Housing Benefit Roll Over

barlos1973

Hi

I was wondering if someone could clear up a questions which my local Housing Department seems to be not be willing to do.

Basically me and my wife were claiming Housing Benfit as I was unemployed ( as was she). However in June 2017 I became self employed. As a new business I was obviously making basically nothing. Because of this my Advisor at the Job Centre informed me that I was still entitled to benefits such as Council Tax and Housing Benefit due to being on low income. So she rang the relevant departments up and informed them of my change of circumstances but the fact because so was still entitled to benefits based on this the benefits continued without me having to do anything etc. However in December 2017, my wife managed to land a decent job finally ( earning £22k). Our benefits ofcourse stopped. However when a I asked for the Roll Over ( basically the one month pay to help new workers) they first told us to email this request and it would be granted. After a two months I rang only to be told we were not entitled to the roll over as it was already given to us. This apparently was when I became self employed. I then argued that our benefits were never stopped, but it was a change of circumstances. When I try to explain to them I was entitled to the benefits because of my low income, and therefore was given the benefits on that basis as can be seen by the fact I was paid for a good few months and not just one). unfortunately the customer services representative on the phone basically just wouldn’t listen and put the phone down. Any ideas on this?

[Deleted User]

I would phone again and insist on speaking to a manager or supervisor don't let the call centre fob you off.

poppy12345

barlos1973 wrote: »

Hi

I was wondering if someone could clear up a questions which my local Housing Department seems to be not be willing to do.

Basically me and my wife were claiming Housing Benfit as I was unemployed ( as was she). However in June 2017 I became self employed. As a new business I was obviously making basically nothing. Because of this my Advisor at the Job Centre informed me that I was still entitled to benefits such as Council Tax and Housing Benefit due to being on low income. So she rang the relevant departments up and informed them of my change of circumstances but the fact because so was still entitled to benefits based on this the benefits continued without me having to do anything etc. However in December 2017, my wife managed to land a decent job finally ( earning £22k). Our benefits ofcourse stopped. However when a I asked for the Roll Over ( basically the one month pay to help new workers) they first told us to email this request and it would be granted. After a two months I rang only to be told we were not entitled to the roll over as it was already given to us. This apparently was when I became self employed. I then argued that our benefits were never stopped, but it was a change of circumstances. When I try to explain to them I was entitled to the benefits because of my low income, and therefore was given the benefits on that basis as can be seen by the fact I was paid for a good few months and not just one). unfortunately the customer services representative on the phone basically just wouldn’t listen and put the phone down. Any ideas on this?

I think you may find that they are right and you are wrong. See this link.
https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Extra-help-when-entering-work#Extendedpayments

tboo

As you were initially unemployed you will have been assessed as a passported claim i.e. JSA etc.

You then decided to close this claim and become self-employed – you then became a standard working claimant.

If you were on JSA or any other benefit for more than 26 weeks you will have been given the 4 weeks extended payment which is paid at the same rate of HB as you were on JSA.

But as it will have been the same amount as before you may not have noticed it.

So you should have received notification letters closing down your JSA claim, and then awarding the extending payment - it may have been called an EPP, then you will have received notification letters assessing you on self-employment income.

As you were on low income then the HB will be the same

Afraid_of_Kittens

They are right. You are wrong. There is no right of appeal.

To qualify for the 4 week run on you have to be in receipt of a qualifying benefit without a break for 26 weeks or more - the claimant or partner is expected to commence work for at least 5 weeks or more - and you could afford the rent when you moved into the property.

When you became self employed the 4 week run on would have commenced.

When your partner commenced work you were no longer in receipt of a qualifying benefit as you were already working.

It isn't the customer service representative that wasn't listening. It was you who wasn't listening.