hello hope someone can help me i am currently living with a family member at the moment since i cannot afford to live on my own as i'm only on JSA. My housing benefit gets paid for and i am paying £25pw plus £25 extra a month for braodband so in total a £125 each month and i have worked out that the food is getting paid by me as well as the gas and electric so could someone please tell me if this is fair as there on benefits as well but they don't seem to put any money towards food shopping and there's 3 of us in the household thanks

Hi, I am currently paying a small amount every month back to my local council of housing benefit they say I was overpaid. The benefit was in my name only. My husband has just been told he will be inheriting some money. Will he have to pay back the overpayments or can I carry on paying it back monthly. The invoice sent to me from the council is in my name and when I was interviewed by the council they didn't ever mention him! Thank you.

My HB was suspended on 15th April due to a change of circumstance of partner moving in and making a joint claim for ESA. A decision cannot be made on my ESA until I have attended an ATOS medical assessment on 31st May I have not received any HB since 25th March and my landlord is now chasing me for eight weeks rent which is understandable. I have been to Shelter about this and my landlord has given me more time to pay luckily. I have also wrote to my local council asking them to pay my benefit based on the only income I have which is Child Benefit and Child Tax Credits. Today I checked my benefits online which I can do with my local council and my account is saying that the next payment is due on 17th June which will be 12 weeks benefit. Can HB only be suspended for 12 weeks and then a payment is released? Shelter has even telephoned my council to make a payment and they still haven't I have also read on here that if I email the CEO of my council, the problem will be resolved much quicker. Any help would be much appreciated.

I'll try and keep this as brief as possible. From 2007 to 2010 I was a full time uni student on a fixed bursary with two dependant children and a single mother. I applied for housing benefit and an official came to the house to complete the claim paperwork. I cant remember the exact figures but it meant that I had to pay roughly half the rent and the rest was housing benefit. About 12 months later I was told my rent account was significantly in credit because housing benefit had been increased, when I contacted them I was told the figures were correct so I adjusted the amount of rent I was paying accordingly. During the 3 years my child tax credits increased only due to inflation as did my rent and my personal circumstances never changed. At the end of my course in October 2010 I contacted housing benefit to report a change in circumstances and they came back to me saying I had been overpaid housing benefit. Initially I was told it was about £700 but they accepted this was likely to be their error and they were looking into it. A few weeks later they told me that in fact it was about £2000. Again I was told not to panic as "most" of it was probably their error. The final figure they arrived at was just over £5000! To say I am horrified is an understatement! For the past 2 years I have argued the fact that this is their mistake and have written 2 letters of appeal which they have "lost" on both occasions. The case has also been passed around to different people so it was hard to keep track of who I was dealing with and I was constantly having to repeat myself. A few weeks ago I received a letter saying that the council had taken the case to court and I had been found liable. If I had known it was going to court I would of liked to of had the opportunity to put my side to the judge. I have now been told I have to pay even though I dispute it. I was told to write them an income and expenditure and make an offer of payment. At the moment although I am managing to pay my bills I have some big expenses that are looming, car is due its MOT and I know it needs a lot of work doing. My son will be starting college soon and I need to buy equipment which will set me back nearly £300. The house is in a poor decorative state. My son has shot up in height and desperately needs new clothes etc. Anyway im waffling so I'll get to it. I made an offer of £20 per month and wrote a covering letter explaining my present circumstances and asked that they accept this nominal offer for 12 months and then look at it again when im hoping my circumstances would be improved. They have declined this offer and are demanding £50 per month for 6 months then £60 per month for 6 months and then they will look at it again! Its almost like they havent even bothered to read my letter properly. What do I do next?

