Suspension of HB

tuftyone · 21 October 2018 at 6:34AM

Hi, my son and I moved to a flat in April. He was a full-time student and left college this year and moved out on 1st October.
I wrote to the council informing them of him moving out and they replied saying that they had no record of him being here and suspended my HB. They've also previously said they had no record of my Change of Address form (which would have included him as a resident), despite sending correspondence to this address and the HB award being re-awarded in April.

I'm puzzled as they've asked me to provide details of his college course and a copy of his ID, I want to reply with something like this...

"Can you please tell me why you require this information? He no longer lives with me and I’m not claiming for his inclusion in my housing benefit. He hasn’t been included since we moved to the property in April as you have no record of him living here.

Is it your intention to back-pay any shortfall in any benefit that I might have received? If this isn’t the case, I see no other reason for providing this information, and I would now find it difficult to obtain his birth certificate or any other form of ID, as he is an adult, has left full-time education and I’m no longer responsible for him."

Does this seem reasonable? I need my HB to pay the rent!

Thanks for any help or opinion

calcotti · 21 October 2018 at 7:20AM

Obviously if you genuinely cannot provide the information you will have to tell them that. Otherwise you’re much more likely to get things sorted out if you co-operate with your local authority

w06 · 21 October 2018 at 7:48AM

Being obstructive doesn’t seem the best way to solve any issue.

Genuine question, as I’m not sure of the answer, if they had known he was living there would there have been a non dependent reduction to the housing benefit? It isn’t as simple as they didn’t know he was here, and he isn’t now.

poppy12345 · 21 October 2018 at 8:07AM

w06 wrote: »

Genuine question, as I’m not sure of the answer, if they had known he was living there would there have been a non dependent reduction to the housing benefit?

A non-dependant deduction doesn't apply to a full-time student during term time or during holidays if they're not working.
A non-dependant deduction does apply if a student works for 16 hours or more a week during the summer holidays. You may need to ask them to contribute towards your housing costs.

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/housing_benefit/housing_benefit_deductions_when_living_with_non-dependants

poppy12345 · 21 October 2018 at 8:10AM

OP, i think you need to co-operate and send them what they've asked for otherwise this could drag on. Maybe use a benefits calculator to see if you were claiming the correct amount. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/

tuftyone · 21 October 2018 at 9:10AM

Thanks for your replies. Yes, you're right it does look like I'm being deliberately obstructive. I'll try to get hold of the things they want to see and go from there.

tuftyone · 10 November 2018 at 1:31PM

Hi, I just thought I'd update you

I managed to provide the documents proving my son was at college and the council are now re-instating my HB

. He moved in with me on 3rd April and moved out 1st October.

He was in full-time education until the end of August when our Child Tax Credit stopped as well.

BUT they say they've overpaid me since we moved in on 3rd April, and in a recent letter they say that "the reason for the change is a non-dependant has moved out."

Surely he was only a non-dependant in the month of September??

Am I missing something?

Thanks for helping with this.

Suspension of HB

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