I saw this on the news a few moments ago. Shocking. Full story and comments - http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/tenancies/prs-landlord-to-evict-tenants-on-housing-benefit/7001479.article

I received a letter today 9/1/14 dated 6/12/13. saying I need to attend an interview regarding benefit fraud on 16/1/14. I don't even know what I'm supposed to have done. The only benefit I claim is Carers Allowance for my dad. I telephoned the number and asked to speak to someone regarding the letter and the man I need to speak to isn't in the office until Monday. I am very worried and scared as I have read some awful things on the internet. I have a 7 year old daughter and a husband that's about to go into hospital. I haven't eaten all day and have given myself a headache. My parents both ill health picked up straight away that something was wrong and I had to tell them. My mother has been in bed most of the day ill due to his letter. I'm worried about the interview. Am I allowed to take my mother or husband in with me? Do I need legal representation? Please Hel

http://www.focusondisability.org.uk/brates-1.html Can admin please post this in the sticky for the new benefits rates? Thanks. It's closed.

This might be quite long winded but I might as well start from the beginning. In 2002 I was diagnosed as being Epileptic and claimed long term incapacity benefit for many years until DWP notified me that my benefit would move from ICB to ESA, from recollection this was early 2012. I only provided 2 sick notes the entire 10 year period I was claiming ICB as they noted on my file that I was entitled for an "indefinite period". Eventually I went for a medical so that I could be put onto ESA but for some unknown reason I failed the medical and was told I did not qualify, even though I was in receipt of ICB for nearly 10 years. I appealed the decision, but DWP stood there ground and I was eventually told that I needed to move to Income support as I was receiving an underlying entitlement of careers allowance as I have a disabled son that I was caring for. I ended up getting income support and careers allowance along with my DLA, until my relationship broke down in early 2013. In February 2013 I left the family home, and stopped caring for my son, the careers allowance transferred to my ex partner, this meant that I was no longer entitled to income support. After taking some advice from DWP I made an application for jobseekers allowance later the same month and have been receiving that ever since, along with my monthly DLA. Over the past few weeks my Epilepsy has been getting worse, I went to see my GP this morning and he asked about my benefit, he was still under the impression I was getting ESA as his medical report in 2012 stated "in his belief I should be transferred to ESA". He was a bit shocked to learn I was no longer on it and had been getting JSA since February 2013. Anyway he has recommended that I make another ESA application today and he provided me with a medical certificate valid for 6 weeks from today 07/01/2014. When I returned home from the doctors this morning I telephoned ESA to make an application and was told that I needed to contact JSA to get my claim closed down before I could proceed with my ESA application. I telephoned my usual advisor at my local jobcentre as I have her direct line number and talked to her about closing my claim. She has said to me not to close my claim until I next sign on because if I close it today I will have to wait a long time for my final payment. I am due to sign on, 09/01/2014. We had a lengthy telephone conversation in which she stated she shouldn't really be telling me to sign as normal on Thursday but she wouldn't want me being without any money for a long period of time and that she started her job 25 years ago to help people and the at the moment she feels as though the process is just making things as difficult as possible. I think she was basically doing me a favor and I have agreed to go along with what she said so that I get my usual 2 week JSA payment on the 14/01/2014. The only thing that worries me now is the fact that my medical certificate is dated today and if I wait until the 14th to make an ESA claim are they not going to wonder why I didn't make it as soon as I knew I wasn't capable of work?? I don't really want to get my JSA advisor in any trouble as she was just trying to make sure I didn't go without money. Can anyone offer me any advice on what they think I should do, go along with her advice, sign on as normal, wait for my payment, then sign off and apply for ESA. Or should I do as my documentation states and notify them straight away and stand the chance of not receiving any benefit for quite a few weeks?? HELP!!!

Not all benefit payments, but some (JCP says 32,000 claimants affected) have failed to receive payments due today. These people are urged to contact the DWP urgently to arrange payments. Sorry I didn't see this story earlier.

