Incomemax

missile

EDF referred my claim for Warm Home Discount to Incomemax. They rejected my claim because I am in receipt of Industrial Injury Benefit which makes my “taxable household income more than £17005” . I have tried to tell them IIB is non taxable, but they refuse to discuss. Please advise > Are they correct?

HillStreetBlues

Maybe they are not disregarding it as Industrial Injury Benefit isn't  disregarded when it comes to income based benefits. (But I could be wrong)

I don't know they would be correct if that was the reason.

poppy12345

missile said:

EDF referred my claim for Warm Home Discount to Incomemax. They rejected my claim because I am in receipt of Industrial Injury Benefit which makes my “taxable household income more than £17005” . I have tried to tell them IIB is non taxable, but they refuse to discuss. Please advise > Are they correct?

It's a means tested benefit that partly qualifies you so are you currently claiming any other benefits?

Qualifying benefits and tax credits

The qualifying means-tested benefits are:

• Housing Benefit
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• the ‘Savings Credit’ part of Pension Credit
• Universal Credit

You could also qualify if your household income falls below a certain threshold and you get either:

• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/low-income

missile

How can a non taxable benefit considered taxable income?

HillStreetBlues

missile said:

How can a non taxable benefit considered taxable income?

I would agree that wouldn't make sense.
The issue could be they are giving you the wrong reason for you being rejected, that's why the won't justify their reason.

sheramber

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-injuries-disablement-benefits-technical-guidance/industrial-injuries-disablement-benefits-technical-guidance

All Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits, except Industrial Death Benefit, are tax free.

They are payable in addition to other incapacity and disability benefits but taken into account against income-related benefits.

Jyana

You are in Scotland I presume, and are applying under Broader Group section 6?  It's a tricky one because they have listed that the income towards the £17,005 can only exclude the following benefits:

Household income excludes Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit, Attendance allowance, Disability Living Allowance or PIP, Child Benefit or Child Tax Credit

But, on the other hand, they have also included the benefits that can be included in that figure, which are:

Household income includes War Disablement Pension, Disablement Pension Allowance and Working Tax Credit; and is before tax and National Insurance are deducted (gross income)

So no mention of Industrial Injury Benefit anywhere at all. At a guess they have included it in their working out as it isn't one of the ones down as explicitly listed to be ignored, and their wording is just borked as the tax-free thing has no relevance here. Possible a drop down menu item they have to choose from and it was the closest match? 

Source

missile

I asked Incomemax to explain why my claim was rejected. They refused to discuss and told me to contact EDF. I contacted EDF who told me to contact Incomemax. You couldn’t make it up