HB Advice?

[LadyJ1965]

Hiya

 

We claim HB as a family. I work and thats taken into consideration.

 

Last year our eldest son moved out and started work. This was Jan 11. I informed HB and showed them the adjusted tax credits and child benefit letters. This took our entitlement down from 3-4 bedrooms. We don't get full HB because of work so wouldn't have made much difference. Of course our benefits plummeted but we expected that.

 

When the new notices came in April of last year I noticed my eldest was still on there and it said we were entitled to a 4 bed still. I informed them again through a posted letter (not recorded delivery) and thought nothing of it.

 

We had a review in January of this year where someone came from the council to check we were really living here etc etc, and he was still listed as living here. I told the man, and again he removed him from the claim. This was signed by him and me.

 

Today I've received my 2012/13 CT bill and HB allowances and you guessed it, he's STILL on there. We've phoned them today and I will stick another letter in tomorrow as requested (by hand this time!), but I also noticed he's listed as a 'non dependant adult' and 'a non dependant deduction of £xx' has been made from our benefits weekly as we have not provided any information for him.

 

I don't know how I missed this on the last letter, but I clearly did. Does this mean we've been struggling with the lowered benefits because of that deduction? If I can prove I gave this information 4 times would I possibly get backdated HB? I've had to borrow from family members to help out and it would be nice to be able to pay it back!