Help with housing benefit

aspergers · 18 October 2012 at 10:33AM

Caz3121 wrote: »

You would be expected to pay your board from your JSA, just as if you were living on your own getting housing benefit, you would be expected to pay any rent top-up, gas, electric, food etc from your JSA

But if I was living on my own I would get both JSA and Housing benefit. I'd get JSA to spend on food, electricity etc. AND I would get housing benefit to pay my "board" or "rent" wouldn't I?

Are you saying I cannot claim housing benefit if I live with my parents (and they charge me board) but I can if I move out and have to pay rent?

CAB_Wyre_Forest_representative · 18 October 2012 at 11:39AM

Hello aspergers

I am afraid that you cannot claim housing benefit if you live with your parents. As the other poster has said the JSA you receive is for living expenses as a boarder in your parents home

If you lived alone and paid rent then you would get housing benefit but you would have to pay your gas, electricity, water, tv licence,telephone and food out of you JSA.

It does seem unfair on your parents but those are the rules

numberjack_2 · 18 October 2012 at 3:04PM

I am wondering if you could help me.

I am a single parent with two children aged 9 and 6 and was claiming JSA during the summer together with mortgage interest payments for where we live.

I have now enrolled on a course to re-train as a teacher and was told that I could keep some of my existing welfare benefits.

Could you advise me on what I can still claim as I am pretty certain I won't be entitled to JSA as I am no longer actively seeking work.

The mortgage interest payments are particularly useful and if I don't receive them I will have no choice but to leave the course as the student loan is not enough.

Thank you.

Numberjack

CAB_Wyre_Forest_representative · 19 October 2012 at 10:17AM

Hello numberjack

You are quite right that you have to be actively seeking work to be eligible for JSA and any help with your mortgage. This link will give you a bit more information about what other sources of help you may be able to access https://www.gov.uk/student-finance.

You should also talk to your college and get advice from them.

You may be able to take in a lodger to increase your income too

[Deleted User] · 20 October 2012 at 12:10AM

Hello, i am so (((((stressed))))) at the moment and hoping you can help. Basically, i am in receipt of housing benefit, i was sent a letter saying i owed a certain amount, which i queried and found out that they had started charging me for my daughter. I said she was still in education which meant she was not liable and was asked to provide proof, which i did from the college she was at. When i say i was asked to provide proof, i went in person to the council offices. Supposedely(sp) this got sorted. Then a few months later, i receive another letter, same thing, but she had left college and was due to go to university. I was asked to provide an acceptance letter, which i did, I told them on my visits i was also having a problem with council tax, and was told they work hand in hand and it was a knock on effect and when my housing benefit claim was sorted, the council tax would be adjusted accordingly, as it was all being logged on the computer, but saw a different person, who said, no thats not good, you need an unconditional acceptance, which i did not have, as you only get that when you have the required grades, and she had not yet got her grades, i provided this when my daughter got the required grades, and was told no, we dont need that, by a different person, we need her student finance letters, i provided details of the loan she had got, no we don't need that said the next person, we need proof of child benefit, as if she is getting that, then she would not be a non dependant, but a dependant and not liable, i supplied that and was told by the the next person, i dont know why they have asked for that as they have your details of that on the system and can check that themselves, you need a certificate from the university with her course on, start date etc, i explained that she would only get this when she started, and was told if it was rushed to them they have benefit officers on hand and they would be able to stop the court proceedings, which i did, my daughter brought it back personally, costing £29 in fares, but i said never mind, it needs to be done, i went there and the next person i saw i said you have benefit officers on site i was told, so i have had this rushed here so we can stop these proceedings. She said no i dont know anything about that (lol), her laugh not mine, I then said to the customer services officer, i have little faith in the way this was going and was not happy with it going to court, as i did not want to incur extra costs, but was told, you have given us all the relevant details, you are not required to go to court as it was all just a procedure and they have everything that they need and they will need to update their records accordingly. I said are you sure, are you really sure, because i have been through this so much and she said yes, they cant say anything, you have provided everything. Wrong. Anyhow, it went to court and i am now required to pay £376.20 and £125 court costs, a total of £501.20. I spent 1.30 hours on the phone to them today and they have put a halt on the liability order notice to pay, while i write to them an explanation of why it wasn't sorted. I am so infuriated with this. All the stuff they supposedly copied and the notes they wrote to them i dont know what they said, other than them telling me that they logged the stuff i gave them. All they really need was proof that she was still a student and i feel i did supply this, and the fact of her being in receipt of child benefit means she is a dependant, so not liable, but i am worried i will write the wrong thing and just get in more of a mess.