Hello everybody, I am new to this forum, so HELLO EVERYBODY and thanks for the support you offering - it is precious I am desperately worried that I can be refused Housing Benefit, in which case I wouldn't be able to afford paying the rent and finished up living on the streets, please help if there is somebody with some expertise on this issue. My situation is as follow: I married for 19 years ago and moved in into my husband property which he already owned. He remains the sole owner of the property; I was never added to any property deeds and he always was responsible for all bills related to the property such as mortgage, Council Tax, utility bills etc. He also never supported me financially; we never had a shared account, credit card etc. I worked first, but later developed serious mental health problems and relied on Incapacity Benefit and now State Pension (I am 62 years old) and Disability Living Allowance, which I am awarded indefinitely at a highest care component rate and lower mobility component rate. Over the years our relationship irrevocably broke and it come to the point, when it become impossible and detrimental to my mental health to continue to live with him in the same home. I recently found a flat and sign the tenancy agreement with a private landlord, to whom I am not related in any way. I don't know if this has any bearing on the case, but the flat is in the different borough then the properly I moved out from. While filling the Westminster Council HB form I came across the question: "Were you able to afford rent when you moved?" Obviously I had to answer "No" to it. On further research it transpired that there is a rule, I believe 7(1)(1), in the Housing Benefit regulations, called Unnecessary liabilities -whether the claimant can be refused Housing Benefit on the grounds that she or he has taken on an unnecessary liability, which they already knew they could not pay, and which they could have avoided and still been adequately housed. My ex husband is of old age (82y) and of ill health himself, and he continues living in the house, which is his only property. There is no way I can move back to live with him, so if I can afford paying the rent, the only option open to me would be to live on the streets. I don't think I could cope with that. I am quite desperate with the whole situation, I saw a glimmer of hope when I found the landlord who would accept a tenant in my position and was able to move out from the very difficult situation and start to rebuild my life, but now this seems to be sleeping away from me. I would be very grateful for any clarification on the issue and where I can find help if the council refuses me the HB. Many thanks to you all - M

Why does housing benefit pay the full cost on a rented property (£400-£500 per month) but will only pay the interest on a mortgaged property £80-£120 per month. leaving me over £300 to find while on Employment and Support Allowance of £71.20 per week. Surely this is discrimination against the house owner. Is there any way round this . I would love to challenge this ruling in the courts. does anyone know where/how to start proceedings.

The sheer volume of inefficient and unethical changes to social security this Government has enacted means some of it doesn’t even get noticed. So, here’s five benefit changes the government doesn’t want you to know about. 1. Disabled people denied a key benefit have had their right to appeal reduced 2. Long-term sick people are having their benefits sanctioned ... for being sick 3. 50,000 disabled people are being cut out of work 4. There’s now a one-year limit on hundreds of thousands of people’s sickness benefit 5. Eviction letters are now including veiled threats to remove people’s children http://www.newstatesman.com/2013/11/5-benefit-changes-government-dont-want-you-know-about

Hi I would be grateful for any advice . I am a single parent at university on housing Benefit I informed Housing Benefit I was at university and believed everything was fine however 3 years later after one year at Uni , one year on Income Support at home and last year at Uni ,with one and a half years to go to finish my course , Housing Benefit wrote and asked to see all my bank statements for year 2010 sept to july 2011 . I sent these to them , now they have asked to see every bank statement I have had for last three and a half years and want documentary evidence for payments out of my account , They are also asking for bank statements for an account I do not have. The amount of paperwork is huge .Are they allowed to ask for so much personal information some of it will be very hard to get . When I moved into where I am living it was unfurnished and my ex partners mother bought me furniture and I have been paying her back as I am able but obviously after 3 years she will not have receipts and also it is personal information ,Also other payments they are querying are rent payments despite them being labelled rent and them having tenancy agreement with my landlords name on ,I do not want to contact my landlord for a confirmation letter because I do not want him to think there is a problem with my rent ,Also they are querying a payment into my account of 130 from my sister which was just to help me out ,they are saying this was an income is this correct Thanks for any advice k

hi, can anybody help me with an appeals letter for the dwp regarding a £2700 overpayment? I have a solicitor who says i need to appeal but i am unsure how to proceed? many thanks

