13th payment from housing benefit

magiksen

As housing benefit is paid 4 weekly, it works out that I get two payments in one month, once a year. This is the 13th payment.
As my claim started in July, I would usually get the 13th payment around now so before one payment had gone out, the other would be paid.
But, I was last paid on 6th June and if I count 4 weeks from then, it just doesn't work out that the 13th payment is there!
I've spoken to the benefit office many times and they can't work it out either. They don't understand what I'm talking about, even though they looked at my previous payments and saw that I'd had two payments last June.
Can anyone work this out? There have been a few stops and starts with my husband and I both going self employed (but not earning enough yet to come off HB) and I think I'm missing a payment.
Thanks!

HappyMJ

magiksen wrote: »

As housing benefit is paid 4 weekly, it works out that I get two payments in one month, once a year. This is the 13th payment.
As my claim started in July, I would usually get the 13th payment around now so before one payment had gone out, the other would be paid.
But, I was last paid on 6th June and if I count 4 weeks from then, it just doesn't work out that the 13th payment is there!
I've spoken to the benefit office many times and they can't work it out either. They don't understand what I'm talking about, even though they looked at my previous payments and saw that I'd had two payments last June.
Can anyone work this out? There have been a few stops and starts with my husband and I both going self employed (but not earning enough yet to come off HB) and I think I'm missing a payment.
Thanks!

You'll get your two payments in August...the 1st and the 29th.

Last June had the 1st and the 29th and if you count every 4 weeks since then the next month with 5 Mondays is August.

It's not always the same month. It's paid every 4 weeks and you need a month with 5 Mondays for it to be paid twice in one month.

magiksen

Thanks for your reply
I can see there would be two in August but as my rent goes out on the 9th, it still doesn't leave an extra rent payment that won't be used up. In the past I've always had one payment a year that's been made before the other has gone out.

NYM

Do these dates not correspond with your payment dates?

1. 06/07/2015
2. 03/08/2015
3. 31/08/2015
4. 28/09/2015
5. 26/10/2015
6. 23/11/2015
7. 21/12/2015
8. 18/01/2016
9. 15/02/2016
10. 14/03/2016
11. 11/04/2016
12. 09/05/2016
13. 06/06/2016
1. 04/07/2016
2. 01/08/2016
3. 29/08/2016
4. 26/09/2016
5. 24/10/2016
6. 21/11/2016
7. 19/12/2016
8. 16/01/2017
9. 13/02/2017
10. 13/03/2017
11. 10/04/2017
12. 08/05/2017
13. 05/06/2017

nannytone_2

its because your rent is paid on a calendar monthly cycle.

it just happened that last year one payment was received before the previous one was paid out.

your rent payment is paid OUT on a different weekday every month, whereas housing benefit is paid on the same weekday, 4 weeks apart.