Housing Benefit

[grumpy80]

Ok so my partner and I have, finally, been given assistance to get into a flat of our own through the local council. They are doing rent in advance and a deposit guarantee thingy.

Due to neither of us working at the moment (the other half was made redundant recently), one of us claims Jobseekers and the other does not claim yet as I left a job due to the boss being a wotsit. I, at the moment, get a small amount from family to pay for food.

When we move into the place next week we will be getting Local Housing Allowance or Housing Benefit as it used to be known. My partner is the main claimant as she gets JSA, how do I prove my income when I do not get it from the bank?

[story_teller]

hi there........2 points 1st does your partner claim for you and her??...if so u dont have 2 provide your income as your not working nor claiming if your partner does not claim for you...does the local council no your living 2gether???...if not she will be claiming a benefit she isnt entitled 2....it would be alot easier 2 answer your question if i knew who and what your partner was claiming as ive just been through the same thing hope that has helped a tad

[grumpy80]

Hiya Story_teller!

Right, well the other half is on jobseekers for herself. I am not eligible for JSA until late January as I left a job, I have to wait 26 weeks - a pain in the wotsit but that is why I have had to get money from family.

The local council know that I am going with her into the new place but as my medical card and P45 were not enough identification they decided to assist her with rent in advance with no restriction on who lives with her (ie moi).

It has helped story_teller as it means that we can quite easily go to the council with what we have, if that makes sense.

[proudmary]

If you get off your backside you might get a job before January and be in a position to pay your rent. I'm sure a great many people would like to leave work because our managers are 'wotsits' but dont want to rely on the state to pay rent!!

[grumpy80]

Proud Mary - I can get Incapacity due to only having half a bowel but I am too proud to claim it due to the kind of remark you have written. I have a degree and have worked in the public sector for several years. I had to give up work due to a vicious assault on myself, I lived off my savings. My partner and I have been homeless before yet we got ourselves out that situation. Do not tar all dole claimers with the same brush, we do not all layabout all the time. Plus, the new area we live in is a 2 hour drive from here or a 3 hour train ride. We cannot apply for work until we are there and have better proof of address/identity.

[daffy654]

grumpy80..........ignore people like proudmary,she doesn't know your circumstances and has no right to be so judgemental to you. If you have paid into the system then you are entitled to take out of that same system in times of financial hardship!
Sorry I can't give you advice on the proof of income issue.

[grumpy80]

Thank you Daffy, it is refreshing to see someone on our side for a change. We have been told that we are moving in, definately, next Friday. Woohoo! It beats any present for Christmas thats for sure.

[proudmary]

Maybe if you explained more clearly people would be more understanding, you said you left work because your boss was a wotsit????

[themas]

It's unfortunate that there are people on here who are only too ready to jump to conclusions and make insensitive remarks when a moment's thought would (or should) make them aware they do not have all the facts. It is very rare that any questioner on here is able to post everything that is relevant - all people answering can do is give information within the constraints of what the questioner has said.

I'm not sure from what you say what the Council are doing. If you are a couple (& you say you are partners) then any claim for LHA/HB has to be a joint one. I don't see how they have processed a claim for your partner as a single person if they know you are a couple (if that is what they've done). If they don't know you are a couple, then any single person claim is potentially fraudulent.

I believe certain types of voluntary help (which is what you are getting) may be disregarded as income but am not sure whether that would apply to the type you are getting. You could get a letter from the family setting out what help they are giving you (amounts and frequency), and the Council should accept that as evidence of your income.

[sara3]

grumpy, y'know the Government has been dragged into the 21st century and treats all couples as couples, regardless. you need to claim as a couple and you need to claim what you are both entitled to. it's not a time for pride, no one needs to know what you're claiming and it's none of their business. claim forms cover "other income" and you simply need to state what it is. but... you do have to state, by law, that you are a couple living together, if that is what you are.

[grumpy80]

We have declared at every point we are a couple living as if we were civil partners. As I got my job (was only getting around �40 per week from working) before she was claiming they said that as it was a low paid job then yes she had every right to claim JSA. We have had to pay rent out of any money we have as the 'landlord' here prevented us from claiming other benefits to assist us.

[cazzz1975]

I think he didnt give a detailed account of his life so proud mary could have her vindictive fun

[trt]

You sound like a decent Guy grumpy and not like a lot of the claiming parasites that you read about in the media etc.

Claim what you are entitled to, remember there are thousands of legal and illegal immigrants fleecing our resources at the moment, who haven't put a penny in the pot.

Good luck in your new home.