Help with Housing Benefit/Service charge?

Black-star1

I'm currently in arreas with my rent as I was in and out of employment last year. Things have gotten complicated as I received PIP, Working Tax Credit and Housing Benefit. When I was off work sick I received income Support as a top up to SSP. The council are satisfied that I was eligible for the full housing benefit but my landlord (supported accommodation) have been looking into this for over 6 months and are saying I still have to pay rent.

My service charge is £10pw but I was paying £35pw although I was awarded full housing benefit which has been paid to my landlord.

What can I do to get this sorted as I feel I shouldn't be paying as I've overpaid?

Alice_Holt

A starting point might be to find out the exact amount of rent and service charge from your landlord, and get copies of your rent account showing these charges and the HB credits.
Also get a full breakdown of the service charge.

Next get all copies of the HB entitlement notices from your council. Have they used correct your correct income details to calculate HB?

Ask the council which element of the service charges are not covered by HB.
The HB will not pay for services charges, such as laundry etc
See http://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Eligible-rent-for-Housing-Benefit-and-service-charges.

Have the council included the eligibile services charges?
Has there been any HB overpayments, which the council have been deducting from later HB payments?
Has the landlord allocated the HB (which should cover rent and eligible service services) correctly to your account?

It is an examination and then comparation of the two sets of information, and then back to the council / landlord to clarify any discrepancies.