Hi - I'd be really grateful for some advice. On Saturday I received a letter from the council to attend an IUC on 13th May regarding allegations of a fraudulent benefit claim. I'm a single mum in a rented house. I work full time, low wage, receive HB and CTR, and also WTC and CTC. I am married, but legally separated from Sept 2011 and began divorce proceedings in April 2012. I have a marital home (no equity) and a mortgage, my husband lived in that and pays the mortgage as I moved out when it became too difficult to live with him. I have a boyfriend who I met in July 2012. He stays over often, but lives with his Auntie. He is also separated and mid-divorce. He has a marital home and pays a mortgage and his wife and child live there. He moved out a couple of years ago, lives with his auntie, pays her food money etc, and also tops up her CT as she lost the 25% single occupancy discount when he moved in. All his mail etc goes to his home at his auntie's. We have no joint financial dealings at all, he just stays over and goes, my bills are my own, in my name and paid by me. He's great and we spend a lot of time together, but neither of us want to move in together, when financially and emotionally we are both in a big enough mess already with divorces, mortgages etc. My husband is being very difficult, won't sign divorce papers or disclose info about his pension etc. I am divorcing him for unreasonable behaviour. Last week his solicitor told mine that he wants to divorce me for adultery even though I didn't meet my boyfriend until after we split up. He has also accused me, in a solicitors letter, of living with my boyfriend. He is angry at my new relationship and causing trouble whenever he can. When I received this IUC letter my immediate thought was that my husband has tried to report me for fraud, saying that me boyfriend lives here or something. However, having googled and panicked all weekend, I now have another thought. WTC messed up my income and were underpaying me. When I applied for HB I submitted evidence, a copy of the WTC letter etc. WTC then rectified their mistake and my WTC went up to pay me back for the underpayment, some of which pre-dated my HB claim. I then got a letter from HB in Feb 2013 saying that there had been an overpayment of just over £1000 because of this. I appealed saying that firstly I gave them my WTC letter and everything correctly when I applied and WTCs constant mistakes are not my fault, and secondly that the Feb letter said that WTC had notified them of the change in Sept 2012, so I asked why they had taken 6 months to deal with it, letting an overpayment accrue in the meantime. All I have had since are a series of confusing award letters that are 20+ pages long from which I gather that they are recovering the HB part (£700) of the O/P from my benefit. The CT O/P of £300 was taken my DD from my bank at the time. Having googled all weekend trying to work out what's going on, thinking it must be an accusation by my husband, I have now established that HB might be considering the above O/P as fraudulent on the basis that I didn't provide info of my WTC increase?? It wasn't deliberate, they knew I got WTC, and WTC told them of the change. I'm self-employed so understanding how it's all worked out is a nightmare. The WTC and HB letters are dozens of pages long and computer generated so that there's no proper letter of explanation, you just have to interpret the amounts as best you can! I thought WTC were repaying me money from before my HB claim, it's so complicated. All I can think to do is ring the CAB... I have now been on hold for 56 mins! Any advice would be gratefully received, I'm worried sick. Thanks

Hi I have a serious problem. My incapacity benefit was stopped on the 4th of April, the first I knew was last week when it wasn't paid into my bank account (noticed on Friday 19th). Spoke to DWP today and they informed that it's because I didn't attend an ATOS assessment in Feb. The problem is... ATOS have never informed me of any appointments and this is the 2nd time it's happened in about 6 months. I even told the DWP that I wanted to make an official complaint about the failure to inform me. I live alone, no one else has access to my mail. If I'd received a letter I'd know about it and I put all appts on my calendar so I don't forget about them. These are duplicated onto my gmail calendar and I get a notification n my phone to remind me aswell. But the first I know of these appts is when I get the 'did not attend form' from DWP afterwards. The DWP didn't even send me a letter telling me it had been suspended. I am in full on anxiety/panic mode, over drawn at the bank and don't even have money to purchase food I desperately need help and advice on what to do.

Hi, I have left my current job after working for many years, i used to get partial hosuing benefit while at last job which stopped on 28/03/2013 i wrote to housing benefit with a change of circumstance form giving 1 months notice. They are useless, first they wrote to me stating they require proof of me stopping work and no income. So i sent via email as addressed on letter being the quickest way !. A copy of P45 and last wage slip as this showed holiday pay which you only get when you leave. They then sent me another letter stating my benefit is now suspended. So i get nothing NOW ! When i spoke to then they said they i did not send proof, i said i emailed on 5th April then she said oh i have the email here and started asking for December and January payslips, proof of any saving i have and how i am surviving as i am not claiming jsa or is. They are a pain in back**** to deal with any advice ? as i feel they keep making worthless excuses. I told them i have some money from my last job and they now want proof of this. I do not wish to disclose my bank statements as they will look for more issues to explore and delay my benefit. Please help as i am not experts at dealing with these people and need to know point of law of what they can and cannot request. I am looking to find another or become self employed so need advice on what i should say to them. As currently i have had to pay 1 months rent and looks like a few more at the rate they are going. Sorry for long post but i wanted to include all details

Hi all, To cut a long story short, I've been living with family for a while as I'm disabled but am trying to get some independence back and would like to try and move out. I'm self employed and work from home but have a relatively low income and think I may be entitled to claim local housing allowance. However, I can't find the income thresholds anywhere online, does anyone have any info on this or can point me in the right direction? I don't receive any other benefits so not really sure how to go about it. Thank you!

