UC savings limit and Council Tax advice needed please

Pompeyfan

I'm disabled and housebound and cannot work, and am also in receipt of PIP (enhanced rate), I was in the ESA support group, but in 2016 I was left some money which put me over the savings limit so I didn't receive any ESA benefits but my claim was kept open for NI contributions, I used this money for living expenses for the past 8 and a half years and made it last till August when I contacted ESA as my savings were now under £6,000 (I know I could have claimed at under £16,000 but I left it as long as I could to save all this hassle), they requested over a years worth of bank statements which I sent them, but I never heard anything back, until after repeated phone calls they finally said I had to make a new claim for UC which I did on 3rd October (and am now receiving), and they closed my ESA claim on 2nd October.

The problem I'm having is with the local council and claiming a discount on my council tax (currently £221pm after the single person discount), ESA informed them that I had over £6,000 savings (when i didn't as they didn't take into account bills being paid) so they cancelled my claim, I reclaimed after applying for UC and they have also told the council my savings are over £6,000 (they actually said £6,130), but they didn't take into account all the bills coming out of my bank account (council tax and utilities are over £400pm for example) as I pay everything using a credit card or direct debit due to not going out) as my only income was PIP and that is what put me over the limit temporarily, so any advice on how I can get this sorted would be appreciated as the council now want to take £275 council tax in a few days.

Also, they say you can have savings under £6,000, but that isn't the case if they don't take into account money being paid out because monthly benefits will always take you over the limit the day they're paid unless your savings, for example if you get £900pm benefits you can only realistically have £5,099 savings or you would go over the limit every month for a few days and the council would cancel any claim).

Thanks for reading all this 

marcia_

Pompeyfan said:

I'm disabled and housebound and cannot work, and am also in receipt of PIP (enhanced rate), I was in the ESA support group, but in 2016 I was left some money which put me over the savings limit so I didn't receive any ESA benefits but my claim was kept open for NI contributions, I used this money for living expenses for the past 8 and a half years and made it last till August when I contacted ESA as my savings were now under £6,000 (I know I could have claimed at under £16,000 but I left it as long as I could to save all this hassle), they requested over a years worth of bank statements which I sent them, but I never heard anything back, until after repeated phone calls they finally said I had to make a new claim for UC which I did on 3rd October (and am now receiving), and they closed my ESA claim on 2nd October.

The problem I'm having is with the local council and claiming a discount on my council tax (currently £221pm after the single person discount), ESA informed them that I had over £6,000 savings (when i didn't as they didn't take into account bills being paid) so they cancelled my claim, I reclaimed after applying for UC and they have also told the council my savings are over £6,000 (they actually said £6,130), but they didn't take into account all the bills coming out of my bank account (council tax and utilities are over £400pm for example) as I pay everything using a credit card or direct debit due to not going out) as my only income was PIP and that is what put me over the limit temporarily, so any advice on how I can get this sorted would be appreciated as the council now want to take £275 council tax in a few days.

Also, they say you can have savings under £6,000, but that isn't the case if they don't take into account money being paid out because monthly benefits will always take you over the limit the day they're paid unless your savings, for example if you get £900pm benefits you can only realistically have £5,099 savings or you would go over the limit every month for a few days and the council would cancel any claim).

Thanks for reading all this 

  Did you not inform council tax when you had your original windfall? 

Pompeyfan

marcia_ said:

Pompeyfan said:

I'm disabled and housebound and cannot work, and am also in receipt of PIP (enhanced rate), I was in the ESA support group, but in 2016 I was left some money which put me over the savings limit so I didn't receive any ESA benefits but my claim was kept open for NI contributions, I used this money for living expenses for the past 8 and a half years and made it last till August when I contacted ESA as my savings were now under £6,000 (I know I could have claimed at under £16,000 but I left it as long as I could to save all this hassle), they requested over a years worth of bank statements which I sent them, but I never heard anything back, until after repeated phone calls they finally said I had to make a new claim for UC which I did on 3rd October (and am now receiving), and they closed my ESA claim on 2nd October.

The problem I'm having is with the local council and claiming a discount on my council tax (currently £221pm after the single person discount), ESA informed them that I had over £6,000 savings (when i didn't as they didn't take into account bills being paid) so they cancelled my claim, I reclaimed after applying for UC and they have also told the council my savings are over £6,000 (they actually said £6,130), but they didn't take into account all the bills coming out of my bank account (council tax and utilities are over £400pm for example) as I pay everything using a credit card or direct debit due to not going out) as my only income was PIP and that is what put me over the limit temporarily, so any advice on how I can get this sorted would be appreciated as the council now want to take £275 council tax in a few days.

