Benefit Advice
Backdated Benefit
You can request for the claim for benefit to be backdated for up
to 1 month, however you need to show continuous good cause for
a backdate to be accepted. Good cause is a reason to why you did
not claim earlier. Please provide as much evidence as possible to
support your request. Remember we will need proof of all your
income and capital for any period we consider backdating for.
If you or your partner are the qualify age for pension credit,
you can request for the claim to be backdated for the previous 3
months without having to show continuous good cause. We will need
proof of all your income and capital for any period we consider
backdating for.
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Staying in hospital
As soon as you can please inform us if you are in hospital for a
significant period of time. We are able to pay Housing and Council
Tax Benefit for a period of up to 52 weeks whilst you are in
hospital. We will however, require a statement from you or someone
who has the authority to deal with your affairs telling us that you
intend to return to the property.
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Moving House
Please tell us as soon as possible if you are moving house. We
will need the following information:
- Confirmation of the date you have moved into your new house
after you have moved in.
- Your new tenancy agreement.
- A completed rent details form for your new property.
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Change in your household
Please inform us as soon as possible if there is a change in
your household. If this is a beneficial change to make sure your
entitlement is correct please inform us within one month of the
change otherwise you may lose the benefit you were entitled to. To
make this process easier please provide the following information
for any change in or out:
People moving in
- Confirm the date they moved in.
- Proof of date of birth.
- Proof of National Insurance Number
- Confirm their relationship to you
- Proof of all their income
- Proof of any capital they own (if the person moving in is your
partner)
People moving out
- Confirm the date they moved out.
- Provide a forwarding address.
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Non Dependant Deductions
Anyone who lives with you and is over 18 who is not your
partner, dependant child, joint tenant or sub-tenant, is called a
"non-dependant" and they are expected to help towards your rent. An
amount is taken from your Housing/Council Tax Benefit – even if you
do not get any money from them. The amount that is deducted depends
upon the non-dependant's age and income.
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Change in income
Please inform us as soon as possible if there is a change in
your income. If this is a beneficial change to make sure your
entitlement is correct please inform us within one month of the
change otherwise you may lose the benefit you were entitled to. To
make this process easier please provide the following information
for any change:
Confirm the date of the change.
If your wages have increased or decreased provide your next five
weekly or two monthly wages slips showing the change.
- Provide up to date proof of changes to any Private
Pensions.
- Provide up to date proof of changes to any state benefits.
- Provide your up to date tax credit award letters as soon as
received.
- Provide proof of the changes in child benefit as soon as
received.
- Provide proof of up to date student income as soon as
received.
- If any income stops provide proof of the date it has ended as
soon as possible.
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Reporting a change
If there is any other change in your circumstances please inform
us immediately. The following are some common changes which the
council are not told promptly of and can result in an overpayment
of housing benefit:
- A reduction in your hours at work.
- Increases in Private Pensions.
- Inheriting money.
- Capital increasing over £16,000.
- Proof of any Child Care Costs.
- Having a baby.
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When do I get paid?
We pay Housing Benefit every two weeks in arrears. We make these
payments by BACS so please ensure that you provide us with your up
to date bank details. For those claimants who have their rent paid
directly to their landlord we pay them every four weeks in
arrears.
Council Tax Benefit is paid direct to your Council Tax account,
if you are awarded Council Tax Benefit then you will receive a new
bill showing the outstanding balance.
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