Hi, myself & my partner have just moved back to the UK from Spain along with our 1 year old daughter as my partner was made redundant. We have an appointment with the local Jobcentre tomorrow but before I go I wanted to be up to speed on what we might be entitled to. 1. We have been in Spain for 7 years, prior to that both of us worked in the UK. Would we be entitled to contribution based JSA or do your contributions have to be recent and if so, would we be entitled to income based JSA. 2. I have a flat that is currently rented. It was purchased in 2005 and there's a mortgage on it of £60K and I think it's currently worth about £90K - would that render us ineligible on capital grounds? We are staying with my parents just now as the property is rented. Any info/advice anyone has on this would be greatly appreciated. lisestar

Hello, I have been receiving incapacity benefit for ten years and receieve a payment fortnightly into my bank account. Like thousands of others recently, I have completed the new questionnaire in the last few weeks, and am expecting all sorts of hassle to retain my benefit. However, I would normally have received my payment yesterday (Dec 18th) but no sign of it yesterday or today. Would they have simply ceased paying me without notifying me, or is it simply likely to be pre-christmas payment problems ? Thank you

A friend has recently lost her Empyment support Allowance and is most distraught.It appears the assesment was rushed and bears little resembelence to her and her condition at all.Is this normal ?

please could i have some advice. ive had a letter from hmrc on my doorstep saying i have been claiming as a single person instead of joint. Im not going to lie on here, i have falsely been claiming benefits as a single person. we moved in together in oct 2011 and i would never think of doing anything like this and it was my estate agent who told me to do it. he told me to do the house application in my name so i did. after i signed he told me as i was down as a single applicant i could claim 25% discount on my council tax a stupidly i did! it then spiraled from there. i told hmrc i was a single mum and claimed tax credits. in april 2012 i renewed as a single person. i have also been claiming housing and council tax benefit as a single person for the whole time. when i got the letter i panicked and rang them i stupidly made up a story. i told them he moved in oct 2011 and moved out mid nov 2011 i then told them he stayed over 2 night a week to see his daughter. i said he moved in permantley in oct 2012. they said they had evidence he was living here the whole time. we have a joint account which we had before we moved in together and he opened a bank account at the same address as me. i just dont know what to do. they said i need to provide evidence he was living somewhere else and all i have is his tax return to april 2012 for his mums address. should i just come clean? if i do will they tell housing benefit? i could handle paying back to hmrc but ive heard housing benefit normally take you to court and i dont think i could handle it. im not claiming housing benefit anymore as on oct 2012 im really scared and i know ive done it to myself and there is no-one to balme but me. its making me sick and i cant sleep. Please help

I lost my tribunal today - there seemed to be a lot of assumptions and quite frankly, ridiculous suggestions. I have clearly demonstrated that I need care frequently - they've agreed; but claim I don't meet the criteria for mid rate care - yI know I do meet the criteria. Their arguments were: Me: "I wander off if I'm out" Them: You've got a tongue in your head, haven't you? Can't you ask people? Er, there's an assumption that someone is around to ask and that a) they can show me (you can't just tell me - I will still wander off) and b) understand me when I'm talking (Some people can't. A friends wife can't understand me at all - I once went to talk to her and then had to get him to speak to her) Me: "I trip over the dog" Them: "Oh, we all do that. Can't you put them outside?" Well, no. Mum works nights (therefore, sleeping during day time) and they'll just bark. It's not exactly fair on them, is it? Me: "I struggle with shaving and am allergic to wax" Them: You could always use an electric shaver" Funnily enough, I've tried that and I can't shave close enough. Doesn't solve the issue of leaving lines of hair everywhere. Now, I've either got to appeal to the upper tier or do a new claim or both. I really don't have the energy to do this. I have demonstrated that I do meet the criteria for mid care; yet, they've decided I don't. Or do you have to be unable to do anything for yourself to get mid care? They agree that I can't cook a meal (or could; but burn myself or the food) and that I need help during the day amounting to a few hours - why isn't that enough?