Hi, I wonder if you could help? My mum is disabled, has been for over 15 years now following an industrial related illness. She receives HB and other Benefits (not sure exactly what), she only ever had the one job and last year received a triviality payment in relation to the pension she had, this was a grand totla of £300 (she was only employed for a couple of years). She has had her HB stopped and told she must go in for an interview under caution as they have evidence that she is receiving a pension which is being paid into undisclosed bank accounts! This is ludicrous, my mum can't switch on a computer let alone commit fraud! I am really worried about her, she is not well at all and does not cope with stress, she is distraught and very nervous, especially as my father is her carer but not allowed into interview with her. Does anybody know if we can insist on her having someone present at the interview? And also any ideas on what she can expect at the interview? I have advised her to just remain calm and insist on seeing their evidence so we can prove it is wrong, I have also said if they ask her anything she doesn't understand she is to say she doesn't understand and declines to answer. Any advise greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hi all, I really hope someone can give me some advice, I would be so greatful. Heres my situation.... I have 4 children and I am currently on my final year of study at university, on a social work degree. I was the happiest women alive when I got into uni, all i've ever wanted to do is help people I had no qualifications and a difficult past so bettering myself and my childrens future was all I ever wanted. I now feel depressed, manic and made to feel like a criminal - I have never been in trouble for anything in my life and always played by the book. I cant stop crying and ive lost nearly a stone through all the stress so please don't judge me- I cant cope. I started uni in 2011 and was receiving hb and ctb as my partner was on a low income. I genuinely at any point did not think that my student loans were classed as income - how can something that is paid back with interest be classed as an income?? I obviously now know that they are and that I really should have done my homework!! I am in no way excusing it but I was so bogged down with uni work, assignments, family life etc that I didn't even think to check. I had an IUC back in August, I was honest and gave all the information re SF etc, I asked how the benefit is worked out and was told it was a complicated system and I would hear in due course. I then got a letter about a month later saying they have calculated it and I was entitled to full housing benefit, more than what I was getting b4! I was confused but so relieved, then I received another letter a while later saying there had been a £7000 overpayment. I have started paying this back and have agreed that I will clear the balance with the remainder of my student finance payments for the rest of this year and next. I then received a letter yesterday stating that the council are instigating legal proceedings against me, I am absolutely petrified about whats going to happen and the detrimental effect it will have on my course/future career. I know its easy to judge and think this was deliberate but I genuinely was unaware I was doing anything wrong. Also My son has a disability which he has suffered with for 4 years, I know I would be entitled to DLA but have never claimed as I feel it is immoral to receive money just because my job is harder as a parent!! If I was 'out to get more money' I would have never taken the risk (knowing the impact it would have on my future) and would have just claimed DLA! Can anyone please give me some advice on what happens in court etc. Thank you in advance xx

Applied for housing benefit to the local council,and now receive the same. Brief circumstances.Live in private rented property, 2 bed house,the council will only pay benefit based on a 1 bedroom flat as there are just 2 adults and that would be the only property we would be entitled to live in for benefit purposes,based on their calculations.The rent they say for a 1 bed flat is £200 less approx than we pay in rent so the benefit although helpful,is much lower than their benefit online calculator indicates. We also get 9pence per week benefit towards council tax Is this the normal method of calculating housing benefit?? thankyou FS

Im hoping someone can give me some advice on this please. Its really getting to me and Im at my wits end at the moment. Here goes. Up until 2011 I had a really good job, never claimed any benefits. Come November 2011 I was made redundant, but luckily got a new job two days later (on about half the pay). We lived on the wage from the new job and the redundancy for about a year (used it to repay debts etc). My new job was with an agency. During February 2013 the company who used the agency said they were not going to renew my contract, but offered me a permanent job starting 1st March 2013 (on slightly more money). The HB and CTB payments continued. Fast forward to April 2013. The company I worked for lost their bid to extend their contract with a national company they worked for. The work was awarded to another company. I was transfered to the new company via TUPE (Wages unchanged), Now this company is undergoing a restructuring plan, and I am uncertain whether there will be a position for me. Whilst looking at my finances this week I realised I had never told the council about the increase in wage back in April. It just didnt register with me at the time due to all the stuff that was happenig at work and the threat of being made redundant twice in the space of 4 months. Llke I said I just dont know what to do. I know I should contact the council and tell them but im so scared of what the result will be I just cant pluck up the courage to do it. Its really starting to affect me now, Im not eating, not sleeping and Im being physically sick at the thought of what might happen. Can anyone help please?

