Hi, my name is shazzaa1969! I'm confused about housing benefit

shazzaa1969

hi I live alone in a 3 bedroom house my benifits are capped and the council have me down for 3 disability premiums on my houseing benifits  which I don't get I get top rate off pip don't get cost living they take £38 off my benifits I pay £22 week I don't understand how they can do this I was a carer for my partner for 15 years we split up so the said I would get old esa but now I get 117 week with £40 off that being in the support group get contbuition eesa for nearly 3 year can you help me with this please I have tried and speaking to them but they say the have to use these 3 payments so my rent is cheaper I don't understand any off it

shazzaa1969

any help for me please post

poppy123456

Do you live alone in your house? If so then having 3 bedrooms will mean you are affected by the bedroom tax, which will reduce you housing benefit by 25%.
You are not affected by the benefit cap because you claim PIP.
More information is needed to be able to advise you further.
Did your ESA start before December 2018? 

Do you receive any income from any pensions? Do you have savings of more than £6,000? 

shazzaa1969

no I only started my claim in June 2019 I pay for 1 bedroom and council pay for 1 no got no more income yes they use the 3 disability premiums on my houseing account which I don't receive none on my benefits form they add my pip which is £627 ho my eesa which is 117 a week so they add 4 £117 then my pip then take off the rest cause you live outside London your only allowed £257 something like that so they take £38 off my houseing benifit aweek my rent is £125 week they pay £65 and 10 for bed room that's £75 I pay out my esa a week 22some thing about excess income off £38 week off my houseing benifit but they take it out my houseing claim I told them how can yous put me down for 3 premiums when I don't get none they add my pip with my fortnightly money that makes me more money for living out side off greater London I fought for 2 years cause its never changed my benifit yes I live alone no one claims any carers or premiums for me can't even get a bug loan off them I have got a lot off health problems but this isn't helping me I can't live I didn't want these disability but I have them sometimes I can't get to my hospital appointments cause I can't afford the taxi fare please is this right or wrong I can't cope any more thanks ever so much for answering  my letter to yous 

shazzaa1969

please some one out there must have answers to help me

calcotti

shazzaa1969 said:

please some one out there must have answers to help me

Give people time to reply. We’re not just sitting up waiting to post replies.

The ESA you receive is new style ESA which is not means teated which is why you do not get any premiums included in the ESA. They are correct to include the premiums in your HB calculation, they increase your HB entitlement.

I infer that your housing is social housing. As poppy says, the deduction from your HB is, if you live alone, because you have 2 spare bedrooms (although if the rent is £125/week I would expect the deduction to be £31/week, not £38.) Do you know if you were previously overpaid HB and they are making a deduction for that?

You haven’t answered the question about whether or not you have any savings over £6,000.

It is likely that you would be better off claiming UC. This would end your HB and you would get help with rent through UC. Before applying for UC you should check whether or not it is better for you, see if you can get a benefit check done by a local agency https://advicelocal.uk/.

The deduction from help with rent will continue as long as you have spare rooms. You may be able to ask for a Discretionary Housing Payment from your local authority but this will be temporary.

shazzaa1969

no I havnt got more or less than £6000 sorry but I pay bedroom tax off £11 for 1 room they pay for 1 room the council I don't understand how they can put you down for 3 benifits when you don't get them and your only if you do get them you only get 1 premium sorry for bothering you but how come my income is capped I only get £117 aweek thank you for your help

poppy123456

Your benefits are not capped because you're claiming PIP. The reason your ESA is only £117.60/week is because it's New style ESA which is a contributions based only claim and that's the most it will pay. The disability premiums can't be paid with this ESA.

As advised by calcotti, you can claim UC which will top up your income. You will be entitled to the LCWRA element from the start of your claim because you're in the Support Group for ESA.

Your ESA will be deducted from any UC entitlement. If you claim UC your housing benefit will continue for 2 weeks and then transfer to UC and your UC will then include help with your rent, standard element and LCWRA element.

You can either use a benefits calculator to speak to an advice agency for a full benefits check.

You can also apply for a DHP, see link. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments

shazzaa1969

yes but if I claim uc I have to be liable for work but I have lots off health issues it's not about the money I'm great full but still don't understand it at first I did claim uc for 2 weeks then they told me not to go back on my journey and sent me a form out for eesa 

shazzaa1969

my benifit  is capped it has on my houseing benifit form 

calcotti

shazzaa1969 said:

no I havnt got more or less than £6000 sorry but I pay bedroom tax off £11 for 1 room they pay for 1 room 

If you are treated as having one bedroom and your rent is £125 then the bedroom tax would be 14% of £125 = £17.50. Anything else that is being deducted must be due to an overpayment.

shazzaa1969 said:

.the council I don't understand how they can put you down for 3 benifits when you don't get them 

The premiums are part of the calculation of Housing Benefit because you receive ESA/PIP.
https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/disability-premiums-in-benefits

shazzaa1969

I have done a benifit  cat and it says I should get not sure but it says I should get old eesa and new and prim but don't no if its right 

poppy123456

shazzaa1969 said:

yes but if I claim uc I have to be liable for work but I have lots off health issues

That's not correct. You're claiming New style ESA in the Support Group so you'll be entitled to the LCWRA element from the start of your claim. You will not have to look for work.

shazzaa1969 said:

I have done a benifit  cat and it says I should get not sure but it says I should get old eesa and new and prim but don't no if its right 

That's not correct. As advised, you're claiming New style ESA and the disability premiums aren't payable when claiming this. You can't claim the old Income Related ESA because it no longer exists.

calcotti

shazzaa1969 said:

I have done a benifit  cat and it says I should get not sure but it says I should get old eesa and new and prim but don't no if its right 

You can't claim old ESA because new claims have not been possible since 2018.

shazzaa1969 said:

no I havnt got more or less than £6000 sorry but I pay bedroom tax off £11 for 1 room they pay for 1 room the council

shazzaa1969 said:

..they take £38 off my houseing benifit aweek my rent is £125 week they pay £65 and 10 for bed room that's £75 I pay out my esa a week 22some thing about excess income off £38 week off my houseing benifit but they take it out my houseing claim ..

I am confused from your different posts exactly what you are getting from Housing Benefit and what you are actually paying towards your rent. If your rent is £125 then the bedroom tax for two spare bedrooms is £31.25/week (25%), if for some reason you are allowed an extra room and therefore only have one spare bedroom the bedroom tax would be £17.25/week (14%).

shazzaa1969

I don't have any overpayment they pay 65 rent 10 bedroom tax I pay 22 that's £97 where does the rest come from for my rent to make it 125 leaves £28 who's paying that 

shazzaa1969

that's £11 for 1 bedroom and the rest water rates thanks

shazzaa1969

makes my £22 week

shazzaa1969

any 1 

shazzaa1969

but if I add 1 weeks pip to 1 weeks esa it over the benefits cap that's were the other £30 they pay for my rent

calcotti

shazzaa1969 said:

I don't have any overpayment they pay 65 rent 10 bedroom tax I pay 22 that's £97 where does the rest come from for my rent to make it 125 leaves £28 who's paying that 

I still don't understand. What do you mean 10 bedroom tax? Are you getting a Discretionary Housing Payment? Are you allowed an extra bedroom because you need a carer? It was you that said your rent is £125/week. As you say, the payment numbers you have indicated don't add up to £125 which would mean there is a shortfall in what is being paid.

I think contacting a local agency and going through your HB award with them and getting a benefits check done is the best way forward.

shazzaa1969

they just add the prum and get people  confused