General Chat

Hi does anyone know how housing benefit works. My daughter works 16 hours a week she has 2 sons she get housing benefit, help with child care(after school club 1 night a week)) and tax credits.3 week ago the benefit office send a letter asking her to take in her bills for after school club as they said her situation had changed,but nothing has changed. They have send a letter saying they are stopping her housing benefit because of this situation change. How she to pay her rent we do not know. The women as the benfit office was no help do not know were we go next. she was told you are on the sytem She has no money left till she gets payed. I love my daughter and grandchildren and we will do the best we can to help them but we only have x amount of money to live on to. Any information wilI help thank you

If you can't get the information you need from the benefits people, try Citizens Advice.

Maybe she has had a pay rise or bonus?

If she hasn't, her employer may have made some sort of mistake with the information they have sent in.
The same might apply to the afterschool/child care providers.

Tell her to contact Social Services - they might be able to give her an emergency loan while its being sorted out

As the amount is based on income and circumstances, each case is individual so it is difficult to be specific.

The letters they send out are, are computer generated from templates and are, in my opinion, poorly constructed, but it should state the reason why her benefit has been stopped and what is to happen next.

Has she provided the documentation requested three weeks ago?

Do not think even the Government completely understands how it works!!!!

But when in doubt about any benefits etc., the best place for help is as said before The Citizens Advice Bureau.

As InspectorGreenPen as stated ...
As the amount is based on income and circumstances, each case is individual so it is difficult to be specific.

She should ask to have her Case Worker`s" contact number and then phone them, to see what`s what .
Many of those on the front line desks are pretty inexperienced.
(She needs to speak to the organ grinder, not the monkey).

Some Citizens Advice Bureaux will give out limited advice over the telephone at a local level.

The organisation is also rolling out a national helpline which is funded from various sources.

To ring the helpline try the following:

If you are calling from a BT landline ring 08444 111 444 (will cost 5p a minute I think THIS NUMBER WILL COST UP TO 41p PER MINUTE ON A MOBILE)

If you are calling from a mobile telephone try 0300 330 0650 (if you have inclusive minutes then this will qualify and if not you will pay the same (or even less) as the cost to a normal 01/02 number)

She needs to inform her landlord.

I don't know much about housing benefit itself, but I do know that if the rules change (as might have happened in the budget), then from the Government point of view it is your circumstances that have changed - in relation to the new rules.

As several people have said, try the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Hi

Thank you everyone for the information Sandy

Tell everyone ....everyone who is "in " on her case ...

This is happening a lot ....DONT PAY THE RENT FOR HER

Please see the CAB who are SNOWED under so you may need to wait

AND DONT PANIC .....IT CAN TAKE WEEKS TO SORT

I will Pm you

same is happening to us at the moment
just tell your daughter to take all the info that she took when she applied for housing benefit and wait and see what happens

do not pay anything yet

hope you get it sorted

Please don't panic all Hb are asking for is proof and HB has been suspended until. It will be back dated if nothing has changed. I work in a homeless hostel and work with the local authority