Any Housing benefit workers?

[id6052]

Where a HB/CTB claimant is self employed, their self employed income is normally assessed by using the previous financial year's accounts as an estimate of income for next 12 months.

 

A simple example

If your business year runs from 1 January to 31 December, then your self employed income for 2012 would be used to calculate your HB/CTB for 2013.

If your business income increases half way through 2013, then this would be taken into account when they calculate your HB/CTB for 2014.

 

The best advice to avoid overpayments is to provide your self employed accounts at the end of each financial year to allow your HB/CTB to be reassessed.

 

If you are currently expected to pay £26 per week towards your rent on £100 S/E income per week, then assuming you have no other changes, you would be expected to £58.50 per week towards your rent on £150 S/E income per week.

[id6052]

I would also advise being pro-active in sending in the info yourself, this has two advantages

 

1. if your self employed income has increased, telling them promptly will reduce risk of overpayments
   
2. if your self employed income has decreased, telling them promptly will reduce risk of loss of any extra benefit you may be entitled to