Hi, my neighbour has just received a letter requesting that they attend an ATOS medical for ESA at the end of the month. Only 2 weeks ago they attended and were awarded x amount % for industrial accident benefit. Surely they won't have to for another pain staking medical when they've only just had one. Seems pointless but of course now it's a long weekend they can't contact them to find out. Has anyone else had or heard of this before and had to attend a second one in such a short space of time?

Hi all, I have not had a Housing Benefit rise from Cornwall Council for 3 years. This is despite my actual rent, (private) increasing in February of each year. At one point, when I requested a rise from the Council, they actually Decreased it. I’m assuming that it was meant to blackmail me into not asking again. This year, they told me they are already paying the maximum allowed for someone like me (a single disabled man, on DLA, P.Credit [till next week – when State Pension kicksin], “as is legislated”). Question: Is there legislation that states that there should be no housing benefit increases for 3 years or longer ? If so,where can I find it please ? If not, which minister is likely to read a letter from me ? George Osborne (or office) doesn’t ! many thanks for reading

My 3.5 year old son has just been awarded DLA at the middle rate. I currently receive Housing and Council Tax benefit and am subject to the bedroom tax. Will his DLA affect my HB and CB? If so in what way? Will I have to pay more?

Hi everyone, I hope someone can help me I am a single parent on income support, claiming housing benefit and have had a baby, I sent in baby's BC over a month ago but still reciving the same benefit amount I was told by the benefit department that my claim would got from shared accommodation to 2 bed and that I would get more money close to my rent amount but that's not happened can someone please explain whats going on I just don't understand. Thank You

Hi, I’m new here and would really appreciate some help. I’ve read through many posts dealing with similar scenarios to the one I’m experiencing right now, but to be honest, they’re giving me even more to worry about. Two weeks ago I received a letter from my LA asking me to attend an Interview Under Caution. I have been claiming housing and council tax benefits for the last 3 years and cancelled my claim recently. Within 3 days I received the IUC letter. I have sought advice from a solicitor specialising in this sort of thing and he will attend the rescheduled interview with me in a couple of weeks. However, I have a few questions I wanted to put out to this forum – all contributions welcome, thanks. My solicitor told me that the investigators have probably already seen my bank statements, and herein lies a problem. Over the past 3 years there are quite a few transactions on my accounts that are not mine. I have a business partner whom I have allowed to use my main account when they did not have their own bank account. Monies have entered and left the accounts, but not all are mine. How do I prove to the LA that they aren’t mine? I was the sole claimant. Have the LA the right to interview my business partner under caution too, even though they have not made a claim for any benefits whatsoever? They had no knowledge of my claim and now I’ve told them what’s happened they’re scared of messing up in case it makes my case look worse. I didn’t declare this other activity to HB as I knew it wasn’t mine and what’s it got to do with my claim anyway? Sorry, but I think I’ve been a bit naive here. Is naivete a defence? Will my business partner be investigated/open to scrutiny too? My home is also the business address, and although my business partner doesn’t live here, they have spent some nights a week stopping over when we’ve been working. We are not co-habiting, our relationship is strictly business and friendship. Neither do we have any financial links, other than the bank account transactions. I’m worried that the LA will try to put them in the property, which would affect my claim as a single occupant. HB knew I was self employed when I made the initial claim, so it’s not as if I’ve had a business without their knowledge, but they haven’t been made aware of changes in circumstances over time, especially over the last 12 months. I realise I’ve been stupid, but I need to present a defence that doesn’t implicate anyone else, but at the same time I do need my business partner to back me up. I wish I could handle this myself, but without my business partner my case looks a whole lot worse. Also, I do have a history of stress/anxiety/depression issues and was retired from my profession on the grounds of ill health several years ago. I’ve already made an appointment with my GP because my mental state has been shot to sh*t since that letter landed a couple of weeks ago. I’m having difficulty functioning at the moment, sick with worry and cannot sleep properly. My business partner is scared that our names are going to be splashed all over the local paper and we won’t be able to hold our heads up when the sh*t hits the fan. We’re both scared witless and would appreciate some input. Many thanks

I am currently in receipt of working tax credits and I am also eligible for Council Tax Benefit of which I have been claiming for just over 12 months Recently my local authority has written to me requesting that I provided them with a copy of my self employed audited accounts? I prepare my own tax return each and every and have done so for a while. I do not run a business and therefore I don not see the need to employ a team of accountants to sign off my annual tax returns. Are they just picking me alone or has this become standard practice across the board for all self employed Council Tax Benefit recipients? In their letter they threaten to suspend my benefit if I can not produce audited accounts, what is my best course of action and how do I appeal against this. Thank you in advance.