Hi All, Back in October this year I had a letter from councile saying I had been overpaid on both Council tax and housing Benefit Well I immediately got on the phone to sort the problem out, which then I was advised it was a problem within there system, and I had nothing to worry about! Great! Well then a few days later a letter confirming it was there error and no money owed! and all monies put back to where they should be. Also had a form to fill in with all who was living here and income for them, which I duly filled in, gave all proof as required, This is the same proof I provided a year earlier! 4 phone calls in the mean time to confirm my entitlement was all in order and I owed nothing! again Great! Well letter today saying I owe £500+ in HB and £160 in Council tax, and to recover HB, they intend on taking over £10.65 pw from the benefit, which would mean, I have to make that £10.65 up to keep my account in order! But I would presume I would also be liable for the amount of £12.40 pw, as the daughter still lives with us! Right on to my question, If they made the error over the whole year, and giving the facts that i gave all the correct information, Why should I be liable to pay for there mistake! Now they know they have made an error and I know I have to pay, I don't mind paying from now! I had asked the 4 times I called if it made a difference with my daughter living here, and claiming for her children, the reason was she was placed here via Children Services, as she needed help to care for the Grandchildren! They knew of our circumstances for the outset, they knew the income from the outset, So surely as it's there mistake should I be expected to pay the arrears, because if it was done correct from the outset we would of paid anyway! Do we have any template letters for this kind of thing, as I cannot find anything, or is it just a case of drafting one up explaining thier system and staff made the faults and I should not be liable for arrears but liable from now! Any help or advice is appreciated and will be taken on board to make my own decision! Thanks

hey guys and gals. im on minimum wage and work 42 hours per week. i take home around £230 per week, i also have two kids. i recieve 33 child benefit and 142 tax credits. im going to apply for housing benefit and my rent is £74 per week. do you guys think im wasting my time by filling in all the housing benefit forms?

2 daughters one at school aged 15 the other aged 16 she is 17 in feburary, csa being paid for both daughters, no problems all being paid. however the mother is claiming working 16 hours but is working 36, (proven, investigation in progress). 16 year old working full time no college, mother says shes at college, mother claiming everything, for both kids never declared daughter working full time shes still claiming family allowance csa, ect. csa notified, csa sent her letters, shes ignoring them, what happens next ?? p.s. in the meanwhile full csa for both daughters is still being paid

This is likely to be a move we will see from other Councils. It will surely affect those who entered the buy to let market before the credit crunch and find themselves with empty houses as the austerity measures bite. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20634448

Am looking forward to this:) should prove very interesting:) http://carerwatch.com/reform/?p=1246 Well done Pat:clap2:

hi all in november i queried why i had a disabilty premium on my housing benefit calculation form, i was aksed if i was in reciept of any form of disabilty benefit , to which i said no but i had been previosly, the person i spoke to looked back through the records i stopped claiming incapicty benefit in 2004, and claimed IS then started work in 2006 she said she was looking at the declaration i filled in which was achange of circumstance from which said i was no longer entitled to incapcity benefit.. then i recived a letter stating that i have an overpayment of £6051 in housing benefit and £2000 ish in council tax benefit. they have told me i now owe this amount as the disablity premium had been in correctly included in my housing benefit award from 2005 my question is does anyone have any advice on how to deal with this as i dont know where to start. i dont think i should have to pay this as they were in formed about my change in circumstance i wasnt aware i was receiving this disabilty premuim until a letter came through the door asking for proof of it and that is why i questioned what i was for . thanks

Hi, I am new to this so please bear with me! I am claiming HB and rent from a family member on a commercial basis. This is all ok with the local council. My landlord/family member is self employed and employees my husband for a few hours a week and will be able to give me a few hours a week from mid December. All goes through payroll and all above board. I did see that you can't claim if your landlord is a company and you work for them but if you can prove all above board then it's ok. Is being self employed different from being a company?? I don't want to do anything wrong. My husband pays tax and NI on his earnings. When I completed form HB1 it didn't mention this. Thanks for any advice you can give me.

