How is normal cash fluctuation in bank accounts treated re:savings limit for council tax benefit?

justcheckin

Hi,

I'm trying to help my parents with their affairs, both are in ill-health.

They are on the borderline for being eligible for council tax benefit of 14.87/week, but £1000 difference in savings using the 'entitled to' calculator takes their entitlement to nil. However it would all depend when in the month the 'test' was performed. If all their pensions landed but bills hadn't gone out, that could easily make the £1000 difference.

Can anyone please help me understand how this is treated, as I'm sure people can't cycle in and out of the system on a weekly basis?

Many thanks for any help.

calcotti

It is difficult to manage this.
Technically any money received in a month is income and only falls to be treated as capital at the end of the month. Broadly if what comes in is the same as what goes out the minimum balance is the capital amount.
If in doubt I would claim and see what happens.

justcheckin

Thanks, that's great. And then when they are consistently above that amount for, say, a month they contact the council and the benefit is removed?