Housing Benefit Unfairness

[leedsangel]

Why is it that if you are self-employed but working part-time hours, local councils reduce Housing Benefit - for every £1.00 earned a person loses 65p?

 

Can I claim any benefits that will help meto increase my income. I have some ailments which mean that I'm only capable of part-time work.

 

I htink it's unfair that people who work part-time hours are penalised and I can understand why people don't give all the information to agencies!!

[callumsgran]

Have you tried claiming income support or disability working allowance?

Go along to your local CAB or look on the entitledto.com website

[surprise]

Contact your local Welfare Rights Office, they are generally very good and will help you with any claims and advise you on which ones you can claim. They are attached to your local authority.

[BizB]

You only lose 65p on a £ if your income exceeds your applicable amount. For council tax benefit its 20p on a pound.

 

The applicable amount is a figure determined by central govt , its based on your circumstances and it changes every year. For example the applicable amount for a single person this year is £60.50p.w or round about that.

Say you earned £100 pw as a single person you have an excess income of

£100 - £60.50 = £39.50. Housing Benefit would then take 65% of that excess income from your entitlement and you get the balance.

It has nothing to do with you being self employed. It applies to everyone

 

Hope you find this useful

[Zamzara]

Definitely claim disability living allowance (DLA), with assistance from a welfare adviser if possible. This will passport you to more HB and may entitle you to working tax credit as well.

[leedsangel]

Why should people on a low wage who may be only able to work part-time hours have excess income taken off them. The amount the government says a person can live on is ridicously low; you don't see any government minister surviving on £60 a week. Maybe Tax Credits should be disregarded and people who work part-time allowed to earn say £400 excluding Tax Credits before any income is taken off them.

[BizB]

The rule does not affect only part-timers it affects everyone who's income exceeds their applicable amount. Unfortunately tax credits is also counted as an income. I dont quite know how central govt has worked out the weekly entitlement but everyone complains its a ridiculous figure in this day and age.

How much is your rent and are you on the local housing allowance(the amount you get may differ depending on your circumstance) if you have children the cost of nursery fees is disregarded from your rent as long as your child attends a registered child care provider