Just read your post Soslasthope just thought I would advise you of the following because of a rule change in the 2005 you CANNOT claim the income support benefit with your incapacity benefit,the incapacity benefit is a TAXED benefit,as your council will gain knowledge of the amount of incapacity benefit you are/will recieve your council will calculate your housing and council tax benefit on your GROSS figure of incapacity benefit you recieve. You will be asked to furnish your council with details of ANY income that comes into your home,bank statements Etc,whilst on about the incapacity benefit you might be advised to put any dependants on your claim,even if you do not do this the DWP will put your dependants on your claim anyway! As I say your council will calculate your housing and council tax benefit on the GROSS figure and WILL deduct or reduce your housing and council tax accordingly,oh and one more thing your council might do a home visit which entails a representative of the councils benefit service coming to your house to interview you and secure proof of any income.

I do not know if anybody out there can help or advise but as my family and I are currently being evicted through no fault of ours we desperately need advice the facts are as follows. I was disabled out from gainful employment from the year 2000,we were forced to sell our home and rent it back from the purchaser,in the year 2005 due to rule changes in the benefit system we could no longer claim the Income support Benefit,from 2005 I have disputed the amount of Council tax and rent we were told we had to pay,the basis of our arguement is that the figures being used by our Council are INCORRECT ! We are in possesion of countless Council tax payment books and Benefit decision notices ALL with different amounts stated,some things that should be stated are I pay TAX on my Incapacity Benefit,the council make a further reduction in our housing benefit two deductions from a single benefit not legal as far as I can ascertain,our council calculate our housing benefit on the GROSS figure of benefits we are in reciept of. Because I pay TAX we CANNOT gain assistance from the Legal Aid system,can anyone offer advise please?

Just read needsomeinfo post one thing that has sprung to mind bearing in mind we do not know the reasons for his good wife to be claiming the IB but obviously I will stand being corrected,if a claimant has been in reciept of IB for more than 6 months the claimant would have been called in for a medical,if the medical agreed the claimant was entitled to the IB the claimant could claim DLA. It would be advisable in seeking compensation from the DWP but as in my case if you are sucesful please do not think of triple figures you will be very lucky to even be considered for compensation,with respect it would be far more beneficial for one of you to claim the JSA because the IB excludes you from claiming the Income support benefit,and you will pay TAX on the Incapacity Benefit which will EXCLUDE you from claiming other benefits grants loans Etc.

Oh solasthope just read your post I to require help I have been in dispute with my council since the year 2005,I to recieve the Incapacity benefit which obviously you know is a taxed benefit,my only comment is if your council are deducting money from your housing benefit that is a "Double Deduction" as far as I can ascertain not legal. Because the benefit is taxed one cannot obtain assistance from the legal aid system,in essance we pay tax to be as in my case disabled! You need to check if your council are making their calculations on the GROSS figure of benefits,oh and by the way if your council is like BIRMINGHAM city council they can get around the Data Protection Act and obtain figures of benefit from the DWP! I to would appreciate any help or sound advice please.

As a new member I need some advice to be as brief as pos I have incurred numerous interest and bank charges made by Lloyds TSB relating to a car purchase even though I surrendered the car back to Lloyds TSB, can somebody please advise me where I stand as now a debt recovery agency is now involved