withholding entitlements

themermaid_2

can someone please help me. This problem has been going on since last year and i am reaching the end of my tether if not near bankrupcy. I am a single mother of 4 boys 3 of them under 3. I work, self- employed and recently i have put in my information in the entitled to web site and also on Torbay Council's website and have found that I am entitled to £150pw housing benefit and on entltitled to.com's site £15.98 pw council tax benefit and on torbay council's site £25.00 pw council tax benefit. For the last two years I have recieved no council tax benefit at all. Even though the other day whilst going through my records I found I had a letter stating that I was entitled to £10.58 pw council tax benefit that I have never recieved. Subsequently whilst checking my records, I have found letters stating that I am entitled to £123.00 pw housing benefit whilst cheques that they have sent me have been nowhere near this amount. Some of the cheques varied the last one was for £106.00 for two weeks then they took £40.00 for some overpayment that I now have found out that I did not owe. Some of the cheques have been so low that I have ended up with £14.00 for two weeks housing benefit.

Due to this outrageous act I have had to take money from my credit cards ( which I am aware is a complete no no) just to cover my rent. Even earlier this week they dragged me into their offices with the outrgeous claim that my claim for benefit maybe fraudulant and was interviewed under caution with the pathetic excuse that my childmider was not registered. I have a copy of the certificates to proove this. Subsequently, how can my benefit claim be fraudulant when I'm not even getting the right amount? Since then, without a word or letter my housing benefit seems to have been suspended and I have not had a penny from them for 3 weeks.

What I find completely disgusting is they pay out billions of pounds weekly to people who have school aged children and are not working and to those who have no children at all and are still not working, yet they seem to see fit to penalise me in some way when I am paying a large portion of my rent and the majority of my council tax with only 25% single person's discount.

This week I have also been in to complain showing them all the information that I have collated from benefit notifications that they have sent me in the past, lucky I kept them, and there are vast and constant mistakes. With the information that I have gone over, taking me at least two days, It is becoming quite obvious that Torbay Council is deliberately witholding benefits that I am legally entitled to. What can I do about this horrendous scandal.

cattie

Contact your MP or local councillor & ask them to intervene on your behalf?

Anthillmob

what may have happened is that you went over the threshold to entitlement to CTB but have suddenly became entitled again but you need to make another seperate claim for CTB. someone should have sent you a form for this.

if that makes sense. basically if you are no longer entitled your claim will end itself (or at least it does where i work).

also you state you found some letters, they probably sent you further letters informing you of your entitlement to the amount they paid you. maybe you havent received them or mislaid them? or you may have been overpaid benefit which they are taking back each week out of your ongoing entitlement. either way you should have been written to about this.

i believe the benefit rules state that a single paret who is working can have £21.50 per week deducted from their benefit to repay any overpayments.

HTH