How may Liability Orders on Income Support

[Poormum]

Hi,

I'm new to all this and wondered if anyone could help. Hope I've got the right forum, too.

I'm on Income Support with one school aged child. I don't claim Tax Credits because of a previous cockup and thus overpayment. I would rather do without. We live on 74.35 a week.

I'm being billed for two council tax bills for sons who left school but who weren't in work. Too embarassed to claim dole. I supported them but they ended up leaving home 'cos the council wouldn't pay the majority of the housing benefit/c tax until they signed on.

Anyway, local council billed me and have a liability order on my income support. This was for son no one. Now they have billed me again for second son who has left college. How many liability orders can they attach to income support? Today I have had a bailiffs letter threatening the usual stuff, but I am told that the council can only apply one liability order on income support at a time. Why are they bullying me with a bailiff when they can just add the bill onto my income support once the first one runs out?

The second liability order is wrong as my second son has not been living here since Sept and should be at least half of the figure they quote, even though they know this. They want proof of his new address, which they never asked for for son no one. And why do they have to do snoop visits so I can get the housing and ctax benefit? It's very demeaning.

Housing benefit has been reduced because of all this and so I'm in danger of losing my rented home. Repossession hearing is soon.

CAB appointments around here are booked up way after this hearing.

Any ideas?

feel like jumping off a bridge.

[tomtubby]

You need to visit the council offices to sort this out immediately as bailiffs are instructed.

If the figures are wrong, it is a shame that you did not sort this out sooner as you will have now incurred court fees of approx: £85.

I do not agree that you cannot have two deductions made from your benefits. The relevant statutory ruling states the following:

• Council Tax (Deductions from Income Support) Regulations 1993 S.I. 1993/494.

(4) Where at any time during which the Secretary of State is making deductions in respect of an application he receives one or more further applications in respect of the debtor from whom the deductions are being made, he shall refer those further applications to the adjudication officer in accordance with the following order of priority, namely, the one bearing the earliest date shall be referred first and each subsequent application shall be referred, one at a time and in date order, only after deductions under any earlier application have ceased.

[FairPlay77]

[

I do not agree that you cannot have two deductions made from your benefits. The relevant statutory ruling states the following:

• Council Tax (Deductions from Income Support) Regulations 1993 S.I. 1993/494.

(4) Where at any time during which the Secretary of State is making deductions in respect of an application he receives one or more further applications in respect of the debtor from whom the deductions are being made, he shall refer those further applications to the adjudication officer in accordance with the following order of priority, namely, the one bearing the earliest date shall be referred first and each subsequent application shall be referred, one at a time and in date order, only after deductions under any earlier application have ceased.[/quote]

I need to know on behalf of someone on Pension Credit whether deductions can be made from this particular benefit. Does anyone know the rules?