Housing Benefit Problem

[CuriouslyGeorge]

Hi all, my partner was on SSP as she's been off sick from work for over a year but it has recently stopped and she is now on ESA.

 

She lives in a room and looking at the housing allowance rates she should get £350 a month, her rent is £350 a month, however they have only awarded her £250 a month and using the excuse that her postcode falls under a different county, how can this be? Sounds like she's big fobbed off, can anyone help?

 

Thank you.

[id6052]

local housing allowances rates depend upon:-

1) the household size/type

2) the area the person lived in

 

you can search the rates by postcode

 

http://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/search.aspx

[antone]

Generally, each county council pays HB only to residents of that county. Does she live in the county they say she does? Which of the two counties in question pays her HB? Which one sends her Council Tax bill?

 

I used to have problems along those lines - I lived on Deptford Bridge, in London. I was, literally, 20 yards inside Greenwich Borough but I had all sorts of trouble convincing LB Greenwich that I didn't live in Lewisham Borough, because that's where most of Deptford is located. Could it be a situation like that?

[CuriouslyGeorge]

Thanks for the replies.

 

She doesn't get a council tax bill as she llives in a room in someone's house, the council that deals with her claim is the Vale of White horse and she does live in Oxfordshire so i think they have got it all wrong.

 

Also her claim started a few months ago and she was getting less housing benefit but as she's now getting less money and on ESA she had to do a change of circumstances which she did 2 weeks ago after she made a claim for ESA so all of her rent should be paid now based on the £350 per month local housing allowance but they are not.

Edited August 27, 2014 by CuriouslyGeorge

[id6052]

Vale of White Horse includes properties that fall under 2 different Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMA)

 

Each BRMA has its own individual LHA rates

 

Oxford BRMA - shared accommodation rate is £80.81 per week

Swindon BRMA - shared accommodation rate is £57.73 per week

 

The postcode will determine which BRMA she is in and which LHA rate applies

[id6052]

If her property is within Oxford BRMA, she would get £350pcm - however if it is within Swindon BRMA, she only gets £250.16pcm