Housing benefit query. — Scope | Disability forum
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Housing benefit query.

milliemai
milliemai Community member Posts: 4 Listener
I am currently in receipt of pip and esa, due to poor mental health.I am living in social housing with my eu citizen partner.I have under £11,000 in the bank,which I have saved since I was in my teens, when I was healthy and working.Will I qualify for any housing benefit,of any sort.I have been paying my rent with my savings,but I worry in the future I will run out of funds and get into all sorts of financial problems.If anyone can help i would be very grateful as it's triggering my mental health problems.

Comments

  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi milliemai and welcome

    Is your partner working ?
    This can have an affect on some benefits

    CR
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • milliemai
    milliemai Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    Unfortunately she is not yet,needs to sort her NI number out first.I too would like to do some type of part time work eventually,when I'm well enough.
  • Topkitten
    Topkitten Community member Posts: 1,285 Pioneering
    You should contact the council about this and perhaps the CAB. The savings limits varies but it is usually between £16,000 and £23,000£ for no benefits entitlement (depending on which benefit) and about half that for full entitlement. It is likely you will get a discount but not the full benefit assistance. You WILL have to prove it though so it may take a while and, when and if your partner begins working, it will be affected by their income. Having just lost housing benefit I think it was £18,0000 but it may vary between councils and I am not 100% certain without digging out the paperwork. To show you the difference though I have a feeling that ESA limit is £23,000.

    Hope this helps.

    TK
    "I'm on the wrong side of heaven and the righteous side of hell" - from Wrong side of heaven by Five Finger Death Punch.
  • milliemai
    milliemai Community member Posts: 4 Listener
  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
    milliemai,


    The question is a lot more complicated than you might think! Do you get income-related ESA? If so, then yes you can get housing benefit (HB).

    The £11,000 will reduce your £20 a week however, and there may be other reductions (for example, if you have more than one bedroom).

    TK - thanks for the advice! To clarify, the cut-off point for housing benefit and income-related ESA is £16,000. You don't get benefit if you have more than that.

    However, if you have more than £6,000, the capital reduces your benefit by £1 for every £250 (or part of £250) over the £6,000 limit.

    There is no £23,000 limit that I know of in any of the DWP benefits.


    Milliemai, going back to you, if you are NOT getting income-related ESA I would still expect you to get some housing benefit, reduced as above, and also based on your contributory ESA. PIP doesn't count as income but can help you to get more in housing benefit.

    Whilst your partner is not working, it doesn't sound as if she has any income that would affect you. I'd recommend getting advice as I wonder if you should be claiming income-related ESA for both of you, whilst she isn't working. The CAB could help. I should say that if your partner has any savings, these would be added to yours in the calculations.

    Will
    The Benefits Training Co:

  • milliemai
    milliemai Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    Thank you ever so much,for your help. Will.
  • Topkitten
    Topkitten Community member Posts: 1,285 Pioneering
    Sorry if I misled anyone. I wasn't certain about the £23,000 but I thought that's what I was told by the Job Centre.

    My mothers estate was finally settled recently and I had to go through all the benefits I had, losing most in the process. I can't say that I think it's fair as my mother would have been unhappy about the hassle I have been put through just because she always looked after her money and herself very well. I wouldn't have minded losing the income but the added complication of trying to figure out the extraneous stuff (like prescriptions for example) where the people who are supposed to know don't seem to have a clue what you are and aren't entitled to.

    TK
    "I'm on the wrong side of heaven and the righteous side of hell" - from Wrong side of heaven by Five Finger Death Punch.

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