council tax benefit help with back dating

[lindseyb]

Hi all!

I hope someone can help please, I have been left in financial difficultyafter splitting from my violent ex-husband who is refusing to pay anythingtowards the large amount of joint debts we owe.

I have been looking at ways to reduce my outgoings and have found out I canget council tax benefit so I am off 1st thing Monday morning to get this butwhen I was enquiring I had asked if this could be back dated to which I wastold yes but only in exceptional circumstances. When I asked what were thesecircumstances, I was told 'I didn't know I could get it' won’t do.

I wondered if anyone had, had it back dated or if anyone could give me someadvice on what to put in a letter in order to try and get it back dated?

 

Thanks

[id6052]

normally council tax benefit will only be payable from the monday after your make a claim for the monday

 

it can be backdated for working age claimants for a maximum of 26 weeks - however the claimant will need to demonstrate continuous good cause for not claiming earlier

 

some common examples of good cause could be where: -

a person has been hospitalised and as a result was unable to make a claim at the correct time,

a postal strike which delayed the delivery of the claim form

a person has a learning or mental disability which prevented them claiming earlier

 

each application for backdating should be considered on the indivdual person's circumstances

 

for pension age claimants, the rules are different, they can have their claims backdated for a maximum of 3 months but do not need to show good cause