Just wondering if anyone could help me regarding Housing benefit for next year! I am currently in a 1 bedroom flat and its from a housing association called (Calico Housing), I moved in on 30th of January of this year and I have been claiming housing benefit since then however I have heard that Housing benefit will be changing from next year and Just wondering will I be affected by the change? btw I am 26 years old! Any advice would be great, Cheers! Regards Shaun

This is long winded, but I will try to keep it short. This has been a nightmare! I married in 2001, and had my first child in 2002. Sadly, my turkish husband was not the man I thought he was(even longer story), and we seperated before my daughter had her first christmas. We briefly tried dating in 2004, then I found out he was living with a woman he was seeing. I then found out I was pregnant again (stupid). I barely saw my husband while pregnant, but he was there for the birth. While in hospital my car was torched outside my house. The newspaper came round to take a picture of myself with my two small children and put an article to try to help me find out who had done this. This terrified me, and because of this my husband decided to stay for a few days after the birth. Two days after, there was an early morning knock at the door. It was the benefits agency. I was questioned about my living arrangements with my husband. I was told that I was lying, that we had never seperated. I couldnt' answer their questions. My husband refused to give me his address. I was told that I must be lying because I had a child with him, and that it takes months to make a baby. I replied that it can take seconds, but they refused to listen. I had an appointment at the jobcentre a few days later for an appointment with a lone parent advisor. When I turned up the receptionist went to inform the woman that I was there for my appointment, and heard the woman exclaim loudly "you are joking! I am surprised she had the nerve to turn up!" It turned out that this woman was the one who had contacted the benefit fraud investigation team. A few weeks later I received the report for me to read. I read it through carefully, and typed my response. The point that I could barely believe was one that said "Her two year old daughter has a strong pronouced turkish accent". This was laughable. I have never heard a strong accent on a two year old, and why would she have that accent anyway, when she lived in bristol? I was asked to attend court, but this was a long distance from me, which I could not afford to get to, and I had two small children for who I could find no babysitter. As their accusations were so unfounded I was able to work my way through the document, and put my point across for each and every point. I though no more of it and posted it, fully expecting this to be sorted out. I was then found guilty at my appeal. Apparently my document that I had sent to the court didnt arrive until two days after the trial. Amazing, considering I posted it several weeks before. I wanted to appeal against their appeal decision, but was told that if I did this, they would have to stop my benefits for the duration of the appeal. What could I do? I had two babies to support. I had to give in . They decided to take £10 per week from my benefits, and have done since 2005. I will be paying them until 2016. The amount they wanted to recover WRONGLY is around £7000. Now, a few weeks ago I received a letter from my local council asking me to come in for an interview under caution about housing benefit. I went along, taking a legal representative with me. Apparently the was an overpayment of £1000 of my housing benefit when I moved. I was totally unaware of this. I went through the interview, recorded on CD. After the interview was over the interviewer told me that because I have previous problems with benefit fraud, that this could mean a criminal conviction for me! I was also told that if I accept responsibility, I only have to pay back the overpayment, but I would have a criminal caution on file. If I refuse to accept responsibility, then I have to pay it back but with an admin charge of 50% added on top. Fair? I really dont think so. I really don't know what to do. I really feel this is all so unfair. My children have gone without for so many years because of their mistake the first time. £4000 that I should have been able to spend on them has never been received. This "black mark" has gone against me when I did nothing wrong. I spoke to my legal representative after the interview, and he was disgusted by my story, and advised me to speak to a solicitor. I also plan to contact my local MP to see what he can do. Can anyone give me any advice. I have done nothing wrong!

http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2012-1830/ScheduleofproposedbenefitratesfromApril2013.pdf

Hi All A friend of mine (well my ex-husband actually), was who was on JSA was sanctioned awhile ago for failure to turn up for an appointment, apparently he was sick and couldn't attend and although he phoned them he was still sanctioned. A week or later he found a job on a building site that lasted a month. After the contract finished he went back to the job centre to sign back on and found that the sanction still applied until he met the criteria, which was to attend four appointments at the work program centre. Then his advisor found him another job which was to last until April, however after just one and a half weeks he was let go as the site they sent him to had their own ground workers that had finished another contract early and were brought back to the site where my friend was working and because he was a contract worker they let him go. He went back to the JC to sign on only to find that he is still on a the original sanction! He also told me that the four appointments would drag out until February which i think is a bit unrealistic, he also says that he can't claim hardship payment because as he is on a sanction he isn't technically on JSA. Is this possible can they carry on a sanction and leave him with no income whatsoever? Or do you think that something more is going on? Thanks