dory22 · 20 October 2012 at 3:35PM

CAB_Wyre_Forest_representative wrote: »

Hello Dory 22

With regard to re housing there are a lot of people who are trying to get social housing and there is a very limited supply. For this reason the social landlords and councils tend to have very strict criteria about who they will offer housing to. This is usually restricted to people who are very vulnerable and in " priority need". You may fall into this category but would need to discuss with your local housing office. This link will explain a bit more about your housing options.

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/housing_e/housing_finding_a_place_to_live_e/finding_accommodation.htm

If you cannot get public housing then you can rent from a private landlord.

Whoever your landlord is if you are on low income you can get help with your rent , Housing Benefit. This paid by the local authority and will be restricted to the local housing allowance and must be appropriate for your needs. This means that if you are a single person over 35 you would get help based on a one bed roomed property as a person under 35 it would be based on a room in a shared house. You would need to check with your local authority what they would be paying for your individual circumstances.http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/benefits_e/benefits_help_if_on_a_low_income_ew/help_with_your_rent_-_housing_benefit.htm

Once you have this figure you will have an idea what properties you will be able to afford you can then look on www.turn2us.org.uk to see how much help you would get with any benefits.

thank you for your reply.

CAB_Wyre_Forest_representative · 22 October 2012 at 3:55PM

Save_Dosh wrote: »

Hello, i am so (((((stressed))))) at the moment and hoping you can help. Basically, i am in receipt of housing benefit, i was sent a letter saying i owed a certain amount, which i queried and found out that they had started charging me for my daughter. I said she was still in education which meant she was not liable and was asked to provide proof, which i did from the college she was at. When i say i was asked to provide proof, i went in person to the council offices. Supposedely(sp) this got sorted. Then a few months later, i receive another letter, same thing, but she had left college and was due to go to university. I was asked to provide an acceptance letter, which i did, I told them on my visits i was also having a problem with council tax, and was told they work hand in hand and it was a knock on effect and when my housing benefit claim was sorted, the council tax would be adjusted accordingly, as it was all being logged on the computer, but saw a different person, who said, no thats not good, you need an unconditional acceptance, which i did not have, as you only get that when you have the required grades, and she had not yet got her grades, i provided this when my daughter got the required grades, and was told no, we dont need that, by a different person, we need her student finance letters, i provided details of the loan she had got, no we don't need that said the next person, we need proof of child benefit, as if she is getting that, then she would not be a non dependant, but a dependant and not liable, i supplied that and was told by the the next person, i dont know why they have asked for that as they have your details of that on the system and can check that themselves, you need a certificate from the university with her course on, start date etc, i explained that she would only get this when she started, and was told if it was rushed to them they have benefit officers on hand and they would be able to stop the court proceedings, which i did, my daughter brought it back personally, costing £29 in fares, but i said never mind, it needs to be done, i went there and the next person i saw i said you have benefit officers on site i was told, so i have had this rushed here so we can stop these proceedings. She said no i dont know anything about that (lol), her laugh not mine, I then said to the customer services officer, i have little faith in the way this was going and was not happy with it going to court, as i did not want to incur extra costs, but was told, you have given us all the relevant details, you are not required to go to court as it was all just a procedure and they have everything that they need and they will need to update their records accordingly. I said are you sure, are you really sure, because i have been through this so much and she said yes, they cant say anything, you have provided everything. Wrong. Anyhow, it went to court and i am now required to pay £376.20 and £125 court costs, a total of £501.20. I spent 1.30 hours on the phone to them today and they have put a halt on the liability order notice to pay, while i write to them an explanation of why it wasn't sorted. I am so infuriated with this. All the stuff they supposedly copied and the notes they wrote to them i dont know what they said, other than them telling me that they logged the stuff i gave them. All they really need was proof that she was still a student and i feel i did supply this, and the fact of her being in receipt of child benefit means she is a dependant, so not liable, but i am worried i will write the wrong thing and just get in more of a mess.