Hi there folks. Well where do i start..... last week my parents were called to the job centre only to find out someone had accused them of committing benefit fraud. My father has physiological issues including bipolar. My mother is his full time career (has been for 21yrs) Someone had told the benefits that my father is doing jobs on the side which is total bull! My father was told to do his own gardens as its therapeutic and my brother sometimes uses my dads drive to fix his own car but thats it! along with an awful lot of other very fine details to what is where in the house which have nothing to do with anything. The interview went well for them but there wasn't enough time so they need to go back. In the interview, myself and my husbands names came up. Someone had claimed that we and our 3 children are living at my parents house and falsely claiming benefit.... i haven't lived there for 10yrs and my husband never has! They also say my husband is falsely claiming for his condition which is total nonsense! We have piles of paper work, appointments, specialists and doctors notes to throw at the job centre. Also, i apparently work as a cleaner on the sly. As the job centre told my parents that most this info has come off facebook i can only assume someone had seen my job title as part time cleaner and took it litterly! (3 kids, a very ill husband and a small 'farm', all im doing all day is cleaning!!) We've done absolutely nothing wrong but im still very worried! I have no idea what they got off facebook apart from the cleaning thing so i don't know how they can claim it was all off there. ive gone through my profile with a fine tooth comb and even though i knew it, ive never mentioned my parents or these claims in this context! Is there any way of obtaining such 'evidence' they hold? I would very much like to know who has done this as the job centre said to my parents 'there closer to home than you think!' Our interview in tomorrow. Im not looking forward to it at all as it means dragging my husband down town when he has no strength to do so and our autistic daughter having a meltdown if were out in the dark and not at home at teatime! what a farce!! Any advice would be a great help. Tia x

I have just been reading this and it makes me sick, can't believe how many people have been sanctioned due to no fault of their own. It clearly looks like the goverment is trying to get loads sanctioned so the tory b***ards can save loads of money in their rich pockets. Is anything going to done about this? or is it going to get much worse? I am sure the goverment like Iain Duncan smith and David Cameron are really happy that their are causing people's life a misery and poverty. http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/788/17741/13-11-2013/benefit-sanction-figures-expose-tory-lies I just hope I get a job very soon before it gets much worse, I hate been on Jobseekers. I don't like it 1 bit.

Hi All, Been trying to find out what benefit is my partner getting, as in how much a month and we are getting nowhere. Short story me and my partner are planning to move in together somewhere next year and are trying to work out financial side of things. Brent council is very unhelpful here. Currently she is getting child benefit for 1st child, child tax credit and some other. She is a part time student, full time employed at just under 16k a year and a single mother. No help from her X. As mentioned we are trying to work out how much she is getting in benefit bar child benefit as that is fixed. She does not see any of the benefit money (again except child credit) instead she is paying reduced rent while council covers the difference. House is rented via council so they only tell her how much she needs to pay for rent. We tried calling them but just get pushed around. All we managed to establish is she is getting one single benefit that is a mix of few older ones (housing, child tax credit, working tax credit). No idea how much she gets in total. We need to know how much is benefit so we know how much she might be worse off when I move in. I am getting 24.5k so we are certain she will loose all benefits? We were also thinking for her to go work part time to help with university. Would she, we be entitled to some benefits if she did that taking in to account I would still work full time with 24.5k. At the moment it looks like council does not want people to know how they work out benefit or they also have no idea. Of course as usual when you try to be honest they duck you up.

Please dont judge, i honestly feel so sick, i cant sleep, and i cant eat. I need help asap. I have a partner, who doesnt live with me, due to the fact hes getting help for anger problems, and tbh we cant afford to live together. He stays on his mates sofa 3-4times a week and then at mine the rest. Obv he leaves for work and comes home when hes staying here. He pays £100 to my landlord for the extra hb doesnt cover, which helps alot else i would be in debt. He doesnt pay any other bills,apart from halfs on sky internet, which he uses when he stays. we have two children together, he has never "lived"with me, apart from when we lived at my mum n dads for a year, but he had his own room, and paid rent. I have a feeling i know who has "grassed" on me, a women we had a kind of thing with a year ago. OH ended up cheating on me with her. I finished, He realised what he did, so stopped it with her and came back to me. She was jealous, and said some very hurtful things, and did hurtful things. Anyway, heres the awkward bit. Were engaged. He proposed last year. weve set a date for July 13th, and have gave notice of the marriage. So i dont know if there going to believe were not living together, even though we have two children and are "getting married". Although the wedding is on hold until he sorts his anger out. He has until Jan. I feel sick everyday, I have postnatal depression, which is all time high, So feel like breakingdown all the time. Forgot to add, he did stay with me for a few weeks this year, As my depression got so bad that i couldnt even get out of bed. [my mum passed away two years ago]. WHAT evidence could they have on me? I know all his bills ect does get sent to the house. what am i going to do? i cant live without my own money, i feel sick and worried