Also, they say you can have savings under £6,000, but that isn't the case if they don't take into account money being paid out because monthly benefits will always take you over the limit the day they're paid unless your savings, for example if you get £900pm benefits you can only realistically have £5,099 savings or you would go over the limit every month for a few days and the council would cancel any claim).

Thanks for reading all this 

  Did you not inform council tax when you had your original windfall? 

No, as I wasn't claiming any council tax benefit apart from the single person discount, I just paid my council tax every month (actually nearly half of what I was left went in utility bills and council tax over the years).

marcia_

Pompeyfan said:

marcia_ said:

Pompeyfan said:

I'm disabled and housebound and cannot work, and am also in receipt of PIP (enhanced rate), I was in the ESA support group, but in 2016 I was left some money which put me over the savings limit so I didn't receive any ESA benefits but my claim was kept open for NI contributions, I used this money for living expenses for the past 8 and a half years and made it last till August when I contacted ESA as my savings were now under £6,000 (I know I could have claimed at under £16,000 but I left it as long as I could to save all this hassle), they requested over a years worth of bank statements which I sent them, but I never heard anything back, until after repeated phone calls they finally said I had to make a new claim for UC which I did on 3rd October (and am now receiving), and they closed my ESA claim on 2nd October.

The problem I'm having is with the local council and claiming a discount on my council tax (currently £221pm after the single person discount), ESA informed them that I had over £6,000 savings (when i didn't as they didn't take into account bills being paid) so they cancelled my claim, I reclaimed after applying for UC and they have also told the council my savings are over £6,000 (they actually said £6,130), but they didn't take into account all the bills coming out of my bank account (council tax and utilities are over £400pm for example) as I pay everything using a credit card or direct debit due to not going out) as my only income was PIP and that is what put me over the limit temporarily, so any advice on how I can get this sorted would be appreciated as the council now want to take £275 council tax in a few days.

Also, they say you can have savings under £6,000, but that isn't the case if they don't take into account money being paid out because monthly benefits will always take you over the limit the day they're paid unless your savings, for example if you get £900pm benefits you can only realistically have £5,099 savings or you would go over the limit every month for a few days and the council would cancel any claim).

Thanks for reading all this 

  Did you not inform council tax when you had your original windfall? 

No, as I wasn't claiming any council tax benefit apart from the single person discount, I just paid my council tax every month (actually nearly half of what I was left went in utility bills and council tax over the years).

 I see. When reporting your income to council tax you should imo deduct your PIP. They wont be interested in what bills you have going out. 

Pompeyfan

marcia_ said:

Pompeyfan said:

marcia_ said:

Pompeyfan said:

I'm disabled and housebound and cannot work, and am also in receipt of PIP (enhanced rate), I was in the ESA support group, but in 2016 I was left some money which put me over the savings limit so I didn't receive any ESA benefits but my claim was kept open for NI contributions, I used this money for living expenses for the past 8 and a half years and made it last till August when I contacted ESA as my savings were now under £6,000 (I know I could have claimed at under £16,000 but I left it as long as I could to save all this hassle), they requested over a years worth of bank statements which I sent them, but I never heard anything back, until after repeated phone calls they finally said I had to make a new claim for UC which I did on 3rd October (and am now receiving), and they closed my ESA claim on 2nd October.

The problem I'm having is with the local council and claiming a discount on my council tax (currently £221pm after the single person discount), ESA informed them that I had over £6,000 savings (when i didn't as they didn't take into account bills being paid) so they cancelled my claim, I reclaimed after applying for UC and they have also told the council my savings are over £6,000 (they actually said £6,130), but they didn't take into account all the bills coming out of my bank account (council tax and utilities are over £400pm for example) as I pay everything using a credit card or direct debit due to not going out) as my only income was PIP and that is what put me over the limit temporarily, so any advice on how I can get this sorted would be appreciated as the council now want to take £275 council tax in a few days.

Also, they say you can have savings under £6,000, but that isn't the case if they don't take into account money being paid out because monthly benefits will always take you over the limit the day they're paid unless your savings, for example if you get £900pm benefits you can only realistically have £5,099 savings or you would go over the limit every month for a few days and the council would cancel any claim).

Thanks for reading all this 

  Did you not inform council tax when you had your original windfall? 

No, as I wasn't claiming any council tax benefit apart from the single person discount, I just paid my council tax every month (actually nearly half of what I was left went in utility bills and council tax over the years).

 I see. When reporting your income to council tax you should imo deduct your PIP. They wont be interested in what bills you have going out. 

I did that, the issue wasn't my income but savings, which UC said were higher than they actually were due to my PIP being paid in and before I'd made any direct debits etc.  I've since heard from UC this afternoon and they've amended my statement so it now shows my savings under the limit, so hopefully the council will now accept that.