Savings and Housing Benefit

Matty22
Matty22 Online Community Member Posts: 4 Listener
edited November 2024 in Benefits and income

Hi

I have savings above the £16,000 have set up my rent account to pay my rent each week ,from the beginning of November 24. . I understand the Housing benefit will recoup the savings I have, to match when my savings over-ran the amount of £16,000 that they allow.

Would there be any point in appealing on the grounds of a mental health condition. as my savings have overexceeded for 4 years.

Comments

  • Matty22
    Matty22 Online Community Member Posts: 4 Listener

    I would be very thankful for any advice, you may be able to provide. As since recieving the review of my housing and council tax, letter in September 24, I have submitted all my income.statepension and attendance allowance plus savings, over the telephone to housing benefit advisor.

    Thanks and look forward to hearing from you.

  • Morgan_Scope
    Morgan_Scope Posts: 782 Scope Online Community Coordinator

    Hello @Matty22. Is it just Housing Benefit and council tax support you were claiming? Are any of the savings backdated benefits or anything that may possibly be ignored?

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing

    Are you claiming Pension Credit? If so the maximum capital limit isn't £16,000. There's no maximum limit for those that claim this. Instead for every £500 or part thereof over £10,000 your PC reduces by £1/week.

    https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/eligibility

  • Matty22
    Matty22 Online Community Member Posts: 4 Listener

    Hi I have omitted to inform housing benefit and council tax when my savings exceeded £16,000, which was over 4yrrs ago.

    As I have a mental health diagnosis and are prescribed medication. Can I use induced apathy side-effects from my medication as mitigating circumstances, to appeal, regarding the continuing to claim housing and council tax for the last 4yrs, with omission to inform housing benefit of my savings going beyond the £16,000.

    I recieved a letter about a review and passed on all my financial savings over the telephone in September 2024, yet now it is February 1st, and as yet I have heard nothing from the housing department.

    I have been paying my full rent since November 2024. Can you please advice me how the Housing benefit will recoup the amount owed to them for the past 4years.

    Can you give me any idea of what the possible outcome will be, and how I might have to pay it back, I have not spent any of this money,as I was hoping to pass it on to my daughter's in a will, if I bestowed a monetary gift, to my daughter's, I would assume that I would still have to pay the payments of housing benefit, when my savings exceeded the amount of £16,000.

    Appreciate any advice you may be able to give .

    Thanks

    Matty22

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing

    You didn't answer the question I asked back in November 2024. Are you working age or state pension age and above? If state pension age are you claiming Pension Credit?

    Are you claiming any means tested benefits? if so which ones exactly please?

    If you give your money away then this will be treated as deprivation of capital and you'll still be treated as having the money.

    Overpayments can be paid back through a payment plan.

  • Matty22
    Matty22 Online Community Member Posts: 4 Listener

    Hi Poppy ,

    I am over pension age 70yrs and have just started claiming pension credit.

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/981859#Comment_981859

    Thanks. As you were over state pension age 4 years ago, if you were claiming Pension Credit at that time then there's no upper capital limits. As I advised in a previous comment..

    Capital of up to £10,000 is ignored. For every £500 or part thereof over this amount your PC is reduced by £1/week. You will need to contact PC to report the changes if you still have more than £10,000.

    This will have no affect on any housing benefit you maybe claiming if there's still entitlement to PC.

Categories