Hi Folks, I moved to Edinburgh whilst looking for work. I'm on IB-JSA and applied for Housing and Council Tax Benefit. I have been awarded both but not the Second Adult Rebate that I specifically applied for. I share the flat with another person who is in Full-Time edcuation and there is no-one else. As far as I'm concerned, to quote the Council's website: "The highest amount is 100 per cent of the council tax due on the property. To qualify for this you must be a full-time student and the person who has to pay the council tax and all your second adults must be receiving ... Income-based Job Seekers Allowance." Now, I have been awarded a Council Tax reduction, although it doesn't say on the document what is the percentage and why this much (and why Second Adult Rebated wasn't awarded). I have calculated that the reduction is circa 41%. Even though, first - according to what the Council writes itself, I can legally claim 100% reduction, second I simply can't afford to pay £200 in November, and then £205 in December, as they ask for. With the rent, gas/electricity, and (reduced) Council Tax), I'd literally have nothing left. In fact, I'll have to sell things to buy food! Any suggestions how should I persue the Council to award me the Second Adult Rebate which I'm legally entitled to?

Hello, Had a home visit for DLA. First letter was postmarked a Friday with a 2nd class stamp for an appointment on the following Tuesday so only got the letter a few hours prior to the appointment. therefore rearranged it as no notice given, have kept envelope and letter Atos said they do not need to give any notice and they posted in plenty of time! Can anyone advise a link to guidelines were ATOS state the notice period that they have to or should give? Dr that turned up introduced himself as a current GP. However he is not on the GP or specialist register. When confronted with this at a later date - he has now said he didn't say this. However an audio recording was in place for personal use. Dr ignored aids I use and what he was told, stating I need no help - basically he has written a false report to say no care help required despite various reports from experts being ignored. Despite not being a current GP he carried out a physical examination and an eye test - GMC complaint maybe? Dr then went on to diagnose that I had a severe mental condition and suggested I should start treatment - news to myself and medical team. Something made up from a line I said about feeling a bit low at times. Have done an initial complaint via ATOS but it's they're stating the DR didn't do any of that and he is right and I'm wrong attitude - they haven't stated where to go now - what's the next level of complaint I can take? Any advise folks?! Thanks!

Hello, I'm trying to find any information on Housing Benefit underpayments as I've not seen or heard of this before. There are 6 different entries on my benefit calculation stating xxxx has been recovered against underpayments (x 6) these amounts add upto around £1500. What does this actually mean to me they owe me or I owe them as the letters are very confusing? Thankyou for any advice.

