[DizzyLizzy]

I have a really random question I hope someone could help with as I know nothing about finances

I am claiming housing benefit but have worked for the last month, I have only received one benefit payment and that was back tracked in arrears as it took 6 weeks to process my claim

I am temping and may not have a job after friday. I dont know whether to close my claim down or not as I may still need it and dont want to wait another 6 weeks to reopen it
If anyone has any advice plese let me know as I am just a baby and have never claimed before
xxxx

[~Kizwiz~]

I'm not sure as I've only just started to claim myself for the first time.
Check out this site it might help.

Click here

[Red Moon]

When I claimed and was on a low wage, I carried on claiming. But that was years ago.

[DizzyLizzy]

thanks guys
just dont wanna get done for fraud! but I suppose it counts as a low wage if I only earn for one month

[Slartibartfast]

Aha, benefit advice!! This is a large part of my current job although I don't really deal with Housing Benefit much.

As I see it, you had claimed HB when you weren't working and they have assessed your claim based on those circumstances. It's taken six weeks to process the claim and issue payment which, it seems, has been backdated to your date of claim. But since you submitted the claim form, you've been working (for the last month) although you're not sure that the work will continue past next week. Just to confirm I've got the facts right!!

If you initially claimed HB when you had no income or weren't working and then start working, then the amount of HB you recieve is very likely to be affected by any income you are obtaining from employment. This means that continued payments of HB you recieve (or payments you have already recieved for the period when you were working) may be too much and as a result you may have been overpaid benefit. Depending on your earnings, it doesn't necessarily mean that you are not entitled to HB at all, but it is likely that you are entitled to a lower amount than you would get if you weren't working at all.

If you have been overpaid benefit, then it can be recovered from you if it was reasonable for you to have known that an overpayment was occurring. Often, when you first claim HB or received a decision letter saying you were entitled, enclosed is an instruction booklet which gives details of any changes of circumstances which you must report. More than likely, that instruction booklet will state somewhere "You must tell us if you start working" or "You must tell us if you income goes up or down". If thats the case, then arguably it is reasonable for you to know that a change in income or the commencement of employment will affect the amount of HB you are entitled to and as such, it is reasonable for you to know that an overpayment has occurred. If thats the case, then they could ask for the overpaid money to be paid back to them.

As I said above, I don't deal with HB all that much so you might want to contact a local Citizens Advice Bureau or Law Centre or other advice/housing organisation to get specific advice on your case.

Just to check as well, if you were getting HB, were you getting any other benefits like JSA, IS or Child Tax Credit. All these need to be notified as well of any changes in your circumstances!! They are all means-tested benefits, so any change in your income can affect the amount of benefit you get.

Hope that helped (hardly great news though, I know )

[DizzyLizzy]

thank you I really appreciate you taking the time to advise me
I think I need to tell them I have earned somthing but I dont want to have to give the money back, but as I wasnt working when I first claimed I am receiving full benefit.
If I hav only received one payment I assume that will cover the period I wasnt working so I wont have to give it back, but perhaps any future payments will be deducted?

[SiMoN!]

i dont no anything about it