Housing benefits stopping when I got PIP

ste1965

Thank you poppy i will do but here is what they have written to me,
The payment of benefit for a period where there is no claim in existence can only be made for a maximum period of one month for Housing Benefit and 6 months for Council Tax Reduction. In order to qualify for backdated benefit, the person affected must demonstrate good cause as to why they could not apply for benefit at the time in question...
After careful consideration, i am afraid the reasons you have given for not claiming earlier are not sufficient for me to backdate your claim. This is for the following reasons
You have asked for housing benefit to be backdated to when your Personal Independence Payment award has been backdated to.Our regulations state we can only make a housing payment whilst the PIP is currently in payment and we cannot backdate this decision...
Just to say i applied for housing benefit a couple off days after i got my award letter so there was noway i could apply any earlier.

poppy123456

That's a ridiculous reason!! how could you have possibly claimed for housing benefit before your PIP was awarded? Definitely request the Mandatory Reconsideration for this and send you PIP award letter with it and clearly state that it was impossible for you to apply BEFORE you had the decision on the PIP, which is why you applied within days of receiving the decision.

ste1965

I know poppy talk about they are making me feel stupid, im writing the appeal letter now i think whoever wrote me this letter might be a bit thick lol ( sorry ) and Thank you again for your advice

poppy123456

Yes, i completely agree there. I'm not sure what planet they're living on. Good luck and do let us know the outcome.

ste1965

Sure will

Chloe_Alumni

I hope it goes well for you @ste1965!

ste1965

Just an update i sent the email to housing benefit on the 27th August, just rung them to be told they have my email but have not opened it yet so as of yet i have not had a reply .

poppy123456

As this is a Mandatory Reconsideration request then there's no timescales for a decision. Hopefully you won't be waiting much longer.

ste1965

Well today i got a response from my local housing benefit and again my request has been refused on the basis i should have known i was going to get PIP way back in April before i got my decision letter in July from PIP saying i had been awarded PIP from April.
I think i should give up because they are just stressing me out, i didnt put my housing benefit request in until i got my decision letter from PIP because i had no idea i had been awarded it, yet they are still saying i should have known by applying for housing benefit on the fact i had applied for PIP back in April. Is this correct? because if i had put an application in for housing benefit back in April i wouldnt have got it as i wasnt getting PIP . 
Im confused and fedup .

poppy123456

I have no idea why they are telling you this. You couldn't possibly have applied for housing benefit in April when you didn't have a PIP award at that time. Providing you apply for a benefit within 1 month of the date of a decision being made on another benefit, it's normal procedure to backdate it to the start of the benefit that was just awarded.

ste1965

I think someone who works there must be having a laugh at my expense im going to CAB as my health cant handle their behaviour. Yes i did poppy its was withing 2 days of the decision letter .

poppy123456

CAB are very often so busy it can be very difficult to get through to make an appointment. Put your postcode into this link to see what else is available in your area https://advicelocal.uk/

Let us know how you get on because your local council are totally wrong here.

ste1965

Thank you i will do poppy

Adrian_Scope

Hi @ste1965. This sounds so stressful and I'm sorry you're having to fight for them to listen to you. I hope you manage to get an appointment with your local CAB or another advice agency in your area who can support you appealing this. Please let us know how you get on!

ste1965

Just an update i got a letter yesterday saying they are going to pay my 1 month off housing benefit but as i explained to them it was my daughter who was owed the money as she paid the rent but they have paid my 4 weeks back dated benefit to my housing who i dont owe any arrears to what a carry on.
And another issue that has come up is my council tax has been reduce due to council tax benefit but instead of me being allowed to pay it of monthly like i was they are saying i have to pay it off now in one lump sum or they will take me to court and put court costs on top.
Ive started to think there is someone working for the benefit people who has it in for me.

poppy123456

As the housing benefit is in your name it would have been owed to you and not your daughter. If your rent is automatically paid to your landlord and not you then your local council paying them was correct. You now need to ring your landlord and ask for a refund which they will do if your account is in credit.

I can't advise on the council tax reduction because all local councils have their own criteria but i'm very surprised to know that you have been told you need to pay it as one lump sum, i would definitely be contacting my local MP regarding that. If this is going to cause financial hardship on you then it's wrong for them to make you pay this in one lump sum and threaten you with court action if you don't pay.

See link for contacting your local MP. https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-your-mp/

Don't let them treat you this way because it's wrong.

Adrian_Scope

Hi @ste1965. I have to agree with Poppy it seems strange for them to demand the remaining Council Tax payment in one lump sum.

When I've missed a payment in the past, they've sent a very assertive letter demanding the full payment for the rest of the year in one go, which is always great to receive! But they've always been happy to set up the monthly payments again when I call. If you've tried speaking with them and they're refusing, then it might be worth you contacting your MP or seeing if there's someone higher up in the Council Tax department you can get in touch with.