Student parent housing benefit nightmare

Mimim0sa

Hi I'm posting here as I don't know where else to turn for advice. I'm a (mature) student single parent in my final year. I'm entitled to help with my rent via housing benefit. Early this year I moved into a new London borough & my HB entitlement has been calculated to an amount drastically less than the previous borough.
My child and I have been struggling ever since. Appeals are to no avail. University no help: they are set up to assist students who are private not social housing renters. The local CAB is always closed or unstaffed. Tried a law centre but no one wants to touch housing benefit disputes! Online benefit calculators no help: they are based on benefits like income support, not student loans. I'm certain I've been calculated wrongly by the council, esp. since I'm on reduced rate maintenance loan since Sep & yet HB entitlement hasn't been changed. Meaning most of my income goes straight out on rent. Council said they take my child tax credits into account with their calculation; I had no idea they're allowed do this? They also said I have a "miscellaneous" weekly amount of £150 coming in which I absolutely do not receive. Every phone call I'm left even more confused. Precisely how do they work the sums out for decisions? The agents themselves seem confused! I get vague answers and it goes nowhere. I can't afford carpet, wifi or gym. Sounds petty but with all of the pressure I have as a parent fighting to get a degree, my gym subscription kept me sane. I'm very nearly back to feeling suicidal. Does anyone know anything about students & housing benefit?

Ames

Were you entitled to some student loan that you chose not to take? Benefits are based on the amount of loan you could get, not what you actually take. Could it be the under occupancy charge, do you have spare bedrooms?

Alice_Holt

"Appeals are to no avail."

Can you expand on this? I doubt that you mean you have appealed this to a tribunal?
Have you disputed the amount of HB? And where are you in this process?


I would suggest:

1) Ask in writing for a full breakdown of the calculation - keep all correspondence and notes of any phone calls;

2) Approaching the Council's Head of Revenues for help if 1) doesn't materialise or you can't understand it;

3) Contacting your local councillor:

4) Seeking help from the NUS, and asking again at your uni welfare office;

5) Going / emailing to your local CAB when they are open and when you have the full breakdown from the council and asking them to contact the Citizens advice national Expert Advice Team (EAT) to check if the council's calculation is correct. You will need full details of your grant(s) / financial situation / rent details / housing situation / etc

6) Have you checked the LHA? Is it different from the previous borough? Are you affected by the bedroom tax?
https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/search.aspx

7) Have you phoned the Shelter helpline? https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help

8) When you say " I'm very nearly back to feeling suicidal.", are you or have you been in receipt of disability benefits? If so try the disabled student helpline:
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/how-we-can-help/helplines/disabled-students-helpline

Edit : Yes, HB does take account of CTC payments.

[Deleted User]

Might also be worth a word with your MP, they can very often help get things sorted.

Alice_Holt

venison wrote: »

Might also be worth a word with your MP, they can very often help get things sorted.

Given this is connected to the council, they are only likely to refer it back to the OP's local councillor.
I would try the councillor first, and only if this is unsatisfactory go to the MP.

FBaby

Two issues, one sorting out to be sure that you are getting the right amount so go to CAB to sort it out.

The other issue is you need to prioritise your spending. You don't need new carpets, wifi can be cheap and the gym is definitely a luxury. Yes, exercising is good for you, so take on running and do it outside for free like so many people do.

Mimim0sa

Thanks for your response. No I'm getting the maximum (only) rate for student loan this academic year, there is nothing more for which I could apply. I'm also getting maximum bursary. There's no under-occupancy. It's me and child in a two bed flat. Even if these things were issues, wouldn't the council have to draw my attention to them as factors that affect HB calculation? To best of my knowledge I've provided all the info they have asked for.

Mimim0sa

Yes, I do need carpets I have a kid who has already hurt their foot on an exposed nail in the bare floorboards. Wifi is essential as a student parent, as it means dragging child to library to attempt to do work and invariably kid gets bored after a while and disturbs others. I was quite able to cover these "luxuries" while renting in the previous borough, because the HB was adequate. It's similar rent here so that's why I'm so puzzled that my entitlement is so much less.

Mimim0sa

Thanks for your response Alice Holt. Yes, I have spoken to Shelter some time back. I am pretty sure they weren't able to advise on housing benefit issues for students in social housing. They referred me to one of those online calculators which wasn't able to compute for my situation.
By appeal is that yes, I disputed the decision of the HB Team. There were lots of delays. First they claimed not to have received my letter, then after I proved it had been signed for by someone I was still had to resend my request. Noone got back within the time limit (30 days). I complained and months later (of struggling to pay this rent) they finally said they'd looked into it and upheld the decision.
I got sick of CAB as noone ever answered phone and when I took time off uni to attend their supposed walk in days I was informed there wasn't any/enough staff. I will try again. I have thought contacting local councillor/MP.
Thanks for providing helpful ideas to try some of which I hadn't considered.

Afraid_of_Kittens

Can you list your income and the income listed on the Housing Benefit notification what applicable amount you have and any disregarded income?

The HB Dept have you with an additional £7800 per year. Would need you actual income and what income is listed on the benefit notifications to figure out what has gone wrong.

Do you pay child care costs at all?

welshmoneylover

Don’t wish to sound rude but is there any possibility of work to increase your income?