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20600442

In October this year we received a letter from our Housing Benefit Office stating we had been over paid. Now up to Feb this year my husband was in reciept of DLA our daughter was living with us at the time. She moved out on 6Th March 2011 And had a baby last September. I phoned the council as soon as I recieved this letter in October and they said they would look into it. Out of the Blue this morning I recieved a letter from the council stating I owe £450 rent. When I phoned the Benefit Office today they said it was because my daughter lived with us after my husbands DLA stopped, she didnt she had moved out the week after. they appear to have charged for her from Feb this year to October when I first had a letter They state I never informed them of the change and the fact that she no longer lived here, so they were entitled to charge for her. But I did I phoned them staight away when she moved. I am getting basic state pension and my husband is receiving ESA support Group. Any ideas what to do Please?

Hi was just wondering if anyone can offer me any advice. I split up from my wife 18 months ago and now have my own flat a couple of miles away. We have 4 kids together and get on a lot better now. At 3.15 every day i meet my ex wife on the way home from school with the kids and go to her house with the kids to help sort em out and get em ready for karate. I do this 5 nights a week as karate is 2 trips due difference in kids ages when theyv finished at karate i take them home and help get em ready for bed and put them to bed. I then go home again around 8.30 in the evening then at weekends we meet up to take them for days out. 6 weeks ago my ex wife recieved a letter from a compliance officer calling her in for an interview (we have the interview taped on my own device). To cut a long story short she basically said i was living with my ex wife and weve got 28 days to move back in together or fraud will get involved and sit on her front step. 28 days have passed and the matter was passed to fraud, however we recieved a letter from the same compliance officer today saying she wants to come and look around my ex wifes house next week. My ex wife phoned this person to say why are you coming round when i did an interview 6 weeks ago, and shouldn't fraud now be investigating the case as 28 days as elapsed. The woman's response was "FRAUD HAS DECIDED NOT TO INVESTIGATE AS THERES NO EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST I AM LIVING THERE" which begs the question why does she want to look around her house and is she allowed to considering fraud says theres no evidence to back it up, is she harassing us? I have my own flat where i sleep 7 nights a week i eat all my meals there and all my post goes there there is a council tenancy under my name, cctv on my flats which will show me entering my block of flats every night and coming in and out during the day the resident caretaker knows me and see's me every day and all my neighbours know me. I also have a lodger who can vouch i live at my flat so on what basis can they say my ex wife is committing benefit fraud and to demand to search her house? My ex wife is now saying i should just pick the kids up friday and have them till sunday but why should i lose out on seeing so much of my children growing up when we have done nothing illegal? Please could anyone help me out? Thank you.

why do I have to attend a medical for ESA, as I already have a job, which I will go back to. I am off with depression/anxiety, workplace stress. How can I prove it, I don't have the money to pay the doctor/consultant for documentation. And surely they will let me off wasting time, in the WRAG group. I will go to my MP if I have to.....

I know there are lot of these threads and I apologies for asking this question again but I couldn't fin a answer or find any resolved issues. So here's my story: I got letter from HMRC today saying: Your tax credit awards for 2011-12 as a single person. We have selected your award for checks because you have claimed as a single person and the information we hold about you shows Mr xxxxx might be living with you. if they are your partner you should have claimed tax credits as a couple. I Have tried calling citizens advice the helpline gave me no help and I cannot get in touch with my local office but it is constantly busy. I originally started claiming JSA and Child Tax Credits as a single person because my partner wasn't living with us and when he moved in he was waiting for a claim for student finance to be processed to I continued to claim. When his student finance was processed I was worried that we wouldn't have enough money for food, bills ect. so i have continued to claim. Now the girls are in nursery I have been looking for work but to no avail so far. I have no idea what to do.Do I wait to try and get hold of CAB or just phone HMRC and be honest. I am scared of what will happen to me. will this have a knock on effect with the other benefits. Could someone please give me some advice of what to do? Many Thanks in advance

