Housing Benefit Cancelled.......Help Needed Urgently **RESOLVED**

[silentmovieman]

Just out of interest do you know of a site i can goto to get some accepted living allowance figures like when you go bankrupt for example.

 

I realise that they aren't necessarily applicable in this instance but I'd like to use them as a basis on which to work out my finances.

 

I have looked around but keep finding conflicting information.

[Nystagmite]

Gov.uk should have them. On iPad so can't post links. It's basically the same as JSA and CTC figures.

[silentmovieman]

I did find this - http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/community/careSupport/payForSocialCare/pdf/personalLivingAllowanceGuide.pdf

 

How do these things work? Am I right in thinking that these figures provide the amount that a person/family can live on without receiving any benefits? If so are benefits calculated on income either above or below these figures?

 

Also am i right in saying that a family with kids should work the figures out as follows -

 

£142.13 for a couple + £66.33 + £17.45 for each child. THerefore with three children (from April) it would be a weekly sum of £83.78 x 3 + £142.13 = £393.47 per week

[id6052]

you dont get 17.45 per child - it is per family

 

2 children currently

Couple £113.70

Family premium £17.45

Dependent Children £132.66

 

Amount government says you need to live on £263.81

 

3 children currently

Couple £113.70

Family premium £17.45

Dependent Children £198.99

 

Amount government says you need to live on £330.14

 

 

3 children post April

Couple £114.85

Family premium £17.45

Dependent Children £200.70

 

Amount government says you need to live on £333.00

[id6052]

if your income is below or equal to the amount the government says your household needs - you would be entitled to the maximum HB of the relevant LHA rate

 

if your income is above the amount the government says your household needs - you would be entitled to the maximum HB of the relevant LHA rate LESS 65% of any income you have above the amount the government says your household needs

[silentmovieman]

So the figure you need to live on is inclusive of bills such as energy etc?

[id6052]

yes, that is the amount the government thinks a household needs to cover living costs such as:

food

other groceries

utilities - gas electric - water - tv licence - phone - internet - television

transport/travel costs

etc

[silentmovieman]

And rent?

[id6052]

see post 55

[id6052]

have you checked the income figures the council is using yet?

[silentmovieman]

I'm not sure i get it. So if you earn more than the maximum the government say you need without including rent then you would get less hb towards your rent. Or if you earn more than the max after accounting for rent then that's the figure they use for their calculations?

 

so my figures -

 

£77 gas and electric

£75 sky (tv, broadband and phone)

£60 mobile (me and wife)

£101 council tax

£30 water

£60 car insurance

£120 petrol

£12 tv licence

 

so that's £535 pet month before rent

 

Rent is £625 so total outgoings would be £1160 without costs such as food, baby costs, clothing etc.

 

The government figure for the month is £1055.24 which is clearly less than the total outgoings we have. .....i think I'm just confusing the issue within my own head. Not easy is it ☺

[id6052]

the government figure is for income not outgoings

[silentmovieman]

the government figure is for income not outgoings

 

But if your incomings are for more than the allowed sum this meaning you lose some or all hb whilst at the same time your outgoings are for almost the same if not more than your incomings then surely you're getting screwed anyway?

[Nystagmite]

They won't use the outgoings figures you use. And you also have an extra room; so will only get HB for 2 rooms anyway, regardless of how many rooms and how much your rent is.

 

Is your council tax before or after the discount you get if you live with a full time student?

[silentmovieman]

have you checked the income figures the council is using yet?

 

Still waiting to get their reply

[miley_b ob]

I'm not sure i get it. So if you earn more than the maximum the government say you need without including rent then you would get less hb towards your rent. Or if you earn more than the max after accounting for rent then that's the figure they use for their calculations?

 

so my figures -

 

£77 gas and electric

£75 sky (tv, broadband and phone)

£60 mobile (me and wife)

£101 council tax

£30 water

£60 car insurance

£120 petrol

£12 tv licence

 

so that's £535 pet month before rent

 

Rent is £625 so total outgoings would be £1160 without costs such as food, baby costs, clothing etc.

 

 

The government figure for the month is £1055.24 which is clearly less than the total outgoings we have. .....i think I'm just confusing the issue within my own head. Not easy is it ☺

 

 

£75 sky (tv, broadband and phone)

£60 mobile (me and wife)

 

Perhaps its time you looked at giving up these luxuries and going for cheaper alternatives.

[silentmovieman]

£75 sky (tv, broadband and phone)

£60 mobile (me and wife)

 

Perhaps its time you looked at giving up these luxuries and going for cheaper alternatives.

 

Tied into contracts at the moment but certainly lowering them the first chance i get.

[Shoelover]

Hi in a nutshell there are the income figures you have described which add up to your families applicable amount (amount they say you need to live on, less certain disregards or ignored income).

If you have your applicable amount or less coming in you will get either the full LHA rate for your family or the full rent if you are a social housing tenant (unless you are subject to the "bedroom tax")

 

If you have more than your applicable amount coming in (called excess income) coming in then they deduct 65% of the excess income from any HB from your maximum award.

 

Hope that makes sense. Have you seen the figures they are using yet?

[silentmovieman]

Hi in a nutshell there are the income figures you have described which add up to your families applicable amount (amount they say you need to live on, less certain disregards or ignored income).

If you have your applicable amount or less coming in you will get either the full LHA rate for your family or the full rent if you are a social housing tenant (unless you are subject to the "bedroom tax")

 

If you have more than your applicable amount coming in (called excess income) coming in then they deduct 65% of the excess income from any HB from your maximum award.

 

Hope that makes sense. Have you seen the figures they are using yet?

 

Still waiting for their letter. Really hope it arrives tomorrow as my cab meeting is Monday morning

[silentmovieman]

Had my meeting with cab today and they have opted to tale on the case and contact the council on my behalf to find out reasons behind the decision.

 

Still no letter from the council but i called them and they told me that th hey have had my letter but not written a response yet. .......suppose it takes a week for them to read.

[silentmovieman]

Letter arrived today. ......not looking good methinks

[silentmovieman]

Have logged an appeal if for nothing else other than to keep the matter open for the time being. Some of their figures are wrong anyway as we do not get working tax credit.

[Shoelover]

If you recalculate using that exact formula but your figures, but your fingures, are you entitled?

[silentmovieman]

There is the working tax credit which we don't get and I'm not sure about some of the disregards they are using. For instance the student books and travel, there's no indication of how they work those figures out, the same goes for the student loan disregard and the partner disregard.

[id6052]

disregards

 

student loan disregaerd = fixed amount of £10pw

student books disregard = fixed amount of £390 divided by number of weeks in academic year (43 weeks) = £9.07pw

student loan disregard = fixed amount of £303 divided by number of weeks in academic year (43 weeks) = £7.05pw

earnings disregard = fixed amount of £10pw + additional £17.10pw (if you have a child and at least one of you works 16 hours per week) = £27.10pw