Income Support, Housing Benefit

[raspberry]

Hi,

I've been on Income support for a few months now, and the doctor's been telling me i need to get a job as that'd help with my problems. I'm planning to do a course in september, and for now I'm just going to leave the city, and stay with my parents. So i want to sign off from income support, but not go back onto jobseeker's, just sign off completely.

They've sent me a letter saying my IS is suspended anyway as i should have sent them a doctor's note a couple of days ago, so i'm going to see the doc in a few days and get a note saying i'm okay to go back to work.

I've been receiving housing benefit too, so i'll need to cancel that, should i just send 2 letters, one to IS, one to housing benefit people, as soon as i've seen the doctor? Just saying I'm not going to be on IS any longer, and I want to stop my housing benefit claim.

Do i need to mention I don't want to claim any benefits, such as JSA? Or will they just leave it at that?

Thankyou for any answers x

[Woozel]

Hi raspberry. If you wish to end your IS claim, then a letter saying as much should be enough. They may ask how you're going to support yourself if you're not going to claim JSA instead, however obviously you don't have to tell them.

If you end your IS claim, I think they get in touch with the local authority to inform them, so your housing benefit should be stopped too, but it wouldn't hurt to send both parties a letter, to avoid any misunderstandings.

[adamrao]

Well - normally you dont have to inform your housing benefit section about the suspension of IS as Job Centre would do it automatically. But to be at safer side you can tell Housing benefit about the change of circumstances. HB section will then send you a Change of Circs. form to fill and send it back.

If you have claimed IS more than 26 weeks then you are still entitled to Housing Benefit for next four week after the END of IS; it is called extended payments. You need to check with your HB Section as they should pay extended benefit till the end of period. This is your entitlement dont loose it.

You can write to job centre that you dont wish to claim JSA or anything. They can ask you WHY but you dont have to give any reasons.

It would be very helpful for you to contact organisations like Work Solutions, Working Links etc who help people going back to work. From CV to signing a contract they assist with everything.

All the best in future.

A

[raspberry]

Thanks both of you for the replies.


I wouldn't qualify for the extra 4 weeks HB you mentioned.

I had to pay a final month's rent in the place I was staying (covers the next couple of weeks), when I told them I wanted to move out, so I can still come back there and pick up my mail, but i'm currently staying at my parents' and not paying any rent etc.

So I suppose I should send a letter to the HB people and give them my old address for them to send the claim termination thing to.
IF i don't, and just cancel IS, is it be likely that i'd be overpaid, and they'd fine me or anything like that?

And I don't have to tell them what i'm doing to support myself? I thought they could chase after you?

[Woozel]

If you don't tell HB that you're ending your claim, you may be overpaid. I don't think they can fine you, but they can recover the overpayment. It's your choice whether or not to tell them howyou are supporting yourself - they can't force it out of you, although they may be able to advise other ways in which you could get help.

[raspberry]

Oh right, thanks, think I'll tell them if they ask, that I'm living at my parents' , and have just paid my last month's rent at my old place, and will be going back and forth until that month is up.

One last question, if that's alright..
my parents have told their council tax office that i'm been living at their place for the last couple of days and will be for a few months. Will the fact that i've been on IS for a few months and will be for a couple more days, affect how much council tax they have to pay? Or would it only do that if they phoned in to mention it?

Asking cause I didn't feel like I could tell them about my problems and being on IS, since it was embarrassing, and I don't want them finding out now. lame, i know.

[adamrao]

Hi again

Yes - if you'r not in the same property then there will be no extended payments of HB.

Now about how much your parents would have to pay... They dont have to pay any extra if they are already paying full council tax.

If your parents get CT benefit then one of them is a claimant and other is dependent and you will be classed as non-dependent and if you dont declare your income there will be a full deduction (Non-Dependent Deduction NDD) from their CT benefit on weekly basis which is about 25%.

The amount of deduction also depends on the Band of the property like A,B,C. Bigger property, Bigger CT liability, Bigger CT Benefit and then 25% as max. NDD.

Hope this answers the question.