Hi, I am in a very awkward situation, I informed the housing benefit that I no longer required benefit as I was leaving my current address. I assumed this would be all they needed. However they are now investigating. Basically this is what happened: I was made redundant in Jan earning approx £20k. My rent was £470 pcm inc bills in a "shared" house where the only sharing was a kitchen, we effectively had our own bed sits. I claimed Job seekers and housing benefit. I received the full housing beneift of £470 for 13 weeks then they lowered it to £50 p/w as they claimed i was in shared accomodation. I commenced full time employment on £20k March 5th, whilst claiming housing benefit. I was also still claiming Job seekers for 2 months whilst working. I stopped claiming job seekers around May and continued to claim housing benefit til August. How do I now proceed as I fear it will all come out and I will be sent to jail. The irony is my life is now in a very good position relative to years ago and I am prepared to pay the money back over time if I can avoid jail. The reason I claimed and continued to do so was that whilst redundant i built up various debts with loan sharks and have been struggling to pay them back. Will they take this into account? Any help gratefully appreciated. As an aside I have a past criminal conviction for fraud (obtaining loans by deception 2 x 1 years imprisonment and armed robber 4 years all convicted at the same time) does this make matters worse?

Hi everyone, really hoping someone can help here, as I have a friend with a problem. He's been in work for 25 years as professional golf instructor. This includes work here and abroad, he came home 8 years ago and work was still good. However, one golf course and two driving ranges have shut in this area, and he can no longer find work. This has been the case for 18 months. He is 49 years old, and currently has to live with his mother in a small 1 bedroom bungalow sleeping on the sofa. He has researched where he can work, and Reading seems to be ideal for him. There are 12 courses and ranges within walking distance of the main town, and he has been told he would be able to give lessons at 6 of them (he's waiting on responses from the others) Great so far. Except he needs to get down there, and set up. He explained this to the job centre, who told him to check a budgeting loan. Budgeting loans wont give money for rent. He tried a crisis loan, they wont give money for rent deposits. Only rent if you are short because of a miss-payment. HE can't register with the local job centre of reading and sign on, to start getting housing benefit there whilst he sets up, unless he already has a home there. Today, when trying to explain this, despite having work available for him down there. The Job centre flat out said 'tough' and that he will have to hope something shows up around here. That seems ridiculous to me. There must be some help he can get? some group he can join, some sort of loan or grant he can apply for... and I was hoping one of you VERY very smart people could point him in the right direction

Hi to cut a stupidly long story short.... we've paid 2012/13 council tax in full already, now I can't work and don't get either income JSA or cont JSA. Wifey works 30.5 hrs 11k pa approx. If we apply for council tax benefit now is there a mechanism to pay us back some as a rebate? Cheers!

Hi everyone, In a nutshell, my local council paid £850 housing benefit into my bank account which was £800 overdrawn through a few Direct Debits. RBS used the payment to clear the unauthorised overdraft, then closed the account advised me to seek alternative banking. The closing of the account isn't the issue here, I could have ran it far better than I did so cannot really complain. Problem is, I'm now £750 in debt to my landlord after withdrawing the remaining £50 for him. Prior to this, I was receiving housing benefit payments by cheque because of the overdrawn account (I requested this). I then requested payments to be made direct to my landlord. The HB claim was then suspended whilst the council decided they would not pay it direct to my landlord. The council then paid the rent for the suspended period (£850) direct to my overdrawn account. When starting the claim I provided my bank details, then changed the payment method to cheque because of the overdrawn account. At no time have I ever changed the payment method back onto bank payments, so shouldn't they have continued with cheque payments once it was determined they could not pay my landlord direct? It seemed to default back to bank payments. This was a year ago and my landlord has been understanding, giving me ample time to try and sort it out. What are the chances of getting this payment back from the bank this late after the event? My landlord's an OK guy and he deserves the money, even if it is a year later. I hope someone can help Thanks everyone