Afternoon, I am posting on behalf o my mother. First of all a brief background. 3 years ago my father died, prior to that he was in a Residential Home who cared for him due to him suffering from the latter stages of Alzheimer's. He had ben in there for around 3 years prior to his death. Whilst he was in the home my mother had 2 hip replacements also. My father was the sole wage earner, my mum had never worked as she had no need. She also never claimed benefits until my dad went into a home. All of the private pension that my dad had (around 800 per month) while he was in the home was taken by the home to pay for his care along with his state pension. My mum literally had nothing to live on and given that she could not work due to her hips received benefits to help her out. Included in these benefits were housing and council tax as she lived in a council house. These benefits were paid directly to the local authority. My dad died three years ago and his private pension was turned over to my mother. As part of the benefit review she was asked to fill out all sorts of forms, no really knowing how to do this she asked for assistance and she went to meet a representative of the local authority/benefits office and she took all of her bank statements and letters regarding my dads pension with her. They filled the forms out for her and took them to process whatever benefits she should receive. They calculated that she should still receive the housing benefit, which meant that she only paid a small proportion of the council house rent and that she would receive council tax benefit so she had to pay no council tax. This was pretty much the same for the next three years. Now she is of a pensionable age and receives a state pension a further review has ben carried out and she now receives no benefit at all and she is happy to pay her full rent and full (Single occupancy) council tax. However it seems that during the review they have found that she should not have had any benefit for the last 3 years since my dad died as she was receiving his private pension of around £800. They have advised that she now owes £13k. She has ben to a meeting today with the local authority, which is Staffordshire Moorlands, under caution and they have advised that they have reason to believe that she is guilty of fraudulently obtaining the benefits as she never told them that she was receiving my late fathers private pension. I find this quite ludicrous, all she ever did, as neither my mother, myself or my brother, knew anything about the benefits system, was take the bank statements, which clearly showed any income (the private pension was paid into the only account that she has) and she also always took the details of the private pension with her. At no time has she attempted to mislead anybody and to be quite honest she would not know how to mislead somebody as she has no idea how the benefit system works. So for the last three years she has had a benefit she thought that she was entitled to having had the member of the LA or benefits office fill out the details of the form with her. She had no idea that she was not entitle to this benefit. It is my opinion, as a relative layman, that as she has not set out to mislead anyone and that it seems that the error has been made by the LA or benefits office then she should not be expected to pay back the money that she has been paid. At least not the £50 a month (at least) that they are now demanding. She has ben threatened with court proceedings and prosecution today should she not agree that she will pay all of this money back. I have done a little research and I have found this rule: "(2) Subject to paragraph (4) this paragraph applies to an overpayment caused by an official error where the claimant or a person acting on his behalf or any other person to whom the payment is made could not, at the time of receipt of the payment or of any notice relating to the payment, reasonably have been expected to realise that it was an overpayment." My view is that this is exactly what has happened with my mother and I intend to fight this. However I would appreciate any input anyone has on here that may help. Also can I request from the local authority (or more accurately can my mother) all details that they hold on her and any prior meeting that have been held where assistance was given with the filling out of forms. Finally as a coincidence the lady that my mother always met to fill out the forms does not work for the LA/benefits people anymore so cannot corroborate my mother's version of events. thanks in advance for your help Mark

hubby is on esa ib and we receive ctc for our 4 children now we have one daughter who is coming home after her contract has finished will our housing benefit change we receive full housing benefit now and she will be on jsa will we have to pay any housing benefit x

Hi, I'm a 60 year old man and have suffered severe depression for the past 14 years. During that time I have been investigated for benefit fraud about 6 times. On each occasion I was found to have done no wrong. During the past two years I have been accused of LTAHAW. Subjected to Crown Court prosecution etc. In January a Tribunal agreed that my landlady and I are not a couple. Reversed an IS decision and stated I was entitled to HB as a 'passported benefit'. The HB appeal was heard at the same time, but at the last minute the council asked that REG 9 be considered. This caused an adjournment and a further hearing. I lost at that hearing. I appealed for leave to appeal to the Upper Tier. This was refused Frankly I don't know the law or how to do this. I'm alone and don't know how to argue the matter or what to say. Losing makes me liable for about £12,000. Can someone help? Or point me at someone who can? My local CAB are overwhelmed by work and daunted by the complexity of the case. Time is running out for me.

Hi What can I do please? My ex has been awarded child benefit and tax credits for our youngest son. He has clearly told the relevant bodies that he has our son more often than he has. I usually have him more especially when my ex is away on holiday with his new girlfriend. He refuses to share the money he receives and does not and has never paid a penny towards the children. Our 14 yr old daughter lives with me full time and doesn't want to see her father. Our 18 year old son lives between here and his girlfriend and doesn't spend much time with his father, especially now as his father is demanding £40 or our son's £55 job seekers allowance. My ex is self employed and has told me that if I approach CSA he "can hide his money" - he has his own business so why has he been awarded the child benefit and tax credits when he doesn't need them. I am struggling every week with my new partner who is paying for children that aren't his, although he doesn't mind, their own father should be paying toward them. What can I do? I have already appealed to the child benefit and tax credits people and got nowhere? Any help would be appreciated. Regards