests for more than six months prior?

If you are genuinely self employed then keeping accurate records is essential and all the evidence should be freely available.

bluechocobo

The evidence they are asking for are for are my profit and loss report for 2015 - 2016 which isn't due to the HMRC until Jan 2017, so I haven't done it yet. As a "genuine" self-employed person, this is what I meant when I said it will take me a little time to get the information together.

elmer

Reviews are conducted on all claims periodically, and they ask for info back to the last date they have on the system. So April14 will be the last date of the info they hold for your income, and they need to look at that up to date

elmer