Dear Save Dosh
I have read your story and it does seem that you have been through a harrowing experience. I'm not sure, however, what advice you need now?
I would have advised you to defend the court case: was this for rent arrears or for overpaid benefit? Are you expecting another case for Council Tax arrears?
It is conventional for Child Benefit being paid to passport to Housing Benefit questions. Be aware, though, that if your daughter takes paid work in the vacations, then her dependant status for HB (not for CTB)goes for that period and you should inform the local authority.
However, for you to get good advice on what you should now do , I suggest that you need to speak directly to an advisor who can take your personal situation into proper account. ONe way to do this would be to go to your local CAB - you can find the nearest one at www.adviceguide.org.uk

IphoneLover · 30 October 2012 at 6:55PM

Hi there, I am posting under a new ID to protect my identity.

I have lived with my boyfriend for 10 years now and we have a 10 year old child together. We currently reside with my mother who has her name on the deeds of the house. However my partner and I sold the house we owned together and paid £90k towards paying off the mortgage of my mums property.

My relationship has broken down and I am now looking at leaving with my daughter.

I do not know where I stand financially. I work 22 hours a week.

Where do I start with regards to housing for my daughter and I and benefits?

CAB_Wyre_Forest_representative · 31 October 2012 at 11:11AM

IphoneLover wrote: »

Hi there, I am posting under a new ID to protect my identity.

I have lived with my boyfriend for 10 years now and we have a 10 year old child together. We currently reside with my mother who has her name on the deeds of the house. However my partner and I sold the house we owned together and paid £90k towards paying off the mortgage of my mums property.

My relationship has broken down and I am now looking at leaving with my daughter.

I do not know where I stand financially. I work 22 hours a week.
Where do I start with regards to housing for my daughter and I and benefits?

Hello I phone lover
This thread is intended for questions on housing benefit - your query covers a range of issues besides HB. However, I will try to give you some advice on your position.
In terms of finding housing, you have the choice whether to approach your local authority(LA) or look at private rent market. If you cannot reasonably stay in your current housing (couldn't you stay with your mother and ask your partner to leave?) then you may present yourself as potentially homeless and ask your LA to assess you against the homelessness criteria. This might lead to an offer of housing.
In terms of help with the rent, this will depend on your income, current capital and how the LA will view the capital that you gave your mother. If they can legitimately conclude that this money was disposed of in order to become eligible for benefit then you would not qualify. To assess what you may be eligible for, you can do this yourself by using the website http://www.turn2us.org.uk/ or, perhaps it would be better to get personal advice from your local CAB - you can find where your local bureau is on www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Potentially, you could be eligible for housing benefit and council tax benefit for housing costs, child benefit, child and working tax credit plus help with childcare costs.

yulz4500 · 3 November 2012 at 10:07PM

Housing benefit
Hi there! I'm looking for some help on applying for housing benefit please!

Me and my husband and our two young daughters have been staying with family for the last few months however we now need to find rented accommodation. We are both self employed and started a new business and have a very low income between us. The other benefits that we get are child benefit, working tax credit and child tax credit. Are we eligible for housing benefit if we rent from a private landlord through an estate agency?
Do we have to be living in a property before applying and will the landlord be notified about us receiving housing benefit?

All info and help will be much appreciated!!!
We are currently in London borough of Ealing

Help with housing benefit

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