Hi Guys I am currently involved with a Benefit fraud case and I am due in court next Thursday. I was overpaid housing benefit for 14 months. I was originally claiming JSA and Housing. Once I had a job i went to the Job centre and asked for these to stop, my JSA stopped but not my housing. I was sent a letter to go to an interview under caution but as I had moved this was sent to my parents address, I called and gave them my new address. They got this wrong and subsequent letters went to an incorrect address, including a summons for court. I was then arrested at work for Failure to attend court and taken to Birmingham Magistrates Court where Birmingham City Council produced evidence that I had never seen. Case was adjourned and I was provided with a duty solictor at the time, they have now told me if I plead guilty it would cost me £500, if i plead not guilty it will cost me £1500. I am stumped as to what to do. I did inform the council of change of details but they failed to act on them. Obviously the money was paid into my account. If i decide to plead guilty, is it worth having a brief? Can anyone advise on whats best to do? Thanks

My mother has fairly severe mental health problems that prevent her from working (bipolar and borderline personality disorder). She is in receipt of benefits due to her inability to work. Her father, my grandfather died leaving her £30,000. She does not want the money and wishes to give it to me to set me up for life and for my future. Once her cheque clears in a few days time she wants to give the money to me the same day. I am worried sick that this is benefit fraud and do not want her to get into trouble. I've tried to convince my mum to keep the money but she is flat out refusing and says she wants me to be able to put a deposit down on a house. Any advice?

I made a claim for ESA on the 5th april I have received the claim details today by post which i have to check and return I cannot see any ware on the form where i have to sign and date as correct, neither can i see them requesting further evidence such as doctors certificate The form is just what i stated on the phone when i made the original claim for ESA and is about a dozen pages Is this normal

Can anyone please can tell me if I will be affected by the benefit cap: I get: housing benefit : £74.84 Jobseekers: £66.58 weekly I am single and in a 1 bedroom flat, so going by these will I be affected? any help would be great thanks as I am just worried that I will be affected btw I am in a Housing Association.

Mike Dailly of the Govan Law Centre has written a guide on how to challenge a decision which can be downloaded from here: http://www.govanhilllc.com/brtax/ Although written with a Scottish audience in mind, all of the arguments apply equally in England, Wales and NI.

I have received a letter from the job centre stating "I am conducting an investigation into alleged criminal offences in relation to a claim to benefit." Try and keep it brief, on and off with ex for a number of years, have a 5yr old together then had a one night stand with the ex and another person around the same time and fell pregnant (despite using contraception) and have a newborn baby who I'm 99% certain is the ex's. I live on my own with the 2kids, claim income support, tax credit, child ben, and housing benefit. Ex came with me to register the birth of the newborn and is named on the birth cert, ex was homeless at this time and so his address on the birth cert is the same as mine. He calls in regularly to see the kids, and has stayed over a few times in the spare bedroom to help me out with the kids. The letter doesn't say what I'm meant to have done wrong but I'm assuming they think he lives with me which isn't the case. What happens at these interviews? I get tongue tied when stressed and want to know what to expect, if they have evidence of ex leaving my house which they may well have as he comes to see the kids can they prosecute me even if I say I haven't done anything wrong? The letter also hasn't come from my local job centre it has come from an office in a different county borough, does anyone know if this is 'normal'? Any advice would be great!

I received a letter stating my Housing Benefit would end in December. I hope to have a job before then but what if I don't get a job? Is there any other benefit I can claim instead?

Hi, This morning I received court summons for me to attend the Magistrates Court next month. I have been charged for committing benefit fraud as I claimed £1,234 (between 12/08/08-14/03/2009) and a further £13,635 (between 06/06/2009-07/06/2012) as I failed to disclose some savings that I had….To be honest I don’t know why I did it, greed I suppose… However, when the department wrote to me informing that I had been overpaid, I repaid the total amount back to them asap. I was under the impression that if this happened, the matter would end…However, I am now being prosecuted! This is my first offence and I have never even been cautioned by the police! I am deeply worried…I tried contacting solicitors to get advice but as it’s the weekend I can’t get hold of anyone! Can anyone help me please??? Realistically, what sentence do you think I may receive?

