ATLAS transaction? Housing benefit suspended

fmlyhm1148

Hello all



I have searched around and couldn't really find anything that's appropriate to my problem. Basically, my partner lost their job around four months ago. In this time, we have had to claim housing benefit and council tax relief. My wage fluctuates as although I am only on a 20-hour contract, I regularly get overtime. One week could see me get 20 hours, next 33. One time it was 44 hours. I was advised by the housing benefit team to send in my payslip every month to keep my claim on track and avoid overpayments. Ironically I still got a £150.01 overpayment regardless of doing this (I still don't know how, but that's not the issue).



Last month my wage was around £1,100 - a lot more than my usual £700ish. This thrown my entitlement off and I've had a very stressful month this month as they reduced my HB to £29 a week after taking off deductions for the overpayment, and on a wage of £715 and rent of £550 you can see how I've had one hell of a month. I thought I was out of the woods, as my latest payslip of 715 was due to be processed this week and updated on the system. I was advised to call this week to check on the status of this, which I've done. I was told my claim was suspended (great, like the 2nd time they've suspended it) due to an atlas transaction? I've had a brief look online and it seems to relate to a change in circumstances or with certain benefits like WTC. Nothing has changed. My partner can't claim income based JSA due to my hours or something, and can't claim contribution based because they've not paid enough NI (again, I have no idea. I have never really claimed benefits before).



So, what is this atlas and why on earth have they suspended my claim again? I did ask but the lady on the phone seemed clueless and couldn't really answer any question I asked. I'm hoping someone on here may be of more help.



I apologise if this problem has been answered before, but I honestly couldn't find anything that really related to this issue.



Thank you

pmlindyloo

Local Authority Data Share (LADS) Delivery Team
The LADS Delivery team are part of the Housing Delivery Division Change Programme, responsible for the delivery of IT and strategic data sharing initiatives, from DWP to local authorities. Automated Transfers to Local Authority Systems (ATLAS) has already increased the amount of information that can be sent automatically to local authorities in a format that allows direct loading into their systems.
The first phase of ATLAS was successfully rolled out to all authorities on 4 July 2011, providing HM Revenue & Customs with tax credits award data.
The second phase extended ATLAS to deliver notifications for a range of DWP benefits in 2012, with Personal Independence Payment and benefit cap notifications starting in 2013. Other initiatives to help local authorities address fraud and error include the implementation of Real Time Information data for earnings and occupational pensions.
DWP have continued to build on the ATLAS IT infrastructure to deliver even more citizen data to local authorities, plus introducing new strategic data sharing routes through the new DWP Data Hub.

Basically it means that local authorities receive information , for example from HMRC, about your earnings. This then would prompt the local authority's computer to say 'no' you are no longer entitled to HB.

They suspend it so you do not get an overpayment.

Unfortunately since your salary is irregular this will continue.

Obviously if you could get a job with a regular wage( not easy, I know) this would be better for you and your family as regards budgeting and of course, once your OH gets a job things will ease.

Hopefully it will get sorted out soon.

tboo

ATLAS downloads (from DWP) are automated and if there is a discrepancy e.g. CTC increase/decrease then the computer does indeed suspend the claim,

My authority deals with these atlas suspensions on a daily basis and works out why they have been suspended, they are then unsuspended or the assessor writes out for information – you should get a letter if it is suspended .

Your authority should know why it was suspended as it’s on that days download (it staes what it is in the download) – you should speak to the assessment team themselves as you may have got a contact centre employee who wouldn’t know the reason why.

If your wages change monthly then RTI (real time information) from HMRC will capture these changes and a letter will state this as well, but as you take in the wage slips it cant be that.


Get the authority to average your wages out based on the highest wage and the next 3