Housing benefit admin penalty & summons ***WON***

[surprise]

Well done for sticking to your guns. Keep us posted.

[surprise]

Just told my daughter the outcome, she has said she has never heard of an Authority offering an admin penalty once taken to Court. You must have them on the back foot.

[silverfox1961]

HI Bubblzee,

I have been on tenterhooks all day:smile:

I'm so glad you have legal aid. At least with the adjournment, your brief will be able to go through the paperwork and hopefully sort something out from the mess that your council caused.

If the council want you to accept an admin penalty then i think their case may be a bit shaky and they don't really want it to proceed to trial. Good on you for telling them where to go.

It's only scary because it's a new thing but once you've "been there, done that" it's not so bad.

I'll wait for the next instalment with bated breath.

 

fox

[bubblzbee]

I think they were hoping I would accept the penalty, and back out.

I am going to keep fighting. Will be glad once defence complete with solicitor.

I am still awaiting a response from the Chief Executive regarding my complaint that was forwarded from the ombudsman.

I will update as soon as any more news

[surprise]

I think they are probably hoping this one will go away especailly as they must now be aware of the complaint to the Ombudsman. I have a feeling you will wait until the deadline for them to reply, whatever the Ombudsman stipulated.

 

Don't let it get you down and worried but keep us posted.

[bubblzbee]

No news to report yet, still have not heard anything from the council. Case pending, will update as soon as news.

Thanks

BB

[silverfox1961]

Hello. long time.

oh bum, i thought you'd have some news but as they say, no news is good news.

hope everything is otherwise good.

 

fox

[surprise]

This is so spooky - my daughter rang me at 7.15 and asked whether you had heard anything. I said I presume she hasn't been as there have been no new posts.

 

Its obviously not so cut and dried as they must have thought it was.

 

I am sure if they were in the right you would have heard by now.

[emmaf01]

Just subscribing- I hope you get some good news soon. Having had many mucked up dealings with both Council and Housing Benefit departments, this is really interesting.

 

I really think you must have them all of a tizz now- they must be terrified after such a catalogue of errors. And then to have the gaul to take you to court- I hope your solicitor annihilates them as well as the ombudsman!

[silverfox1961]

Emma,

Thanks for subscribing to this thread. The more people who have had bad experiences with councils, the better for bubblzbee. The amount of stress she has had to go through is dispicable. I'm hoping that when the court case is over, the council see sense and sort out the mess of their own making.

My own case was sorted only a few months ago. I wish I'd found the CAG before I did as it wouldn't have gone on for 4 years.

 

fox

[hallowitch]

sorry for jumping in hear. But only found this web site a week ago and when i found this well an over whelming sense of relief and joy swept over me its just what Ive been looking for help with housing benefit overpayment. bubblzbee i feel for you my daughter had one of those taped interviews. been to court e.c.t She got charged with benefit fraud because .she didn't declare an overpayment of working tax credit I may open my own i have a lot of questions to ask, as i said bubblzee i fell for you have subscribed

[london NW]

Bubblzbee

 

Have You Had No News Yet? My Case Has Been In Dispute Since 2001 When I Went To Court For Arrears Due To Incompetence. I Have Been Reading Cases From The Ombudsman Housing Site And People Don't Get Much For What They Endure. These Housing Benefit People, Housing Etc Etc Seem To Be A Law Unto Themselves. When Will It All Stop?

[london NW]

Silverfox, I Am Glad To Hear Someone Got Somewhere, Were You Satisfied, Was Justice Done?

[silverfox1961]

Silverfox, I Am Glad To Hear Someone Got Somewhere, Were You Satisfied, Was Justice Done?

 

Sort of. My "debt" was around £900 but after making lots of complaints and eventually going to the chief exec i managed to get £400 knocked off due to a cock up. I still had to pay the rest but after my complaint to the ombudsman who found in my favour, I was awarded £200 compensation so although i still paid £300, it's a third of what it could have been but i also had another £212 written off due to statute barring which my council tried to use against me when I tried to get rehoused as the ombudsman told them off for that.