My fiancés mother is currently going through an appeal to get ESA as well as seeing someone about DLA. She plays up on her depression, she is just very lazy and wants everyone to do everything for her. She says she stays with her partner or with us (my fiancé, son and myself) 'sometimes', when really she lives with her partner and stays over at his house permanently (maybe going over to hers once a week to collect mail or to drink with family or friends if they are up, she recently got an anti social complaint warning in writing). She rarely comes to visit us and has never stayed over as we dont have a spare room and there is no need for her to stay when she has his house and her own. My fiancé is only ever down to go to meetings with her relating to her appeal, or to go to the doctors with her. He does not go up to look after her as she likes to write in her appeal forms. She has made him go to tell her doctor she is incontinent (when she isint, it's a pure lie, a lie that she is too embarrassed to bring up herself so she gets my partner to do it) and is hoping to be given pads as that would help her appeal. Her partner works, sometimes he's away for a few days and she is herself in his flat, where she takes care of herself without any problems. she can cook, clean and wash herself, but she has told her lawyer she can't do any of this stuff (to help her appeal). Her money goes on alcohol for her and her partner. Her house is a two bedroom and its a waste just sitting there empty with so many people struggling to find a house. Even though she doesn't live there, she is still in receipt of housing benefit. She recently told my fiancé to tell the housing she had to move a fridge and a microwave into her bedroom as she can't manage the stairs, which is a lie but she is trying to get hold of them to use for a housing visit. He took her to the doctors to ask about putting her medication up, the doctor refused as she has been on the same dose for years and never complained about it before, he wants her to sort out her alcohol problem and keep a diary of her incontinence (that she doesn't have). As my fiancé knows she is playing up on things, can he be found guilty of aiding and abetting? I am so worried. He ever I question him he says he will move out so I'm not involved, but I don't want my family ripped apart just because she's too lazy to go and get a job! I have never been in trouble with the police and don't intend to get involved in anything illegal for her sake. My fiancé seems to think they can't get him for anything, as he is just asking the doctor and agreeing with whatever his mother says, but I'm pretty sure that's all they need? Sorry it's so long, I'm just so concerned. We have a 4 year old and I don't want him being made to go through his daddy being arrested or whatever.

Hi, This is probably a stupid question, but my next Housing Benefit Payment is due today and I've not recieved it. Now I know it's a bank holiday and that they are new changes in the benefits (I got the letter for it, I get a bit less than I previously got, but nothing much). My question is: will I get it today or another day? Should I contact my LA an ask? Thanks in advance

I mentioned this earlier in someone elses thread so I don't know if it was picked up on so maybe someone might like to comment on this strange analogy by my local council. According to the latest award letter from my Local Authority they have stated that for my Housing Benefit the MINIMUM I need to live on is £305. Council Tax Support the MINIMUM I need to live on is £278 I know that in their wisdom they have decided not to include certain elements of benefits, therefore making your 'excess' income higher and so you pay more Council Tax but I think someone has seriously messed up here, or is it just me being pedantic. How on earth can you have 2 different MINIMUM amounts to live on depending on which bill you are paying ? I have tried getting an explanation from the 'Help Line' but the best I can get is "it's because of the changes in Central Government" .... I gave up after 10 minutes trying to explain that you can only have one minimum amount, cos if you have 2 different amounts only one can be a minimum. I then noticed that on my award letter they said my Weekly Council Tax Liability was £18.11, so having got a bee in my bonnet I checked my Council Tax Bill, which is £944.42 for the period 01/04/2013 to 31/03/2014 (52 weeks). For the record according to the Benefits department and going off my Weekly Council Tax Liability they stated, the total for 52 weeks(1 year) = £941.72 a difference of £2.70. I know it's not much but I am getting really wound up by now by getting no reasonable explanations, so I phoned the Council Tax Office and asked them how much it should be per week on my property over the year, you really couldn't make up the reply I got, "It depends how many weeks you work it out over":doh: I eventually managed to get through to her, that it was her department that sends out bills for a 12 month period, 1 year, 52 weeks ...... it doesn't matter how you pay or how many weeks you work it out over the property has a yearly/weekly Tax Liability. So she worked it out eventually and came up with £18.17 weekly Tax Liability. A difference of 6p to what the Benefit Office are saying. She advised me to speak to them about it as it was them that sent the letter, by this time I'm thinking there is a problem here, Council Tax Office, Council Tax Benefits Office and I'm getting 2 different amounts quoted from each .......left hand right hand spring to mind. So I phone the Benefits section and question the difference, and they said you would need to phone the Council Tax Office about it, I explained that I had and they said speak to you and she offered to phone them on my behalf. At this point I had already got a rope hanging from the bannister, so I just hung up sat down counted to 100 and thought......... what the hell have I just achieved. NOTHING.. I am no wiser as to any of my questions at all. Pete