UC Housing Costs Element: Service Charges

another_casualty

I find the service charge element a grey area . 
What happened in my situation, is that after waiting the 9 months before I may be entitled to the payment towards them I was told that my application would be decided by the decision makers 

Covid got in the way last year , but I was patient and didn't want to make too much of a fuss due to the increased workload that DWP have. 

I tried a different department on my journal instead of the job coach a few weeks later.
No problems with the respective job coaches I have , and asked  the main job coach in passing when discussing my work related group meetings . 
I then received a note in my journal a couple of weeks after that advising me that I will get payment for service charges . I also received some back pay . 

I too am an owner of a leasehold flat with no mortgage , and no other claims except universal credit and pip ( daily living allowance , which I only claimed for / received least year )

Hope this helps 

calcotti

another_casualty said:

I tried a different department on my journal instead of the job coach a few weeks later.

I think for a query of this type it is probably better to post a note in the payments section of your journal.

DanielDeronda

calcotti said:

another_casualty said:

I tried a different department on my journal instead of the job coach a few weeks later.

I think for a query of this type it is probably better to post a note in the payments section of your journal.

This is what I've done, I'll await a reply on Monday.  One further question that came to mind, will the fact that I claimed JSA at the same time (for the 1st 6 months of my claim back in 2018) have any effect on the 9 month qualifying period?

seatbeltnoob

calcotti said:

maisie_cat said:

It makes sense that service charge on leasehold property is not included in housing costs. Surely a claimant owning a freehold property without mortgage would not get help with buildings insurance, maintenance, gardening etc specifically and service charge is simply all of these.

As already advised owner occupiers can receive housing element for allowable service charges in their UC after a nine month wait without earnings.

Allowable service charges are fully detailed here
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/969171/admf2.pdf

I a bit surprised that it's a blanket rule for property owners where they have no earnings at all. Where as for rentors it's means tested.

DanielDeronda

Thanks for the link below:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/864905/admf4.pdf

This has been very useful & I wish I had that information when I made my Housing Costs claim.  It looks as if Buildings Insurance is part of my service charge & according to that list (no 17), it is EXCLUDED from any Housing Costs element.  This is why they have queried my payment.

I have requested budgets from the managing agent of my block of flats for 2018/19, 2019/20 & 2020/21 & can work out what % buildings insurance is of the total service charge expenditure & what % my flat (only got a 1 bed flat) is of the total.  This should be the total I have to repay.  I'll go back to my case manager once I'm armed with all the facts!!

datec66

Your CM should refer your facts to a decision maker to decide on the service charges as someone else has already said above in this thread.  The DM tells them what to pay and when and then that decision should occur by the CM for the past and future etc.  You should always advise them of changes in charges thereafter for another DM decision.

Your previous JSA claim will only affect the UC first 9 month waiting period if it was income based and there were no gaps over 1 month between the 2 claims.

DanielDeronda

datec66 said:

Your CM should refer your facts to a decision maker to decide on the service charges as someone else has already said above in this thread.  The DM tells them what to pay and when and then that decision should occur by the CM for the past and future etc.  You should always advise them of changes in charges thereafter for another DM decision.

Your previous JSA claim will only affect the UC first 9 month waiting period if it was income based and there were no gaps over 1 month between the 2 claims.

It just seems strange that my original claim must have been accepted by a decision maker for it to be agreed in the 1st place back in 2018.  And that it's taken 3 years for them to notice the error.  My total service charges have only changed since April 2021 & that is when I have reported the change.  It is now in the hands of the DM, so I will wait & see what my CM comes back with in the coming days.