Housing benefit help!

ljphillips

Hi,
Ok so long story short, I moved out of my home I shared with my now ex in September and moved 10 minutes away but to a new council. Of course a single mum of two, I am claiming housing benefit.. Anyway from May - September my ex didn't live in that house so I was claiming housing benefit but he moved back in in September when I moved out. I moved to another house and had to start claiming housing benefit for that house. I've just been billed £2400 as apparently housing benefit was still being paid to the house my ex lives in (he earns £600+ a week but obviously has been living off of my housing benefit, as it gets paid to the housing association). I contacted the council and they said I am liable to pay it as I didn't tell them I moved but I'm pretty sure I did. So now I'm being billed for the rent for the house my ex lives in and I can barely keep on top of my own bills so obviously can't afford it and also don't see why someone else should be living at my expense!

Please help!!!!!!

Thank you to anyone who can!

Leah Phillips

HappyMJ

ljphillips wrote: »

Hi,
Ok so long story short, I moved out of my home I shared with my now ex in September and moved 10 minutes away but to a new council. Of course a single mum of two, I am claiming housing benefit.. Anyway from May - September my ex didn't live in that house so I was claiming housing benefit but he moved back in in September when I moved out. I moved to another house and had to start claiming housing benefit for that house. I've just been billed £2400 as apparently housing benefit was still being paid to the house my ex lives in (he earns £600+ a week but obviously has been living off of my housing benefit, as it gets paid to the housing association). I contacted the council and they said I am liable to pay it as I didn't tell them I moved but I'm pretty sure I did. So now I'm being billed for the rent for the house my ex lives in and I can barely keep on top of my own bills so obviously can't afford it and also don't see why someone else should be living at my expense!

Please help!!!!!!

Thank you to anyone who can!

Leah Phillips

Ask your ex to pay the £2,400 arrears to the HA.

If he doesn't pay then you as a joint tenant will have to pay as you are liable.

You may be able to terminate the tenancy and he can apply for it in his own name.

tomtontom

Have you spoken to the HA, are they aware you moved out in September?

Are you saying you lived together until May, then he moved out for a few months (where to?), then you moved out and he moved back in? I wouldn't be surprised if more questions are not asked about this.

ljphillips

I'm not a joint tenant, I don't live there

ljphillips

Yes, he was made to move out due to domestic abuse but moved back in as I moved to another borough. The housing association were informed by the new council I moved to that I moved out and the tenancy was put into his name.

pmlindyloo

ljphillips wrote: »

Yes, he was made to move out due to domestic abuse but moved back in as I moved to another borough. The housing association were informed by the new council I moved to that I moved out and the tenancy was put into his name.

I think you may need help with this as it is a little complicated.

From what you are saying the HA were informed that you moved out and the tenancy was put into your ex's name but you may have failed to inform the council of your change of circumstances.

From reading this

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/405550/hbopg-part-4-recovery-of-overpayments.pdf

particularly page 5 and example 2

the council may consider that both you and the HA are liable for the over payment.

In the example the council decided to bill the HA.

If this happened then the HA could presumably chase your ex for rent arrears.

However, I am only giving you a little hope and much will depend on the evidence you can find to back up the facts.

As a start you could visit CAB (try to choose one with a benefits specialist) and they will help you with what evidence you need to produce.

Housingbenefitofficer (another poster on here) may have more information for you.

Let us know how you get on.

NYM

ljphillips wrote: »

Yes, he was made to move out due to domestic abuse but moved back in as I moved to another borough. The housing association were informed by the new council I moved to that I moved out and the tenancy was put into his name.

Hopefully, you'll have something in writing from them so you can defend this.

As for your Ex, on his salary, I'm surprised that he was entitled to a Housing Association property...:think:

Housing_Benefit_Officer

This should help https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housing-benefit-overpayments-guide

Bananas123

ljphillips wrote: »

I contacted the council and they said I am liable to pay it as I didn't tell them I moved but I'm pretty sure I did.

/\ this is kind of suggestive; that you may not have told them ?

can you provide any evidence that you did tell them etc ?

if not, then i would goto CAB and see if you can make your ex pay it.

> but you should have really told them etc, how are they supposed to know where you are living ?

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