A long process but i had the time and the patience to take on the "big boys"

 

fox

[london NW]

So Basically You Won Nothing For Your Time, Effort And The Effect It Had On You Mentally. That Is Shameful. As I Said B4 When Will It All End And When Will Justice Be Done?

 

I Have 7000 In Dispute Over 10 Years And I Am Giving Up On Ever Getting It Sorted To Be Honest With You.

 

All I Want Now Is A Move.

 

I Am Not A Prejudice Person But I Am Feeling That Way Right Now.

 

Sorry

Edited January 6, 2009 by london NW

[bubblzbee]

Hi all. Sorry been a while, had a letter from the council last week saying that despite being given extra 12 weeks to look into my complaint they are not going to look into it until after the trial . I have sent another letter to the ombudsman outlining again my concerns, and updating on info. I am still going to fight this matter in court and will update as soon as I know more. I do not expect the ombudsman to beable to do much prior to the trial, so am preparing everything with my solicitor.

 

I have also written a letter to my MP too, and am waiting to hear.

[silverfox1961]

Hi Bubblzee,

I was thinking about you the other day and wondering what is happening.

The council really are dragging this out aren't they.

As the council aren't looking at your complaint till after the trial, the ombudsman won't be able to help anyway as the council have to reply first. Just seems a story too long. This could have been sorted so long ago had the council been reasonable.

My son-in-law has varying wages too so i'm dealing with my council on his behalf as they keep getting his housing/council tax benefit wrong.

Please make sure you keep us informed and if anything comes up that you're not sure about, give a shout and we'll come-a-running

take care

 

 

fox

[surprise]

Did you read the thread that re-appeared the other day following benefit overpayment. Worth a read. His dragged on aswell.

 

Keep your chin up and I hope you have a successful 2009.

[jansus]

Hi all. Sorry been a while, had a letter from the council last week saying that despite being given extra 12 weeks to look into my complaint they are not going to look into it until after the trial . I have sent another letter to the ombudsman outlining again my concerns, and updating on info. I am still going to fight this matter in court and will update as soon as I know more. I do not expect the ombudsman to beable to do much prior to the trial, so am preparing everything with my solicitor.

 

I have also written a letter to my MP too, and am waiting to hear.

 

 

Just to say good luck to you . Seems a bit illogical for the council to use tax payers money and proceed to trial - when the investgation may reveal the trial is in-appropriate?

 

Or am I missing the point?

[london NW]

I would like to see the thread please can you send the link in here?

 

Did you read the thread that re-appeared the other day following benefit overpayment. Worth a read. His dragged on aswell.

 

I cannot believe that the council want it to go to court first before they can look into everything, that seems totally absurd. A waste of money and frustrating for you again to build up your hopes in thinking this is all going to be resolved soon. It is a bloody joke. Why didn't they just postpone until a later date?

 

I am getting so angry with all this and what people have to go through and even at the end of the day do these authorities really care?

[bubblzbee]

Hi all. My court date has been postponed, in a few months. Council still not responded to complaint. Have sent another letter to Ombudsman and Mp asking for something to be done.

The councils deadline given by the ombudsman has now ceased ,so fingers crossed will start investigating into the matter.

Will update as know more.......

[surprise]

This seems very odd the way the Council are behaving. If they are sure of the facts then it would be full steam ahead, so obviously someone has dropped a clanger. It seems as if they don't know how to get out of this one. I would certainly pressure the Ombudsman by saying that this is making you ill and it needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.

 

Good luck.

[silverfox1961]

Morning BubblZee and Surprise, Hope you're doing ok.

 

Lets hope the Ombudsman acts now the time limit has expired. They are able to visit the council offices and see your file if they choose to do so and expect phone calls as they try to get a proper picture.

 

still wishing you good luck.

 

fox

[bubblzbee]

I was informed by my solicitor that the court date had been postponed due to a witness recovering after an operation. The witness is a countil housing officer.

I am not sure what to make of it, but least the ombudsman has a few months to look into the matter now before the new court date.

fingers crossed

Edited January 27, 2009 by bubblzbee

[london NW]

bubblzbee

 

GOOD LUCK