Why has my local Housing Benefit Office turned me down?

Question

I have just moved out of my partners home (it is mortgaged in his name and not mine) due to a break down in our relationship. I have 4 children in total (ages 2 - 12yrs). The younger two are from my ex partner. I do not have a penny to my name so my ex partner asked me if I want to rent his other house which has been rented out for three years. I jumped at the chance, one because I have no monies for bonds and rent in advance and two, my children attend the local schools. I work p/t 16hrs and get tax credit. I went to the local Housing Benefit office to apply for help with my rent but I as tuned down on the grounds that my ex partner is the father of my two youngest children. I asked if I could claim for myself and my two older children (which are not his) and they said No. Where do I stand? Can I appeal? I cannot afford the rent without help from the local HB office. Im at my wits end.

Lisa

Answer 1

There are too many people ahead of you and there is not enuf money.

Answer 2

It';s because you are working...sad but you'll get it if you lose your job...

Answer 3

You may have grounds for appeal and I think you need to go to the Citizen’s Advice Bureau about this, read the section here first on their website ‘when you are treated as not paying rent’:

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/life...

Two other things occur to me, one is that in many areas there are rent deposit or bond schemes where the local council or some other organisation helps you with a deposit and rent in advance, if you don’t win the appeal and can’t rent this house.

There’s a page here from Shelter about this:

http://england.shelter.dev.squiz.co.uk/g...

The other is that I had a problem with my local housing benefit department recently and in desperation went to see one of my local councillors about it, she put me in touch with someone more senior in the department straightaway and it turned out that I had been badly mis-informed by the counter staff, it may not help in your case as it sounds as though you may have to appeal against a discretionary decision, but I tell everyone this just to point out that housing benefit staff do sometimes make mistakes, especially if they err on the side of not giving you money when you should have it or trying to get more out of you than you should pay.

Answer 4

Housing Benefit will not be paid to a tenant who is responsible for any children belonging to the landlord.

Im afraid you cannot appeal against their decision because it is one that is set out in legislation and therefore not the councils choice to make

There is no way round it apart from moving into another property

Answer 5

You would need to find a property to rent that is not owned by your ex. Housing Benefit will not make payments to him as he is the father of the children. This is to prevent fradulent claims such as if you were really still together but trying to claim you were living there without him. The legislation has been made to prevent this happening.

Answer 6

No you can not get housing benefit for this house, because of the relationship between your children and their father, but there is no reason why you could not apply again, but in a different house.

Its just the way it works, I think this is to avoid fraudulent claims.

Answer 7

Shouldn't your ex give you maintenance for the youngest 2.

This could help towards your rent.

Answer 8

they wont let you rent from relatives... the only way to get round this is if the father of your kids registers himself as a real landlord and instead of using his name he uses the company.. other than that i doubt you will get it...

Answer 9

Contact the CSA - you didn't make the children on your own, and the fathers have to play their part in making sure their offspring are adequately cared for.